Chapter 144: Pain
When Mia heard this, a glimmer of light finally appeared in her increasingly dim eyes. "Do you have another part-time job for me?"
"Yes!" Benjamin didn't beat around the bush. "A friend has a car show tomorrow and needs models, but you'd have to stand in high heels for six hours—"
The implication was clear—it would be exhausting.
He remembered when she first joined the company, she wasn't used to wearing high heels.
To adapt quickly, she would practice walking in heels during lunch breaks in the parking lot while reviewing materials.
He saw her feet were blistered and offered her a band-aid.
She declined flatly, "No need, I'll get used to it."
She had experience—the same spot, hurt it a few more times, and the pain would gradually lessen.
Just like her heart, which was now almost numb.
"How much?"
Mia asked directly.
She didn't care about being tired or working hard.
She desperately needed money, and she never hid that fact.
As long as it didn't affect her work, she would use every available moment to earn money.
"Eight thousand dollars."
As soon as Benjamin finished speaking, she immediately nodded, "Okay."
So quick, as if afraid he might change his mind.
After asking about the car show schedule, Mia waved at him and hurried toward the subway entrance.
She had saved enough for tuition, enrolled, and had class tonight.
Benjamin watched Mia's increasingly thin figure.
He could tell her relationship with James was like fire and water now, and she was becoming more and more unhappy.
If that was the case, they could clearly get divorced, so why suddenly not divorce?
The question lingered in his mind, but he couldn't bring himself to ask.
Mia's boundaries were too strong.
Such a question would be crossing the line.
……
Saturday night, as darkness fell, Mia was stuffed into the car by Benjamin, her face pale and covered in cold sweat.
"Mia, why didn't you say something earlier if you weren't feeling well?"
Benjamin's face looked terrible.
"I'm not that fragile."
Mia looked at Benjamin, who was losing his temper with her. In all the time she'd known him, this seemed like the first time she'd seen him angry.
Her period wasn't supposed to be today, but the morning-after pills she'd taken before had probably messed up her cycle.
This morning, she woke up to find her period had started.
If it were before, she would definitely have gone back to bed.
But now, she needed money.
Eight thousand dollars—she didn't want to give that up.
More importantly, this job was introduced by Benjamin. They'd already agreed, and canceling at the last minute would put him in a difficult position.
She took painkillers and went to the venue.
She deliberately used heavy makeup to cover her pale face and managed to hold on for the full six hours before Benjamin, who came by, noticed.
He felt like he was punching cotton.
"I'm really fine, I'll be okay after I go home and sleep."
Mia leaned back in her seat, lowering her eyelids.
Benjamin said nothing more, started the car, left the venue, and drove her home.
Car models couldn't wear much, and although spring had arrived, she was naturally sensitive to cold.
After losing the baby, she became even more afraid of the cold. Her body was getting weaker, and this period made it even more obvious.
Despite taking painkillers, the pain didn't stop.
Not only pain, but she kept breaking out in cold sweats, her whole body weak.
She managed to hold on because reality had taught her that she had no one to rely on, and she wouldn't rely on anyone anymore.
So, she had no right to complain about being tired or suffering.
The car pulled into Luxe Haven and stopped. Mia slowly opened her eyes and took a moment to recover.
Benjamin helped her open the car door. Mia got out and thanked him, "Thank you."
"Can you make it up by yourself?"
Benjamin looked at the clearly uncomfortable Mia.
He wanted to see her upstairs but didn't want to cause James to misunderstand.
"I can."
Mia didn't want to drag Benjamin into this either.
She'd just seen the lights were already on upstairs—James was clearly home.
This psycho with his abnormally strong possessiveness—he tortured her, and she could torture him back.
But Benjamin was innocent.
He had really helped her so much.
Benjamin acknowledged this, leaned into the car to grab an envelope, and handed it to Mia. "Your payment for today."
When she couldn't hold on at the venue earlier and he caught her, his friend had given him the money directly.
Mia took it, and he got in the car.
"Rest well."
After this reminder, he drove away.
Mia had just turned around with the money when she heard hurried footsteps behind her, and her wrist was suddenly grabbed.
They knew each other too well.
The moment her wrist was grabbed, Mia already knew who it was. She struggled, "Let go."
"Mia, what is this? Why is Benjamin giving you money? What did you two do?"
James snatched the envelope from her hand, and seeing it was money, his pupils contracted as the words burst out.
Mia's face grew even paler in the darkness.
She shot James a cold glance, "Give me back my money."
She didn't care anymore about these humiliating words from him.
After all, this wasn't the first time.
Mia didn't bother explaining and reached to grab the money from his hand.
The envelope tore, and Mia clutched the money.
James suddenly tightened his grip, "I asked you what you two did?"
Her body staggered from his pull, she felt dizzy, her hand went weak, and she couldn't hold the money—it scattered all over the ground.
Mia looked at the money on the ground, met James's dark eyes, and mocked coldly, "What could I do?"
James looked at her and suddenly realized.
This morning when she got up, she wanted to go out again.
He didn't want her going out and exhausting herself, wanted her to rest properly on Saturday.
So he deliberately said he wanted her to fulfill her obligations.
He pressed her down on the bed, and she was very cooperative.
But halfway through, he noticed something was wrong.
In his shock, she mocked, "Forgot to mention, I got my period. Ever since I got rid of the baby, my cycle hasn't been regular."
Hearing "got rid of the baby," his face clearly darkened even more.
She was getting better and better at making him suffer.
And she wouldn't miss any opportunity to make him suffer.
Knowing he cared about her getting rid of the baby, she would poke at his wound whenever she got the chance.
And he had no way to deal with her.
Looking at her pale little face, he couldn't bring himself to torment her in other ways.
He claimed to be tormenting her, but he had never really been willing to torment her.
He looked at her deeply, got off her, and went to the bathroom to shower.
When he came out again, Mia had already left.
James's thin lips moved, wanting to say sorry.
But Mia didn't give him the chance and shook off his hand.
She was already feeling terrible, and after being treated like this by him, she was drenched in cold sweat, her whole body weak.
She almost couldn't stand steady, but stubbornly bent down to pick up the money on the ground.
This was all money she had worked hard to earn.
She had just picked up a few bills when James pulled her up from the ground again, "Go home."
She was about to faint, and she was still here picking up money.
For this little bit of money, exhausting herself like this.
Clearly knowing her period would make her uncomfortable, instead of resting at home, she had to go out and exhaust herself.
Exhausting herself to this state.
James's eyes were full of heartache, "Is this little bit of money worth it?"
Mia stopped struggling, looked at him with a cold laugh and said, "James, this little bit of money in your eyes—every cent is important to me."
"Because the more I earn, the sooner I can get rid of you."
The pain in James's eyes deepened.