Chapter 175: She’s a Slut
Darkness had swallowed the night.
Alison was telling the children stories and lulling them to sleep.
After a quick makeup, she forced her body, still trembling, and went to Rebel.
Entering through the back gate, the venue’s din flooded her ears — it seemed crowded tonight.
As usual, she made her way to the dressing room to get ready, then stepped onto the stage.
She chose an old song to open with.
Whistles and applause erupted from the crowd below; they seemed livelier than usual.
Yet beneath the neon glare, a steady stream of crude shouts rose. She ignored them and focused on her performance.
With Liam there, no one dared cause real trouble.
Still, every pair of eyes in the hall was fixed on her, staring wide and hungry.
It made her uneasy.
After one song, she had only one left before they wrapped up.
Though the hall’s noise gnawed at her, Alison clenched her jaw and vowed to finish.
After just one line, her voice cracked. Mocking laughter erupted, and people started shouting for her to get off.
“Get off!” The chant rolled through the crowd in perfect unison.
A cold flush climbed her neck.
Are they here to cause trouble?
Yes. Definitely.
Rebel was strangely full of unfamiliar faces tonight.
Alison kept singing, refusing to let them steal her stage. Liam’s presence calmed her — at least for a moment.
But even he could not completely drown them out.
The crowd grew raucous. Suddenly someone kicked off a shoe and launched it toward the stage.
“Get off the stage, bitch!” someone screamed.
Alison felt her cheeks burn. This was the first time she’d been humiliated like this. She thought she could endure it, that it would pass — but more shoes flew. Cruel shouts of “bitch” rained down; shame flooded her.
She fought back tears; her face flamed crimson.
Someone tried to rush the stage, but Liam’s men formed a wall and blocked them.
The chaos escalated as the backstage crew cut her mic. Six glamorous dancers were ushered on in her stead.
Amid the flurry of flying shoes, Alison scrambled offstage, sweat beading on her brow.
Who was behind this?
Who wanted to ruin her?
She hurried to the dressing room, heart pounding, and changed. Relief flooded her — until she bumped into Liam.
“Miss Bruce, get out the back door now!” he urged.
“No, Liam. I need to confront whoever’s pulling the strings.” Alison’s voice was flat but fierce. If I can find the truth this time, it will be worth it.
Liam insisted, “Miss Bruce, you can’t afford to cross them. Leave now, please.” He shoved her toward the exit.
Alison hesitated. Liam’s urgency could be genuine — or he could be protecting something else. His connection to the past made her doubt.
She wrenched free. “Let me through! I must see that man today.”
From the stage she had seen him clearly — the leader, seated in the centre.
Liam finally said, “Alison, that’s the head of the Polar Bear Alliance in S City. You can’t cross him. Have you offended them?”
The Polar Bear Alliance. Alison’s blood ran cold. She had heard whispers in her past — a brutal syndicate in S City. She’d never crossed a mafia — not that she knew of.
“Liam, I didn’t. I don’t know those people,” she protested.
Liam frowned. “Or maybe you crossed someone else, and they hired the Polar Bears to wreck your place. You really can’t afford this. I don’t want you hurt. Leave.”
Then he shoved her out Rebel’s back door.
“No! I need to see them!” Alison shouted.
“You idiot! If I hadn’t had people blocking the hallway, they’d have stormed in. Get out. I’ll handle this.” Liam slammed the door.
Outside, Alison stood frozen, chest hard with fear and anger.
She rubbed her forehead, worried for Liam — and angry with him. I can’t just walk away.
Those people were coming for her.
She ran back inside — and collided with a tide of patrons streaming out.
She grabbed one. “What’s happening in there?”
“They’re fighting. Get out. Don’t go back,” he panted.
The crash of a thrown object echoed.
Alison shoved through the crowd and pushed toward the interior. The hall fell suddenly silent. Then a voice boomed, low and cold:
“Bring back that woman! Or I’ll turn this whole place to rubble.”