Broken Vows and Blood Money

My family's company was on the brink of bankruptcy, and my ex-girlfriend, Moon, said she was willing to invest. Under one condition: I had to act like an actor in an adult film to please her. To keep my dad from going to prison over the collapse, I agreed. What I never expected was that she would bring me to a custom-built room and make me get down on all fours, barking like a dog. After our third round, slow clapping suddenly came from behind the two-way mirror. "Julian really looks like a male escort, doesn't he? Look how attentive he is." My hair stood on end. The realization that I had barked like a dog and had sex with Moon right in front of an audience made a wave of suffocating humiliation crash over me. Moon only offered a contemptuous smirk, picking up her clothes off the floor. She tossed a crumpled one-dollar bill onto my bare chest. "You did a good job serving me. The funds will be wired to your dad's company in a month." I looked up in pure shock. "Didn't we agree on within a week?" My dad's business couldn't survive another week, let alone a month. Moon casually pulled her dress over her head, completely unbothered. "I used my liquid capital to set up a new company for Shawn. He just returned from abroad; he needs a respectable status." She thought I would throw a fit, get jealous, and cause a scene like I used to. But this time, I was just tired. I didn't want to argue with her anymore. I turned around to leave. "You're walking out like that?" Moon arched an eyebrow, looking at my naked body, then glanced toward the mirror. I knew she was reminding me that there were people waiting outside. But they had already watched something infinitely more degrading. What else was left for me to fear facing? I walked toward the door, completely numb. Moon grabbed my wrist. "Do you have any sense of shame left?" I looked back at her with dead eyes. "Wasn't humiliating me the whole point?" She choked on her words. We both knew the truth. She was the heiress of a massive, ruthless empire in our city. We met when we were seventeen. A car crash had left her with a permanent limp in her right leg, turning her bitter, paranoid, and twisted. She constantly pulled outrageous stunts just to get a reaction, believing that causing chaos was the only way to prove someone cared about her. One night, after she ran away from home, I found her. Back then, Moon was like a wounded hedgehog, lashing out violently with fists and kicks at anyone who dared come close. I had always been slow to react, but the moment I saw her face, I naively wanted to protect her. I became the only person by her side who wouldn't leave, no matter how much she beat or cursed at me. She once said she yearned for an ordinary life. I was a privileged boy who had never even held a broom, but without hesitation, I learned how to cook and do laundry, desperately trying to build a quiet, simple happiness for her. Yet during our five years together, Moon broke up with me nineteen times. Every single time was because Shawn had flown back into town. Even now, fully aware that my family faced immediate liquidation and criminal charges if the cash didn't come through, she didn't care in the slightest. My eyes stung, and a lump formed in my throat. I asked her, "How much did you spend setting up that company for Shawn?" Moon thought for a second and answered offhandedly, "Forty million." Forty million. My heart felt as though it were being crushed in a vice, the pain so sharp I could barely breathe. Forty million was the exact amount needed to save my entire family. Five years of devotion couldn't even match a welcome-home gift she bought for Shawn on a whim. Moon had always been domineering with me. If she said a month, not even jumping off a roof right now would change her mind. I stopped pleading. I reached out and pulled the door open. I came face-to-face with the crowd of spectators standing in the hallway. They looked at me awkwardly. Finally, one of the girls broke the silence with a smirk. "Julian, you two done already?" A few of the girls covered their mouths and giggled. A heavy vase flew out from the suite behind me, shattering against the doorframe and cutting off their laughter. Shards exploded everywhere. I didn't dodge, and one sliced deeply into my leg. Blood ran down my skin, but I felt nothing. Moon's eyes locked onto my bleeding leg, then dropped to her own uneven legs. After a long pause, she stepped forward in front of everyone and put my clothes on me piece by piece. "I told you you'd get the money in a month. It's not like I'm withholding it. Who are you throwing a tantrum for, huh?" She buttoned the top button and patted my chest, finally satisfied. I took a long, hard look at the woman I had madly loved for five years. I used to believe that if I was just a little more tolerant, a little better to her, Moon would eventually realize my worth. People always said the highest form of love was tenderness and care. But in her eyes, there was only a naked, twisted urge to drag me down into hell with her. The moment I stepped out the front door, all the strength drained from my body. My legs began to shake violently. Inside the suite, their casual banter drifted out through the open door. Someone asked Moon, "Julian's family was definitely set up this time. A month from now, they'll have been stripped of everything. Moon, are you really not going to step in?" Moon's detached voice floated out. "I was the one who arranged it. Shawn found out I've been sleeping with Julian for years and threw a fit. I had to put on a show to appease him." "Aren't you afraid he really won't come back to you this time?" At that question, Moon burst out laughing. "Please. We've known each other for eight years and dated for five. When has Julian ever not crawled back the second I snapped my fingers?" "If he actually managed to fall for someone else, I'd actually respect him a little." I leaned against the hallway wall, using every ounce of strength I had left just to keep from collapsing. My mind spun in disbelief. My family's bankruptcy wasn't bad luck—it was Moon's doing. All because Shawn was pouting, and she needed a spectacle to cheer him up.The cuts on my leg dried and stuck to the fabric of my trousers, only to rip open again with every step, tearing flesh and oozing blood. Images of my mom's bloodshot, tear-swollen eyes and my dad's hair turning stark white overnight flashed in my mind. I raised my hands and slapped myself across the face, hard, again and again. "You're a pathetic lapdog, Julian. You brought this ruin upon your family just because you fell in love with her." I never imagined that my love would end up costing my entire family everything they owned. The powerful syndicate behind Moon held the city in an iron grip. A single word from her could decide the life or death of any business. Since she had orchestrated this to please Shawn, no one in the entire city would dare lift a finger to help us. I stood by the riverbank in complete despair, staring down at the churning black water. For a brief, terrifying second, I wanted to jump. But I couldn't. If I died, what would happen to my mom and dad? "Right... there's still Shawn." His name suddenly hit me. Truth be told, I had met Shawn before Moon ever did. Back then, he was working as a catering waiter at a charity gala to pay for his tuition. A wealthy older woman in her fifties had cornered him, kissing and groping him against his will. I happened to walk by and intervened to get him out of it. At the time, Moon and I were in the middle of a cold war because I had gotten jealous over something. Refusing to let me have my way, she had sneered in defiance. "Oh, look at Mr. High and Mighty doing charity work. Hey, waiter—from now on, I'm paying your tuition." I never could have guessed that moment would be the beginning of a nightmare linking the three of us. I didn't know when Moon truly developed feelings for Shawn. She paid his bills, hired expensive private tutors, and sent him off to the most prestigious art school in Australia. To keep him from being looked down upon by his wealthy peers, she bought out entire seasonal collections from luxury brands and shipped them straight to his door. Whenever Shawn came home on break, I never needed anyone to tell me. Moon would always break up with me beforehand. She used to say, "Shawn is a decent man. He won't be someone's side piece." He couldn't be the side piece, so whenever he was in town, I was the one discarded like trash. I rushed toward the elite private club where Shawn's welcome-back party was being held tonight. At the entrance, two hulking security guards blocked my path. "Excuse me, Mr. Gray. Ms. Moon ordered that no one is to disturb Mr. Miller's evening." This club used to be my regular haunt. Everyone here belonged to the same social circle. Now that my family was bankrupt, no one was willing to give me the time of day, let alone walk me through the doors. The freezing wind bit through my clothes. The cut on my leg split open again, the stinging pain making my lips tremble. "Let him in." I looked up. Moon was standing at the entrance, looking down at me from the top of the steps. A flicker of confusion crossed her face, quickly replaced by cold composure. "Who are you playing the victim for? Don't you know how weak your immune system is?" She wasn't wrong. I had always had poor health; catching a cold meant a raging fever for days. Back when our relationship was at its best, she would throw herself into my arms in a panic whenever I fell ill, pouting and begging me to get better quickly. I lowered my head. "I want to speak with Mr. Miller." Moon frowned, a soft, mocking laugh slipping from her lips. "You really haven't changed at all, have you, Julian?"She was afraid I was going to cause trouble for Shawn. After all, I had a history. Back when I first discovered Shawn was secretly delivering late-night snacks to Moon's place, I lost my mind. I took a megaphone to his campus, stood beneath his dorm building, and blasted the clingy, flirtatious voice messages he had sent her on repeat. While the entire dorm was whispering about Shawn being a homewrecker, Moon's luxury sports car pulled onto the courtyard. Her bodyguards shoved the watching crowd aside. I marched forward, trying to put my arm around her shoulder to claim what was mine. "You're my girlfriend. What right does some stray dog have to seduce you?" Moon only looked at me with chilling indifference. Right in front of everyone, she led the furious, tearful Shawn into her car. "Look at you. You look like a pathetic maniac, not an heir to a business!" She drove away, leaving me standing alone in the center of the courtyard, the butt of everyone's jokes. Shawn ended up moving into Moon's mansion. Meanwhile, Moon locked me in a dark basement room to "reflect on my actions." However many days it took for Shawn to calm down was how many days I stayed locked inside. Not a single sip of water, not a single bite of food. Moon spent an entire week comforting him before she finally stepped outside again. And out of fear that the campus rumors would hurt his pride, she donated thirty million dollars to a prestigious school overseas to secure his transfer. I shook my head, forcing a smile that felt uglier than crying. "I just want to explain to him that we've broken up." The disbelief painted across her face still managed to twist an agonizing knot in my gut. I admitted it to myself: I still loved her. I knew her pride was fragile because of her limp, so I had never once shown the slightest sign of pity or disrespect. I walked on eggshells, terrified that a single misplaced glance or word would wound her ego. Yet I never imagined she could be this merciless. She had plotted the destruction of my entire family just to soothe Shawn's ruffled feathers. It wasn't that I stopped loving her. I was terrified of her. Once the dam of grievance cracked, the despair flooded out uncontrollably. A grown man, pushed so far to the edge that tears spilled freely down his cheeks. Moon's fingers twitched at her side. "Just talk. What are you crying for...?" She raised her hand to wipe my tears, but a figure came running out from the club lobby. I hadn't seen Shawn since he left the country. He wore a bespoke designer suit, the custom luxury watch on his wrist dripping with quiet wealth. He looked nothing like the timid, desperate waiter I had once rescued. He looked far more like a privileged young master than I did now. "Why did you come out?" Moon wrapped her arm around his, her voice gentle and soft. Shawn lowered his head, the corners of his eyes turning red. That tiny hint of distress sent Moon into a fluster; she stood on her tiptoes, murmuring soothing words. "What's wrong, honey? Who upset our Shawn?" Shawn's expression finally softened. He wrapped his arms around Moon and murmured, "I heard Julian was here. I came to see." "Well, you've seen him. Are you satisfied?" She was asking Shawn, but her eyes were fixed on me. I figured he must have been thrilled. The man who had once saved him with a casual word at a charity gala was now soaked in his own blood, standing in the cold like a stray dog. How could he not be satisfied? I wanted to scream at them, to demand why, but I didn't dare. If I made Moon angry, my family wouldn't even last the week before being erased from the city entirely. I forced my lips into a groveling smile. "Shawn. Long time no see." He acted far more familiar than I did. "Julian, you really didn't have to come in person. I've already forgiven you."I stared up at him. Forgiven me? Forgiven me for blasting his fake, wheedling voice over a megaphone? Or forgiven me for having dared to date Moon in the first place? My mind was a blur. I could only stare blankly. Moon suddenly snapped. "Shawn already forgave you. Aren't you going to apologize?" Heart-piercing agony—nothing could hurt more than this. The three words rolled around in my mouth, burning my tongue. I bit down until the metallic taste of blood filled my mouth, finally choking them out. "I'm... I'm sorry..." Moon tore her gaze away from me, pulled a black card from her coat, and pressed it into Shawn's hand. "There's forty million in here. You decide whether he gets it or not." My eyes instantly lit up. If I got those funds, the company was saved. My family was saved. I looked at Shawn with desperate hope, only to watch his fingers slowly tighten around the card. Shawn let out a cold scoff. "Julian forced me to study abroad and kept me away from you for three whole years. How can we just hand it over that easily?" Moon chuckled, standing on her tiptoes to press a kiss to his cheek. "Whatever you want." Panic seized my chest. My parents were waiting for this money to survive. Our house and cars had already been auctioned off. We were holed up in a tiny, decrepit two-bedroom rental, terrorized daily by loan sharks pounding on the door. My mom had a weak heart; the sheer terror of our daily existence had worn her down to skin and bones. My dad had run all over the city, calling in every favor he was ever owed, but with Moon's shadow looming over us, not a single soul dared lend him a dime. Our last thread of hope was dangling right in front of me. I begged, "Shawn, I wronged you in the past. Punish me however you want. Just please... help me." Shawn pretended to ponder, hesitating for a long moment before suddenly offering a suggestion. "How about this? Kneel down, say you're sorry, and I'll give you the card. Deal?" His calm, casual tone carried enough weight to crush me to dust. "Three words for forty million dollars. Pretty good trade, right?" Moon remained silent. She stood straight beside Shawn, an immovable wall backing his every demand. "Not willing?" Shawn sighed, pretending to slide the card back into his jacket pocket. Panic tore through me—a wild, suffocating terror. "I'll do it!" At those words, Shawn's smile turned radiantly smug. He squared his shoulders and straightened his suit lapels. I glanced at the unmoved Moon, and slowly bent my knees. It was just kneeling, yet it felt as though my soul were being executed a thousand times over. *Thud.* My knees hit the icy concrete. I collapsed onto the ground, my fingernails digging into my palms so hard my hands shook uncontrollably. "I'm sorry..." Shawn laughed in pure satisfaction, wrapping his arm around Moon's waist. "Oh, come on, I was just messing with you. You actually knelt?" I didn't move. I remained on my knees before them. "Tsk..." Shawn let out a breath and tossed the black card onto the ground in front of me. I reached out and picked it up, staring at the gold-embossed plastic. This could save my family. Moon, I will never, ever dare to love you again. I pushed myself up and whispered, "Thank you." Moon's face darkened instantly. She pushed Shawn's arm away and turned back toward the club. "Moon..." Shawn called after her, but she didn't look back. He glared at me in annoyance. "What are you still standing here for? Get lost." I turned and walked away from the club. Behind me, Shawn kicked a nearby trash can in frustration. A classmate who had studied abroad with him in Australia walked out of the venue, grinning in disbelief. "Dude, Shawn, you're actually Moon's boyfriend! Her family basically runs this entire city!" Shawn's irritation vanished into thin air. He lifted his chin proudly. "Told you, but you didn't believe me." The guy looked thrilled, but then asked curiously, "That guy earlier looked like he had some history with Moon. You just gave him forty million dollars like that? Isn't that letting him off way too easy?" Shawn's eyes darkened, a vicious smirk playing on his lips. "Who said it was free? I already had someone send a little video to his dad." "What video?" Shawn chuckled softly. "Nothing much. Just a little clip of Julian at Moon's place today... that's all." I hurried away from the club, moving as fast as my battered legs could carry me. With our immediate crisis averted, all I wanted was to run home and share the good news with my dad so he would never have to worry again. Once all the debts were settled, I would take my mom and dad to another city, far away, to start a fresh life. As for Moon, we were finished.