I've Been There Before (Grace and Caden)

Did Grace really not know why she refused to make a fool out of herself today in front of these people?

Yes, she did.

The pride in her bone could not be worn away by whatever miserable life she had lived. What were these people like in front of her three years ago?

They were nothing to her back then. Though three years had passed and here she was, she refused to take their ridicule and insult.

She looked ridiculous, so what? She had fulfilled her will and didn't fall down as these people wished in their hearts... This was already enough for her.

She knew clearly that it was the pride in her bone that stopped her from making a fool out of herself in front of these people.

Right now, seeing that Celina break her promise, Grace didn't argue with her and ask her why.

She was in jail before. During that time, she learned to bow her head. She lost a kidney. But she didn't lose her brain... Now that Celina had dominion over her, she had the discourse power.

If you tried to talk some sense into Americans, they would talk about justice with you and vice versa...Same, if she tried to talk some sense into Celina, she would bargain with her and vice versa. And it was all because...that Celina was the one with discourse power! But she still needed to bargain with her.

"What do I need to do to make you delete it and give me the copy?"

Now Celina felt better... The menial ingratiation suit Grace better. How could a murder stare at her in such an unyielding way?

"Now we are talking." For no reason, Celina put her phone before Grace, "You want the copy of this video? Fine." The she pointed to a middle-aged guy with a big belly and bald head who was sitting on the couch, "Go ingratiate yourself with him."

Grace's shoulders trembled... Then she turned to Celina and didn't believe what she had heard.

But Celina raised her lips and smiled, "I heard from Walter that you were now in the service industry? And that you were desperate for...money?"

"Now that we had been friends for years, I would give you a hand." A briefcase was pushed in front of Grace. Then the case was opened and it was full of red bank notes. They were so red... that they were almost offending to eyes!

"Show us what you got. We would like to see how good you are now, the once Miss James."

Her unpleasant voice came into Grace's ears. She hung her head and her fingernails sank deep into her skin. She used all her strength to withhold the anger inside of her... There was a tinge of resignation in her anger...It occurred to her that no matter how hard she tried to defend her remaining self-esteem, she couldn't change the fact that she was just an ex-con numbered "926" and nothing else!

"Grace, don't you forget that I can upload your video anytime. Think about what will happen if I post it on Weibo, Wechat moments or even Instagram?"

Grace gritted her teeth. She looked paler than ever, and the hands hanging beside her body were clenching and shivering!

She wanted to fight her way out! But she found out in the end that everything she did was just in vain... This powerless feeling made her desperate! Then she felt numb... If there was nothing she could do to get away from this...A desperate feeling rose up to her heart and spread all over her body.

She closed her eyes and her clenched hands loosed up in desperation.

Then she set her eyes on Celina again and asked word by word,

"Miss Warner, do you promise that if I do as you say this time, you will give me all the copies and guarantee that you will never let it out?"

Celina was about to snort and keep mocking Grace. She wanted to tell Grace that she was in no position to bargain with her and that she had no choice but to do as she said. But before she opened her mouth, Grace continued, "Miss Warner, everyone has secrets. But if you play me again this time, I promise you that I! Would! Destroy! You!"

Sssh-0

Celina drew in a breath. Her eyes couldn't turn away from the menial woman, not even for one second!

Her heart was beating fast... The bitch Grace would keep her word!

This was what Celina read from the determined eyes of Grace!

Glared by Grace, Celina was so afraid that she took a step back. Then she felt embarrassed and tightened up her face,

"Hun- What do you think you are! Grace, I am not like you, and not as disgraceful as you... Now that I have said if your performance pleases us, I will give you what you want, of course I will keep my word."

She said this in such a righteous tone...But who was it that swallowed down her promise just now?

A tinge of sarcasm flashed across Grace's eyes.

But she could only nod her head, "Fine. Then Miss Warner must keep her word!" She didn't want to commit a murder again. But seconds ago, she really wanted to choke Celina to death!

When Grace raised her head again, a professional smile appeared on her face that was not very pretty. She said to the man on couch,

"Mister, I don't drink or sell my boy. Other than these two, I can do anything for you."

People around her all drew in a breath out of astonishment... No one here believed that the once extremely proud Miss James would say something like this.

She was...exactly a slut!

The middle-aged man with a big belly and bald head was just an extra employed by Celina and her friends. He had never seen such a scene before. What happened just now made him freeze already. "What...what..." He was so nervous that he let out the truth, "Miss Warner, you said I would only need to play an extra in a scene...But...where is the camera?"

Apparently, what happened before was already unacceptable to this middle-aged man. He looked at Celina with embarrassment and blinked his eyes, "Miss Warner...evidently, you are terrorizing this miss." Celina shouted to him instantly, "Shut up! You want the performance fee or not?"

"But..." At the thought of the performance fee which almost equaled to a monthly salary, the middle-aged man recruited as an extra looked like he was struggling hard with himself.

All of a sudden, Grace understood everything. What happened today was a trap...which was designed specifically for her.

They...wanted to humiliate her and mock her. A bitter smile showed up on her face, which disappeared in just a blink. Then she raised her head again, and there it was, the professional smile that she accomplished after thousands of times of practice in front of a mirror. She said, "Have you decided yet, Mister? What can I do for you?"

"Em...Em..." The man hesitated and didn't know what to say. Suddenly, he came up with something and said, "My feet have been sore recently. How about you rub my feet for me?"

All of a sudden, everyone went silent. All pairs of eyes were fixated on Grace with interest. They were all waiting for her to take action.

Even with her head hung, Grace could clearly feel those glowing pairs of eyes staring at her. The professional smile remained on her face. Under those glowing eyes, Grace knelt halfway down and removed the man's shoes before putting his feet on her knees. Bang!

A commotion burst up among people!

"Oh my god! What did I see?"

"Such...a slut!"