Chapter 2
Cassandra's POV
Three years later, this man still saw me as venomous.
Damien carefully helped Serena up: "Are you okay? Are you hurt?"
"Damien... I'm fine." Serena leaned weakly into his arms. "Don't blame Cassandra, maybe she didn't mean it..."
"Didn't mean it?" Victoria screamed. "We ALL saw it! She pushed you on PURPOSE!"
The watching guests began talking:
"How AWFUL! Pushing a blind person!"
"Once a murderer, always a murderer!"
"How could she do that to her victim?"
Damien helped Serena steady herself, then slowly turned toward me, anger blazing in his eyes.
"Three years, and you're still this VICIOUS."
"I didn't push her!" I tried to explain. "She fell by herself..."
"SHUT UP!" Damien coldly cut me off. "I saw it with my own eyes."
Hotel manager Mr. Wilson rushed over, bowing obsequiously to Damien.
"Mr. Blackwood! I'm SO sorry!" He bowed ninety degrees, then turned angrily to me. "You damn waitress! How DARE you offend our VIP guests?"
"Mr. Wilson," Damien's voice was ice-cold, "is this your hotel's service quality? Hiring murderers to serve guests?"
Wilson's face went white instantly: "What? A murderer?"
"She's Cassandra Whitmore," Damien said coldly, "a freshly released convict."
Wilson immediately yelled at me: "You're FIRED! Get out NOW!"
"NO!" I said urgently. "Mr. Wilson, please give me a chance..."
"A chance?" Damien laughed coldly. "You think you DESERVE a chance?"
I looked at hundreds of contemptuous eyes around me, realizing in despair that I was going to lose my job again.
Without work, I'd never scrape together that $100,000.
"Damien, please..." My voice trembled. "I need this job. I have a daughter to support..."
"Don't mention her in front of me!" Pain flashed in Damien's eyes. "Someone like you doesn't DESERVE to be anyone's mother!"
He was talking about Lily—his own biological daughter.
But he said I didn't deserve to be her mother.
"Wilson, have security throw her out," Damien coldly ordered.
"WAIT!" I suddenly dropped to my knees.
The ballroom fell dead silent.
"I can do ANYTHING!" I knelt on the ground, voice choking. "Just let me keep this job..."
Damien looked down at me, cruel satisfaction flashing in his eyes.
"Anything?"
"Yes, anything."
"Then prove how much you need this job." His lips curved into a cruel arc. "CRAWL."
"What?"
"Crawl like a dog across this entire ballroom." He said word by word. "Crawl to that pillar over there, then crawl back."
The entire room gasped.
I looked at that marble pillar at least fifty meters away, my heart sank.
But thinking of Lily, thinking of that $100,000, I closed my eyes and got on my hands and knees.
"Good." Damien said coldly. "Start crawling."
I got on all fours like a dog and began crawling. The hard marble floor scraped my knees raw, but I didn't dare stop.
Around me were harsh laughter and camera shutters clicking.
"That's what murderers deserve!"
"Quick, take photos! Post them online!"
"Look at her! Disgusting!"
I gritted my teeth and crawled inch by inch toward the pillar. Sharp pain shot through my knees as blood seeped through my uniform pants.
Finally reaching the pillar, I turned to crawl back.
"Wait." Damien spoke again.
I looked up at him, not knowing how else he wanted to humiliate me.
He gestured to his bodyguard, who immediately walked up the spiral staircase with stacks of cash.
"Since you need money so desperately," Damien said coldly, "I'll help you out."
"Crawl up there and collect the money."
Whoosh—
Green bills rained down from the second floor like confetti, scattering across the marble steps.
Those steps had sharp edges that would completely shred my knees.
But I had no choice.
I crawled toward the staircase. With each step I crawled up, the step edges cut deeper into my knees. Blood quickly stained the stairs red.
One bill, two bills, three bills...
I knelt in the pool of blood, collecting every single bill.
"This is your worth, Cassandra." Damien looked down at me. "Remember today's lesson."
Finally, all the money was collected.
I knelt on the steps, clutching the blood-stained bills.
"Thank you... Mr. Blackwood." I forced out these words through gritted teeth.
Damien gave me one last look, then helped Serena turn and leave.
"Damien, walk slowly..." Serena's voice gradually faded away.
I knelt alone in the pool of blood as people around me continued taking photos and mocking.
An hour later, the guests gradually dispersed.
Only then did I dare stand up. My legs were completely numb from kneeling so long. I leaned against the bloodstained steps, limping toward the restroom.
Though utterly humiliated, I clutched the cash in my hand and felt a spark of joy.
I counted it—exactly $8,000.
With my previous savings, I now had $10,000. One step closer to that $100,000.
For Lily, this humiliation was worth it.
I imagined the day I'd bring her home, and my heart filled with strength.
Just as I was cleaning my knee wounds, my phone rang urgently.
It was the orphanage calling.
"Ms. Whitmore?" Director Johnson's voice was full of tension. "Please come to Children's Hospital immediately! Lily... she COLLAPSED!"
