After my secret crush gave me to his card game friends as a debt payment

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I swear, Jake and I were having the worst luck at poker.

Hed blown through all the cash he had on him, and it still wasn't enough to cover his debts.

Then some joker pipes up, Hey, why not use the little shadow who's been crushing on you for years to settle the score?

And Jake? He actually agreed. He straight-up shoved me forward. I begged him not to hand me over like some kind of prize.

But he just said, "You're so into me, right? Then you gotta do what I say."

"Besides," he smirked, "John will get bored of you fast. You can always come crawling back."

Joke's on him, though. John ended up becoming his boss, and I? I became Mrs. Boss.

...

The mansion was huge. A bunch of young people were crowded around a poker table, betting big.

"Damn it! Seriously bad luck tonight," Jake grumbled, looking super annoyed.

I was sitting next to him. I couldn't even follow the game, but I could see he was losing a ton of money. So, like an idiot, I quietly pushed my own cash toward him.

He just glared and shoved my hand away.

"Don't jinx my game!"

Across the table, Brittany snickered.

"Chloe, honey, you don't know much about cards, do you? You can't just throw someone else's money into the pot. It screws up the mojo."

Everyone burst out laughing.

"Ha! Guess this girl's a poker newbie."

"Jake, when did you start dating bubbleheads? She looks totally clueless."

"LOL, so innocent."

They were all cracking up, and Brittany was loving it. Jake looked like he wanted to disappear. He told me to go sit somewhere else.

I awkwardly got up, ready to bolt.

"Focus on playing the game, guys. No need to get personal," a guy spoke up.

The moment I walked in, I noticed him right away.

He was wearing a white embroidered shirt. Dark hair, sharp features.

He looked like a total heartthrob, classy and handsome.

Jake said his name was John. His family had a ton of money. Lots of people in town were trying to get on his good side.

Jake had met him once at some fancy party.

John was hosting the poker night at his house and invited Jake.

Jake wanted to impress him and maybe get a business deal out of it, so he showed up.

And me? I'm just a lovesick puppy. Wherever Jake goes, I want to follow.

Didn't expect to get roasted tonight.

Because John spoke up, everyone quieted down and just focused on the game.

I went and sat on a couch, grabbing a cookie from the coffee table.

Chocolate chip, soft and delicious. My favorite.

Brittany sauntered over to me, smirking.

"Imported cookies. Bet you've never had anything like this before."

She flopped down next to me.

She and Jake went to school with me. After graduation, we all landed jobs at the same company.

Jake brought her along tonight. I just tagged along, hoping for the best.

Let's be honest, Jake likes her more.

They grab lunch together all the time. They go to the movies after work.

I even think Jake has a crush on her.

I asked him about it, but he was all, "Nah, we're just friends."

Then I asked him, "Do you like me?"

He didn't even hesitate. "No way. I just work with you because we went to school together."

I've liked Jake since high school. Seven years down the drain. Hearing him say that stung.

But he's never had a girlfriend, so I figured I still had a chance. I wasn't giving up yet.

"Chloe, you probably never been in a mansion this big before, huh?"

Brittany whispered in my ear. She was loving this.

I wanted to say, actually, my family overseas has a house just as big.

In high school, I lived with my grandma. My parents lived in Europe for business.

So, Jake and our friends assume Im not rich.

Brittany's always been like this. I knew she was trying to get to me.

I was about to say something, but I heard Jake yell out in frustration, "John, this is all the money I got on me!"

"Is that enough?"

I turned around and saw John counting a stack of bills.

He looked at Jake, voice all smooth and cool. "Nope, not even close."

"You bet twenty times the original amount. It's thirty grand."

I almost choked.

I thought they were just playing a friendly game.

Didn't realize they were betting this big.

Jake went pale.

"John, come on, man. I've never played this seriously. I didn't know the rules."

Brittany jumped in to help him out.

"John, can't you cut him some slack for my sake?"

I heard that Brittany and John knew each other.

"Who are you?"

John stared at her.

"Why would I do anything for your sake?"

Brittany probably didn't expect him to be so blunt. She bit her lip and said, "I dropped off a contract at your office last week. I said hi."

"Oh."

John's reply was totally uninterested.

"John, about the money..."

Brittany looked at him expectantly.

"You're at a poker table. You pay up. I thought you said you knew the rules before. Now you don't?"

John's voice wasn't raised, but it was enough to shut everyone up.

Brittany dropped her gaze.

Jake looked sick.

"John, I really don't have that kind of cash."

He looked so pathetic. I was about to pull out my card and offer to cover it.

But then some guy joked, "Hey, Jake, that little tagalong of yours isn't too bad. Kinda ditzy, but cute. Why not use her to pay off your debt to John?"

"Good idea!"

Jake answered instantly. He walked over to me, grabbed my arm, and pushed me right next to John.

"John, this girl's a real sweetheart. I promise she's a virgin. Deal?"

I felt like my blood turned to ice.

Looking at Jake, I didn't even recognize him anymore.

He wasn't like this before.

Back in high school, he got yelled at by his parents for rescuing a kitten.

He would spend his allowance to buy stuff for the elderly.

Even though he didn't like me back then, he would walk me to school.

His mom told me he was afraid something might happen to me.

I was so touched. That's when I fell for him.

And then I started following him around. Buying him drinks, snacks, waiting in line for his lunch, doing his homework.

After graduation, I told him how I felt. He said, "I don't like you. I just see you as my sister."

If he considered me his sister, why did he make me his girlfriend in a game?

If he considered me his sister, why would he say things that made me feel like there was something more?

Like, "I kinda like you."

"Being with you isn't so bad, actually."

He was so confusing.

"Are you willing?"

John's dark eyes locked onto mine.

"No."

I shook my head and looked at Jake.

"I have money. I can help you pay. Please don't give me away."

I've been chasing after him for so long. I didn't think he'd really be willing to let me go.

Reality sucks, though.

Jake laughed coldly. "Where would you get that kind of money?"

"I have it. I'll show you."

I started reaching for my phone.

He grabbed me and shoved me into John's arms, staring at me with a blank expression.

"You like me, right? Then do what I say."

"And John will get sick of you quickly. Then come back to me."

"Yeah, Chloe," Brittany added.

"Following John is to your benefit."

Jake didn't say a word.

I was sitting in John's lap, shivering.

I tried to get away, but his hand was tight around my waist.

"You really want to keep chasing after a guy like that?"

His breath was hot on my ear.

My nails dug into my palms. Jake's coldness was like an ice dagger in my heart.

I stopped fighting.

Jake breathed a sigh of relief and grinned. "John, we're good on that thirty grand, then?"

"I'm going back now."

He dragged Brittany out, not even looking back at me.

I felt so stupid.

After all those years, I was still crushing on an idiot.

"I can help pay Jake's debt," I said.

After everyone left, I got out of John's lap.

John grabbed a glass of water.

"Why should you?"

I didn't get what he meant.

He said, "What are you to him?"

"I..."

I couldn't even say.

Not a girlfriend, not really a friend either.

If we were close, he wouldn't have handed me over to another guy.

"You can't even answer. Why should you pay his debt?"

John stared me down. Those eyes were intense.

"He gave you to me. You have to listen to me."

He got up and pinned me against the table.

We were so close, our noses were almost touching.

His face was blank. He said, "Chloe, from now on, you're mine."

John told me to stay in his room. He was off to his office to get some work done.

Some staff brought me a robe and a milk bath.

They start to undress me.

I stepped back.

"What are you doing!"

A staff said, "Miss Chloe, we will help clean your body. The Master likes cleanliness and does not like women with body odor."

I felt helpless.

I just came to play poker with Jake, but my body was dragged in.

I can't let it be this way. I have to escape.

"I can wash myself. I don't need help."

The two staffs looked at each other, then said, "Okay, Miss Chloe, we'll wait outside."

After they left, I immediately opened the window.

How was I supposed to know that the window had an alarm system?

Miss Chloe, are you near the window?

The staff said from the outside.

"Oh, I accidentally touched it, it's okay now."

"Okay, it's good. Miss Chloe, don't think about escaping. There are two dogs guarding the door."

Does John have gold or silver in his house or something?

I was so angry.

I can only take a shower first and think of other ways. As I was taking a shower, I heard the staff call the Master.

I suddenly became nervous and pricked up my ears to listen to the sound outside.

John hmm-ed, and then I heard footsteps getting closer and closer to me.

I quickly climbed out of the bathtub and wanted to lock it, but the door was already opened.

That was how John saw me.

"Ah!"

I screamed and tried to push him away.

But because I was barefoot, my feet slipped and I fell to the ground. When I fell, I accidentally pulled John down with me.

Then he fell on me.

"Hurry get out!"

I pushed him hard, almost crying.

"I didn't touch you, how can I get out?"

His voice was low, and his eyes were rolling with emotions I didn't understand.

Realizing that he misunderstood, my face quickly turned red.

"I want you to leave the bathroom first, I still need to take a shower."

"Oh~"

He laughed.

"Remember to say it clearly next time."

He got off me and pulled me up.

Because he touched my waist, and it was painful from the fall, I hissed.

"Hurt?"

After saying that, he pulled the bath towel to wrap me up and picked me up.

"No, let me go."

I struggled.

"I have AIDS, don't touch me."

He threw me on the bed and went to get some medicine.

Then he lifted the bath towel and wiped the medicine for me.

It's cold and comfortable.

I realized that I had misunderstood him, and he just wanted to apply the medicine to me.

"I'm sorry."

"I misunderstood you just now."

"It's okay."

He answered softly.

"Although I said that you are mine, I won't force you. I don't have any perverted hobbies."

"I will only touch you when you are willing, understand?"

"I see."

So there are men that good.

I thought all men only thought about sex.

He and Jake are also very different.

That night, John gave the master bedroom to me, and he slept in the second bedroom.

In the days that followed, John was never at home.

I watched dramas in his house every day, because I couldn't escape.

Three days later, he came back, asked the staff to put on a dress for me, and said he would take me to a business banquet.

Today, he is wearing a black suit, matched with a golden figure, which makes people can't take their eyes off him.

I don't understand how such an excellent and handsome man would like me.

He didn't say much along the way, just using his notebook to do some work.

"Right, you can continue to do your job, just move to my house."

He spoke up suddenly.

"Okay."

After arriving, I got out of the car.

Jake and Brittany came too.

Brittany looked me up and down and said with a smile, "Chloe, it's really different when you're with a man. You have a femininity now."

Jake glanced at me.

"Did he sleep with you?"

"But a person like John will soon get tired of you, so hurry back to me."

His attitude made me angry.

I have been with him for seven years. I've did whatever he asked me to do, and I've bought whatever he wanted.

But at this moment, I don't want to be a simp anymore.