章 20: Chapter 20
Ethan was still standing in the middle of the luxurious store; the sound of the shuffling feet and hushed whispers filled the air.
His eyes were still deadly, but he was calm on the outside because he's going to get one over Jay; it has been long overdue.
The luxury store at the moment was in chaos, but Ethan knew exactly what he wanted to do.
He cleared his throat to get everyone's attention.
The whole store went quiet immediately, all eyes turning towards Ethan with curious and tense attention.
Jay, who had been trying to blend into the crowd, froze immediately when he heard Ethan's cleared his throat.
Immediately he knew what was coming, and the fear in his chest tightened. Ethan's words were clear, almost cold.
"Jay"
He said, his voice steady and filled with mockery.
"You owe me something. by fulfilling your bet."
Jay's face paled immediately.
He had hoped Ethan would forget due to excitement, and in the midst of all the commotion, maybe, just maybe, he'd get a chance to slip away unnoticed. But now, with everyone looking, there was no escape for him anymore.
His eyes darted nervously around the store, and immediately they landed on the two large security men standing behind him.
They weren't smiling. Without being told, he knows
They weren't going to let him walk away easily.
"I—uh"
Jay stammered, his voice trembling.
"I didn't mean it like that... You know, it was just a joke, right? No need to get all serious; I was just kidding and didn't mean any of that."
However, Ethan wasn't having any of it.
"You know the rules. A bet's a bet, and I won't allow you to get away with it."
immediately the security men took a step forward, their presence a clear warning. Jay's pulse quickened. He felt trapped, cornered like an animal.
His mind raced, trying to think of a way out.
He knew what would happen if he didn't comply, and the thought of him undressing himself in front of everyone was beyond unthinkable, and it made his skin crawl.
"Look, man, we can work something out; it hasn't gotten to this."
Jay pleaded, his voice barely hiding his panic.
"You don't need to do this; we can talk about this outside and settle the little misunderstanding."
But Ethan didn't respond to Jay's words; he knows his little tricks, and he's not going to fall for them. His eyes were steady, unflinching to Jay's words.
Because he knew that there was no way out and he's looking for a way to escape, but no amount of words would save him now.
Jay saw the deadly look on Ethan's face which showed he's not having any of what he said. With a defeated sigh, Jay slowly got down on his knees.
The humiliation on his face was palpable, and the crowd around them watched in stunned silence. He started barking like a dog, a pathetic, low sound that echoed awkwardly in the grand store.
"Woof!!"
"Woof!!"
"Woof!!"
immediately his girlfriend covered her face with both of her hands as she tried to look for a way to escape the humiliation, which was too much for her to handle.
Jay's friends too tried to blend in with the crowd; they didn't want anyone to know they came together.
Jay at that moment bit his lips, seeing how everyone was looking at him.
He hoped that this would be enough, that maybe, just maybe, Ethan would let him go after this. He looked up at Ethan, hoping for some sign of mercy.
But Ethan's face was unreadable. For a moment, there was silence, and Jay thought it was over.
He started to get up, with relief washing over him, but Ethan's next words stopped him cold.
"Where do you think you're going? You haven't fulfilled the bet."
Jay's heart dropped into his stomach immediately. He knew what that meant, and immediately he felt a surge of panic rise in his chest. He can't do that, not here, not now.
"Please"
Jay whispered, his voice barely audible.
But the security men were already stepping closer, ready to make sure he followed through with the bet he made.
He had no choice but to do it, knowing if the security men did it themselves it would be worse than him doing it himself.
With trembling hands and his eyes closed tightly, Jay began to strip off his clothes.
Each piece of clothing felt heavier than the last, each second more agonizing than the one before.
immediately The eyes of the crowd were on him, burning with judgment and disbelief.
As he stood there, completely exposed, his humiliation was complete.
Without a word, he bolted out of the store as quickly as his legs could carry him, his face flushed red with shame.
Outside the store, some of his friends quickly handed him clothes to cover, but it was too late. The damage had already been done. He could hear the murmurs and laughter behind him, the cruel whispers.
"I got the video; it's a perfect one."
Inside the luxury store, someone had recorded the whole thing. It wasn't long before the video started spreading online.
Jay's humiliation became the talk on social media.
His face was everywhere, and the video played over and over.
Sitting in his car, Jay immediately gripped the steering wheel tightly, his knuckles turning white.
He slammed his fists against the wheel.
"Thud!!"
"Thud!!"
"Thud!!"
The sound was echoing through the car. His breaths became very heavy and sharp, and then he let out a loud, furious yell.
"How could he do this?!!"
His voice cracked with frustration as he pounded the wheel again. "Thud!!"
He couldn't believe Ethan had humiliated him in front of everyone "That brat, I just can't believe this!"
Jay shouted, his voice raw.
His girlfriend and friends sat in stunned silence, too afraid to say a word, knowing nothing would calm him.
He clenched his fists, his mind swirling with thoughts of revenge. "I'll make you pay, Ethan."
He hissed under his breath.
"You think you can just humiliate me like that? I'll get you back for this, and it's going to be more than what you just did; just wait because I'm behind you."
But as his anger bubbled, at that moment something clicked in Jay's mind.
He remembered he had seen Annabelle before. He racked his brain, trying to remember where. And then it hit him.
She worked at that hospital. The one known for its charity work that made it not to progress too much. Could it be that Ethan worked there too? Was the hospital somehow connected to all of this?
Jay's thoughts raced as he considered the possibility.
Maybe Ethan wasn't as rich as he appeared. Maybe it was all a trick, just him taking advantage of some hospital donation.
"Dammit!"
Jay shouted, slamming his fist against the steering wheel again.
"Thud!!"
"Thud!!"
"I'll figure it out. And I'll make him pay."
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