Worst Prize? Dating Him

Everyone said Alvin Danford and I balanced each other out. We were meant to be. I'd always been lucky. I'd win free meals, score a phone in a drink promotion, or enter a drawing at the company holiday party and walk away with a four-figure cash prize. Alvin was the opposite. Bad luck followed him everywhere. His e-bike got stolen while he was making deliveries. Just when he'd saved some money, a family emergency hit. He finally landed a steady job, then got slammed with an unexpected expense. Every prize I brought home went toward one of his emergencies. I never minded. I believed we balanced each other out. My good luck made up for his bad luck. Then, five years into our relationship, I won my biggest cash prize ever: $20,000. Chapter 1 I'd just deposited my prize money when the hospital called. Mom's condition had gotten worse. She needed surgery right away. Surgery and follow-up treatment would cost about $30,000. I kept checking the math. The $20,000 prize plus the $10,000 I'd quietly saved over the years would just cover it. But that night, Alvin said he was in trouble too. He needed $20,000 to get by. For the first time, I didn't send it right away. Clutching Mom's test results, I asked quietly, "Can I keep this money for now? "My mom needs surgery. The doctor said she can't wait any longer." Alvin stared at me, then scoffed. "Callie was right. You're a gold digger. You only gave me money before because the amounts were so small. "So twenty grand was all it took to show your true colors." I had no idea what he meant. Then the door opened. A woman in a designer suit walked in and glanced at me. "Alvin, I told you. Girls from families like hers always care about money." That was when I learned Alvin wasn't some broke delivery guy paying off his e-bike. He was the only son of the Danfords, the richest family in the city. He'd started dating me on a bet with his friends. Could a girl from an ordinary family really love a broke guy? All my "good luck" had been rigged. The free meals? He'd prepaid. The phone I'd won? He'd had someone slip it into the prize pool. $1,600, $4,000, $6,000... Every cash prize had been another test. His bad luck after each win was fake too. He just wanted to see if I'd spend every dollar on him. Callie Mercer stepped up beside Alvin and looked down her nose at me. "Alvin's done more than enough for you. This was the last test. "If you'd handed over the money, he would've told you everything, taken you home to the Danford estate, and gone public with you. "But twenty grand? That's where your little act fell apart. Way to embarrass him." Alvin apparently agreed. He wouldn't even look at me. "You failed. Pay back every cash prize I rigged for you." I stared at him. "Pay you back? I spent it all on you!" He smirked. "On me? "Got proof? "Because that money went straight into your account." I froze. He was right. I had no proof. I'd always paid his rent or medical bills directly. He'd never touched the money. But Mom couldn't wait. I begged, "Alvin, my mom needs surgery now. "Please, let me use the twenty grand first. I'll work off what I owe you. I promise..." His brow twitched. His eyes seemed to soften. Then Callie laughed. "Alvin, seriously? You're buying this? "It's the gold digger starter pack. Gambling dad, sick mom, little brother in school. Pay up once, and she'll never stop." Just like that, his doubt was gone. He pulled out his phone and called the bank right in front of me. "Hi, my money was fraudulently transferred to someone else's account. "I need that account frozen immediately." My head snapped up. Minutes later, a bank text lit up my phone. My account was frozen. Before I could lower my phone, the hospital called again. "Ms. Hart, we can't put off surgery any longer. If you still haven't paid in full..." My mind went blank. I grabbed the test results and rushed out. I'd beg the doctor to operate first. But when I got there, Mom lay under a white sheet. The doctor looked grim. "Ms. Hart, I'm so sorry. "Your mother went into sudden heart failure. We couldn't save her." Every sound faded. My knees buckled. I scrambled to Mom's side, sobbing so hard I could barely breathe. My phone kept buzzing. I looked down, numb. Alvin had sent an itemized bill. Every cash prize he'd "arranged" was on it. Total: $46,000. Then came two more texts. [Report to Danford Corp tomorrow. Your pay goes toward your debt.] [Pay it off and learn your lesson, and I might take you back.] Tears blurred the screen. Some rich guys' bet had stuck me with $46,000 in debt. It had cost Mom her life and me five years of love. I just wanted to pay off the $46,000 and never see Alvin again. Chapter 2 Once I'd filled out the hiring paperwork at Danford Corp and signed an IOU, my account was unfrozen. The $36,000 was still there. I sent Alvin $30,000 and kept $6,000 for Mom's funeral. The next day, I started work. Alvin had handpicked my job. Cleaning. My supervisor, Winnie Finch, handed me a mop and bucket, her face blank. "Every restroom, floors one through thirteen. Clean each stall at least three times a day. "Eight hours a day, one day off a week. Twenty-four hundred a month after taxes." I kept quiet and did the math. The cheapest room in a rough neighborhood was $800 a month. Even on a bare-bones budget, food, utilities, transportation, and other basics would eat up another $1,200. That left $400 a month. I still owed Alvin $16,000. Three years and four months, minimum. My chest tightened. Too long. I couldn't stay tied to him that long. On my lunch break, I washed my hands and took the elevator to the top floor. I'd ask Alvin for a different job. Sales. Customer service. Hauling boxes or running paperwork. Anything that paid more so I could pay him off faster. The elevator doors opened, but Callie blocked me before I could step out. She stood there in fuzzy slippers and lounge clothes, coffee in hand, like this was her living room. She wrinkled her nose. "Who let you up here?" I froze. Like Alvin, she wasn't someone I could afford to piss off. I kept my voice low. "No one sent me. I need to talk to Mr. Danford." Callie covered her mouth, laughing so hard her shoulders shook. "You want to see Alvin?" She eyed my uniform like it was filthy. "You scrub toilets. Why would he see you? "Get your ass downstairs before you track dirt everywhere." My face went pale. But at this pay, I had three more years of this ahead of me. I stood my ground. "I need to talk to him. Then I'll leave." Her smile faded. She turned to the guards. "What do I pay you for? Get her out!" Two guards grabbed my arms. Someone shoved me, and I hit the floor. My palms scraped the marble. My hair came loose, tangling around my face. The shouting got louder until the office door finally opened. "What's all this noise?" I looked up. Alvin was walking toward us. It was our first time face-to-face since that day. Same face I'd loved for five years. Now he wore a tailored designer suit, his watch catching the light. He looked rich, cold, untouchable. Nothing like the broke guy who'd split a can of soup with me in our tiny rental. It finally hit me. He wasn't the broke, unlucky Alvin I'd known. He was the Danford heir. And I owed him money. Callie rushed to his side, her eyes filling with tears. "Alvin, I don't know how she got up here. "She tried to barge into your office. Said she was your girlfriend, and if she couldn't marry you, you should at least make her your executive assistant." I stared at her. She'd made up every word without even blinking. And Alvin bought it. He looked down at me and smirked. "My executive assistant? Lena Hart, what makes you think you qualify?" He stepped closer, looming over me. "You'd do anything for cash. You're lucky I even let you scrub toilets here. "Quit dreaming. It's never happening." Every word hurt. I lowered my head. Not long ago, I'd cried in our rental after another job rejection. Alvin had felt so bad for me, he'd splurged on The Cheesecake Factory, a rare treat for us. "Those bosses wouldn't know talent if it hit them. Their loss. "Don't worry. If I ever own a company, I'll make you a manager. Hundreds of people answering to you!" I'd teased him for dreaming big, but he'd made me laugh. Turns out, he did own a company. And he'd put me in charge of dozens of toilets. Chapter 3 The guards threw me out. The next day, notices went up by every elevator. My photo. One line in bold. [No dogs or Lena Hart allowed on the top floor.] People stared all day. Some hid their laughs behind their hands. Others went out of their way to pass me and whisper. "That's her. Tried to hook up with Mr. Danford. Ms. Mercer caught her." "Girl scrubs toilets and thinks she can land a rich husband." I kept my head down and cleaned like I couldn't hear them. Thirteen floors. Dozens of restrooms. Mop. Scrub. Wipe down sinks. By quitting time, I could barely straighten up. Cleaning chemicals left my fingers pale and cracked. But whenever I left work, I felt someone watching me. I'd turn around. Empty hallway. Two weeks went by. I'd just finished the twelfth floor when Winnie called. "Lena, get to the lobby. Now." Downstairs, a crowd packed the lobby. Martha Wayson, the office cleaner, pointed at me. "It was her! I saw her take it!" I stopped. Before I could ask what was going on, Callie rushed over, her eyes full of tears. The attitude was gone. She grabbed my hand, practically begging. "Lena, please. "Give me back my necklace, okay? "Alvin gave it to me for my birthday. It's worth over $800,000. I can't lose it." The price stunned me. Alvin could drop over $800,000 on a gift. But a year ago, when I'd gotten pregnant by accident and needed an abortion, he'd claimed he couldn't even afford anesthesia. He'd have to borrow the money. So I'd lain on that cold table, shaking with pain, biting through my lip to spare him the expense. Looking back, I'd let him treat me like I was worth nothing. The crowd went quiet, snapping me out of it. Alvin stepped out of the elevator. Callie rushed to him, teary-eyed. "Alvin, my necklace is gone. Martha saw Lena take it." She bit her lip. "She wouldn't even give you twenty grand. Is it any surprise she got greedy over Bleu Éternel?" Twenty grand. It always came back to that. Every mention made his eyes colder. He strode over. "Hand it over." I looked up at him, feeling disappointed and hopeless. "Is that what you think of me? Some money-hungry thief?" No trust in his eyes. Just a cold smirk. "You had me fooled. I thought you were perfect. "Turns out you're like every other woman who'd do anything for cash." Tears blurred the face I knew so well. He looked like a stranger. When I still wouldn't confess, he turned to the guards. "Have her searched." They called over several women from the staff to pin me down. I fought as hard as I could. It did no good. They stripped off my cleaning uniform, yanked my jacket open, and ripped off my shirt. People crowded around. Some filmed. In the chaos, people bumped into me on purpose, hands brushing my waist, thighs, and chest. Left in my bra and underwear, I curled up and hugged myself, barely covered. The women exchanged looks, then shook their heads at Alvin. No necklace. I looked up at him, my voice thick with hate. "I told you I didn't take it. Happy now?" Alvin's face finally changed. He frowned, looked away, and eyed Callie with doubt. She just sighed, like she'd expected this. "Alvin, she's good at playing innocent. She wouldn't stash it in her clothes. "There's one place we haven't checked." She stepped behind me and yanked my bun. Pain shot through my scalp. My hair tie snapped, letting my hair fall loose. A flash of blue dropped from my hair and clacked against the floor. The $800,000 Bleu Éternel lay there for everyone to see. Chapter 4 I stared at the necklace, ice-cold. I'd never touched it. How the hell was it in my hair? Then it hit me. That morning, cleaning a twelfth-floor restroom, I'd snagged my hair on a nail in the doorframe. I couldn't scrub with my hair hanging loose. Martha had walked by, so I'd asked her to put it back up. 'Was that when...?' I snapped my head up and spotted her in the crowd. "It was you! You planted it in my hair!" Martha's face changed. She glanced at Callie, then away. "W-what are you talking about?" She flushed but got louder. "I've worked here for years. When have I ever pulled something this shady?" Callie frowned at me. "Lena, Martha's worked hard here for years without a problem. "You got caught, and now you're throwing her under the bus?" My chest heaved with anger. "Call the cops. "Right now! "They can check for fingerprints. Check the cameras. Once they get here—" "Enough!" Alvin snapped. Everyone went quiet. He stared at me, cold and disgusted. "We have a witness and the necklace. Still making excuses? "A gold digger ex is embarrassing enough. "A thief too? I'd be a joke." He didn't bother lowering his voice. Everyone heard. After a beat, whispers rippled through the crowd. "Holy shit. She's Mr. Danford's ex?" "No wonder she swiped an $800,000 necklace. Guess she's used to the good stuff." I froze. I hadn't expected Alvin to tell everyone about us. Once it sank in, they looked at me differently. The men openly checked me out. The women glared. They probably thought a toilet cleaner had no business dating Alvin Danford. Of course. He'd cooked up that whole broke-boy act. One casual comment, and he'd put a target on my back. He didn't care. He glanced at the necklace. "Three months' pay docked for stealing valuable company property." Then he walked away. My heart sank. Three months' pay. $7,200. Now paying off that $16,000 was even further out of reach. I tried to get up and follow him, beg him to reconsider. Then I looked down at my nearly naked body and curled back up in shame. Work got worse. The women kept finding ways to mess with me. I'd step into a stall, and dirty water would come pouring over the top. I'd finish mopping, and someone would track mud across the floor. I could take that. The men scared me. Every time I bent to mop, their hungry eyes followed. Someone leaked my number too. Late at night, the texts poured in. [Hey, gorgeous. I'm no Mr. Danford, but I've got cash. Give me a shot.] [You're a gold digger. Quit acting like you're too good for us.] When I couldn't take it anymore, I filed a sexual harassment complaint. It landed back in my hands hours later. Alvin had added one line in red. [Just say they're not paying enough.] Chapter 5 That afternoon, before my shift ended, Alvin showed up at the cleaners' break room. From the end of the hall, he watched male employees crowd around me, grinning like creeps. His face darkened. Once they left, he came over and sneered. "You really know how to work it, Lena. "Two weeks here, and you've already got guys lining up." I kept my head down and wrung out the mop. My silence seemed to piss him off. "What? They're not paying enough? Nobody here good enough for you? "Come to a party tonight. Maybe you'll score someone with real money." He just wanted to humiliate me. I kept my voice low. "Partying with my boss isn't in my job deion." Alvin pulled out an envelope like he already had my answer. He flicked it, scattering cash over my head. Bills landed in my hair, on my shoulders, around my feet. "Eight grand. You in or not?" Eight grand. Enough to cover the $7,200 he'd docked, plus $800. After a few seconds, I crouched and picked up the bills one by one. "I'll go." He scoffed above me. He'd known I'd cave. But what choice did I have? I still owed him $16,000. Every extra day pulled the noose tighter. That evening, Alvin's assistant, Tony Hall, brought me a gift box. Inside was a tight black dress with spaghetti straps, a plunging neckline, and barely any back. I'd never been to a party for the rich. I figured this was what women wore. Then I walked in with Alvin. Wrong. It was a charity dinner. The men wore suits and ties. Most women wore tailored dresses. And then there was me. Wrapped up like an auction item, ready for the highest bidder. People stared, sizing me up with open contempt. I clutched my purse, ready to bolt. Alvin barely glanced at me. "Keep up." He led me through the ballroom and opened a door at the end of the hall. The room was packed with rich kids his age. Callie was there too. Everyone turned. She smiled. "Meet Alvin's..." She let it hang. "Gold digger ex. Failed his little broke-boy test." The room burst out laughing. Someone lounged on the couch. "Alvin, you finally brought her?" "You kept her under wraps like your prized possession. We figured you'd keep her away even if she failed." "Five years, though? That's commitment." I stood frozen as their words sank in. The broke-boy test wasn't new. These rich kids did it for fun. Date an ordinary girl, play broke, test her. If she passed, they got a love story to brag about. If she failed, they brought her here to be mocked. A trophy to pass around and judge once the game was over. My palms were clammy. I grabbed Alvin's wrist. "Take the eight grand back. Please, just let me leave. "I wasn't refusing you the twenty grand. My mom was sick. She needed surgery. I wasn't lying—" A man yanked me into his arms. "Twenty grand? For what? She barely has curves." The laughter got louder. Another guy grabbed my chin, turning my face side to side. "Pretty, though. I'd pay for that." He grinned at Alvin. "If Alvin's cool with sharing." Alvin had looked pissed since we entered the ballroom. Now his face darkened. Without a word, he pulled me out of the guy's arms. The room went quiet. He stared down at me. "Lena, last chance. Take me to this sick mother of yours. Right now." Chapter 6 I froze. Alvin grabbed my wrist and dragged me toward the door. "Alvin!" Callie hurried after him in her heels, her smile fading. "The auction's starting. You promised me that diamond brooch. What am I supposed to do?" He kept walking. "Bid on it. Use my card." He led me out of the ballroom and into the car. The door slammed, cutting off the noise. He started the engine. "Which hospital?" I gripped my skirt. After a long silence, I whispered, "She's dead." Alvin turned to me, his face dark. "You think I'm stupid? "She needed surgery money a minute ago. Now she's dead?" I shook my head. "I didn't lie. "I'll take you to the cemetery if you don't believe me." The car went quiet. He stared at me for a few seconds. "Okay." I couldn't read his tone. I gave him directions to the cemetery. We drove back into the night. I could faintly see my reflection in the window. Even carefully applied makeup couldn't hide how pale and tired I looked. Mom had been sick for years. She'd been diagnosed with dilated cardiomyopathy before I met Alvin. She was in and out of the hospital. The slightest effort left her breathless, her chest tight. I'd never told him. He already had enough bad luck. A stolen e-bike. Docked pay. One family emergency after another. I felt bad for him. He didn't need my family's problems too. Whenever Mom was hospitalized, I said I was working late. I paid her bills in secret. I'd never thought sparing him the worry would make him think I was lying. Over forty minutes later, we pulled up outside the cemetery. The night was quiet except for leaves rustling in the wind. I got out and led the way, my eyes red. Alvin followed in silence. In the back row, I stopped and pointed. "That's her grave." He said nothing. I figured he felt guilty now that he knew I'd told the truth. I was about to turn when he laughed coldly. "So your mom's a dog, Lena." I froze. I looked back at the headstone. I'd been too teary-eyed to check the photo. I'd stopped here from memory. Now the moonlight made it clear. A golden retriever, its tongue hanging out. Not Mom. My mind went blank. I crouched by the grave. "No... This was it..." I'd watched the workers place her ashes here. 'Did I remember wrong? Was I that upset?' I jumped up and checked headstone after headstone. Nothing in front. Nothing behind. I ran to the next row. I searched every grave nearby. No sign of Mom's name. "Mom... "Mom, where are you?" Tears streamed down my face. I stumbled back to the first grave, dropped to my knees, and clawed at the stone slab. My nails tore and bled. I barely felt it. I kept trying to pry it up. Alvin watched coldly. Then he grabbed my arm and hauled me up. "Done with your little act?" I fought his grip. "Let go! Mom's ashes are gone. I have to find her!" He scoffed. "Still going? "I never met your mom, so you figured any random grave would fool me?" He looked down at me with a sneer. "Too bad. "Even your luck sold you out. You picked a dog's grave. "Lena Hart, you're so desperate to prove you're not a gold digger, you'd use the dead as props. You're disgusting." Chapter 7 Once, his words would've hurt so much I couldn't breathe. Now I just needed to find Mom. I fought his grip and tried to run deeper into the cemetery. "I'm not lying! Mom's here! "Her ashes are gone. I need to find someone who works here. I need—" He yanked me back, pain shooting through my wrist. "Enough." His grip was tighter than at the party. I stumbled, slamming my knees into the stone steps. My short dress left my skin exposed. The rough ground scraped it open, leaving drops of blood. "Quit making a scene. You're coming with me!" Alvin dragged me out of the cemetery and shoved me into the car. Back at the party, he hauled me into the private room and threw me to the floor. Everyone went quiet and stared. He stood in the doorway, his face dark. "Do whatever you want with her." Then he turned to leave. The guy from earlier whistled. Shaking, I scrambled after Alvin. "Alvin! Don't leave me here!" I reached the door, and a stiletto slammed onto my hand. The heel dug in, grinding against my skin. I screamed. Callie crouched beside me, smiling. "Weird, right? "You watched them bury your mom. How does she just disappear?" My head snapped up. She leaned close to my ear. "I took her ashes. "What's in there now? Some dead dog I found by the road." Blood rushed to my head. Somehow, I wrenched free and slapped her. Smack! Her face snapped sideways. Then her eyes filled with tears. "Alvin... I was just trying to calm her down. Why'd she hit me?" I lunged at her. "It was her! "Alvin, she switched out Mom's ashes! She just told me!" Alvin stopped. His eyes held nothing but disgust. "First you blamed Martha for the necklace. Now you're pinning this thing with your mom on Callie? "Lena, you're sick." He wrapped an arm around Callie and led her away. "Wait!" I scrambled up to follow. Someone grabbed my ankle. I hit the floor hard. Then they dragged me back into the room. The door slammed. "Danford said we could do whatever we wanted. Why wait?" I went pale, shaking. "No... Let go!" I tried to crawl to the door, but they closed in. Someone grabbed my arms. Someone pinned my shoulders. I bit a guy's hand as hard as I could. He yelped, then slapped me several times. "Should've played along, bitch!" My ears rang. I screamed and fought. Then someone's face changed. "She's bleeding... She's bleeding!" The room went silent. They let go and scrambled away. I stared for a few seconds. Then a sharp cramp ripped through my lower belly. They meant me. "What a fucking mess," someone muttered. Stacks of cash landed on me. "We didn't even do anything yet. Take it. Don't pin this on us." They raced for the door. Then I was alone. The pain kept getting worse. Curled on the floor, I gritted my teeth, grabbed my phone, and called an ambulance. While I waited, I stuffed the cash into my purse with shaking hands. I could barely stay conscious, but I counted it. Ten bundles. Twenty grand. For a second, I forgot I was bleeding. 'I can finally pay Alvin off.' I woke up in the hospital. The doctor gently explained that severe stress had caused a miscarriage. I'd been two months pregnant. Sadness hit, then relief. My child would never have to grow up unwanted by their own father. The next day, I left, still aching. I paid the hospital bill in cash, deposited the rest, and sent Alvin $16,000. Then I blocked him everywhere and booked the next flight out. The plane climbed into the clouds. Finally, some luck that didn't come at a price. I was gone for good. I'd never see Alvin again.