Through the haze, I thought I heard the man say my name.
"Sophia, don't do this…"
So noisy.

I shut him up with another kiss.
It worked.
No wonder this club was so popular.
The escorts weren't just handsome, they knew how to play hard to get.
Finally, I heard a sigh from above me.
"You started this. Don't you dare regret it."

Then he flipped me onto my back, his mouth crashing down on mine in a storm of raw, pent-up passion.
After a night of tangled limbs and fevered whispers, I woke with a jolt before dawn.
It took me a moment to remember where I was and what I'd done.
I'd slept with a stranger.

An escort from a club.
He was still asleep.
I quietly dressed and slipped out.
As I passed the large plate-glass window of a department store, I saw my reflection. My clothes were torn, and my neck was a canvas of kiss marks.
I hurried home, hoping to sneak in before my brother woke up.
I slipped through the door and was about to tiptoe up the stairs.
When a cold voice stopped me.
"Where were you last night?"
Ethan was leaning against the doorway, his arms crossed.
I froze.
Wasn't he supposed to be with Chloe?
I could see the faint marks of her kisses on his neck.
His eyes were lazy, but sharp.
I looked down, my heart sinking.
I had thought that after last night, Ethan and I would be finished.
I could finally start seeing him as just my brother's friend.
"I… just went for a walk," I mumbled. "Why are you back so soon?"
Ethan's new villa was being renovated, so he'd been staying with us for a few months.
I glanced around.
"Where's Chloe? Didn't she come back with you?"
In an instant, his expression darkened.
"Sophia, where were you last night? And who did this to you?"
I realized he was talking about the kiss marks on my neck.
I instinctively pulled my collar up. "It's nothing. These are mosquito bites."
A cold, humorless laugh escaped him.
"Don't play dumb. I know your brother drugged your drink, too."
"What, did your evil plan backfire? Couldn't sleep with me, so you ran out and found some other man?" he sneered.
"Sophia, did you really think calling Chloe over and then disappearing for a night, would make me worry about you? That's a pathetic way to play hard to get."
I was stunned.
Why was he so angry?
I had given him exactly what he wanted.
A bitter taste filled my mouth.
He thought my sacrifice was just some childish game.
His voice was like ice.
"As you can see, Chloe and I were together last night. I'm going to marry her. So whatever the games you're playing, I suggest you to stop."
I looked down, a small, sad smile on my lips.
"Fine."
"I'm sorry about what my brother did, but…"
I looked up, meeting his gaze. "I'm really not in love with you anymore."
He stared at me, his brow furrowed in disbelief.
Everyone in our circle knew I was in love with him.
I'd refused countless dates and set-ups, all for him.
But now I knew better.
I wouldn't bring a daughter into this world just to watch her die in despair.
Ethan opened his mouth to say something, but my brother's terrified shriek cut him off.
"A GHOST! There's a ghost in the house!" Jake came sprinting down the stairs, pointing a trembling finger back towards a guest room.
"Chloe! When did she get here?"
Ethan calmly closed the bedroom door. "I brought her back last night. She was exhausted and doesn't like hotels."
"What?!"
My brother shot a complicated look from Ethan to me.
"So… you two didn't… last night?"
His eyes darted between the kiss marks on my neck and the ones on Ethan's.
"Jake, I'm going back to bed," I said, making a quick escape.
From my room, I could faintly hear them arguing, my brother demanding to know what had happened.
At lunchtime, Jake knocked on my door.
I didn't get up. "I'm not hungry, Jake. You guys go ahead."
A moment later, I heard Chloe's light, tinkling laugh.
"Let me try to wake her up. After all, it's thanks to Sophia that Ethan and I are finally together."