Chapter 1

The fifteenth time Ferdinand Stephens's little sweetheart stuffed a bug down my collar,

I stopped being patient. I put her straight into the hospital.

Head wrapped in white bandages.

And she still wouldn't let it go.

"Where's my bug? Did she crush it?"

I showed her the sole of my shoe.

"There. Your disgusting bug's corpse."

"I stepped on it and squashed it flat."

She burst into loud tears and threw herself into her boyfriend's arms.

"Phyllis is so mean, picking on my little bug. Killing a living thing means she'll go to hell!"

Her boyfriend, Ferdinand Stephens, scolded me, displeased.

"Linda just likes raising strange bugs. Her hobby's a little unusual, so what?"

"Besides, she raised that bug for a whole month."

"You crushed it, so you compensate her."

He wanted me to pay her back in luxury goods.

That closet full of designer handbags of mine. Every time his little sweetheart cried over me, he took one away.

Now the last one was about to go.

I didn't cry, didn't make a scene. I just looked at Ferdinand Stephens, calm.

"Now it's your turn to compensate me."

1

"Compensate you for what?"

Ferdinand Stephens was peeling an apple for his little sweetheart on the hospital bed, and he raised his eyes with a sneer.

"You clearly killed a living thing first, then beat someone into the hospital."

"Phyllis Henson, you're lucky I didn't hand you over to the police."

"Where do you get the nerve to demand compensation?"

He still didn't know that every time I lost a luxury bag over his little sweetheart,

as punishment,

I took five percent of his shares too.

But right now he gave me no chance to say it.

He just threw the half-peeled apple in his hand at me.

"If someone has to pay,"

"then here, take this."

The apple hit me in the chest.

The skin was peeled in ragged patches, like a dog had gnawed it.

Ferdinand Stephens's apple-peeling was as bad as ever.

Linda Delgado froze for a second.

"Ferdinand, that's my apple..."

"You want it?"

I gave the apple in my hand a little shake, then dropped it in the trash.

"Peel your own."

Her mouth crumpled, ready to cry again.

Ferdinand Stephens frowned at me.

"That's enough."

"She's still hospitalized. Can you stop provoking her on purpose?"

I stepped back twice and folded my arms.

The white businesswoman's suit I'd been wearing was still on.

"I paid for the room."

"I fronted the medical bills."

"Even the hospital gown she's wearing went on my card."

"You tell me whether it's enough."

Ferdinand Stephens went blank, then anger crept into his eyes as it registered.

"You've got some nerve saying that."

"If you hadn't raised your hands, why would she be in the hospital at all?"

I actually laughed from the anger.

"Shouldn't you be asking her that?"

"She came at me with a bug to play a prank. Ask her what kind of occasion it was."

Ferdinand Stephens stalled, and looked over at his little sweetheart, confused.

Linda Delgado sniffled and put a frail hand to her head.

"Ferdinand, my head hurts."

Ferdinand Stephens panicked at once.

"Should I call the doctor?"

"No, I want you to stay with me."

His voice softened right along with her.

"Okay, I'll stay with you."

Linda Delgado glared at me, whining sweetly.

"I don't want that awful woman here. She's the one who killed my precious little bug. I hate her!"

Ferdinand Stephens frowned.

"Phyllis Henson, you leave first."

"Whatever it is, we'll talk about it back home."

I turned and left.

The ward door shut behind me.

At the end of the hall, the young nurse at the station leaned out to look at me.

"Miss, the VIP room you booked..."

"I'm not renewing it."

The nurse glanced at me, then hesitated before speaking.

"No, that's not it..."

"What I meant was, the VIP room has already been renewed by the gentleman just now."