Lilian's POV
Standing in Augusto's office, I twisted my fingers together as I explained why I had come to him. The words felt like sandpaper in my throat.
Augusto's face shifted instantly. That polite smile remained fixed in place, but his eyes turned ice cold. "Tell me," he said slowly, "what makes you think I would lift a finger to help you?"
I had expected this reaction. There was no point in begging. I forced out a bitter laugh. "You're right. Forget I asked."
It made perfect sense. After everything my family put him through, I should be grateful he hadn't come after us for revenge. The nerve I had to even ask him for help made my face burn with shame. All I wanted was to disappear.
"Wait." His voice stopped me cold. "What exactly are you willing to offer to make this worth my time? If the price is right, I might consider helping you."
I froze, my mind racing. What could I possibly have that he would want? My body? The thought was almost comical.
If Augusto had wanted me physically, he'd had years of marriage to take what he wanted. All those nights we shared the same bedroom, and he never once touched me.
I dropped my head in defeat. "Just pretend I was never here."
Suddenly Augusto was right in front of me.
He towered over my small frame. When he leaned down, his warm breath tickled my ear as he chuckled softly. "You dress yourself up like that, then try to play innocent?"
Heat flooded my cheeks. I felt completely humiliated, every fiber of my being screaming at me to run.
Then his arm wrapped around my waist, yanking me against him. His smile turned predatory. "Years of marriage, and I slept on the floor every single night. It's been far too long since I've had you. Why don't you offer yourself up to change my mind?"
My eyes widened in shock. I couldn't process what he was saying. "What did you just say?"
His gaze intensified, those dark eyes boring into mine until nervous heat crawled up my throat. Without breaking eye contact, he reached down and hooked his finger under my dress strap, sliding it slowly off my shoulder.
My face blazed red. I shoved him away hard, anger surging through me. "Fine, don't help us. I never expected you to care about my family anyway. But you don't need to humiliate me like this."
Augusto studied me with an expression caught between irritation and dark amusement. "You think I'm humiliating you?"
"Aren't you?" I shot back. He was in love with someone else. What else could this be but cruelty?
He spun around abruptly and dropped back into his chair.
When he looked at me again, his eyes had turned arctic.
A cold smile curved his lips. "You put effort into your looks but none into your manners. Since that's how you want to play this, get out."
I had known from the start he wouldn't help. Without another word, I turned and walked out.
The second I stepped outside his building, my parents and Gavin swarmed me. "So?" my father demanded anxiously. "Will he help us?"
I shook my head.
My father exploded with curses. "That ungrateful piece of garbage! Now that he's rich, he's forgotten where he came from. I should never have let you marry him. He's crossed the line."
My mother nodded viciously. "Exactly. He always acted so polite and submissive. Who knew he was such a snake?"
I sighed heavily. "That's going too far. He never used our connections or took our money. How is he ungrateful? Honestly, I'm not surprised he won't help. Not after how we treated him."
My parents clamped their mouths shut and fell silent, worry carved deep into their faces. Seeing them like this made my head pound even harder.
That night, Gavin pulled out his phone and called every single one of his old contacts, desperately hoping someone would throw us a lifeline.
There was a time when Gavin only had to mention drinks, and they would all come running. But now, not one of them would even answer his calls.
Gavin was so enraged that he hurled his phone at the wall, screaming about how fake and disloyal everyone was.
I huddled under my blanket, trying to soothe him. "Just let it go. People show their true colors when you're down."
My mother sat beside us, crying quietly.
With our family in ruins like this, recovery seemed impossible. The real terror was the mounting debt. Collectors appeared at our door almost daily, making our lives unbearable.
My father turned to me again, his voice strained with desperation. "Lilian, are you absolutely sure you won't try talking to Augusto one more time? He has money now. Surely he could spare some for us."
My mother looked up through her tears. "That's right. Even after divorce, there should be something you could claim, shouldn't there?"
I pulled my covers tighter, too afraid to tell them Augusto had left me with absolutely nothing. They would only curse him more violently.
Gavin snapped suddenly. "Stop it! Don't pressure Lilian like this. We treated him terribly before. Now you want her to go begging? That's just degrading."
My mother glanced up with concern. "Augusto didn't do anything inappropriate to you today, did he?"
I shook my head quickly. "No, he didn't."
She murmured thoughtfully. "Well, Augusto was always decent. And he used to listen to you. Even though we've hit rock bottom, he always cared about you. Why would he hurt you now?"
I forced an uncomfortable smile and stayed quiet.
My father sighed deeply, his eyes drifting toward the open balcony door. "Sometimes I wonder if it's even worth continuing," he said quietly. My mother broke down sobbing again at his words.
Watching them deteriorate like this made my temples throb. The truth was, what we desperately needed right now was to gather whatever money we could to pay off at least part of our debt.
After several days, once I felt slightly better, I went out job hunting.
Honestly, regular jobs didn't pay enough, and the money came too slowly. But working as a server at an upscale club offered good money.
I used to frequent this place with friends all the time, throwing around generous tips without a care. So I returned to the same club I knew well.
The manager recognized me immediately. He remembered the old days and hired me on the spot, assigning me to the VIP section. High-profile clients meant bigger tabs and better tips.
But I never expected to encounter Augusto in one of those private rooms. When we were married, he wouldn't set foot in a place like this.
He used to hate when I went out drinking, always calling it sleazy and trying to stop me. I would just laugh, insult him, and wave him off.
Looking back, Augusto had always played the perfect gentleman. But tonight, there he sat at the center of attention, legs crossed casually, cigarette between his fingers, wearing this cocky, almost arrogant smirk. He actually looked attractive. Apparently all that politeness had been a performance.
He was staring directly at me, cool and detached, like he was looking down on me. I wanted to disappear into the floor. If I had known he was here, I never would have entered this room.
Just as I was frantically trying to figure out how to hide or escape, I heard a chorus of mocking whistles.
I looked over and realized Augusto's companions were actually the same guys Gavin and I used to party with.
Now, naturally, they were all trying to curry favor with Augusto.
They knew exactly how I had treated Augusto back then. And now, to earn points with him, they were definitely going to make my night miserable. Time to leave before this situation got worse.
Just as I was carefully maneuvering the drink cart toward the exit, hoping to slip away unnoticed, a voice sliced through the noise. It was Doran.