1.Standing Up for Her

It was late at night at a motel.

A shirtless man suddenly sat up in bed, cursing under his breath. He had been running errands in the city all day, completely exhausted, and had finally returned to the motel, eager for a good night's sleep. But just as he lay down, noises started coming from the room next door.

At first, he tried to ignore it, understanding that these things happen, but the noise just kept going, without any regard for others. Frustrated, Brandon Rogers ran a hand through his short hair, got up, and pounded on the door of the room next door, shouting, "Keep it down! You're keeping me up!"

The people inside must have heard him because the noise quieted down. But as soon as Brandon lay back down, his head was filled with a cacophony of thoughts again. Grinding his teeth, he muttered, “Damn it.”

After a few minutes, the world finally went silent. He picked up his phone and checked the time—about six minutes had passed. Leaning lazily against the headboard, he lit a cigarette and sneered, “Is that it? Pathetic.” What a waste of money for a motel.

—

Karen Taylor was walking on the soft carpet of the motel hallway, her heart pounding. She was about to catch her boyfriend cheating. She’d only ever seen such scenes in movies or short online clips—she never thought she’d be in one herself.

In college, Ryan Caldwell had been a senior at the neighboring university. He had good grades, a clean-cut look, and a gentle demeanor, exactly her type. So when he confessed his feelings to her, she agreed without hesitation. Last year, he graduated and landed an offer from a major company, with a bright future ahead.

She had been with him for three years, completely devoted to him. Ryan Caldwell was truly exceptional, and she often felt she didn’t deserve him. His life plans always included her. He’d said that once he got established at the company, he’d buy her a car so she wouldn’t have to take the subway to work every day. He even promised to save up for a few years so they could buy a house in the city.

Looking back, it was all just empty promises.

She used to work as a cleaner at this motel, and she had kept in touch with a couple of coworkers. When they saw Ryan bringing another woman to the motel, they called her immediately. But when she heard the news, she wasn’t as shocked as she thought she’d be. She wasn’t stupid—she had noticed his growing indifference.

The worst part was that she almost handed over more than a million from her family's property compensation to him, thinking it would ease the burden of buying a house. It was a close call; she almost lost both her money and her heart.

After mulling it over, Karen Taylor finally gathered the courage to knock on the door.

“Who is it?” came the voice from inside—a voice she knew all too well. She didn’t reply. After a few seconds, the door opened.

A heavily made-up woman looked her up and down, then raised an eyebrow provocatively. “Sweetheart, there’s a woman here to see you.”

Karen Taylor stepped inside.

When Ryan Caldwell saw her, his face was filled with shock. “Kar—Karen! What are you doing here? This is a misunderstanding, a total misunderstanding!” He quickly put on his slippers and tightened his loose bathrobe. “Karen, it’s not what it looks like!”

Karen Taylor's eyes welled up with tears as she took a deep breath. “You’re standing here like this, and you still want to say it’s not what it looks like?” Their clothes were clearly just thrown back on. “Didn’t you say you were going to a company meeting? So is this what you meant by a meeting?”

Her voice was calm and soft, which made the man leaning against the wall outside the room smile wryly. Karen Taylor had never been one to speak harshly, let alone curse. She was always seen as a gentle girl, almost to a fault.

Ryan Caldwell, finally losing his composure, dropped his usual mask. “Fine, let’s lay it all out today. I was only with you because you’re pretty and easy to manipulate. I never actually liked you!”

His face twisted with anger as he pointed a finger at her. “We’ve been together for three years, and you’ve never let me touch you. I’m sick of it! I’m a man, you understand? I’ve been fed up with you for a long time!”

His voice boomed through the room, and Karen Taylor's nails dug into her palms. “You’re trying to justify your cheating? Let me be clear—I’m breaking up with you. For good.”

Ryan Caldwell's features contorted with rage. “Fine! Do whatever you want!”

The woman sitting on the bed waved a stack of cash at Karen, boasting, “Sweetheart gave me his entire bonus from work.”

For the first time, the word “sweetheart” made Karen Taylor feel disgusted. “Well, congratulations. That money is all yours now.”

Outside the room, Brandon Rogers pulled out his phone and made a call.

Karen turned back to Ryan. “And one more thing—you’d better move out of my apartment. I paid for the rent by myself. You said we’d split the cost, but I haven’t seen a cent from you.”

“So pack up and leave.”

Ryan’s nostrils flared with anger. “I’ll move out, no need to remind me.”

“By tomorrow noon, I expect you to be gone.”

The man jumped up. “Tomorrow noon? Are you kidding me? I have to work. I don’t have time!”

“Sweetheart, your ex-girlfriend has a great body, but she never let you touch her. Do you think she’s been with someone else...?”

Karen Taylor frowned. They were really pushing her limits.

Ryan sneered along with the woman. “Who knows? Maybe she’s already been with someone else.”

A crisp slap echoed through the room, and Karen Taylor's hand trembled.

“Ryan Caldwell, I can’t believe you turned out like this. Why didn’t I see through you sooner?”

Ryan clutched his face. “You bitch, how dare you hit me?”

He raised his hand to hit her back, but before Karen could react, a tall man suddenly appeared by her side. Brandon Rogers grabbed Ryan’s wrist and threw it aside forcefully. “You bastard, you think it’s okay to hit a woman?”

Ryan winced, shaking his wrist in pain. “Who the hell are you? Mind your own business.”

“I’m making it my business. What are you going to do about it?”

Brandon was tall, broad-shouldered, and exuded a wild, intimidating aura. Karen looked up at him gratefully, though his presence was a bit intimidating.

“Oh, I get it. You’re her side piece, aren’t you? Karen Taylor, you really are a slut!”

Brandon Rogers clenched his teeth and threw a punch, pinning Ryan to the ground. “How can you say such disgusting things?”

Ryan’s glasses slipped down his nose. “You... you can’t just hit people! It’s illegal!”

“Shut the hell up! She told you to move out by tomorrow. Got it?”

Brandon tightened his grip, and Ryan whimpered, “Got it, got it.”

Brandon looked over at Karen. “Anything else you need to settle with him?”

Karen quickly shook her head. “No, nothing else.”

Ryan had never spent much money on her, and her savings were safe. There was nothing else to tie them together.

“Alright.” Brandon stood up and dusted off his hands. “And you,” he said, turning to the woman on the bed, who was now trembling with fear, “you’re perfect for this scumbag. Stay with him and keep him from ruining anyone else’s life.”

Karen swallowed hard. She had to admit, having someone stand up for her felt pretty good.

“Let’s go.” Brandon turned and led Karen out of the room by the hand.

As soon as they left, the police arrived. Ryan stood there, holding his broken glasses, nervously facing the officers.

“We received a report that this room was involved in illegal activity. You’ll need to come with us.”

“Officer, you’ve got it wrong! She’s my girlfriend!”

Ryan shot a look at the woman, who quickly nodded. “Yeah, we’re in a relationship.”

But just as she stood up from the bed, the stack of cash scattered across the floor.

“...”

One of the officers looked at them sternly. “You’ll need to come with us.”