Chapter 23

Just as I was about to step my foot, I felt someone gave a light tap on my shoulder.

“Hey! You came.” The culprit said as I turned around.

“Oh, it’s you.” I smiled at Brian.

“So, you decided to come huh?” He asked.

“I-I…” I didn’t know. My mind took me here, not my heart.

He looked at me with a serious expression. “I guess you’re just nervous. It’s all right. Let’s go in!” He then led the way to the studio.

I followed him and we were on the second floor now.

“You can take a sit there!” Brian pointed at a sofa. I slowly walked over to the sofa and sat on it.

I scanned the room and it was indeed a studio, but a very small one. The place was a bit dirty for a studio. Brian walked toward me with a big camera on his hand.

“Is this the studio?” I asked.

“Yes.” He replied.

“Oh I see.” I was expecting the studio to look fancier than this.

“Let me take a snapshot!” He said as he gently adjusted his camera.

He was standing not too far from me.

“Just like this?” I asked. I didn’t need to wear make-up or anything?

“Yes, let’s try it out first.”

“Okay.” I nodded.

“Give me your sweetest smile. One two…”

Click! I heard the sound of the camera click.

He quickly looked at the camera’s screen and his face scrunched up.

“Is it bad?” I asked nervously.

He shook his head reluctantly and sighed. “Hmm, let’s take one more.” He brought his camera up, getting ready to take another snapshot. “Can you the top button of your shirt?”

“W-what?” Did I hear it wrong?

“Just do it, please.” He raised his voice.

Confused, I obeyed. I slowly the top button of my shirt. Then I looked at Brian; he shook his head in disappointment.

“This won’t help. the next two buttons!” He ordered.

I looked down at my shirt’s buttons and then quickly looked back at Brian. “But why? Is it necessary?”

“Yes. I have to get a good snapshot. I even need to take a snapshot of your body.” He sighed.

“What do you mean?” I asked.

“Sweetie, don’t be too naïve! You should know what you’re doing when you decide to come here.” He answered in an annoyed tone. He suddenly turned into a horrible person.

What did he mean? I really didn’t get it.

“Now, take off your shirt!” He ordered and he was very mean.

Why did I have to take off my shirt if I was only going to be a model? I really didn’t understand.

A small voice inside my heart reminded me of what Xiao Xun had told me before. Was Xiao Xun right? Was this a scam? Why did I feel uncomfortable here?

“Are you going to do it or not?” He asked impatiently.

I suddenly had a bad feeling. I didn’t feel like doing this anymore. My heart told me to stop this and I started to get suspicious. I should’ve listened to Xiao Xun. I guess she was right.

It took me a minute to answer. “I think... I changed my mind. I’m not doing this anymore.”

I stood up and grabbed my bag before I walked toward the door.

I walked past him toward the door and he suddenly grabbed my arm.

“You’ve put yourself into this. You can’t just leave, young lady!” He grinned in an evil way.

“Let me go!” I said.

“Not so easy.” He gripped my arm tighter.

“Let me go!!” I said for the second time, trying to sound calm.

“You are not going anywhere!” He smirked.

“Let me go!!!” I yelled and quickly pulled my arm away, but he was too strong. It didn’t work.

Through my panic, I tried to remember what self-defense I knew. I brought my fist up and threw a punch right in his nose. He fell backward.

I quickly went to the door. I hurriedly turned the door knob, but it was locked. Shoot! What should I do now?

“You can’t go anywhere.” He laughed, touching his nose that started bleeding from my punch.

I looked at the window. For a second, I thought of jumping out of the window, but I pushed that thought away. I couldn’t jump. I knew I was afraid of heights. And I might die if I jumped.

He slowly walked toward me. I took a few steps to the side.

“What do you want?” I asked in an angry tone.

He did not reply, but he was getting closer. I ran toward the window and he immediately chased after me. He was so fast that he pushed me down before I could even get near to the window. I fell to the floor.

He turned my body around so that my back was against the floor. He sat on my stomach and started ing my shirt.

“No! Go away!” I cried as I tried pushing his hands away. I somehow didn’t have the power to scream for help.

“Shut up!” He slapped my hands away.

Is this what I was getting when I didn’t listen to my best friend?

I let the tears coming down my eyes.

He was on the third button when suddenly I heard the door jangle.

“Hello!” Someone knocked on the door. I couldn’t clearly hear his voice.

“HELP!!” I screamed. I knew someone was at the door. I could only hope that person would hear me scream and help me.

“Guigui! Guigui! Are you inside?” I heard a familiar voice ask. He sounded worry.

He started turning the door knob one way and then the other. He started pounding the door. “Guigui!”

“HELP ME!” I screamed. Brian slapped me and covered my mouth with his hands.

= = = = = = = = =

I don’t know what’s wrong with winglin.
I could not open winglin for almost two days :(
Anyway, thank you for the comments guys <3 and sorry for the late update, I was being lazy haha :P
Was this chapter still a cliffhanger? HAHAHA. I know I’m evil.