"Then don't blame me for teaching you a lesson my way."
He hung up before I could say another word.
Less than five minutes later, a bodyguard pushed through the door carrying a briefcase. He opened it to reveal stacks of crisp bills—a million dollars, neatly arranged.
"Mr. Rivera's orders: whoever slaps this woman gets a thousand dollars. No limit. Keep going until Mrs. Rivera is satisfied. Any consequences, Mr. Rivera will handle."
My mind exploded. It felt like I was plummeting into an endless abyss.
I remembered last month when I'd had my eye on a spring outfit that cost twenty thousand dollars. My account was short by five thousand.
I'd called him to ask for a transfer, and all I got was complaints.
"Athena, the company's losing money right now. Can you cut back a little? You have work clothes, don't you? No need to waste money. I'll order you a couple of work outfits to rotate."
Yet here he was, throwing away a fortune just to make another woman smile.
Slap!
Someone struck first. A palm connected hard with my face.
"Sorry, Athena. A thousand bucks covers my gas for a month."
Fiona didn't even blink. She transferred the money to that classmate on the spot.
I was still reeling from the shock when a storm of slaps rained down on me, one after another, everyone scrambling to get their turn.
Fiona watched me with a smile of pure satisfaction.
Someone recorded the whole thing and posted the video to our class group chat. The chat exploded.
[I'm stuck in my hometown, can't make it back. I want in so bad. Can I just curse at her instead? Maybe at a discount?]
Fiona replied: [Sure. A hundred bucks per insult. I'll transfer directly.]
Immediately, a flood of insults scrolled through the chat.
[Athena Barnes, you're nothing but a slut and a piece of trash]
[Athena Barnes is a cheap whore who's been passed around by everyone]
[Athena Barnes was selling herself back in school]
Someone else chimed in: [I'm in the city. Send me the address. My iron palm is ready to go.]
My classmates took turns slapping me across the face, eager to claim their reward. My cheeks went numb, blood seeped from the corner of my mouth, and my entire face swelled beyond recognition.
One classmate—a man—refused to participate. Finally, he stepped forward.
"That's enough! We're all classmates here. Is a few thousand dollars really worth burning every bridge? You'll never be able to face each other again."