STIGMA

In C City.

Bright lights sparkled and shimmered in the neon city as heavy traffic snaked its way through the street.

The most luxurious club in C city was located bang in the middle of the city.

Sharon Fang, who had been wandering for two hours, was standing at the gate of the club, feeling paralyzed with fear.

The phone rang and she pressed the answer key. The words that came from the other end of the line erased any thoughts of escaping from her mind.

Taking a deep breath, she walked into the club.

The high-end club smelled unlike a hot, sweaty bar. Designed as a grand tea house, it was tranquil, cool and fragrant.

Melodious zither music played in the background, putting her anxiety at ease, if only temporarily.

When she arrived at the place they had agreed to meet, Sharon Fang took another fortifying breath, smoothed her tight, black skirt, and knocked on the door.

When she pushed open the door, she was enveloped in smoke and mist, which blurred her vision.

A foul smell of cigarettes and alcohol filled her nose, almost choking her. She frowned subconsciously and spotted a group of people happily playing cards around the tea table.

A gentle-looking young man noticed Sharon Fang by the door and smiled slyly. "You're finally here!" he commented.

Everyone turned to look at her. They seemed to understand what was going to happen.

Sharon Fang felt like she was like a monkey in a zoo.

The young man raised his eyebrows and smiled, "Are you interested in her?" "Whew!"

Hearing this, the others hooted and whistled raucously.

Sharon Fang was terrified at this point. She felt like she had fallen into hell.

Her face turned deathly pale and her body tensed. The rowdy crowd in the room was humiliating her.

"Yeah! She looks great. As long as you don't think I will take advantage of you!"

"Don't worry about it. We are friends anyway. You can do whatever you want to her."

"Ha-ha!"

The evil laughter struck terror in Sharon Fang's heart.

Tears were welling up in her eyes.

She was so embarrassed that she wished she could disappear.

Turning around resolutely, she ran towards the door.

Just as her hand was about to touch the doorknob, someone behind her grabbed her and spun her around harshly.

Suddenly, a crisp sound echoed in the room, making all the commotion die down.

Sharon Fang turned her face to the side and a palm print was visible her fair face. She was in shock. The searing pain made her dizzy.

"How dare you try to run?" The cold and menacing voice made her shiver.

The young man held her chin roughly, almost making her cry. He forced her eyes to look into his, which gleamed wickedly like a demon's.

She struggled in his grasp and pleaded, "Let go of me! I regret it!"

The young man sneered at her naivete and stupidity.

"It's too late to regret now!"

Sharon Fang trembled and looked around in panic.

All eyes were on her, and they were full of mockery, indifference, or curiosity, but there was no sympathy in any of them.

She had landed herself in a grave situation.

Still determined to make her escape, she used all her strength and kicked the man's private part. A scream rang in her ears.

The man fell to the ground and curled up in pain.

Before the other people in the room could react, Sharon Fang quickly opened the door and dashed out. She heard the man's furious voice behind her, and a chill ran up her spine.

There was no one else in the corridor except waiters who were doing their jobs. Yet, none of them tried to come to her aid.

Her hair was in a mess, and the palm print on her face was clearer in the bright lights. She looked disheveled and scared.

A few passersby stared at her in astonishment and sympathy, which made her feel ashamed. She quickly lowered her head and ran away, desperate to get out of this place.

"There she is. Hurry up!" Came an urgent voice from not far away.

When she looked back, she saw that the group of people from the room were chasing her. Her face turned ashen with fright.

Her gold-and-silver high-heeled shoes clicked hard and fast on the smooth floor as she picked up her pace.

Her black hair danced manically in the wind.

She reached the elevators but neither of the two elevators stopped.

Sharon Fang raced to the stairs, ready to flee.

However, in her hurry, she missed a step and fell down. She toppled down the stairs and suddenly, everything went round and round in her head.

The world was spinning. She kept falling and pain pierced through her.

After a loud thud, her world became quiet.