Adoration Beyond Compare

The dim light in the bar emphasized the anxiety in Yvonne's eyes. She continually glanced at her phone, to see if her twenty messages had gotten through the line, only to see that her boyfriend still didn't reply.

"You alone, miss?" Lured by her beauty, a man offered to have a drink with her, but she politely declined.

He sighed heavily and walked away. She furrowed her eyebrows as she stared at the empty seat in front of her. Ellie Su, her friend, had been in the comfort room for more than ten minutes.

Just as she stood up to find her friend, a scream echoed from the restroom.

Her eyes widened at the familiarity of the sound as she raced towards the restroom. She clutched her chest at the terrible scene.

Ellie Su's skirt was lifted up and her delicate makeup was smeared all over. A man was lying on her, trying to assist her up.

"Stop!" Yvonne didn't waste any time as she stomped over towards them, pushing the man off her best friend.

The man stumbled backwards, flushed with anger.

Ellie Su threw herself to Yvonne's arms and sobbed quietly. Just by glancing at her appearance, a surge of anger raced through Yvonne's veins as she slapped the man right on the face.

His eyes widened. No one had ever tried to hit him ever since he was a child. For a moment, he froze.

"How dare you?" he yelled.

"You son of a bitch! I'll call the police." Yvonne took her phone out and dialed the police's number.

The man knew that he was in the wrong, so he tried to swipe the phone away from her. However, she quickly dodged.

"We're in the Shark Bar. A man molested my friend. Please come over," she said bluntly, hanging up the phone.

It didn't take long for the police to arrive. After being briefed of the incident, they took all three of them to the police station for the detailing.

The man's eyes were as cold as the Atlantic Ocean. There was just something about his gaze that screamed superiority and authority to anyone he'd just met. He took out his phone and tapped on one of his contacts.

"Mr. Tian, head over to the police station now. You got five minutes," he stated. "If you can't get here in time, you're fired."

In the police station, Mr. Tian, the man's lawyer, did all the talking as he negotiated with the police.

However, Yvonne couldn't care less of what they were talking about. Instead, she continued to glance at her phone. She already alerted her boyfriend of her whereabouts, but he still didn't reply.

The man closed his eyes as his lawyer did the talking, as if he couldn't be bothered with what he was saying.

Yvonne felt her stomach lurch. "Um," she started. "May I please go to the restroom?"

The lawyer was taken by surprise and said nothing, hesitating.

The man then opened his eyes. "Go ahead."

She didn't wait any further as she rushed to the other side of the station. It was almost her period, so her stomach had been cramping like crazy these past few days. However, she had forgotten to ask the directions that she stumbled into a detention room by accident.

"Sorry, I–" Her words died at the back of her throat when she saw who was sitting in front of the officer – her boyfriend, Aaron Cui. "Miss?"

She gaped as she stepped forward to get a better look, only to be blocked by a policeman.

Aaron Cui finally looked up to see what the fuss was about. When he spotted Yvonne, he quickly buried his face into hands.

"What did he do?" she demanded. Her hands were already trembling.

"Prostitution!" The policeman glared at her. "Miss, you can't come here without the permission. Please leave."

Prostitution? It was as if lightning had electrocuted her from the sky. Her boyfriend, her fiance, was brought to the police station due to prostitution?

"I'm his girlfriend. Why didn't I get the notice?" She crossed her arms.

"I don't know." The officer rubbed the back of his neck. "Miss, please leave for a bit. You can visit him once we're done."

"Aaron Tell me! What the hell is going on?" Yvonne didn't bother to listen to the man's words as she stared at Aaron's hiding face, wanting to hear his side from all of this.

However, he continued to ignore her.

"Bastard! Say something," she snarled. "Can't you even look at me?"

"Miss, get out!" The man motioned to the door, but still, Yvonne wouldn't budge.

Tears rushed down her cheeks as she wanted to step forward. However, the police officer continued to block her off. It was a complete mess. The scene attracted more and more onlookers, even the man with his lawyer. The man frowned, glancing at his lawyer. "See what's going on," he ordered.

With the police stopping Yvonne, she failed to see Aaron.

She glanced at her ring mournfully. How the hell did all of this happen on her engagement?

She curled her hands into fists, trudging over to the seat. Now, all Yvonne wanted was for this to be done and over with.

"Do you want to see your boyfriend?" the man suddenly spoke.

Yvonne nodded.

"Let her see her boyfriend."

"Sir, it's against the rules." The officer shook his head. Did this man take this place for a hotel? 'Does he think he could do whatever he wants here? Ridiculous!'

The man raised his eyebrows in response. Soon enough, the lawyer stepped forward and exchanged a few words with the policeman. The officer turned pale in an instant as he stared helplessly at Yvonne. "You have twenty minutes."

"Okay, thank you." Yvonne turned to the detention room. Her head was held up high and her heart was beating in her chest. She knew what she had to do, but the moment she stepped into the room, it felt as if her heart was being mashed into millions of pieces.

"Let's break up," she murmured, avoiding his gaze.

Aaron grabbed her wrists, forcing her to look at him in the eye. "Let me explain."

"You don't have to!" Her tears fell down again as she glared at him. "Why did you do that to me?"

"It was all your fault!"

"What?" She gasped at the resentment that filled his gaze.

"If you'd just allowed me to fuck you, I wouldn't have looked for any other woman," he snapped. "I'm a man too, you know!"

Seeing the blankness in Yvonne's eyes, he got even more annoyed as he shot her question after question, "What? Am I wrong? What's wrong with having sex? Have I not been good to you? The money I've spent on you could've been used to build a business? Isn't that worth something?"

She wanted to say something – anything – to stop his rambling, but it seemed as if the words were stuck in her throat.

"Are you breaking up with me? Are you? I didn't even cheat on you! Isn't it normal to satisfy our needs? It's not as if everyone's like you, you frigid bitch!" He sneered. "Do you really hate men that much? Or do you like women?"

At the accusation, Yvonne immediately slapped him. His eyes widened. "You bitch! You dare to hit me? Fine! If you want to break up, then fuck me first."

She scoffed, wiping away her tears. It felt as if this meeting had only smashed her heart even further. "Don't worry about the money," she spat. "I'll pay it all back. We're over."

Yvonne took off the engagement ring and flicked it towards him.

"Do you think I will let you go like this?" Aaron yelled. "This isn't over!"

She left without turning back.

"Yvonne, please eat." Her friend glanced at her worriedly. Ever since Yvonne came back from the police station, it had been ten hours but she hadn't ate or even slept.

Dark circles had shown under her eyes as Yvonne glanced up at Ellie. "What happened to the man?" she asked. "Did he get caught?"

Ellie sighed. "The guy's Cary Su. Being 28, he set up a business empire that involved plenty of sectors, like finance, electronics, and even the film industry. Now he's worth a hundred million!"

Before she could go any further, Yvonne's phone rang. She picked it up. "Hello, Miss Yvonne, I'm Mr. Cary's lawyer. I'm here to discuss the matter from last night."

"There's no need. I don't care how rich he is. He's still an ass," she snapped.

"Your friend also drank too much yesterday. They ran into each other in the bathroom. Just as he was about to get up, you've misunderstood the scenario that he wanted to lift your friend's skirt. Even if you'll take it to the court, your chances of winning are very low. Why don't we deal with this privately?"

Yvonne smiled, "Mr. Cary is a big shot. If I have to sue him, I don't need to win. Just the lawsuit itself would bring him loads of trouble alone."

There was a pause at the other end of the line before he responded, "You're smart, but your cleverness seem to be shortsighted. Your friend has injured Mr. Cary yesterday, so we have every means to sue your friend for intentional injury. Although the lawsuit may not be successful, it might be difficult for your friend to find a job right after."

"Ass," Yvonne murmured, gritting her teeth.

Mr. Tian ignored her words and continued, "If you want to protect your friend, you can do it. Mr. Cary is very kind. As long as you consent to having dinner with him tonight, we can let this go. What do you think?"

"He can rot in hell," she snapped and hung up the phone. 'Why do I have to be involved in such a mess?' she thought.

However, the more she thought about it, the more Cary Su's face entered her mind. If he really pushed for the lawsuit, it would be hard for her friend to get a job, so it was essential that she played by his rules.

'It's just a dinner, ' she told herself, sighing heavily.

Night came and Yvonne was already dressed. She arrived at the place his lawyer had informed her. She wore light make-up for the night, and her dress exposed her milky skin and soft figure.

Cary Su's car arrived a little late. When he rolled down the window, she could see a pair of eyes staring right back at her.

"Get in the car," he commanded.

She followed.

The car was incredibly spacious. Cary Su could move around easily as Yvonne even had her space to herself. She couldn't help but stare at the man beside her. Was he really the youngest tycoon in the city?

He used this opportunity to raise up a contract. She skimmed through the contents, stopping when she saw the phrase 'Pay 15 million'.

Her eyes widened at the amount.

"Since I'm having dinner with you, you won't give my friend any trouble, right?" she asked worriedly, hiding her anxiety with a faint smile.

Cary Su ignored her question and looked ahead. Afraid of provoking him, she remained silent.

Within a few minutes, the two finally arrived at a five-star hotel. The moment she saw the charming glow of neon lights, she had a sinking feeling about this. "What do you want?" she asked.

"Easy! You're not my type." Cary glanced at her emotionlessly. "You can come if you want to."

Without another word, he walked into the hotel. Yvonne had no choice but to follow.

The moment they entered, everyone's eyes were on her. Thoughts surged in everyone's mind on who the new woman was. They bowed respectfully.

Cary walked in front of her, looking as if nothing out of the ordinary was happening. Yvonne gritted her teeth helplessly. A part of her wanted to greet everyone back, but she had to quicken her pace to catch up with the man in front of her. Once they had finally arrived at the dining area, her face was already flushed.

He turned to look at her, his eyes turning into a smoldering abyss. She couldn't find herself looking away as she got loss in his gaze, her heart skipping a beat.

"Order what you like." He shrugged, handing her the menu.

With just one look, she gasped.

"What's wrong?"

She leaned towards him and whispered, "These are expensive!"

The waiter was touched by what he saw. Cary had a habit of keeping women away from him, yet this woman found out easy to break the president's walls. From the looks of it, she might be the president's significant other.

The corners of Cary's lips inched up subconsciously.

He took the menu and ordered a few dishes for the two of them. As she glanced at the menu, her heart raced. The food he had ordered was almost worth her entire four-year tuition!

Just as he was finished, Cary's secretary came over and whispered a few things in his ear. He scowled. "Didn't I hire you to fix all these menial problems? If you can't, then you might as well just pack your stuff."

The secretary hurried out. Yvonne glanced at him. If she kept flattering Cary, then she might just get her friend out of trouble. She placed her hands on his shoulders comfortingly.

Cary was on the verge of losing his temper, but he calmed down when he saw her beside him. She was like a cat, peaceful yet playful at the same time. He didn't stop her advances.

The waiter smiled silently.

Soon, the dishes were finally served. One by one, they were placed on a brightly colored table. Seeing this, Yvonne moved her hands from his shoulders and returned to her seat. Cary frowned, but he didn't say a word.

Her eyes widened at the dishes in front of her. There were 17 dishes in total!

They had eaten for over an hour. Once they were at the midst of eating desert, Yvonne could already feel her vision blurring. She was unable to say anything.

Cary, however, seemed unaffected by it all. After paying for the bill, he assisted her to one of the hotel rooms.

She could feel her body burning. A part of her wanted to be held and loved by someone. Yvonne raised her hand to trail across his chest.

A strong sense of desire rose in his cool eyes as Cary leaned in her ear. "Be my woman," he whispered.

She shivered in delight.

It didn't take a second for Cary to carry her over to the bed. ...

After hours of lovemaking, Cary held the sleeping woman in his arms. If it hadn't been her first time tonight, he would've wanted more. "I'll let you go today."

He kissed her forehead affectionately and fell asleep soon after.

The next morning, Cary woke up and looked over at Yvonne who was still deep asleep. He didn't know why this woman could attract him in so many ways. After ten minutes of admiring her, he decided to take a shower before putting on a new suit.

Glancing at the woman's clothes on the bed, he couldn't help but frown. From the looks of it, these were cheap fabrics. He pulled out a brand-new dress he had asked someone to bring in that morning and left a bank card with his business card on the table beside the bed. He raised his wrist to look at the watch. It was almost time for his video conference. He didn't want to disturb her, so he left the room without saying a word.

The woman would contact him, and even if she didn't, he knew he could find her one way or another.

When Yvonne woke up, it was almost noon. She furrowed her eyebrows in a daze, but just as she turned over, pain soared through her veins. It felt as if her entire body was falling apart. What the hell happened? All she remembered was having dinner with Cary and then...

She lifted the covers, eyes widening when she saw her naked body under the quilt. Yvonne yelped. 'I fucking lost my virginity!' she thought, her lips trembling at the thought. After years of saving it, he had taken it from her. Her hands shook. He must've drugged her.

Yvonne slowly got out of bed, her legs trembling from the events that had unfolded the night before. When she saw her torn clothes on the bed, a desperate look marred her face. Her virginity was already ruined and the bastard ripped up her clothes! She leaned back on the bed to see a bank card and a business card from Cary. She gritted her teeth as the tears streamed down her face.

"Does he think of me as a prostitute?" she snarled out as she ripped the business card into pieces. Holding her phone tightly in her hands, Yvonne wanted to call the police, but she knew that it'd only be fruitless. Given that everything was under Cary's hold, it'd be easy to wipe this off his record.

Yvonne glanced around desperately, smiling mockingly when she saw a dress lying on her bedside. "Is this also his way of compensating?" she mocked. "Or is it a deal?" She wore the dress and stared at herself in the mirror, frowning. The dress was absolutely beautiful, and from the fabric itself, it looked extremely expensive.

"There's no reason to be so noble," she told herself. Besides, she was as insignificant as an ant compared to a man like Cary.

Taking the bank card, Yvonne fled the hotel as quickly as she could. It was already noon, but she didn't want to go back school right now. Staring at the bank card in her hand, she decided to spend all the money. Given that she had nowhere else to vent her anger, this seemed to be her only choice.

Yvonne took a taxi to one of the best shopping malls in the city. She licked her lips, craving for one of the most expensive lunch she could ever dreamed of. Her stomach growled in response. After her meal, Yvonne handed the credit card to the attendant. Although she wasn't using her own money, she couldn't help but lament over the prices of the dishes that she had ordered. The elegant woman beside her had called her servant to pay for the bill.

She couldn't help but look at how graceful the woman was right beside her. Was it always this way for people in the upper class? Yvonne turned away, settling the bill as soon as possible. The attendant who was given the card thought that Yvonne didn't have any money to eat such luxurious dishes from a western restaurant. However, after being handed over the card, it seemed he couldn't look down on her anymore.

He handed her the bill, which she signed with Cary's name. It was his card, wasn't it? When he saw the name on the bill, the waiter paused. Wasn't Cary one of the youngest and most promising legends in the city? There couldn't be any other, especially in such a high-end restaurant. He stared at her. What was her relationship with Cary?

The attendant carefully handed the bill back to the woman again. "Miss, it will be better if the bill's signed under your name. What's the relationship between you and Mr. Cary?"

The waiter was fond of gossiping. As frustrated as Yvonne was, she didn't know whether she should let him know or not. She quickly wrote her own name instead of his. "It's my fault."

Once the woman next to her heard Cary's name, she gave Yvonne an once-over. "Does Cary like these types of women now?" she murmured softly to herself.

Having already eaten, Yvonne was less angry as she skipped across the shopping mall. There were millions of fabrics just waiting for her to explore, and a part of her was already screaming to buy them all. At this point, she'd be giving a taste of Cary's own medicine.

Yvonne asked the shop assistants to wrap up lots of clothes for her after she entered a shop. She didn't leave the shopping mall till sunset. After returning to school, Yvonne went back to her dormitory.

Ellie was the only one in the dorm when she arrived. Yvonne threw her large bags on the ground when she saw her. "I'm exhausted, Ellie. Could you massage me please?" she cried out.

Ellie couldn't help but furrow her eyebrows. "You haven't come back the whole night. What happened?" She eyed the luxurious clothes Yvonne had brought with her. At the moment, Yvonne almost forgot about the events that had unfolded the night before. A part of her didn't know what to say. Would she tell her that Cary had taken her virginity? No... She shook the thought away. Yvonne didn't want her friend to worry about her.

"I went to see Cary last night. He treated me to a meal and said that he wouldn't cause any trouble to you," she said. "I was too drunk last night so I begged him to take me home and he agreed. All the clothes were sent back by him."

Ellie furrowed her eyebrows in disbelief. She couldn't believe that the man who'd been a villain the other day was a hero today. "I don't know where Aaron get the news that you haven't come back for the whole night. Everyone at school's talking about you, you know?"

"Aaron? What did he say about me?" Yvonne snapped.

"He said that you were a mistress of someone else. He broke up with you because you didn't take him seriously," Ellie said.

"I broke up with him! Didn't he understand what happened that night?" Yvonne's hands clenched into fists. She didn't expect that her ex would be this heartless and shameless.

However, she was so exhausted from shopping the entire afternoon, that she had no strength to argue with him. "I'll get even tomorrow," she murmured. After chatting with Ellie, she was already drained from all the energy.

The next day, Yvonne finally recovered. She wore the new clothes she bought yesterday and went to class with Ellie. On the way to the classroom, everyone's eyes were on her as gossip filled the hallways. However, she didn't mind them.

As soon as she entered the classroom, Yvonne's clothes attracted the attention of her classmates. Dressed in such expensive clothes, her tall and slim figure was further emphasized. Her milky skin was more pronounced. She looked like a goddess, but now with Aaron's gossip running about, all she was known for was for being a slut.

Several men whistled once she sat down. Some even bluffed, "Isn't this our social butterfly? She's so hot. No wonder, she gets a rich man as her victim. From the looks of it, she's planning on dropping out of school to be a full time mistress." The entire classroom laughed, acting as a knife that pierced through her heart.

She scowled. "I didn't do anything wrong," she snapped, glaring at the arrogant man in front of her. Yet, he didn't back down. "Is this what your man got you?" He sneered. "Can I have a night then? Don't worry. I can afford it." He looked at her complacently, encouraged by the jeers of his classmates.

Yvonne's eyes turned red as she scoffed. "You can't afford it. In fact, you're just a shrewd man who's beneath me. Forget it! You can't even afford to touch my fingers." Her eyes glinted with hatred.

The man shut his mouth, knowing that he was already utterly humiliated. He walked away resentfully.

Hoping that everything would return back to normal, Yvonne tried her best to calm herself. These were just rumors. She had done absolutely nothing wrong, so she'd just ignore them. They wouldn't knock her down that easily. However, as she gazed at her classmates, and even including Ellie, she knew that they didn't believe her.

Life was always unexpected. There would always be people trying to pull you down. Life was a race, and everybody wanted to win the first place, even if it meant dragging people under the bus.

As Yvonne was preparing for gym class, she received a notice asking her to go to the Department Office.

At first, Yvonne thought that the teacher wanted to discuss with her about the grants. However, the furious look on her teacher's face told her otherwise. On her desk was an envelope and an open letter.

The teacher knew about Yvonne's family situation. For several years, the student had been dependent on the school's grants and scholarships, so when she received the letter of accusation of Yvonne selling her body for money, she thought it was just a cruel joke. Until she saw Yvonne walk into the office. Usually, Yvonne would be wearing plain clothes, and now, she was decked with expensive fabrics. All the speculations seemed to point to that the accusation was a very fact. In a fit of anger, the teacher threw the letter. "Shame on you, child! Why is there a student such as you in our school? Look at the letter!" she shouted, pointing at the form. "You're so young yet you've done something so shameless!"