Chapter 2 CHAPTER 2

I ran to the bathroom, not even as much as taking off my clothes, I quickly turned on the shower washing off the pepper from my eyes.

It burned like hell, but the pain wasn't as severe as the one in my heart. If I had a family, one that loved and cherished me, I wouldn't have had to go through this humiliation just for a little cash.

I looked at myself in the mirror, my fair skin now colored red from the heat of the food, my blonde hair smeared with red stains like a dye, my eyes red like I was featuring for a role as a vampire princess.

I just wanted to walk up to him and strangle him. If I weren't in the middle of an ocean right now, I would have walked out the door, without looking back.

But not only can I not do that cause I'm on a cruise, if I do that I'll be living on the street for the next couple of months.

I just have to avoid him, get my pay, and leave.

I mean I can do that, right?

He's got his satisfaction from humiliating me. If I insist on working only in the kitchen, I won't have to face him ever again.

Just when I was still engrossed in my thoughts, I heard his voice, loud and clear, with so much anger." Where is she?"

"Calm down Liam, she's just a lowlife, she doesn't deserve your anger." I heard another voice that seemed like that of Paul.

"Calm down? Do not fucken tell me to calm down... Did you see the way she looked at me? With total disrespect."

"Just drop it Liam, I'm sure she feels sorry and knows who is in charge after what you did to her. Forget it, don't waste your energy on a maid."

"No, she doesn't feel sorry, you don't look at someone you're sorry to that way. And I'm going to show her what it means to disrespect me and challenge me."

Ooh my God!!

What should I do?

What will he do to me?

Have watched lots of movies and read enough books to know rich spoiled brat like him can get away with anything they do without as much as a cough from anyone around them.

What if he actually decides to throw me into the water?

I have to remain on the cruise to get my revenge.

I heard the door to the bath push open, as his footsteps approached me.

He pushed open the first door, which was a toilet. My heart raced as he approached my door slowly.

At that point, a thought crossed my mind, I took off my entire clothes and stood stark naked in the shower. As expected, he pushed the door open.

"The the fuck is wrong with you," I yelled turning around to face him. "I know you're rude, but I can't believe you're also a pervert. I understand I'm beautiful and you probably want to get a good look at me, but you don't have to do it in such a cringey way." I added, gas lighting him even more.

"I'm so sorry, I didn't know you were...." He stuttered.

"You didn't know I was what? What is this place called? It's called a bathroom for crying out loud, and I believe there's a FEMALE sign boldly written out there. I can't believe you'd defy me this much." I said bursting into tears.

"I didn't mean to, I swear..." he said, turning around for support from his friends. Unfortunately, none of them had followed behind him. "I...l...I..."

"Yes I know you don't have respect for someone like me, but you just took my honor and pride away from me. No man has ever seen me naked, and now I don't know how to face my future husband."

"Wait what? You mean you're a virgin," he asked in bewilderment.

"Is that even the point??" I yelled bursting into another fresh wave of tears. "You aren't even sorry, look at you standing right there feeding your eyes. You don't even have the decency to walk away and let me finish up."

As if just realizing his foolishness, "right, right..." he nodded, bowing his head slightly, "I'll get going, I'm...I...m sorry." He added, squealing away like a child who was caught doing what he wasn't supposed to.

"Asshole," I muttered to myself as I let the water wash over my skin.

A few minutes later, I stepped out of the bathroom, fully dressed, a towel still wrapped around my hair. My body was still trembling from the heat, the rage, the humiliation... and oddly enough, the pride.

Then I saw him.

Liam stood near the old ship wheel at the corner of the upper deck, his hands dramatically pressed to his chest like he'd just survived a horror movie. His back was to me, so he hadn't noticed me yet.

"I can't believe none of you warned me!" he barked, clearly talking to his friends. "You just stood there and let me walk in like that? Are you trying to make me look like a pervert?!"

No one answered. Probably because no one wanted to be involved.

"She...she totally ambushed me!" he stammered, pacing now. "She stood there, butt-naked, and then turned around and started crying like I'd just committed war crimes! Who even does that?!"

I stayed where I was, half-hidden behind the deck door, watching him spiral.

"I mean, yeah, sure, okay, she's got a D-cup. Whatever. That's not that impressive! I've seen women with better hips, thicker thighs, boobs the size of my ego, and God knows that's huge. And she acts like she's some kind of goddess or something. Like I should get on my knees and thank the heavens I got a peek? Please."

He threw his hands up dramatically. "So what if she's a virgin? Is she the first virgin in the world?!"

I couldn't help it, I smiled.

It wasn't even a proud smile. It was the kind of twisted smile you wear when karma works just fast enough to give you front-row seats.

He turned slightly, and for a second, our eyes met across the deck.

He froze.

I didn't say a word. Didn't flinch. I just lifted my chin, gave him the smallest smirk I could manage, and turned around.

Let him wonder what I'd heard.

Let him stew in it.

I walked away not in tears, not broken but with my dignity stitched back together, thread by thread.