My girlfriend worked at a club downtown. I thought she was the most precious thing in the world, but then she turned around and crawled into bed with my best friend since childhood. And she told me, her whole goal in working at that club… was always him! I thought she was trying to land a rich guy, but the truth was…

01

My buddy Leo hit me up, wanting to go to this club he knew. Said it was crawling with gorgeous women.

Me, single since basically birth, hesitated for like half a second before saying yes.

Leo was a regular there. The second we walked in, a hostess rushed over, practically fawning over him. "Leo, my man! The Velvet Lounge again tonight?"

Leo didn’t say anything, just raised his eyebrows. The hostess got the message immediately and slipped away to get things ready.

Compared to Leo, who navigated the club like he owned the place, I probably looked like a total newbie.

Which, yeah, I was. It was my first time in a place like this. The multi-colored lights flashing everywhere, the dance floor packed with beautiful women… I felt my heart pounding in my throat, adrenaline surging. I felt a little out of place, but also kind of excited about what might happen next.

Leo saw me standing there awkwardly and threw an arm around my shoulder with a laugh. "Dude, relax! This is basically my spot. Don't be so uptight. Let loose. Anything happens, I got your back!"

Hearing that, I managed a smile and nodded.

Leo and I were different, even though we grew up together. Our lives had taken completely different paths.

I went the straight-and-narrow route: four-year college degree, then landed a job at a well-known public company right after graduation. I was doing okay, pulling down a six-figure salary.

He, on the other hand, dropped out of junior high and started running the streets.

His biggest advantage? He hit the genetic lottery. Good old dad. His father was one of the wealthiest businessmen in our area, owned a huge cosmetics company. Leo was born late in their lives, so they treated him like gold. No matter how much of a screw-up Leo was, someone always cleaned up his messes. He wanted to be a street guy? His dad threw money and connections around until he was some kind of big shot with his own crew to boss around.

Seeing Leo live so freely, I couldn’t help but feel a little envious.

Seriously, comparing yourself to others will just make you miserable. They say all roads lead to Rome, but Leo was practically born there. Guys like me, from regular backgrounds, we could bust our asses our whole lives and probably never reach the level he started at.

"Come on, man, what are you still standing there for? Let's go have some real fun," Leo's voice pulled me back.

He gave a little whistle my way, then stuffed his hands in his pockets and swaggered into the VIP section. I hurried to keep up.

Before I even got settled on the plush sofa, a line of ridiculously hot girls came in. They all wore the same tight little uniforms, but each had a different number pinned to her chest. Seeing them lined up like that, ready to be picked, felt weirdly like browsing produce at a farmer's market or something.

Leo didn't waste any time. He pointed out two girls with heavy makeup who looked sharp, like they knew how to work a room. He pulled them down, one on each side, without a hint of awkwardness.

While Leo was getting cozy with his choices, I noticed one girl standing off to the side. She also had heavy makeup, but she looked really young. Her face fell when Leo didn't pick her, and she clenched her fists so hard I could almost hear her knuckles crack. She looked genuinely pissed.

What's her deal? I thought to myself. She's that upset just because Leo didn't choose her? I couldn't help but let out a small, surprised chuckle.

Just then, Leo turned to me. "Jake, you gotta pick one too. Got a few more buddies coming later. Let's get this party started, warm things up."

"Huh? Me? Pick one?" Happiness, or maybe just shock, hit me so suddenly my face flushed bright red.

After shuffling awkwardly for a moment, I pointed to the innocent-looking one who’d been giving Leo the eye.

But she didn't seem thrilled to be chosen by me. Her face screamed reluctance.

Leo noticed and got annoyed. He stepped over and pinched her cheek, his eyes suddenly cold. "Aren't you all here for the same thing? Drop the innocent act. If you disrespect my boy tonight, I'll make you seriously regret it."

The girl didn't say a word, just kept staring at Leo. Her face was blank; I couldn't guess what she was thinking.

"Hey, hey, come on," I quickly jumped in to smooth things over. "We're just here to have fun, right? Don't scare the poor girl."

"This is my best friend, practically my brother," Leo said, letting go of her face but keeping his voice icy. "You better show him some respect." His tone was calm, but the words left no room for argument.

But hearing how close Leo and I apparently were, the girl's expression instantly relaxed. She even managed a smile. "Oh, Leo, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean anything by it. I'll take really good care of your friend."

Leo nodded, satisfied. Then he leaned close to my ear and whispered, "Nice eye, Jake. Trust my experience, that one looks brand new. You're gonna have some fun tonight."

I just smiled without saying anything back.

Leo really was an expert when it came to women. To put it mildly, he was the king of players, totally wild. But he wasn’t infallible. One time, things got really bad, led to two deaths, apparently. His dad spent a fortune cleaning up that mess. Leo didn't seem to learn much from it, though. It wasn't long before he was right back to playing the field.

Watching him now, looking kind of sleazy as he poured drinks down the throats of the two girls beside him, I pursed my lips. I felt a bit awkward, a bit out of my element.

"Hey, drink some water." The girl I'd picked noticed my discomfort. She held out a glass of water, smiling.

I took the glass from her, looking straight at her for a few moments.

From the way she’d reacted to Leo, it was pretty clear her real interest wasn't me. It was him. Even though she was sitting next to me now, her eyes kept darting over to Leo. Makes sense, I guess. Leo, the bad boy, had this magnetic charm. Plenty of young girls threw themselves at him.

I took a small sip of water. Suddenly, I got this jolt of recognition. There was something familiar about her face, her eyes… like I’d seen her somewhere before.

02

I mentioned it, asked if we'd met before.

She just shook her head, looking blank. Said she’d just arrived from some rural town way out in the sticks with a friend from back home. Tonight was her first time actually working the floor.

"Oh," I said, and let it drop. I turned back to drinking with Leo's buddies who had shown up.

One thing about Leo, say what you will, he was loyal to his friends. Even though we were in totally different places in life now, he’d helped me out a few times when I was really down. So yeah, I considered him a solid friend.

After maybe a dozen shots of hard liquor, I was starting to feel pretty dizzy.

Leo looked at me with a mischievous grin. "A night like this is priceless, Jake. Wanna tap out early?"

I tried to shake my head no, but my body wasn't listening. I stumbled and basically fell right into the lap of the girl I'd picked.

When I woke up, it was the next morning.

I opened my eyes, my head absolutely pounding.

The girl lying next to me stirred, woken up by my movement.

She wasn't wearing anything. She looked at me, suddenly shy. "You're awake? Last night, we..."

I wasn't exactly inexperienced. Seeing the tell-tale red stain on the white sheets, I knew exactly what had happened last night.

"What? You expect me to take responsibility or something?" My tone wasn't exactly friendly right then.

Okay, so it was her first time, but she was still a club girl. That whole scene was murky, full of hidden depths. People there definitely weren't as innocent as they might look on the surface. The last thing I needed was to get tangled up with someone complicated, someone who might try to shake me down for money later.

"I... I... I didn't mean that..." she stammered.

"It was my choice. All of it. I just wanted to ask… since it was my first time… could you maybe give me a little extra money?"

The girl lowered her head, biting her lip hard. She looked incredibly small and vulnerable, like she was about to burst into tears.

"Okay, okay, I get it. You didn't mean anything by it," I said, softening a little. Seeing her like that tugged at something in me.

I asked her if she wanted to leave the club life, told her I could help her find a regular job.

She shook her head. She said she had reasons, unavoidable circumstances, for working there.

Her name was Ashley, she told me. She grew up in some super remote, dirt-poor mountain area. She had four older brothers and one older sister. Because they were so poor, none of her brothers could afford to get married even though they were old enough. Her parents were worried sick.

Originally, her parents wanted to basically trade her – marry her off and use the dowry money to get wives for her brothers. But with four brothers needing wives, even selling her off multiple times wouldn't be enough. So, the only option was for her to go out and earn money to send back home.

"I came here with a friend from my village," she explained. "She's been working here a long time. You can tell it pays really well. Her family built a three or four-story house back home, and both her brothers got married."

As she talked about this, Ashley's eyes, which seemed so untouched by the world, started to shine. She looked hopeful, excited, her cheeks flushing pink.

"Uh... so, do you actually know what working at a club like this involves?" Seeing her naivety, a pang of sympathy hit me. I frowned, my brow furrowing.

She actually reached out and smoothed my forehead with her hand. "I know. It's just sleeping with people, right? Look, last night, I successfully gave away my first time, didn't I?"

"Don't feel sorry for me," she continued. "I didn't even finish elementary school before I had to quit and help my parents in the fields. I know a girl like me can't find a good job in the city."

"Working here, the money's fast and it's good. What's wrong with that? It's just my body, right? They can have it. My life isn't worth much anyway. I'm not afraid."

Ashley said it all so matter-of-factly. Hearing her put it like that, I suddenly felt like maybe I was the one being narrow-minded. What's that saying? If I don't have morals, you can't guilt-trip me. Ashley’s blunt honesty kind of shut me down. All the preachy, concerned advice I wanted to give just wouldn't come out.

I got her contact info – added her on a messaging app – and sent her a decent chunk of money. "This is for you. Don't rush to send it all home. Make sure you eat well, take care of yourself. Things are expensive in the city, don't let yourself go without."

Ashley accepted the money instantly and even sent back a "Thanks, Boss!" sticker with a smiley face.

Seeing her light up at the sight of the money, so obviously happy, a crazy thought popped into my head.

She was new to this scene, didn't know anything, and she'd given her virginity – something girls supposedly treasure – to me. I didn't want this blank slate to get covered in all sorts of ugly colors.

So, I just blurted it out, "How about you be my girlfriend? Quit the club. I'll take care of you."

Ashley looked hesitant, opening her mouth like she wanted to say something. But maybe because she'd just taken my money, she didn't actually refuse.

Her eyes darted around for a second, then she asked me something totally out of the blue, "What's your relationship with Leo?"

I didn't suspect anything, so I didn't hold back. I told her straight up that Leo and I were childhood best friends, super tight. If I asked him for anything, he'd move mountains to help me out.

Hearing this, Ashley's eyes lit up again. She readily agreed to be my girlfriend.

I couldn't shake the feeling that something wasn't quite right, but I couldn't put my finger on exactly what it was.

03

Ashley had that innocent, girl-next-door vibe. She actually looked a lot like a famous actress known for her sweet, angelic image.

Her personality was great too – really gentle and considerate. Aside from not having much education, she was pretty much the perfect kept woman, a little songbird in a gilded cage.

So, we fell hard and fast, settling into this blissful, passionate life together.

She took care of the apartment, cooking and cleaning like some kind of domestic goddess while I went out and made the money to support us both. Sometimes, I'd see her tending to plants on the balcony, looking so peaceful and content, and I'd actually think about marrying her, keeping her safe forever.

We clicked in almost every way, but I always sensed this invisible barrier between us, something I couldn't quite define. She was good to me, almost too good, in a way that felt… performed. Like she was deliberately trying to please me to get something in return.

We were happy together for a while. The only slightly weird thing was how she'd occasionally ask questions about Leo. Nothing major, just little things.

Once, I teased her about it. "What? You still got a thing for Leo?"

"That's ridiculous! How could I possibly like him?" she shot back defensively.

"If you keep talking nonsense, I'm gonna have to get rough with you," she added, playfully raising a small fist like she was going to punch my arm.

I laughed it off and then asked the question that, looking back now, I regret more than anything. "Haha, yeah, I guess you're right. With a great guy like me around, who'd still be thinking about him?"

"He asked me to grab dinner this weekend. Wanna come along?"

She pretended to hesitate for a second, then nodded yes.

At the time, I figured that our first meeting at the club was also her first time seeing Leo. I assumed she was just struck by this guy who oozed bad-boy charm.

I never imagined that her being with me was never about me. It was always about using me to get to Leo.

Even when I walked in on them together, caught them red-handed, my mind couldn't process it. I refused to believe it.

A wave of dizziness washed over me; I almost passed out right there.

When the hell did they start hooking up behind my back?

04

Thinking back, it finally clicked.

They must have started sneaking around right after that dinner party.

I remember that night, Ashley and I went together. Before we left, she spent ages getting ready, putting on makeup, picking out the perfect outfit. Seeing her looking even more beautiful than usual, I just felt proud, happy to show her off. No sense of danger at all. Having a girlfriend that stunning turned heads everywhere we went.

Nothing seemed obviously wrong that night, just a casual dinner between friends.

But if I really strained to find suspicious details… maybe it was how nervous and clumsy Ashley got when Leo showed up. She dropped and broke like, three glasses in a row.

And later, when we’d all had a fair bit to drink, Ashley excused herself to go to the restroom. Leo followed her out almost immediately. They were both gone for a good half hour before they came back to the table separately.

After Ashley returned, she wouldn't meet Leo’s eyes for the rest of the night, and her face was flushed really red. At the time, I just assumed she’d had too much wine. Now I know better.

It's entirely possible that back then, thanks to me playing matchmaker without even knowing it, they hit it off and snuck off to the bathroom to do god knows what!

Love is a blinding light, alright. Blinding me with how badly I was being played.

I never thought Ashley could be that kind of person!

No, wait. That’s wrong. I was the one who thought too highly of her, projecting some kind of idealized image onto her. She worked in a nightclub. How pure could she really be?

I was the clown all along. Just fooling myself.

Catching them in the act, I was furious. I lunged at Leo and just started wailing on him, punching him hard.

He didn't even seem mad, just kept that stupid grin on his face. "Dude, chill out, okay? It's just a woman."

"Bros before hos, right? Friends are forever, girls are like clothes. So I tried on one of your shirts, big deal. Don't let some chick ruin our friendship, man. Not worth it."

Seeing him act so casual about it, like it was nothing, snapped me back to reality. I realized I couldn’t associate with scum like this anymore, someone with such a warped sense of morality.

That incident from a few years back, the one that cost lives, clearly hadn't taught him a damn thing. After his dad bailed him out, he probably felt invincible, like he could do whatever he wanted without consequences.

How could I have been friends with someone like this for so many years? That was my mistake. I own that.

As for Ashley, after I caught them, we had a massive blowout fight.

I demanded to know when she started hooking up with Leo, and why him?

She was surprisingly honest. Said Leo was always her Plan A. He was the one she wanted from the start. She admitted she’d used my phone ages ago to send his contact info to herself and had been secretly talking to him ever since. That dinner party was just her opportunity to finally make her move on him.

And me? I was just a tool, a stepping stone to get closer to Leo. The ultimate sucker, the biggest backup plan ever!

"Don't even ask me why I chose him," she spat. "Aren't you just embarrassing yourself?"

"Because Leo's family has money! He can give me a better life."

"I told you from the beginning, I have huge family responsibilities! I wasn't lucky like you, an only child. I have to make serious money to buy houses and wives for my brothers!"

"Honestly? Leo was my target from day one. I did a lot of prep work for it. Getting stuck with you was just bad luck, totally derailed my plans!"

I watched Ashley pack her bags, ranting about how useless I was. Words formed in my throat, but I swallowed them down. I just stood there and watched her storm out.

Could I blame her? Maybe. Mostly, I just hated her.

Hated her and Leo both. Wished that pair of cheating dogs would get into a fatal car accident or meet some other miserable end!

But even then, I never imagined that Ashley's karma would arrive so quickly.

05

Some time after Ashley and I broke up, I went to the hospital for a routine check-up and ran into her completely by chance.

She looked so different it took me a moment to even recognize her.

I couldn't connect the worn-out, almost old-looking woman standing before me with the innocent, fresh-faced beauty I remembered.

Seeing the crumpled lab slip in her hand, I had a pretty good idea of what was going on, but I asked anyway, just to twist the knife a little. "How come Leo isn't here with you?"

I pretended to be concerned, but really, I was mocking her. So, this was the life you wanted, Ashley? Doesn't look quite as glamorous as you probably imagined.

"He… he's busy, I guess," she forced a pale smile. "This baby… he doesn't want it."

I didn't say anything else.

But she started talking anyway, whether I wanted to hear it or not, pouring out everything that had happened since she left me.

She said that because our friendship fell apart due to her, Leo was furious and took it all out on her. He blamed her, saying if she hadn't tempted him, he and I would still be tight, wouldn't have had that falling out.

Despite Leo's explosive temper, she hadn't thought about leaving. Instead, she used every trick in the book, stopping at nothing to manipulate her way into marrying him, into becoming part of the family.

We all knew what kind of person Leo was. So, it wasn't exactly shocking to hear that after the wedding, he treated her horribly.

Domestic violence was routine. Forcing her to get rid of pregnancies was routine. Bringing other women home to spend the night was even more routine.

"Seriously?" I sneered, disgusted by this materialistic woman. "He treats you like that, and you still won't leave? Just because he has money?" Risking your entire life for stuff you can't take with you when you die – was it really worth it?

"I have my reasons… things I have to do…"

"Ugh, when you find out, you'll understand," Ashley sighed. She dropped that cryptic line, then hunched over, clutching her stomach, and walked away.

Watching her lonely figure retreat down the hallway, I felt a mix of confusing emotions.

What kind of spell had Leo cast on her? What made her willingly jump into this pit of fire and refuse to climb out, even when it was killing her?

06

I hated her, I really did. But seeing her life in such shambles, a flicker of pity sparked in me. Memories of the sweet times we shared started playing on repeat in my head.

But I knew, deep down, there was absolutely no going back for us.

Meeting her, loving her… it felt like a dream. Now the dream was over, and it was time to get back to my real life, the path I was supposed to be on.

Time flew by, and suddenly I was hitting thirty.

Pressured by my parents, I started going on arranged dates, meeting women through introductions. I eventually found someone whose background and life goals seemed compatible with mine. We clicked well enough, set a date, and planned the wedding.

Looking at my gentle, well-mannered fiancée, I could already picture our future life together. We'd be respectful, polite, build a stable, quiet existence.

But sometimes, late at night, when the house was silent, I'd find myself missing that other woman – the one with the innocent face but the spirit of a wildcat. Images of her, her smile, the way she moved, still flickered in the back of my mind.

I wondered how she was doing, if she'd found any happiness after all.

One morning after we got married, my wife was scrolling through her phone at the breakfast table and gasped. "Oh my god, this is horrifying!"

"What's so shocking you have to yell about it? Just eat your breakfast," I grumbled without looking up, annoyed she was glued to her phone during a meal, making a scene.

"I know, sorry, but this news story is just… wow. This woman, she poisoned her entire family-in-law! And then… she castrated her husband…"

My wife trailed off, clapping a hand over her mouth, looking genuinely shaken and scared.

"It's a big world, lots of crazy stuff happens. Calm down," I said, finishing the last of my orange juice and pushing my chair back, ready to leave for work.

But what my wife said next froze me in place.

Still looking at the news on her phone, she shook her head. "It's such a waste, though. After killing them all, she turned herself in. Look at her picture – even without makeup, she's really pretty. With a little effort, she'd be absolutely gorgeous. Why would someone throw their life away like this?"

"Oh, right, her name is Ashley."