Everyone in the New York elite circle knew I was a dog raised by the Sterling family. The true heiress of the Sterling family was my twin sister, Sophia Sterling. She was the apple of everyone's eye. And I was just the imposter dragged out to take the blame whenever she made a mistake. Only my uncle, Arthur Sterling, would secretly bring me pastries when I was punished by kneeling in the family chapel. "Chloe, just endure it a little longer. When your uncle takes over the Sterling family, I'll take you away." Sophia hated me to the core for this, torturing me in every way possible, but Arthur would always quietly intervene. Until Arthur finally defeated my father and became the new head of the Sterling family. I thought my suffering was finally over. I pushed open his bedroom door, only to see him and Sophia passionately entangled in bed. "If your good niece knew that you went through all this trouble to ruin the Sterling family just so she'd have nowhere to go and become your dog, would she go crazy?" I instantly felt like I had plummeted into an abyss. Faced with my broken questioning, Arthur didn't even bat an eyelid. "Since you know everything now, I can't be bothered to pretend anymore." "This is the Sterling family's underground fight club. If you want freedom, beat all the opponents I arrange for you and walk out of there alive." ... My whole body stiffened, thinking I must be dreaming. "What, you don't believe me?" He chuckled lightly. "Did you think I intervened with Sophia because my heart ached for you?" "I just didn't want my toy to be broken by someone else before I got to play with it." Sophia also poked her head out of the room at this moment. "Sister, did you really think Uncle loved you?" She walked up to me. "The only one he has ever loved is me." "As for you, you're just a replacement who looks like me. Actually, you're not even a replacement, just a dog that needs to be trained." "Looking at your eyes, you want to kill us, don't you? The more you hate, the more excited I get." I stared dead at Arthur, my voice so hoarse it barely sounded human. "Why... you weren't like this before!" "There is no 'why'," Arthur walked over to the liquor cabinet and poured himself a glass of whiskey. "From the day your father picked me up, I was just a tool for him to climb higher. Now that I've taken back everything that's mine, is there a problem?" "And you, Chloe Sterling, are just a part of my spoils of war." "Think it's unfair? There is no such thing as fairness in this world." "You've enjoyed twenty years under the title of the eldest Miss Sterling. Now, it's time for you to pay the price." Too lazy to say more, he waved his hand impatiently, and two men in black suits appeared behind me. "Take her to the fight club. Teach her the rules." Before I even had time to react, one of them grabbed my hair and roughly dragged my entire body out. A tearing agony shot through my scalp. As I passed Sophia, she leaned into my ear and whispered: "Sister, guess who the first opponent will be?" "It's that bodyguard whose legs Uncle broke just because he took a second look at you." "He's... probably going crazy missing you right now." Arthur's voice came from behind. "To make it more interesting, all your opponents will be men." "Chloe Sterling, don't disappoint me." He added a touch of amusement, "At least, survive for a little while." I was dragged into the elevator, the feeling of weightlessness making my stomach churn. Ding— The elevator doors opened, and the frantic, roaring sound instantly drowned me. I was roughly pushed out, stumbling a few steps before crashing into a man's back. The man looked at me, froze for a second, and then let out a lewd whistle: "Yo, Mr. Sterling's new toy? So tender, it'd be a shame to just beat her to death." The people around immediately erupted into mocking laughter. Looking at these crazed faces, I laughed—laughed at myself for actually having fantasies about Arthur. I was thrown into a dilapidated room. The bodyguard threw a set of black lace lingerie at my feet. "Mr. Sterling's orders. Put it on." There was so little fabric it couldn't even cover my body properly. "What if... I don't put it on?" The bodyguard sneered and lit up his phone screen, showing a picture of my grandmother in her nursing home. "Mr. Sterling said, if you don't obey, your grandmother might have a sudden heart attack in the nursing home at any moment." The last trace of color drained from my face. Without another word of nonsense, I took that ridiculous lingerie and, under the bodyguard's explicit and greedy gaze, took off my clothes piece by piece. I straightened my back, letting those gazes flay me alive. The corridor leading to the fight club was lined with people. The moment I appeared, whistles and filthy jokes were relentless. "This is tonight's appetizer? Mr. Sterling is really getting more and more creative." "Fighting in that? I bet she won't last ten seconds!" "Ten seconds? I bet she'll piss her pants the moment she steps into the ring!" I walked step by step toward the iron cage illuminated by the spotlights. Arthur was sitting in the VIP section directly facing the cage door. Sophia was draped all over him, laughing and saying something to him. Seeing me, Sophia smiled even more triumphantly. She raised her glass to me and silently mouthed: "Good luck." The referee stopped me and loudly announced the rules tailor-made for me. "First, for the sake of fairness, Miss Sterling is not allowed to use any weapons." The crowd erupted in a roar of laughter. A woman who lacked the strength to tie a chicken, wearing lingerie, and they actually said "for the sake of fairness" she wasn't allowed to use weapons. "Second, to increase the entertainment value, Miss Sterling is not allowed to retreat more than three steps during the match; otherwise, it's an automatic forfeit." This meant I could only take the hits head-on, unable to dodge. "Third, and the most important point," the referee dragged out his voice, "after each round, the audience will vote to decide on a 'special performance' to be completed by Miss Sterling and the victor." What the so-called "special performance" entailed went without saying. The cheers almost blew the roof off. Arthur's gaze fell on me. He wanted to see me break down, wanted to see me kneel and beg for mercy. "What if I win?" The referee froze, seemingly having never considered this question. Arthur, however, curled the corners of his mouth. "You win? That would be even more interesting." "Win all the matches, and you can walk out of here alive." He paused. "And, you can do anything you want to your final opponent." "Including killing him." As he said this, his eyes never left me, as if hinting at something. Sophia giggled in his arms. "Uncle, you think too highly of her. She can't even stand steady." Before she could finish her sentence, I mimicked the posture of a fighter, adopting a clumsy fighting stance. The ridiculous lingerie I was wearing, paired with this comical action, instantly triggered roars of laughter from the entire venue. "Hahahaha! What does she think she's doing? Dancing Swan Lake?" "Oh my god, I'm dying of laughter. Where did Mr. Sterling find this clown?" The smile on Arthur's face deepened; it was the pleasure of watching a clown perform. Only a friend beside him frowned and said in a low voice: "Arthur, isn't this going a bit too far? She is your niece, after all." Arthur's eyes instantly went cold: "Shut up! There is no niece of mine here, only my plaything." The moment the words fell, memories of our past flashed through his mind. He picked up his glass, using the alcohol to suppress that fleeting fluctuation. I slowly lowered my hands, faced Arthur in the VIP section, and clearly enunciated two words. "I accept." The opponent for the first round was indeed the bodyguard Sophia had mentioned, Max. He limped onto the stage, his eyes looking at me filled with a twisted, perverse excitement. "Eldest Miss Sterling, long time no see. Never thought we'd meet in a place like this, did you?" He sneered viciously, cracking his knuckles. "Don't worry, I won't let you die too quickly." "I will break your bones inch by inch, and let you taste what I went through back then." At the referee's command, Max lunged at me fiercely. I instinctively retreated, and the referee's voice rang out, reminding me of that ridiculous "no retreating more than three steps" rule. I forced myself to stop, facing his massive fist head-on. Bam! A heavy punch smashed ruthlessly into my lower abdomen. The excruciating pain made me double over instantly, stomach acid rushing up my throat. He didn't give me any chance to catch my breath, grabbing my hair and violently smashing my face into the chain-link fence. "Scream! Why aren't you screaming? Weren't you so high and mighty before!" The rough wire mesh scraped my cheek, leaving streaks of blood. The roars and whistles from the crowd grew increasingly frantic. "Useless trash, can't even dodge," Sophia's shrill voice drifted over. "Uncle, look at her, she's really embarrassing our Sterling family." Arthur didn't say anything, just picked up his glass and took a sip. The pain almost made me lose consciousness, but Max's insults, Sophia's mockery, and Arthur's indifference—these kept me awake at all times. The moment Max grabbed my head to smash it against the wire mesh again, I used all the strength in my body and violently kneed him right in the groin! "Aaargh—!" Max let out a bloodcurdling scream, clutching his crotch and collapsing to the ground in agony. No one expected that this seemingly weak and fragile woman would use such a ruthless move. I took the opportunity to break free, leaning against the wire mesh, panting heavily. Although my entire body throbbed with pain, a sliver of dark satisfaction rose in my heart. In the VIP section, Sophia's mouth hung open in shock: "How... how dare she!?" However, my counterattack did not bring victory. After twitching on the ground for a few seconds, Max suddenly jerked his head up, filled with crazed, murderous intent. "Bitch! You're asking to die!" He leaped up from the ground, his fists raining down on my face like a violent storm. I was beaten completely defenseless and soon collapsed onto the ground. He stepped on the back of my hand with one foot, his heel slowly rotating, grinding down with force. Crack. The crisp sound of breaking bones echoed throughout the venue. The excruciating pain made my vision go black, almost causing me to faint. "Stop!" The referee's voice rang out. "Max wins!" Only then did Max lift his foot, a look of vengeful pleasure on his face: "Eldest Miss Sterling, how does that taste?" I lay on the cold ground, my consciousness blurring. On the big screen, the vote count rolled rapidly, finally stopping on the words "Lick Feet". The entire venue cheered. Max smugly extended his foot towards my face. "Come on, lick it clean, like a good bitch." At this moment, Arthur was watching this scene with great interest. Not only did he not stop it, he picked up the microphone and said to the entire venue: "It seems our Miss Sterling still doesn't quite understand the rules. Who wants to teach her?" As soon as the words fell, two burly men stepped onto the stage, pressing down hard on the back of my neck, trying to force me to lick his foot. For the next few matches, I became a joke. Every night, I was dragged back to that small room, and the next day dragged back onto the boxing ring, repeating the failures and humiliations. "Striptease," "Bark like a dog"... The "special performances" the audience came up with became increasingly vulgar, each one trampling my dignity underfoot. But I didn't beg Arthur for mercy. Not once. My silence clearly enraged him more than crying or screaming would have. He arranged stronger and stronger opponents for me, even ruthless outlaws. Until a butcher pulled out a dagger. The venue was in an uproar, and even the referee looked towards Arthur. Arthur just said flatly: "In the ring, life and death are your own responsibility." The sharp knife slashed across my face, leaving a wound so deep the bone was visible. Just when I thought I was going to die there, some latent instinct within my body was awakened. I dodged the fatal stab, violently rammed my shoulder into his ribs, and then came an extreme burst of energy. I won, in a tragic, bloody manner. Clutching my bleeding arm, I looked coldly at the VIP section. The expression on Arthur's face seemed to be one of heartache. But before that emotion could fully form, it was completely strangled by Sophia's vicious words. "Uncle, look at her eyes, it's like she wants to eat you alive." "She's an untamable wolf cub. Your soft-heartedness will only make her hate you more." She leaned close to his ear and said something else. Arthur's body visibly stiffened, and immediately, the trace of heartache in his eyes vanished completely. "You're right. I've been too merciful." He picked up the microphone and announced to the venue: "Tonight's matches are over." "But to reward our brave Miss Sterling, I have prepared a... true special performance for her." As soon as the words fell, several men walked in, surrounding me with malicious intent. Leading them was Max, the one who broke my hand in the first match. "Arthur! You're crazy!" The friend who had tried to persuade him earlier stood up again. "You can't do this!" Arthur shoved him away. "What I do is none of your business!" "Chloe, this is the last chance I'm giving you." "Kneel down now, beg me, say you were wrong, say you're willing to be my dog, and I'll let you go." Sophia giggled on the side: "Sister, hurry up and beg for mercy. Look how much Uncle cares about you. All you have to do is kneel down and wag your tail, and you'll be saved." Looking at those ugly, wicked faces, I suddenly laughed. "Arthur Sterling, keep dreaming." My answer completely destroyed his last shred of patience. "Show her what true despair is." I didn't struggle, nor did I cry or scream. I just kept my eyes wide open, staring dead at that blurry figure in the VIP section. I don't know how much time passed, but it was all over. I was left just like that in the center of the boxing ring. "Arthur Sterling, you will regret this!!" I don't know how much time passed, but I was dragged out of the iron cage like a dead dog and thrown into a corner backstage. Arthur and Sophia had also left. In the massive fight club, only a few cleaners remained, numbly cleaning up the mess. One of the older cleaners saw me, a flash of pity in his eyes. He quietly walked over and draped a reasonably clean staff jacket over my broken body. "Girl, get out of here, quick." "If you don't leave now, you really won't be able to leave." Using all my strength, I barely managed to prop myself up, but the excruciating pain in my hand bones and the agonizing feeling of my body being torn apart made me fall again. Right at that moment, a pair of expensive leather shoes stopped in front of me. It was the friend who had tried to advise Arthur earlier, Julian. He took off his suit jacket, wrapped my entire body in it, and picked me up sideways. "Don't be afraid. I'm getting you out of here." Leaning against his chest, my consciousness hovering between wakefulness and fainting, I only heard him make a phone call. "Dave, do me a favor. Get the best room and doctor ready at a private hospital. I'm bringing someone over right now." "Remember, use your name. We can't let anyone trace this, especially not Arthur." When I woke up again, I was lying in a clean, bright hospital room. My wrist had been properly bandaged and immobilized, and the wounds on my body had been treated. Julian was keeping watch by the bed. Seeing me awake, he breathed a sigh of relief. "You're finally awake. You've been unconscious for two days." I looked at him and said hoarsely: "Why did you save me?" "Because I still have a conscience." "Arthur... he's gone crazy, blinded by hatred. I couldn't just watch him destroy you, and destroy himself." I let out a cold laugh, the laughter pulling at the wound on my face, a piercing pain. "Destroy himself? He's riding high right now." Julian was silent for a moment, then handed me a tablet. "I secretly copied this. It's the illegal records of all the assets Arthur has absorbed, including the financial flows and transaction lists of that underground fight club." "I don't know what you want to do, but I figured you'd need this." I took the tablet, my fingertips turning white from gripping it so tightly. "Why are you betraying him?" "He was my best friend," Julian's eyes dimmed, "but I can't watch him turn into an absolute monster." "And..." he paused, his voice deepening, "I owe you my life." I was stunned. "Five years ago, your father planned a car accident to get rid of me. It was you who secretly made an anonymous call that saved me." "Even though you never admitted it, I know it was you." So that was it. It turns out a thoughtless act of mine back then ended up saving me today. I looked at the shocking documents on the tablet screen, and the suppressed hatred in my heart began to grow wildly. I didn't cry, just said calmly to Julian. "Help me contact someone." "I want to see the CEO of Starlight Media, the biggest media conglomerate in New York." I was going to make Arthur Sterling pay a bloody price for everything he had done.
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