Unveiled: The Survivor's Triumph
Chapter 129 It's Fate That I Can't Hold On

It was Lacey, still rockin' her work clothes, probably straight from the office.

Some sketchy dudes had her surrounded, their hands all over the place, thinking they could get away with it.

"Back off! You only mess with girls when they're wasted?"

Bella was the first to jump in.

Bella was always the righteous one; she couldn't stand this kind of crap. Even if it was a stranger, she'd step in without a second thought. Those guys had no clue how hard Bella could hit and acted all tough.

"Another hottie, come on, join the fun."

"Who the hell dares to touch my girl?"

Bella was ready to throw down, but Oliver's shout made her pause.

This was Oliver's bar, and it was better if we didn't have to get physical.

Everyone here knew who Oliver was.

"Oh, she's Oliver's girl. Our bad, our bad." The dudes quickly laughed it off and bailed.

"Jason. I'm at Blue Ocean Bar, waiting for you."

Lacey was slumped over the bar, oblivious to everything. She picked up her phone and called.

I didn't know what Jason said, but she suddenly got all emotional. Already pretty hammered, she now sounded like she was about to cry.

"I begged you to take my first time, and you still don't want it? I've thrown all my pride away, I don't even care about my dignity anymore, and you still treat me like this?" Her words were a bombshell. We all widened our eyes at the same time.

A few chicks nearby must've heard too, 'cause they covered their mouths and giggled.

Lacey tossed her phone aside, wiped her tears messily, and couldn't even hold her head up, but she still pounded the bar.

"Drink, I need a drink."

If she kept drinking, Lacey would end up passed out right there.

She was usually so classy, but once drunk, her image was totally trashed. If she knew what she was doing, she'd probably want to die of embarrassment.

The bartender placed a drink in front of her, and without lifting her head, Lacey reached out to grab it.

I walked over, took the drink away, and said, "Lacey, you can't drink anymore."

"I want a drink. Give me a drink."

Lacey probably didn't even know who was talking to her. Yet she could accurately dial Jason's number, which was pretty impressive.

I even wondered if she had dialed the wrong number.

Oliver's phone rang. He showed us the screen; it was Jason.

After the call, he cursed.

"Jason just dumped this mess on me."

Lacey mentioned she was at Blue Ocean Bar. Jason had turned her down, but he knew she was drunk. Given how Jason is, he wouldn't leave a drunk girl alone in a bar, so he called Oliver for backup. "Let's get her family to pick her up," Oliver scratched his head, clearly frustrated, and said irritably.

I didn't know much about Lacey. Her mom, Linda, and her dad, a high school teacher, wouldn't be the best to come get her in this state.

"Having her family come isn't a great idea. Let's just get her a room," I suggested.

"What room? My place is empty anyway. Let's take her to my house," Bella said, no-nonsense.

We agreed, and Bella and I each grabbed one of Lacey's arms, practically dragging her out of the bar.

She kept yelling the whole way, drawing curious looks from people passing by.

Good thing we weren't guys; otherwise, folks would definitely think we were kidnapping her.

We dumped Lacey on Bella's couch, and she immediately passed out.

We were so wiped out we just plopped down on the floor.

Ethan called, and Bella told me not to come back tonight. Since Lacey was here and it would be tough for Bella alone, I explained to Ethan that I'd crash at Bella's place.

In the middle of the night, we heard a loud crash from the living room and got up. When we turned on the light, we saw Lacey slumped on the couch, her hand hanging down, and a broken glass on the floor.

We walked over, and Lacey looked at us with a sheepish grin. "Sorry, I wanted to get some water and accidentally broke the glass."

Bella put her hands on her hips and laughed it off.

"Breaking a glass is no biggie, as long as you're okay."

I poured Lacey a glass of water and helped her sit up. She downed it in one gulp, handed the glass back, and said thanks.

Her hair, which had been tied up, was now loose and messy. She kept tapping her head, saying it hurt.

Bella said, "Getting that drunk, of course, your head hurts."

"Where am I?" Lacey asked.

Bella said, "This is my place."

Lacey apologized. "Sorry for causing you trouble."

Bella laughed dryly. "Not really, you're the one feeling awful."

Lacey ran her hands through her hair and just smiled bitterly. Bella and I sat on either side of her.

After a while, she finally looked up, her voice filled with bitterness.

"I've always taken care of myself and had my own goals. While others were clubbing, partying, playing games, binge-watching shows, or dating, I was studying. I've always been a top student, a good girl, and I've never let loose like this." We just listened quietly.

"When I was old enough to date, I never liked anyone. Jason is the first guy I've ever liked. What's so special about him? He's amazing. But there are lots of amazing guys like him. I just like him for no reason at all."

Liking someone didn't really need a reason. She just liked him, and if she tried to explain why, she couldn't really put it into words.

"I've said it before, my feelings for him have nothing to do with him. I never expected him to feel the same. I've always been proud and would never beg for love. I just didn't want my clean slate to be wasted on that jerk." After saying that, Lacey buried her head in her legs, her hair falling and covering her face.

"What jerk?" Bella asked.

But I had a hunch.

"Is it Mark?" I asked.

After a bit, Lacey lifted her head again, tucking her hair behind her ears. Her eyes were red, filled with sorrow.

"He used Richard to pressure me. What could I do? To Linda, I'm obviously not as important as Richard. Even though I resent Linda's favoritism, Richard is my brother, and of course, I want him to get out as soon as possible. Linda is right; if it can get Richard out, what's the big deal about my first time? Yeah, what's the big deal? It's not gonna kill me."

Bella snorted. "He wants to harass you? Sue him."

Lacey gave a bitter smile.

"I've already decided to comply. I just wanted my first time to be with someone I like. Jason said that if you don't seize the right moment, you'll only regret it later. But what is the right moment? For me, now is the right moment. I also want to seize it at the right time, but fate won't let me."

Everyone, whether beautiful or ugly, rich or poor, capable or not, didn't live a smooth life. Everyone had pain, struggles, and situations beyond their control.

"I've got it." Bella suddenly snapped her fingers.

"Got what?" I looked at her in surprise.

Bella's eyes sparkled with a mischievous light.

"I have a way to deal with Mark."

After dawn, Lacey went to work, Bella went to her Taekwondo class, and Ethan called me early to accompany me for driving practice.

After practicing, Ethan went to work, and I went home.

By evening, I took a cab to Blue Ocean Bar.

Bella was already there, but Oliver was nowhere to be found, and his phone was unreachable.

We sat at the bar, each holding a drink, our eyes occasionally glancing at the entrance.

I was pretty nervous, still skeptical about Bella's plan.

The bar was getting more crowded, and Bella suddenly nudged me with her elbow.

I looked towards the door and saw Lacey, now out of her work clothes, walking in, followed by Mark.

He was in casual clothes, with a big belly, trying to put his hand on Lacey's shoulder as they walked.

Lacey glanced at us, then discreetly looked away, leading Mark into a private room.

After about ten minutes, Bella had the bartender prepare two drinks. She quickly poured a packet of powder into one of them, shook it a bit, and then carried the drinks on a tray towards the private room.

I couldn't go in; Mark might recognize me from the dinner Ethan had with him.

When Bella came out of the room, she gave me an OK gesture.

Now, it was all up to Lacey.

An hour later, we finally saw Lacey helping a very drunk Mark out of the room.

Lacey helped Mark out of the bar and hailed a cab straight to a hotel, with Bella and me following closely.

Mark was like a sack of bricks when he was drunk. When Lacey dumped him on the bed, the bed shook. "Come here, baby."

Even though he was drunk as a skunk, he was still being lecherous.

"Mark, wait for me. I'm going to take a shower," Lacey said seductively.

Mark, barely able to keep his eyes open, grinned foolishly.

"Okay, hurry up."

Bella and I pulled Lacey out of the room, where a provocative woman was waiting, her cheap perfume wafting from a distance.

Bella handed her a stack of dollars. The woman was about to take it when Bella pulled it back, warning her.

"Remember to turn off the lights and take good care of the man inside. Just leave when you're done. Don't mess it up, got it?"

The woman smiled brightly, took the money, and put it in her purse, swaying her hips as she said, "Don't worry. I know how to make men happy." Watching the woman enter the room, Bella closed the door.

I still felt uneasy. "Are you sure there won't be any problems? What if Mark realizes she's not Lacey?"

"He won't." Bella smiled confidently. "He's drunk as a skunk; he won't notice a thing."

Lacey nodded. "I think so too. He's too drunk."

After a few seconds of silence, Ethan called me, which startled me.

"Where are you?" he asked.

"I'm at Bella's place." I lied.

"Tell me the truth." His voice suddenly turned serious.

My heart tightened. Did he already know where I was?

There was nothing to hide. If I continued to lie, it would only make things worse.

So I told him the truth and gave him the address.

To my surprise, he showed up in less than five minutes.

It seemed he had been downstairs when he called.

He must have seen me enter the hotel, which was why he was so sure I was lying about being at Bella's place.

He looked angry, so I quickly pulled him aside and briefly explained the situation.

Ethan was stunned for a moment, then laughed incredulously.

"You women really can do anything."

"That's right." Bella took it as a compliment and looked quite pleased.

At that moment, Bella's phone beeped. She looked at it.

"What's with the mystery?" she said.

I leaned over to see. It was a text from Oliver: [Whispering Pines Hotel, 19-5, I'm waiting for you.]

Coincidentally, we were on the 19th floor of Whispering Pines Hotel, and room 5 wasn't far.

I had a bad feeling. Bella, phone in hand, was already heading towards room 5, and I followed.

The door was ajar, with faint sounds inside. When we pushed it open, we were stunned.