Surprising the Bully (True Love Series Book 1)

In the dark night, inside a cement building with walls that offered no refuge, lay a corpse before her, blood pooling from its abdomen in a gruesome display.

In her hand was a knife, its blade coated with blood that glinted coldly in the moonlight. At the moment she saw him arrive late to the scene, her grip faltered, and the knife fell to the ground with a clatter.

Later, in the courtroom, with her head bowed and her wrists bound by handcuffs, she spoke softly, "I plead guilty."

As she turned her face towards him, seated in the audience, she saw in his eyes an abyss of hatred and disgust...

Jolting awake from the nightmare, Sarah Summers sat up abruptly on the narrow prison bed, gasping for air.

It had been five years, and she still couldnt escape this recurring dream. Almost every day of her imprisonment replayed this scene in her mind.

Clutching her chest, Sarah grabbed the sheet wrapped around her, knowing that tomorrow she would be released. Five years of prison life would finally come to an end.

When she stepped out of prison, she slowly raised her hand, unaccustomed to the sunlight above, which was dazzlingly bright. With nowhere else to go, she had to return to the place where she once lived, located in the most rundown part of the city, known as the Slum District.

People here looked down on each other, and any misfortune in one household was met with glee by the neighbors. The news of her imprisonment had spread and become a favorite topic of conversation.

As Sarah walked down the familiar yet闄岀敓鐨剆treet, she heard whispers from behind: "Isnt that Sarah Summers? Out so soon? Didnt she commit murder? I thought shed be executed!"

"Who knows? Shes just like her parents. Her mother was arrested for prostitution, and her father for gambling. Shes even worse, killing someone..."

"Shh, lets not talk about it. If she hears us, she might stab us too! Lets stay away from her." One woman hurriedly pulled the other away.

Standing there, Sarah suddenly felt all her strength drained, leaving her weak and limp.

The warm summer breeze blew towards her, but it brought only a chilling coldness. It seemed her reputation was now in tatters...

Yet, no matter how tarnished her name was, she still needed to make a living.

Lacking education, looks, and background, the only job she could think of was working as a hostess in a bar.

"Hosting? With your appearance?" The manager of The Whiskey Tavern was astonished when Sarah applied for the position. In his view, a woman like Sarah wouldnt be wanted even if she paid to entertain.

On Sarahs right cheek was a startling scar, long and marred, detracting significantly from her appearance.

Sarah had to fight for this last chance: "Manager, I have an excellent tolerance for alcohol, I can do this job well! Cant you give me a chance?"

The manager looked at her with skeptical eyes, thinking that hiring such an unattractive woman might affect the bars business: "If you really want to stay here, then give it a try. There are guests in the private room upstairs now, Ill take you to test it out. If it doesnt work, youre out."