Chapter 43: The Simp Finally Awakens

Roxxy froze as if she had just been struck by lightning.

Her entire body trembled.

The color drained from her face so quickly that, for a moment, she looked almost ghostly. Her lips parted, but no words came out. Her eyes remained fixed on Jason Carter, filled with disbelief, fear, and growing despair.

Her worst nightmare had just become reality.

Jason had taken the fifty thousand dollars...

And now he was refusing to give her the photographs back.

"You... you..."

Roxxy raised a trembling hand and pointed at him.

Her finger shook violently.

She wanted to scream at him. She wanted to curse him. She wanted to demand her photographs back.

But the words caught in her throat.

Jason watched her calmly, his arms folded across his chest.

"What about me?"

His voice was almost casual.

That only made Roxxy more furious.

"You promised me!" she finally screamed. "You promised that if I returned the money, you would give me the photographs!"

Jason tilted his head slightly, wearing an almost innocent expression.

"When did I promise that?"

Roxxy stared at him.

Jason continued before she could answer.

"If I remember correctly, what I said was, ’If you want the photographs, return my fifty thousand dollars first.’"

A faint smile appeared on his lips.

"I never said I’d hand them over afterward."

He paused.

"So... were you hearing things?"

Roxxy’s face turned red with anger.

"You’re shameless!"

Jason shrugged.

"Maybe."

He looked completely unconcerned.

"But what are you going to do about it?"

Roxxy’s chest rose and fell rapidly.

She had handed over everything he wanted. She had crawled across the ground for him. She had swallowed her pride and begged him.

And now he was playing with her.

Jason’s smile slowly disappeared.

"I’ll tell you what happens next."

His voice became colder.

"I keep the photographs."

Roxxy’s expression changed.

Jason continued.

"And eventually, I’ll make sure the right people see them."

Her breathing stopped for a second.

"Your classmates. Your professors."

He paused deliberately.

"Especially Professor William wife."

Roxxy’s face went white.

Everyone at the university knew that Professor Hayes’s wife was not someone to cross lightly.

Jason watched the terror spread across Roxxy’s face and smiled faintly.

"I’ve heard she’s quite... passionate."

"Don’t!"

Roxxy suddenly lunged forward.

"Give them to me!"

Jason stepped aside at the last second.

Roxxy missed him completely and stumbled forward.

Before she could regain her balance, Jason shoved her away with his foot.

She fell hard onto the ground.

"Get away from me."

Jason’s voice was filled with disgust.

"Don’t touch me."

Roxxy lay there, stunned.

Tears quickly gathered in her eyes.

"Please..."

Her voice broke.

"Jason, please. Just let me go this once."

She wiped her tears with trembling fingers.

"I know I was wrong. I won’t do it again. I promise."

Jason looked down at her.

For a moment, there was silence.

Then he laughed.

"You don’t know you’ve done something wrong."

His expression hardened.

"You only know that you’re in trouble."

Roxxy’s lips trembled.

"You’re despicable."

Jason gave a quiet laugh.

"I’m despicable?"

He took a step closer.

"Fifty thousand dollars."

His eyes grew colder.

"That was all I asked you to return."

Roxxy lowered her head.

Jason’s voice became heavier.

"And because you were too greedy to give it back, my mother nearly lost her life."

The memories came rushing back.

His mother’s illness.

The hospital bills.

The desperation.

The helplessness of watching everything fall apart.

And Roxxy had stood there in his previous life, acting as if none of it mattered.

Jason clenched his fists.

"You think this is over?"

He shook his head.

"No."

His eyes were frighteningly calm.

"This is only the beginning."

Roxxy slowly looked up.

Jason leaned slightly toward her.

"I won’t expose you today."

Her eyes widened.

"But don’t mistake that for mercy."

His voice dropped.

"Think of those photographs as a time bomb."

Roxxy’s breathing became shallow.

"You can keep climbing. Build your career. Make connections. Become respected. Get whatever life you want."

Jason smiled coldly.

"And one day, when you’ve climbed high enough..."

He snapped his fingers.

"Boom."

Roxxy shuddered.

"I’ll pull the trigger."

Her face was completely drained of color.

Jason straightened.

"Even if you manage to bury your past and marry some respectable man, I can still tear everything apart."

He stared down at her.

"So enjoy your life while you can."

His smile was cold.

"Because somewhere in the back of your mind, you’ll always know that I have something capable of destroying everything you’ve built."

Roxxy sat motionless on the ground.

She couldn’t move.

She couldn’t think.

For the first time, she truly understood that Jason wasn’t the weak, obedient man she had known before.

He was different.

Completely different.

The man standing in front of her now seemed like someone she had never known at all.

The garden fell silent.

Then~

Ring!

Jason’s phone suddenly rang.

He pulled it from his pocket and glanced at the screen.

Unknown number.

His eyebrows knitted together.

Who was calling him now?

After a brief hesitation, he answered.

"Hello?"

A woman’s gentle voice came through the phone.

"Hello, am I speaking with Mr. Jason Carter?"

"Yes. Who is this?"

"My name is Claire Bennett. I’m the manager of the Sweet Snow Tea House."

Jason’s eyes immediately brightened.

"You’ve recently acquired the shop, and I’d like to arrange a time to go over the business details with you."

Her voice was calm and professional, with a warm softness that made her easy to listen to.

Jason smiled.

The system really was efficient.

The reward had barely been issued, and the manager was already contacting him.

"Sure."

Jason glanced at the time.

"How about this afternoon?"

"That works for me," Claire replied.

"Then let’s meet at the shop."

"Perfect. I’ll see you this afternoon."

"See you then."

Jason ended the call.

His mood had improved considerably.

He glanced back at Roxxy.

She was still sitting on the ground, staring blankly ahead.

Jason’s smile returned.

"Roxxy."

She slowly raised her head.

"Enjoy this last moment of peace."

His tone was almost gentle.

"Because once I start, I won’t stop with you."

Roxxy’s pupils contracted.

Jason continued.

"Your family won’t be able to hide forever either."

He turned away.

"When everything you’ve worked for collapses, you’ll understand exactly what it feels like to lose everything."

With those words, Jason walked away.

His footsteps slowly disappeared beyond the garden.

Roxxy remained where she was.

For a long time, she didn’t move.

Then the tears came.

She covered her face and began to sob.

But after several minutes, something suddenly occurred to her.

Her brother.

Ryan.

Roxxy hurriedly wiped her face and pulled out her phone.

Her hands were still shaking so badly that she nearly dropped it.

She searched through her contacts and pressed Ryan’s number.

The call connected after several rings.

A man’s irritated voice came through immediately.

"Hello?"

Ryan sounded exhausted.

"Is the fifty thousand dollars ready yet?"

He paused before continuing impatiently.

"I got injured and I’m in the hospital. I’m still short on the medical bill."

Roxxy’s lips trembled.

Ryan continued.

"If you don’t bring the money soon and something happens because my treatment is delayed, I’ll have Mom deal with you herself."

Roxxy finally broke down.

"Brother..."

Her voice was barely audible.

Ryan frowned.

"What?"

"Brother..."

She covered her mouth as a sob escaped.

"The money..."

Her voice cracked.

"The money is gone."

There was a long silence on the other end.

Then Ryan’s voice exploded.

"What?!"

Roxxy squeezed the phone tightly against her ear.

And for the first time that day, she realized that her nightmare was only getting started.