Chapter 106 Forced to Drink âYouâre here to drink in his place, right?â The young man started. âTime to do your job! Chug this!â
âChug! Chug! Chug!â The crowd began to clamor excitedly.
Deirdre had always been alcohol-intolerant. Just the stench of beer triggered a gag reflex, and she pushed the pint away, to the young manâs displeasure. His smile stiffened. âHey, whatâs this supposed to mean? Are you trying to tell me that since youâre Mr. Brighthallâs b*tch, you wag your tail only for him? Boooooo! Youâre no fun!â Brendan watched the exchange from his seat. He crossed his legs and fiddled with his ring, his frigid onyx-black eyes boring straight through Deirdreâs face. His lips were curved when he chided placidly. âNow, now. What did I tell you about your attitude when you were at my party? Have you forgotten already?â
He did not sound particularly angry, but that nonchalance was a front to the biting chill only Deirdre understood. He was warning her. âDefy me, and Iâll take it out on Sterling.â
âUm, Iâ¦â Deirdre forced herself not to tremble. The more fear she displayed, the more excited these people would become. âIâll have it.â
She took the pint in her hand. Someone from the crowd shouted, âChug it! Donât drink it in sips like a wuss! Chug it in one go!â
Deirdreâs heart raced. The stinging stench of alcohol made her nauseous, but she thought of Sterling. If alcohol poisoning could save Sterling from being dragged back into hell, then so be it.
She gnashed her teeth and chugged the cocktail down her throat. It stung-it felt like swallowing a long knife into her innards.
The crowd cheered.
Deirdre wanted to puke it all back out, but the man kept telling her to âchug it in one go.â It was humiliating.
When it was finally over, the world was already spinning. She was drunk. So much so that her mind had turned blank.
Unfortunately, her pathetic stupor simply excited the crowd even more. âMore! More! More!â
A woman in red stopped the man who started it. With a wink, she wondered aloud, âI donât think she can take another one shot, guys. We might break her if we push for another one, and itâs no fun playing with someone whoâs completely drunk, isnât it?â
âSo, what do you suggest?â
The woman in red scanned their surroundings. Her eyes fell onto the stage not far away, and she grinned. âYou guys have gotten used to seeing hot babes strip- dancing, right? But have you seen a sick girl do it? I mean, this girl has alabaster skin, guys. I bet seeing her strip-dancing is gonna be a vibe youâll never forget!â
âOh my God! Sofia, youâre a genius!â The crowd went wild. They pointed at Deirdre and cried, âThereâs the stage! Dance! Dance! Dance!â
Deirdreâs senses were so blurry that she could not hear them at all. It took someone pouring a bucket of iced water over her to wake her up, though it could very well be the effects of having ice cubes raining down on her head like hailstones. The water was so nipping she breathed hard. It was like being scalded by hot water and being left in a frozen lake simultaneously.
âOy, wakey wakey! You canât seriously think you can wriggle out of this one by pretending to be drunk, right? Strip dancing, b*tch! Up there, on the stage! Now! Donât be a killjoy!â
Strip dance? What?!
Deirdre was aghast. She was shaking like a leaf-perhaps from the cold. These people saw her as a clown who existed for their amusement, and now they came up with something new to humiliate her?
âCome on, b*tch! Youâre wasting precious time here!â
Someone among the crowd was beginning to feel impatient. They began to jostle her toward the stage.
Just as Deirdre felt despair consuming her, she heard Brendan speak. âDo you want to, Deidre?â
She shook her head like her life depended on it. Tears rolled down her icy-cold cheeks. There was a painful storm in her heart.
Brendan snickered. He was the pack leader, the one who ultimately called the shots.â You donât have to dance if you donât want to. All you have to do is to call anyone you like with my phone and have that person replace you.â
Deirdre felt a strike of lightning coursing through her brain. His intention was so transparent.
Who else could she call⦠other than Sterling?