How could she do this to him?

Ann was equally stunned. She had come here expecting an apology, a medallion, and a lavish party in her honor. Instead, she was being thrown out like a stray dog.

Despite his training, Tammie was no match for the professional bodyguards. He struggled against their grip, shouting, "Celia! Celia! Don't think playing hard to get will make me like you! That trick won't work on me! If you ever want to be my girlfriend, you'll get that medallion for Ann right now! Otherwise, I'll never look at you again!"

His words left Celia utterly baffled. Had her past affection so completely warped his sense of reality?

"Shut his filthy mouth!" she commanded. She couldn't listen to another second of his delusional rambling.

One of the guards promptly pulled off his heavy leather boot, ripped off his sweat- soaked sock, and shoved the foul-smelling fabric into Tammie's mouth.

The moment the sock filled his mouth, Tammie went rigid. A nauseating, sticky taste spread across his tongue. He was a celebrated artist, a man who commanded attention wherever he went. Now, he was being humiliated with a dirty sock. Didn't Celia ever want to kiss him again? He was losing his mind.

A horrifying thought began to dawn on him. Could it be? Had Celia really stopped

liking him? Why else would she allow her guards to treat him this way?

A wave of nausea hit him, and he wretched against the gag.

*Thump.*

A moment later, Tammie and Ann were dumped on the roadside.

Tammie collapsed onto his hands and knees, vomiting until his stomach was empty.

Ann rushed to his side. "Tammie, are you okay?"

His face was a mask of pale fury. He

had come here to defend Ann's

honor, and instead, he had been

utterly disgraced in front of her

I'm fine he choked out trying

by

to regain some composure.

Ann quickly handed him a tissue. "Here, wipe your mouth. I'll go buy some water.

Wait for me here."

"Okay," he managed to nod.

Ann ran across the street and returned moments later with two bottles of water. Tammie took one and rinsed his mouth repeatedly, but even after finishing bath bottles, disgusting taste lingered, and his stomach churned violently.

Seeing him in this state, Ann's eyes filled with tears. "Tammie, I'm so sorry, his is all my fault. If it weren't for me, Miss Palmer never would have humiliated you like this."

Her self-blame only made Tammie feel worse. "Ann, don't say that. It's not your fault. Let's just go back."