She Once Had Everything

Chapter 1
My best friend, Jessica, started dating this new artist guy.
She wanted to be his nude model.
I tried to stop her.
“You’ve known him for three days,” I said, “and he already wants you naked for a painting?”
“Doesn’t that feel a little disrespectful?”
Jessica actually listened and thought it made sense.
So she dumped him.
Later, her ex found someone else to pose for him.
The painting and the new model blew up, becoming instantly famous.
The artist, Ethan, got rich and famous overnight.
He immediately married his new model girlfriend.
They had this insane, over-the-top wedding at the most expensive five-star hotel in the country.
When Jessica heard about it, her eyes turned practically bloodshot with jealousy.
“This is all your fault, Alex,” she spat at me.
“If you hadn’t stuck your nose in it, that could have been me getting famous.”
“I could have been the one marrying into money!”
She tied me up in her bathroom.
Then, she cut me apart, piece by piece, while I was still alive.
I opened my eyes again.
Jessica’s face was right there, inches from mine.
“If you screw this up for me again,” she hissed, “I’ll kill you again.”
I knew then.
She had come back too.
This time, if she wanted fame, I’d just smile and let her go for it.
She just didn’t know the real price she’d have to pay.
1
“Alex, you have got to talk some sense into Jessica!”
Jessica’s mom grabbed my arm, shaking it.
“Posing nude like that just isn’t right.”
“It’s like getting naked for the whole world to see!”
She pushed me again when I didn’t say anything.
“Say something!”
“You’re not just going to stand there and watch her walk into a disaster, are you?”
“Ma’am,” I said calmly, “didn’t you just hear Jessica say she’d kill me if I ruined her ‘big chance’?”
Jessica’s dad started yelling then.
“Oh, Jessie was just talking crazy.”
“She wouldn’t actually kill anyone.”
“But you,” he pointed a finger at me, “just watching her head down the wrong path without lifting a finger?”
“What are you really playing at?”
Last time, it was Jessica’s parents who helped her tie me up in that bathroom.
They held me down while she cut into me with that knife.
They tortured me for a whole week before I finally died.
When they found me, there wasn’t an untouched piece of skin left on my body.
Some places, you could even see bone.
The sick joke was, the fancy condo they were living in?
I bought it for them, paid in full.
I never imagined they’d murder me right there, in the home I gave them.
“Jessica’s an adult now,” I said, keeping my voice even.
“She has to take responsibility for her own choices.”
“I respect her decision.”
Jessica’s parents completely lost it, yelling and blaming me for everything under the sun.
“Okay, Mom, Dad, chill out,” Jessica finally interrupted them.
“Trust me on this.”
“This time, I’m definitely going to make it big.”
“I’m going to lift us all out of this life!”
Jessica walked me out when I was leaving.
“Well, Alex, at least you knew when to shut up this time,” she said, almost smugly.
“You didn’t try to stop me with Mom and Dad.”
“I know you screwed me over last time, but hey, I punished you for it.”
“This life, just stay out of my business, and we can still be best friends.”
“Tomorrow, I’m going to pose for Ethan.”
“You’re coming with me.”
I didn’t answer right away.
Her face instantly hardened.
“What, you got a problem with that now?”
“My Ethan is about to be huge.”
“Soon, you won’t even be good enough to breathe the same air as him.”
“I’m doing you a favor by letting you tag along, you should be kissing my feet.”
“Pick me up at eight tomorrow morning.”
“Don’t be late!”
Jessica and I had shared a desk all through high school.
Then we ended up at the same college, even roommates in the dorm.
When I found out her parents didn’t have jobs, I got them positions at my family’s hotel chain.
I say “positions,” but really, they did nothing.
They just sat in an office, drank coffee, played on their phones, and collected paychecks for like four grand a month each.
For her graduation birthday, I bought her that condo outright.
A place of her own in New York City.
If she’d had to earn it herself, she could have worked three lifetimes and never afforded a place like that.
The next day, I pulled up exactly on time to get Jessica.
She just tapped on the passenger window.
I rolled it down.
“Hello?” she said, raising an eyebrow.
“I’m going to be a supermodel.”
“Do you really expect me to open my own car door?”
I sighed, got out, and opened the door for her.
“That’s more like it,” she smirked, sliding in.
“Try to be a little more helpful from now on.”
When we got to the address, a loft studio downtown, Jessica just sat there in the car.
She was waiting for me to get out and open her door again.
I did it.
I even gave a little mock bow.
She finally cracked a smile.
“Okay, maybe you’re learning.”
We walked into the studio.
It wasn’t just Ethan Cole inside.
There were three other guys I’d never seen before.
“Honey,” Jessica cooed, latching onto Ethan’s arm, “I thought it was just going to be us today?”
“Why are there other people here?”
Ethan wrapped an arm around her waist.
“Babe, these are just some friends of mine.”
“They’re artists too.”
“But… with strangers here,” Jessica hesitated, “it’s kind of awkward, you know?”
“There’s nothing awkward about it,” Ethan insisted.
“Art is pure.”
“Jessie, you’re sacrificing for art!”
Jessica still looked uncomfortable.
Ethan’s patience wore thin.
“What are you waiting for?” he snapped.
“Get undressed!”
Jessica took a deep breath, then seemed to make up her mind.
“Fine, whatever.”
She stripped off her clothes quickly.
Then, completely naked, she lay down on the large, draped bed Ethan had set up.
She arranged herself in the pose he wanted.
“Yes, perfect,” Ethan said approvingly.
“Hold that, don’t move.”
One of Ethan’s friends pulled out a professional-looking DSLR camera.
He started snapping pictures of Jessica from different angles.
Jessica immediately tried to cover her private parts with her hands.
“Hey, what’s with the camera?” she yelped.
“Stop taking pictures!”
“Mark’s a photographer,” Ethan said smoothly.
“He’ll capture your body beautifully.”
“Trust me.”
“But photos are different from painting,” Jessica argued.
“You didn’t say anything about pictures!”
Ethan’s face darkened.
“Look, if you don’t want to do this, just put your clothes back on right now.”
“I can find another model.”
Jessica bit her lip, then slowly lowered her hands.
“Okay,” she mumbled.
Ethan made a few strokes on his canvas, then stopped.
He turned his gaze towards me.
“Alex, you know, you’ve got a great figure too,” he said, looking me up and down.
“Ever thought about modeling?”
Before I could even refuse, Jessica shrieked.
“Her? She’s built like a freaking tank!”
“If you paint her, you’ll ruin your career!”
Ethan kept studying me.
“Actually, I find Alex’s kind of curvy shape more beautiful.”
“Alex, come on, pose for me.”
Jessica practically leaped off the bed.
“Alex! Don’t you dare try to steal this from me!”
“Remember what happens if you cross me!”
“You don’t have to threaten me,” I said flatly.
“I have zero interest in being a nude model.”
Jessica glared, then slowly lay back down.
“You better not.”
Ethan stood there, paintbrush in hand, not moving, his brow furrowed.
“What’s wrong, honey?” Jessica asked nervously.
“Is the pose bad?”
“Should I try something else?”
“It’s not the pose,” Ethan said thoughtfully.
“It’s just… one model feels too simple.”
“I want the composition to be richer, more dynamic.”
Jessica’s face fell.
“You’re not still thinking about asking Alex again, are you?”
“Alex already said no,” Ethan replied dismissively.
“And I can’t force her.”
“So… here’s an idea.”
“My buddies here, they’re artists.”
“They understand sacrificing for art.”
Ethan gave the other three guys a look.
They immediately started taking off their clothes.
Jessica was stunned.
“Wait, no,” she stammered.
“You don’t expect me to pose… with them… do you?”
“It’s just painting,” Ethan waved a hand.
“You have female models, you have male models.”
“Don’t be so dramatic.”
“But… being like this… with guys I just met?”
“I can’t do that!”
“You just met me a few days ago,” Ethan pointed out.
“You don’t know me much better than them.”
“Besides, after today, you’ll all know each other really well.”
The three naked men started walking towards Jessica.
Each one had this creepy look in his eyes.
She scrambled backwards on the bed, her face pale with fear.
The whole scene felt like something out of a cheap, disgusting porno.
“Jessica, you’re the model,” Ethan scolded.
“You need to be professional, open.”
“If you’re not going to cooperate, how am I supposed to paint?”
“Do you want to be famous or not?”
Jessica pushed away one of the men, Dave, who was getting too close, and jumped off the bed.
“Alex, I’m thirsty,” she snapped.
“Get me a bottle of water.”
I handed her one from my bag.
She just stared at it.
“Well? Are you going to open it for me?”
I twisted the cap off and gave it back.
She took a few gulps, then shoved the bottle back into my hand.
“Jessica,” I said, my own patience wearing thin, “you’ve been ordering me around since we got here.”
“When did I become your personal assistant?”
“You should feel honored I’m letting you wait on me,” she scoffed.
“Once I’m famous, you won’t even get the chance.”
She took another deep breath, steeling herself.
“Okay,” she announced, turning back to the group.
“Let’s get back to painting.”
Ethan started directing them like a twisted stage manager.
“Okay, Jessica, lie back down there.”
“Mark, you get on top of her.”
“Dave, position yourself by her head.”
“Kevin, you take the foot of the bed.”
Jessica was surrounded by the three naked men.
The stench hit her full force, and she started to gag.
Ever since those three guys stripped, the studio air had become thick with a disgusting mix of smells.
BO, stale sweat, unwashed feet – it was like a bomb of pure funk had gone off.
Taking a deep breath felt like inviting poison into your lungs.
Forget the smell; the sight itself was vile.
I rubbed my temples, feeling a headache coming on.
If I kept watching this, I thought my eyes might actually start bleeding.
Could a painting born from this really make someone famous?
“Jessica, what’s wrong with you now?” Ethan complained.
“Try to look natural.”
“Stop scrunching up your face like that.”
Jessica tried, she really did, but the physical revulsion was overwhelming.
She couldn’t control her expression.
“Jessica! Seriously!” Ethan threw his hands up.
“You’re impossible!”
“How am I supposed to work if you won’t cooperate?”
Jessica shoved Mark off her again.
“I’m sorry, honey,” she pleaded.
“I just need a minute to… adjust.”
“Adjust? How long do you need?” Ethan shot back.
“My time is valuable!”
“We’ve already wasted half the morning because you can’t handle this!”
“If I don’t finish this painting on schedule, are you going to cover my losses?”
“I’m sorry! Please don’t be mad,” Jessica begged.
“I’ll try harder! I promise!”
“Look,” Ethan sighed dramatically, “if you really can’t handle staying still, I do have one other option.”
“What is it?” Jessica asked eagerly.
“I have this… medication,” Ethan said, lowering his voice slightly.
“If I inject you with it, it’ll help you hold the pose perfectly still.”
“By the time I’m finished painting, the effects will wear off.”
I couldn’t help but speak up.
“What kind of ‘medication’ is that?”
“It doesn’t sound like anything good.”
“It’s just a mild muscle relaxant,” Ethan said quickly.
“Totally harmless.”
“But if you think it’s unsafe, Alex, then fine.”
“We’ll just have to scrap today and I’ll find another model.”
Jessica whirled on me.
“Alex! You died once and you still haven’t learned your lesson?”
“Butt out! If you ruin this for me again, I swear, it’ll be worse for you next time!”
She turned back to Ethan, her eyes shining with desperate hope.
“Honey, I trust you.”
“Give me the shot.”
Ethan produced a syringe from a case.
He quickly swabbed Jessica’s arm and injected the clear liquid.
Within minutes, Jessica went limp on the bed, unable to move.
Her eyes darted around wildly, though.
I could tell she was still wide awake, fully conscious.
Mark picked her up like a doll and placed her back in the center of the bed.
Looking at the scene unfolding around her helpless body, her eyes filled with pure terror.
Ethan wasn’t satisfied with the composition.
“Okay, Mark, get bolder,” he instructed.
“Let’s make this really pop.”
“Dave, you…”
The scene that followed turned my stomach.
This wasn’t figure modeling anymore.
This was straight-up, graphic exploitation.
Jessica must have been screaming on the inside.
Her eyes looked like they were going to bulge out of her head.
But she was trapped, unable to move a muscle, completely at their mercy.
Ethan suddenly remembered I was still there.
“Alex,” he said, turning to me with a fake-casual smile.
“I’m getting kind of thirsty.”
“Could you be a dear and run out and grab some coffees for everyone?”
“Sure,” I replied.
“Oh, and while you’re out,” he added, “could you swing by that fancy cupcake place way downtown?”
“My girlfriend just loves their red velvet.”
“Okay.”
That bakery was easily forty-five minutes away by subway.
He definitely wanted me gone.
I walked out of the studio.
But I didn’t leave the building right away.
I pressed my ear against the door.
It only took a few minutes before I heard those sounds coming from inside.
Moans, grunts, the rhythmic creak of the bed.
Just as I suspected.
Well, I thought grimly, let Jessica enjoy the “artistic process” she craved so much.
This is what she wanted, right?
Putting on an innocent face, I headed out to get the coffee and the stupidly expensive cupcakes.
