Chloe met Ellie's worried gaze and said, "I'm fine, Ellie, it doesn't hurt anymore now."
Morning.
Chloe took on a client who wanted to do an indoor photoshoot.
Since it was not cold indoors, she took off her coat, revealing a beige sweater underneath and light-colored jeans.
She squatted on the ground to take photos for the client, but she couldn't help feeling that the client was looking at her intentionally or unintentionally.
Chloe reminded herself not to overthink and focused on taking the photos.
The man complained that his limbs were too stiff and asked Chloe to guide him through the poses.
Chloe demonstrated roughly for him.
The man struck a few poses, Chloe adjusted them, and then went to adjust the camera.
After a few shots, the man wanted to see the photos, so Chloe stepped aside to let him look.
Hannah spoke again: "I can't flip to the next photo."
Chloe leaned over to help him, but as soon as she approached, Hannah's hand rested on Chloe's waist.
Chloe dodged his hand and glanced at him.
This man had a rather refined appearance, looking quite cultured, and even gave Chloe a gentle smile.
Chloe suddenly wondered if she was being overly sensitive.
She stood by and watched the man look at the photos.
After the photos were taken, Hannah wanted to see the final shots, so Chloe pulled up all the photos for him to review, and said, "Choose your favorite ones, and you can skip the rest if you want."
"Okay," Hannah said, then pointed at a photo and said, "Come and take a look at this one, see if this part can be retouched."
Chloe leaned in closer.
Suddenly, she felt those hands on her waist again, and they kept going downwards.
Chloe grabbed his hand and spoke coldly, "What are you doing? This isn't the first time, is it?"
Hannah said, "You dress like this, don't you want to be touched?"
Chloe's anger surged, and she said, "You're the one being disgusting, don't blame it on what others wear."
Moreover, what she was wearing today was a simple sweater and jeans.
The man, somewhat embarrassed and angry, grabbed Chloe's wrist, locked the door, and said, "There are only two of us in this room, and no one would know if I did something."
As he spoke, he reached out both hands and gave Chloe a lewd smile.
Chloe kicked him between the legs and said, "Get away."
Hannah, in pain, covered his crotch and cursed, then grabbed Chloe's neck and viciously said, "You bitch, you dare say you're not trying to seduce people."
Grant twisted the doorknob, finding it locked, and turned to Drake, saying, "Who locked this door?"
"I don't know, isn't Chloe taking photos? Why is the door locked?"
"Stop touching me, get away from me."
Grant and Drake heard the noise inside and didn't bother to find the key.
"On the count of three, two, one, let's break the door down," Grant said.
"Three."
"Two."
"One."
They hit the door, but it didn't open.
Grant said to Drake, "Move aside," and then he kicked the door open.
They saw Chloe being cornered by Hannah.
Grant rushed forward and punched him, then pulled Chloe up and asked, "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine," Chloe shook her head.
Hannah lay on the ground, struggled to get up, wiped his lips, and said, "I am your client, is this how you treat your clients?"
Grant said to Chloe, "Don't be afraid, tell me what he did?"
"He was making unwanted advances during the photoshoot, and then said that I dressed this way to be touched. I fought back, and he locked the door to assault me."
Grant gave Hannah a proper smile and said, "I'm sorry, we do not serve guests without manners. What a woman wears is their freedom. The desire to look beautiful is everyone's nature, not an excuse for your filthy behavior. Drake, call the police."
"Okay, boss," Drake said and dialed 110.
Hannah said, "You can't call the police, I didn't do anything."
"Forcing yourself to touch someone's waist and butt when they don't want it is considered indecent assault, and your repeated verbal harassment will have to wait for the police."
"I'll just deny it, what can you do?"
Grant spoke coldly, "There are surveillance cameras everywhere except the fitting rooms and the bathroom."
Three men in police uniforms pushed open the store door and said, "Who called the police?"
Drake said, "It was me."
Grant briefly described the situation to the police. He spoke logically, and then he said to the police, "There is also surveillance in that room at the time."
In the end, Hannah was taken away by the police.
"Do you have any pain or difficulty swallowing in your neck?" Grant asked her.
Chloe shook her head and said, "I was just choked a bit, so it left some marks."
Grant looked at the marks on her neck and said, "Wait for me a moment."
She took out a small first-aid kit from her office, squatted down, and applied some rubbing alcohol to Chloe's neck.
His fingers were distinct, slender, and beautiful, with a slight coolness at the tips. He gently applied the rubbing alcohol to Chloe's neck, then rubbed it in, and said to Chloe, "This will help with blood circulation and remove bruises. Apply it a few times, and it won't leave a mark."
Chloe said, "Thank you."
Grant said, "What you wear is your own freedom, don't pay attention to him. As long as it's in a respectful setting, wear what you want, be the most beautiful version of yourself. This is every woman's right and should not be restricted." He finished, looking at Chloe and said, "People with bad hearts see everything as dirty, don't care about what he says."
Chloe couldn't help but say thank you again.
...
After hearing all this from Chloe, Ellie was angry at the man's words and actions. She said, "Your boss is right, every girl should have the right to dress freely, as long as it's respectful."
Many people educate girls not to wear revealing clothes and to have self-respect and love, but why don't they educate those people to have some quality?
While advocating for freedom of dress, when many similar incidents are exposed, many people's first reaction is to judge the girls' attire, saying that girls dress inappropriately, and that they dress this way just to seduce men, right?
But many people who are harmed are wearing just the simplest short sleeves and pants, and some are only a few years old.
Why should those who are already harmed be hurt again by words? Isn't the mistake with those who offend them?
There are many ways to protect a flower, and protecting a flower should not mean preventing it from blooming.
...
Chloe smiled and rubbed her head.
"Why didn't you tell me about this, Chloe?"
"I've worried you many times since we were little, so I don't want you to worry about me."
"Does your neck still hurt?"
"It doesn't hurt, it doesn't hurt anymore."