Question

Pushed by agents and promoters, he traveled and performed with hardly a break; overwork, plus his eagerness to please audiences with high-note trumpeting, stressed his lips to the point of breakdown. The bands put together by promoters for his club or record dates were often slapdash outfits that did little to showcase his talents. Rival agents lied to him and cheated him, and he was threatened by gangsters, who had a stake in many clubs where he played. Everyone _____ him.

Answer 1

Everyone exploited him.