“What did you just say?” He growled as he came closer to her. His eyes looked bloodshot. His hair had also fallen from its perfect position. He visibly shivered with anger as he yanked her hair again. This time, it was even harsher.
She yelped as she felt like her hair would be pulled out of her scalp. Even in that state, she rose a little and looked challengingly in his eyes.
“I said you are a pathetic piece of shit.” She spat at him after saying it again. She was so angry. He was so eager to see her crumble before him and shudder with fear. He thought he would get rid of her without any fight from her side. He was in for a surprise.
She was well aware of her situation. She did not have anything with her to defend herself in that state. She had lost her phone when he started dragging her down the road and into the forest. Nobody knew where she was. Joe was looking at her murderously, and she was sure that he would not let her live another minute after what she said.
However, he would not have left her regardless of whether she would put up a fight or not. Why should she give in so easily then? He was a piece of shit, and he should know it.
He smacked her across her left cheek making her head hit the stone next to the tree. A sudden strong wave of dizziness hit her as her head spin, and then she felt the excruciating pain. She knew her time had come.
First, she saw her mom’s smiling face before her eyes. Then, she saw Sana. Thomas’s face appeared leaving a painful feeling inside her heart. She did not want to leave them so soon. They all meant so much to her.
She writhed in sheer pain as she tossed and turned around while gripping her head. she could hear him chuckling in the background.
“Bitch! This is what you deserve,” He said with menace, “But wait, I am not done with you yet.” She could hear his faint voice as she tried to fight with the painful throbbing inside her head. She was even feeling nausea. However, she was still conscious.
She felt the knife press against the sleeve of her sweater. He was tearing her sweater. She could not open her eyes due to the pain, but she tried to move his hand away. The knife cut her hand instead. She winced retreating her hand back and grabbed her head once again.
“Be a good girl and let me have my way with you. Did you think I would get rid of you before I would do what I wanted to for years? I will never do that before I empty myself inside you.” Her breathing started to quicken as soon as she heard him say. She was hyperventilating. All the existence of pain inside her head was forgotten as she tried to push him away with all her might. But he was not budging.
“Let me go, you bastard!” She cursed trying to get hold of the knife so she could defend herself. It was not easy.
“Bastard, huh? Let me show how a bastard acts.” He chuckled again and started to pull up her sweater. For the first time that night, she felt truly fearful of what he would do to her.
“Don’t! Don’t!” She whispered as tears started streaming down her face. First the pain was killing her. And on top of that, he was trying to strip her off her top. She slapped him across the cheek when he got successful in getting rid of her top and tossed it away.
She was now just in her bra and her jeans. The chilly wind hit her skin making her shiver uncontrollably. His disgusting eyes running through her body was making her wish for the ground to open up and swallow her.
“Enough!” He barked as he looked around. He found some piece of cloth that was lying around there for some reason, and tied her hands to the tree. He was not so happy with the slap. He picked up a small branch of a tree.
“I cannot use the knife on you just yet. You know, you have to live so I could have some fun. But before that, it is necessary to teach you some valuable lessons.” He laughed evilly.
Her eyes widened as she looked at him march toward her. She tried to jerk her hands away, but it was not possible to free her hands because of how tight he had tied them. It was the first time she had seen so much torture. It was the first time she saw such a cruel person in front of her. She did not know somebody could be so cruel to do such a barbaric act. She had not done anything wrong to him. Even if he lost his club, it was not her fault. She did not know what Thomas had done to him, but he deserved it for harassing his employees. She knew she was not the only one he had tried to assault.
He raised the stick to hit her.
“Thomas!” She yelled with panic as she closed her eyes and got ready to be hit. It was that subconscious moment when she had unintentionally called for him although she was aware that he would not come to save her.
How could he come? He was not even aware where she was and that she was in so much pain.
She waited for the stick to hit her, but it never did. She had attached herself against the tree and had tightly shut her eyes anticipating the excruciating pain that was about to be inflicted in her.
However, the stick never hit her. in fact, she had heard a noise which sounded like a punch. She was so much afraid of opening her eyes which was why she was still sitting there with her eyes closed and breathing heavily.
“You bastard! How dare you touch her.” She heard his voice. Her heart skipped a beat as she finally opened her eyes to look.
“Thomas.” She whispered, but he did not hear her. All his attention seemed to be on Joe who was lying on the ground while gripping his face. Thomas was clenching his fists while looking at him with a murderous look.
So he was the one who had punched him. He was the one who had saved her.
He was there. He started blowing punches after punches on Joe’s face. She had never seen him in such a dangerous rage. She tried to free her hands, but she was failing miserably.
“How dare you, motherfucker. How dare you lay your dirty hands on her! I will kill you. I will kill you with my bare hands.” The blows were now so strong that she could hear his bones cracking. Her eyes widened.
“Thomas!” She called for him, but he ignored her as if she did not exist. It was as if he had not even heard her.
“I will kill you. How dare you!” He was constantly repeating himself while being busy hitting and punching him, “You wanted to hit her with this, right? Right? You bastard!” He picked up the same stick that Joe was going to use on her and hit him with it. Her heartbeat increased as she saw him beat Joe. He was not even stopping for a mere minute. Even she was afraid of him at that moment.
“Thomas, listen to me, please. Stop!” She called for him again. This time too, he ignored her.
“Thomas! Please stop. You are going to kill him. He will die if you don’t stop. Thomas!” She cried as she saw him beat Joe mercilessly.
“I will kill him. I will kill this motherfucker.” He was not budging. Heck, he even picked up the knife. She could not take it anymore.
She did not know how but under the adrenaline rush, she freed her hands. Her wrists stung with how hard she pulled at them while trying to untie her hands.
She rushed to his side before he could use the knife on him.
“Thomas, stop.” She yelled at the top of her lungs and grabbed his hand. She did not have the power in front of him, but for some reason, Thomas stopped. He was breathing heavily.
Joe lay unconscious beneath him as Thomas punched him for the last time before getting up. He finally looked at her.
She felt a thousand emotions dancing in his eyes at that one moment under the moonlight: regret, anger, heartbreak, relief… She closed her eyes as it was too much for her to keep looking in his eyes.
“Olivia” He whispered her name so softly as if she would shatter if he talked in a decibel more than that.
“Thomas.” She opened her eyes and looked at him. Her tears started to flow freely, and she was hyperventilating once again.
“Are you okay? Olivia, look at me.” He took her trembling hands in his and repeatedly kissed them. He took a look at her and found a cut on her neck. He also ran his hands on her back to calm her.
“I am sorry. I am so sorry.” His voice broke as he said that. He took off his jacket and wrapped it around her. She was not even aware that she was shirtless. All the while, he had not stopped looking into her eyes with the same emotions.
“I am sorry. Will you forgive me? I am sorry, Olivia.” He pulled her towards himself and hugged her softly. Olivia let the tears flow freely.
“Thomas, h-he he tried to…he tried to” She started saying, but she was finding it hard to form the sentence. Her head was spinning again. She felt like she would fall at any moment.
“Shh! I am here. Nobody can harm you. I am here, my love. My lovely Olivia.” He said in the softest tone possible. She heard him say it. Before she could react, the world around her started spinning, and she collapsed in his arms.