Chapter 4
I dragged my battered body home to pack my things.
Just as I was about to unlock the door, a sharp blow exploded at the back of my head.
I crashed to the ground, and in the next second, someone tightly bound my hands and feet.
"Who are you? Let me go. I'm calling the cops..." I asked.
A brutal slap struck the side of my face, and my mouth filled with the taste of blood.
A shrill female voice rang through my buzzing ears. "You bitch, how dare you play the other woman and ruin Mr. Alex and Assistant Kerr's sweet love story?
"I'm doing the world a favor today and teaching you a lesson your mother clearly never did."
The girl squeezed my throat and slapped me over and over while pinning me down.
The blows kept coming, and the pain in my lower belly was so crushing I couldn't force out a single word.
I coughed up blood and gasped there in a miserable heap.
I had no idea how long it took before the girl finally let go of my neck.
Someone nearby cried out in shock. "She's bleeding so much!"
My hands and feet were hastily loosened, and then I heard a mess of panicked footsteps running off.
Using the last of my strength, I ripped the sack off my head and gulped in fresh air.
That girl's voice had sounded familiar, like I'd heard it somewhere before.
My consciousness blurred, and pain spread through every inch of me.
I forced myself up and opened the door, planning to take a painkiller.
The fingerprint lock buzzed a warning. Access denied.
I wiped the blood off my fingers and tried again with trembling hands.
It still showed an error, but then the door opened from the inside.
The second Alex saw what a wreck I was, he leaned against the doorframe and let out a scornful laugh.
"So now you're pulling the pity act on me?" he sneered.
I was just about to ask him for a painkiller when I saw a fluffy head peek out from behind him.
Emily was wearing the new bear-print pajamas I'd just bought, and she snuggled into Alex's arms with a playful smile.
"Hi, ma'am." she leaned close to my ear and smugly pointed at the computer in the living room. "We're livestreaming our relationship."
The whole room was filled with heart-shaped balloons, and the walls were covered with intimate photos of Alex and Emily.
It looked like their little love nest, and I was the intruder.
My legs gave out, and I looked up at him with pleading eyes.
"Just give me one painkiller, and I'll leave right away." I said in pain.
Alex blocked the camera and swept an amused glance over the bruise on my forehead and my blood-soaked dress.
"Funny. I never realized you were this good at acting." he sneered.
Then his voice softened all of a sudden, and using his body to block the camera, he brushed the back of my hand.
"Lily, once Emily and I finish this publicity push and break into the overseas market, let's get married."
I was hurting so badly I could barely stand, but I still grabbed the corner of Alex's shirt like a beggar.
"Please... just give me one painkiller..." I begged.
Emily suddenly turned the camera toward my hand clutching Alex and splashed a cup of hot tea on me.
"The star of his new painting is back again, begging for him to take her back."
The comments were packed wall to wall with insults calling me the other woman, and I frantically covered my face.
"Don't film me..." I pled.
With a nasty grin, Emily lifted my skirt, and the camera caught the spreading blood.
The mocking look on Alex's face froze. He was about to say something, but Emily cut him off. "Ma'am, that fake blood looks pretty real."
I weakly shook my head and slid down the doorframe.
"It hurts... it hurts so bad..." I moaned.
Alex didn't move an inch. Irritated, he picked Emily up in his arms.
"Don't get near something filthy." he said coldly.
The second the words left his mouth, the door slammed shut again.
Alex shot me one last disgusted look. "Don't think this little stunt is going to make me feel sorry for you."
With my heart dead inside, I looked toward the disappearing sliver of light and posted my report about Alex's copyright violation and cheating during our relationship to social media.
In the final second before I blacked out, I saw the notification dots in the comments section exploding.