Filed to story: When His Wife Can’t Forgive
A profound sense of dread overwhelmed Alicia.
Was Monica injured? What horrors could she have faced? What was her current condition?
Alicia couldn’t remain idle any longer. She considered calling the police, but just then, another message arrived: “I’ve hacked your phone. If you contact the authorities, I’ll cut off one of her hands immediately.”
Alicia realized she couldn’t act impulsively.
This was her first encounter with such a terrifying situation, and it took her considerable time to regain her composure.
Another message appeared, providing an address and demanding that she come alone.
Before Alicia could process this, she received a video.
In the video, Monica had regained consciousness. She was suspended in midair, hanging over a cage filled with vicious dogs. The dogs snarled and barked at her, saliva dripping from their jaws. They looked both terrifying and repulsive.
Monica’s screams echoed in terror.
The camera panned to reveal a man’s face. He wore a sinister smile, laced with cruelty.
“Did you get the address I sent? I expect you before nightfall, or your friend will be the dogs’ dinner.”
Alicia stared at the screen, her face ghostly pale.
Another video followed immediately. This time, Monica was being lowered closer to the dogs. One of them leapt up and sank its teeth into her leg.
Blood seeped from the wound, and Monica’s screams rang out in the air.
Tears streamed down Alicia’s face as she clutched her phone tightly, shouting desperately for the man to stop. Her defenses crumbled with each passing second.
The man’s earlier threat echoed in her mind. Monica would die if anyone else got involved. She couldn’t risk calling the police or alerting anyone.
In a panic, Alicia grabbed whatever self-defense tools she could find and rushed out.
Winter nights fell quickly in Warrington.
As time slipped away, the sky darkened steadily. Fear crept over Alicia, and with trembling hands, she pressed down on the accelerator, driving faster than she ever had before. The address led her to a desolate mountaintop.
The drive was long and grueling, but she finally arrived. A lone figure stood in the distance.
The surrounding darkness, coupled with the absence of lights, made the silhouette appear even more terrifying, like something out of a nightmare.
Alicia jumped out of the car and ran toward the figure. Her voice was hoarse as she screamed, “Where’s my friend? Where is she?!”
The man stepped forward without a word. He swiftly covered her eyes and dragged her inside.
Alicia didn’t dare resist.
She knew these were ruthless people, and their threats weren’t empty. Her only chance to save Monica was to comply.
She had no choice but to gamble everything on this moment. It was her only option.
With her eyes covered, her other senses sharpened. The man beside her carried a strong scent of asphalt, mixed with the odor of animal fur. It smelled like livestock, maybe chickens or ducks.
Alicia took mental note of the detail.
Not long after, the man led her into a room.
Expecting a foul, musty odor, she was instead met with warm air carrying a surprisingly pleasant fragrance.
She tensed up and stood still.
With her vision blocked by the blindfold, she could only rely on sound. The click of leather shoes echoed as someone approached her. Then, the footsteps stopped.
On the way, Alicia was entirely consumed with thoughts of Monica’s safety, never once considering who might be behind it all.
Discovering that Joshua was responsible didn’t surprise her; fear had already taken hold of her mind. A deep-seated grudge had existed between them since their divorce, and Joshua, always in turmoil, now sought to channel all his suffering onto her.
When Joshua reached out to touch her, Alicia recoiled in disgust. Her body trembled as she instinctively tried to move away, but his hand shot out, gripping her chin tightly. His voice dropped, dark with menace. “You still have the nerve to reject me?”
The pressure of his grip felt like it was crushing her bones, but Alicia refused to break. She gritted her teeth, pushing through the pain, and demanded, “Where is Monica?”
Joshua sneered, his eyes dark with cruelty. “Shouldn’t you be more worried about your own life? Monica was just the bait-you’re the one I want.”
Without warning, he ripped off her blindfold and threw her onto the bed, pinning her down. His lips came crashing down on hers, but Alicia fought back, biting his nose hard before jerking her head away. Joshua cried out in pain, stumbling back as he grabbed his now-bleeding nose.
Alicia’s eyes blazed with fury. “Take me to Monica-now!”
Joshua seized her by the neck and snarled, “She’s dead!”
For a split second, Alicia’s breath caught in her throat. She was consumed by a wave of despair, but almost instantly, her resolve returned. She locked eyes with him, her voice steady. “No, that’s impossible. You didn’t kill her. The drug in your system was developed and modified by Monica. Only she knows the cure.”
Joshua’s fingers tightened around her throat, his eyes ablaze with deep-seated hatred.
She was right; he hadn’t killed Monica. The drug was part of the reason, but more importantly, he lacked the courage to commit murder.
With a shove, Joshua pushed Alicia into a dimly lit room. The moment the door creaked open, vicious dogs began barking furiously.
In the center of the room, Monica hung suspended in mid-air, her leg bloodied and battered.
The sight of her friend in such a state shattered Alicia’s heart. Tears welled up in her eyes, but she bit her lip, forcing herself to stay composed. Turning to Joshua, her voice thick with emotion, she pleaded, “I’m the one you want. Let her go!”
Joshua responded calmly, a sinister smile tugging at his lips. “Now that you’re here, why should I let her go?”
Alicia’s voice was hoarse but resolute as she said, “Monica’s been missing for almost a day. If her family reports you to the police, you’re done for. You won’t get away with this!”
Her words echoed through the room, sharp and clear.
Joshua stared at her, noticing the change in her demeanor. It hadn’t been long, but she had become sharper, calmer, and braver. Even though she stood right before him, he felt as though she were miles away.
He reached out to grab her neck again, but Alicia acted quickly. She sank her teeth into his hand, breaking the skin. Blood welled up instantly. Joshua yelped in pain, flinging her off with a growl of fury.
He sneered, “Once I’m finished with you, I’ll let her go. Don’t worry, it won’t take long.”
Despite his words, Alicia’s heart raced with anxiety. “Aren’t you afraid her family will come after you?”
Joshua’s eyes narrowed as his tone turned cold. “What do I have to fear now?” He paused, then his face twisted with bitterness. “Alicia, do you even realize what you and Caden have driven me to?”
At the mention of Caden, a twisted smile spread across his face. He pulled out Alicia’s phone. “Did you two break up?”
Alicia didn’t have time to process his taunt; her focus was elsewhere. She stared at him intently.
He continued, “I told you before-Caden would get sick of you and dump you soon. And now? How does it feel seeing him so smitten with Yolanda?”
Surrounded by the foul stench and the men’s leering eyes, Alicia’s hope of escape slowly slipped away. Her fate-whether she lived or died-was now entirely in Joshua’s hands.
She closed her eyes and exhaled deeply, her voice steady but defiant. “If you’re going to kill me, just do it, Joshua. Stop wasting time.”
But Joshua, savoring her despair, wasn’t ready to end it. With a twisted smile, he handed her the phone. “Want to make a bet? Call Caden. Let’s see if he’ll come to save you.”
Alicia’s lips curled in disdain. She knew all too well what the answer would be, and she refused to degrade herself further. If she were to die here, she would do so with her dignity intact. The last thing she wanted was to make a fool of herself in front of Caden.
Joshua, however, was intent on breaking her spirit. His voice turned venomous. “If you don’t call him, I’ll have someone hurt Monica.”
Alicia clenched her teeth so hard that she tasted blood. Joshua, thinking she didn’t believe him, barked an order to bring Monica down.
Alicia’s heart raced, and she relented quickly. “I’ll call him!” Her hands shook as she reached for the phone. She could have simply pressed the emergency dial to reach Caden, but instead, she numbly entered his number.
Joshua watched her actions with amusement. “You must be obsessed with him if you know his number by heart.”
Alicia’s fingers paused. It was only now that she realized this. Despite everything, Caden’s number was still etched in her mind.
As the line began to ring, her initial resignation crumbled, and a fragile hope took its place. Would he come? No-he was far away, in Averibon. Yet, in that moment, she couldn’t help but feel hopeful. What if Caden did care about her, even just a little?
She should have been dead by Joshua’s hand long ago, but it was Caden who had given her those fleeting moments of happiness.
The phone rang for what felt like an eternity. Then, finally, it was answered. But the voice on the other end wasn’t his.
It was Yolanda, her tone lazy and dismissive. “Hello? Who is this?”
Upon hearing Yolanda’s voice, Alicia froze, instinctively turning off the screen. She was completely immobilized.
Ever since she had discovered Monica’s accident, a sense of unease had lingered in her. Now, despair weighed heavily on her heart, each heartbeat a painful reminder. Caden wouldn’t come; she had already bothered him too much…
Joshua’s laugh was merciless. He reached out and caressed her pale cheek before speaking to Yolanda. “Did you just wake up from sleeping with Caden?”
Yolanda didn’t answer right away. Instead, she asked, “Who is this?”
Joshua pressed on, “Has Caden ever compared you two in bed? Did he ever tell you who’s better, you or Alicia?”
Yolanda’s shock was palpable. Before she could respond, she heard the door behind her open. Panicked, she quickly ended the call, hiding the phone under the pillow.
Caden, freshly showered, walked out. His hair was still damp, and his face was expressionless.
“Why are you in my room?” he asked, clearly irritated. After their arrival in Averibon, they had reserved two suites, with Yolanda’s next door.
Yolanda hesitated, but didn’t admit her true intentions. She lied, saying, “I noticed something was off and wanted to discuss it with you.”
Caden tightened his robe, his tone blunt. “Whatever it is, it can wait until tomorrow. Go back to your room.”
Yolanda bit her lip, reflecting on the unsettling phone call. She couldn’t shake the feeling that the caller had animosity toward Alicia. Was something wrong with her? She didn’t want Caden to know, so she decided to delay him.
“It’s still early. Let’s talk for a while, Caden,” she insisted. “Otherwise, I’ll spend the whole night worrying about the project.”