Chapter 82 Payback Time

“Bye girls! See you the next day! Don't forget to read the script we gave so the dean will eventually expel that b*tch!”

The young woman yawned as she strolled through the park's concrete pathway. It was dark. Her favorite music was blasting in her ears and she was thinking about turning around to walk back to her car and go home when she almost ran into someone who was standing in front of her.

She took her earbuds out. “What the fuck?! Mind where you walking sh*thole!”

The tall man kept silently observing her while wearing a hood that covered most of his head. She moved her feet awkwardly beneath his gaze as she began to feel a little uncomfortable.

“W-what are you looking at?!”

He continued to stare without saying anything. She momentarily questioned whether she was speaking to a tree rather than a real person because he wasn't even moving. He wasn't a robot; he was a human. He had a crooked nose and sculpted jawline, and a piece of his eyes could be made out through the shadows.

“Um… whatever…” She swiftly moved behind him while re-inserting her earphones, unsure of whether she was the victim of a practical joke or whether he was merely trying to scare her. It wasn’t until a few seconds later that she realized that she had made a huge mistake.

—

She felt cold water being splashed onto her face and her eyes fluttered open. As she opened her eyes she saw a man walking away while letting out an evil laugh. The cold air touched her nerves and entered her bones, making her shiver.

She didn't experience any pain; rather, a small amount of pressure was applied to her neck, sending tingles through her head and neck. The next thing she knew, she was straining to open her eyes and had found herself seated.

Did she get herself into this situation, she wondered as her stomach churned and her throat dried up? The hard, cold floor reverberated with a faraway thud that resonated into her ear. Someone was on the way. With slow dawn, she remembered.

Did I trip or did he strike me with something?

As she pictured the figure approaching her, her tongue became glued to the roof of her mouth. It was pitch black. Anonymity was ensured by the street light that shined from behind the man wearing the grey hoodie and faceless thickset man. He started to approach right then.

How long had I been here? she wondered.

She struggled to take in her surroundings as her head hurt. Stamp. Stomp. Scuff. The suffering was intolerable. She tried to create a plan while ignoring her captor's terrifying thoughts as he approached. She looked around the unsettling space. Every ornament was tarnished by dust, which just increased the clutter in the already pitiful filth. The window on the other side of the room, which was decaying, provided the sole light, which was weak. Her brain began to run at once.

A window!

She prepared to make a run for it. She got to her feet and started to stand. She could make her escape if she could just reach the window.

OUCH!

She was in horrific pain as she moved her leg. It was agonizing for her to try to shuffle her way to the window. Her body began to hurt as soon as her senses returned. She shouted as she looked down at her hands. Blood that had frozen and solidified was all over her hands. It's already too late! He had heard her.

Why had I been so stupid as to scream?

"Well, well? " said a cocky voice. His posture screamed strength. His broad shoulders held high. He loomed menacingly in her face.

“Who are you?” she cried, “Why have you brought me here?” she asked again but no reply.

A moment later, there was a voice coming from afar asking for something, “Are you, Vera?”

“H-how— How do you know my name?! Who are you, people?!” Vera asked while shivering in fear. She tried to analyze who the men in front of her were but it was too dark for her to recognize them. “What do you want? Money? My dad will give you the money. I— I also have my savings account! You can take that as well! Just please let me go! Oh, right! I have my accessories in my bag. You- you can take that if you want…” Vera begged.

She frantically felt around the floor, and consequently came across nothing but cold, wet floor. There is a loud noise of a train nearby. She could hear the wind whistling, the leaves rustling outside, a few getting blown inside and onto her palm. It is so cold but she can feel her sweat forming on her forehead. Her body was shaking because of the cold air touching her wet skin.

A man began to laugh, the room resounding with his deep chuckles. “Boss, what should we do with this brat? She doesn’t seem to know why she was being captured. Young lady, we didn’t get you captured just for a small amount of money that your family has.”

“What— What do you mean?! Does that mean there is another reason for this?”

“Bingo! Since you are getting it now, why don’t you take a guess at the reason why you are here?”

Vera was caught off guard. She doesn’t have any idea why she was being captured by these several men in front of her. She tried to think about it thoroughly but suddenly her stomach started to boil. “Is it because of my body? Are you planning to take advantage of me?” Vera hysterically asked. Right at that moment, a low, growl-like noise sounded from her stomach, blowing her resolve.

“You are really something, are you? But sorry to disappoint you because you are not here because of that.” The man answered as he began to laugh, the room resounding with his deep chuckles.

“Who. Are. You,” she asked once again, stressfully punctuating her words but then the man didn’t answer. Instead, he walks away and seems like he talk to someone. As he goes back he already has something in his hand.

“I have to make you eat this first,” he replied, bringing over a small bowl of what looked like boiled rice. He had a spoon ready and he handed it to another man. Then the man took a seat on the floor next to Vera.

“I’m not going to eat that!” Vera said, staring at him. She restrained the impulse to knock the bowl out of his ungrateful hands and beat him up senselessly. He wearily sighed, as if he knew she was going to say that.

“The boss ordered us to feed you little brat.”

“Help yourself. I will not eat that!”

“Unless you eat this, you are going to starve and die, because I’m not allowed to give you any food. You’re very weak and injured, and we don’t want you dead the next morning. You still have a lot of questions to answer,” he drawled, his expression tired.

“You people obviously poisoned this,” Vera said quite bluntly. It was true that her stomach had started to act up by then, and the nausea she was experiencing did not reduce the underlying hunger by a fraction.

“Look, if I wanted you dead, I could have just kicked you around a bit more and you’d have been a goner. I clearly want you alive, however, if you keep on being annoying, I could have poisoned this unfortunate bowl of artificially fertilized and polished.”

“Make her eat. I am going now. Make sure to watch her all the time. Don’t give her anything, nor a dry cloth to change or a blanket. Let her feel the cold breeze coming from outside. Ms. Ventura, I hope you enjoy this night.” The voice coming from the back.

It must be the boss that they were talking about…