Chapter 15: Ruthless Fury
She was filled with doubt, unsure of what he was planning next. He was so strong—did he really hate Emily that much?
"Emily, take a good sniff. This bed reeks of another woman. Leah's my girl. You? You're just a plaything. I can do whatever I want with you."
She lay face down, unable to see him, her heart pounding with fear, not knowing how to escape this terrifying situation. Suddenly, she felt a chill on her back.
The cold tip of a pair of scissors traced over her thin summer dress, grazing her spine, followed by the ripping sound of fabric being torn apart.
It felt like her heart was being pierced with countless holes.
He couldn't see her face or her eyes.
Alison shut her eyes again in fear, completely at a loss.
Right in front of her nose, she could almost smell the scent of their past together.
But it wasn't the scent of her and Jack; it was the scent of him and Leah.
That scent was even more humiliating than his current actions.
She felt like she was nothing, not even as good as his "other woman."
She could only endure his humiliation, feeling utterly insignificant.
Her clothes were shredded, exposing her back completely.
Jack was now doing all the cruel things he had in mind to her, leaving nothing out.
Her hair fell over her cheeks, tickling her, reminding her of the gentleness he had shown her just the day before.
Back then, she had secretly held him in her heart.
He was her first man.
But now, she realized she had made a huge mistake, that she shouldn't have had any hopes for a man who didn't even consider her a lover.
In a daze, she was pulled up, facing Jack's dark, cold eyes, both familiar and strange.
He stared at her coldly, scaring her so much she didn't dare meet his gaze.
She had been used to his gentleness, but now his eyes made her feel like she had fallen into hell, completely out of place.
Seeing Emily's helpless look, Jack smirked evilly, his thin lips curving into a charming arc, looking at her with the arrogance of a king, his eyes gradually filling with desire. Then, he suddenly pulled her to the floor, making her face a mirror in the bedroom.
Jack bent down gracefully, pressing her hand against the edge of the bed, making her lie there in front of the mirror, and in front of him.
It hurt so much.
The feeling of humiliation made her head buzz, the pain was unbearable, and tears almost welled up in her eyes.
She bit her lip, staring blankly at the scene in the mirror, understanding that this was his purpose, which was why he made her lie in front of the mirror.
Outside, the warm sunlight slanted in, but the cold air inside made her shiver all over.
Cold and helpless.
Tiny specks of dust floated in the air, making everything around seem a bit confusing, unable to hide anything.
She didn't cry, just stared blankly, her eyes empty, looking at herself and him in the mirror.
If he wanted to humiliate her, he had succeeded.
He began to criticize her body, full of disdain: "Emily, your skinny body is really unappealing. Even if you went out to sell yourself, you wouldn't fetch a good price."
"Emily, just leave. I don't care about you anymore."
She lay awkwardly and weakly in front of the mirror, her legs numb and trembling slightly. He stood behind her, coldly watching her current pathetic state and pale face.
"Get out, and don't come back in a month claiming you're pregnant with my child to try and threaten me, because I won't believe it."
That's right, he wouldn't believe it, and neither would she. Because every time after they were done, he would gently prepare the pills for her, watching her take them before he felt at ease to sleep.
He told her to leave, to get out quickly.
Seeing her standing there, not speaking, just trembling in the sunlight, he sternly said, "When I come back tonight, I want the apartment to be spotless, with no trace of you left. Got it?"
She looked up at his passionate yet cruel eyes, nodded slightly, then lowered her head, slowly walking towards the closet to pack her things. At this point, even if he hadn't kicked her out, she had decided to leave.
She heard the soft sound of footsteps as Jack left for work.
Once Jack was gone, the apartment felt empty.
But every corner still carried his scent.
Standing in the bedroom that was never really hers, she felt redundant and ridiculous.
She threw on a coat, standing in front of the mirror, a surge of anger rising within her, wanting to punch the mirror to pieces.
But halfway through raising her hand, she put it down.
Even if she shattered the mirror, she couldn't shatter the way Jack looked at her.
She began to pack her simple belongings, only taking what was originally hers.
She knew that nothing in this apartment belonged to her.
Carrying her luggage to the door, she remembered Jack's words, telling her to leave without a trace.
Fine, she would leave as he wished, without a trace.
Returning to the apartment, she started a thorough cleaning, leaving no room or corner untouched, organizing everything neatly and wiping it spotless.
Bedroom, kitchen, living room, bathroom—she cleaned every place meticulously.
After finishing everything, she realized she hadn't had a sip of water or a bite to eat since she got back.
But now, she had no appetite at all.
Even though she knew he was humiliating her, she still felt a bit reluctant to leave the apartment that had once moved her.
But his word "get out" had deeply hurt her pride, and she was determined to leave.
This time, she didn't even email the person who had secretly taken her photos, resolute in her decision to leave.
She thought that in just a few days, maybe if she didn't say anything, that person would never know.
This time, she would take a chance, because she really didn't want to get hurt again.
Even though she knew he truly wanted to hurt Emily, not her, Alison, as Emily's stand-in, she had had enough.
When she wasn't in the apartment, he probably wouldn't come back for dinner, likely eating out with another woman before returning.