Chapter 28 A Dead Silence
Blood kept pouring from the wound, but he acted like he didn't even notice.
The searing pain spread through her entire body in an instant.
She clutched the grass beside her, yanking it out by the roots without even realizing it.
In that moment, all she could feel was the pain and Jack's furious face.
Time dragged on painfully.
When he finally walked away from her, the sunlight returned to her body.
But no matter how warm the sunlight was, it couldn't ease her suffering.
Jack calmly adjusted his clothes and looked at her lying on the grass again. "Emily, this is the last time you'll see me. In this life or the next, you better hope we never cross paths again, or I'll make your life a living hell."
A living hell.
That's exactly how she wanted to punish the person who had taken those photos of her.
She never expected that her anger would be so similar to Jack's.
Except, he wanted to punish her, and she wanted to punish that person.
She looked at him with bright eyes, the air still thick with his scent.
Recalling his humiliation and torment, and then looking at his handsome face, she smiled faintly and said softly, "Jack, goodbye."
With that, she closed her eyes, hoping to never see him again.
Goodbye, as in never again.
On the grassy field, Jack's footsteps echoed, followed by the sound of a car door opening and luggage being thrown heavily.
She silently prayed that the laptop in the luggage would be broken, so she could pretend this was just a nightmare, and when she woke up, everything would be back to normal, as if nothing had happened.
She buried her head in the sand like an ostrich, telling herself this was just a dream, not real.
But when he got into the car, started the engine, and drove away, the sounds told her he was really gone.
This wasn't a dream; it was a harsh reality that had just happened.
The Lamborghini drove farther and farther away until she could no longer hear any sound.
The surroundings fell into a dead silence.
He had chosen a safe place to take her, where no one would know her humiliation unless he chose to tell.
The smell of blood filled her nose and mouth, and the wound on her chest kept bleeding.
She wanted to sit up and re-bandage it, but she had no strength to stand.
On the grass, her blood slowly seeped out, like water droplets, not much, but enough to make her pain worse.
The forest remained deathly silent as she lay in the sunlight, shimmering, waiting for the moment her strength would return.
She listened to her heartbeat, thinking: as long as I'm alive, it's okay.
Alive, she would bury everything that happened today in the corner of her memory, never to touch it again.
Alison thought she might get pregnant this time because she hadn't taken any birth control.
The afternoon sun gradually slanted westward, and another day was about to end.
The deathly silence in the forest made Alison feel the breath of death, but she survived.
When she finally sat up, she found the wound was still bleeding.
A few steps away, the luggage lay quietly, containing medicine and clothes, enough for her to leave with dignity.
She had to get up because the forest would be even more eerie and terrifying after dark.
She moved slowly because of the intense pain, every movement feeling like she was being torn apart.
She trembled as she stood up, opened the luggage, and saw the laptop lying there quietly. She wanted to smash it immediately.
But she knew it was the key to finding the person who took the photos, so she had to keep it.
Her body was covered in bruises, Jack's final gift to her.
By the time she changed her clothes, the sun had already set.
Alison dragged the luggage and struggled in the direction the car had left. She had to hurry, she had to be quick.
She was dizzy, walking unsteadily, but the sunlight outside the forest was her hope.
When she stumbled out of the forest, it was just getting dark.
But she saw the dirt road stretching into the distance.
The distant lights were her hope.
Jack had driven from T City to here, speeding for over an hour, at least sixty miles.
She thought, as long as she encountered a car and got a ride, she could get back.
As long as she was alive, there was hope. She would find that person, the damn photographer.
Dragging the luggage for over two hours, she was constantly afraid, afraid of the dark.
In the darkness, she walked trembling, the distant lights of the suburbs letting her know there were people there.
"Home," such a warm word, but she had nothing now.
Fortunately, she encountered a truck halfway. The driver, a man in his fifties, saw her condition and didn't ask much, just drove her towards T City.
The moment she got in the truck, her heart finally settled.
As they entered the city, the driver kindly asked, "Miss, whatever happened, don't lose hope. I'll take you home. Where do you live?"
She shook her head lightly. "Anywhere is fine, wherever it's convenient for you to stop."
The driver didn't ask further.
Getting off the truck, Alison felt there were still good people in the world; she had just met one.
Walking in the bustling, sleepless city of T City, she chose crowded places to walk, never wanting to experience that terrifying night again. She had to learn to protect herself.
She felt much more at ease because now she was free.
Although those photos were still like bombs hidden in some computer, at least now she could breathe a little easier.
That person probably wouldn't send anyone to follow her again.
From this moment on, Alison decided to be reborn. She would regain her dignity and find that person.
Dragging her injured body, she found a cheap but decent hotel to stay in, just wanting to rest well for the night because her body was at its limit. If she didn't rest, she might not be able to stand up again.
Entering the bathroom, the sound of water trickling, her thoughts drifted back to the night she was injured.
That night, Jack had changed her bandages and cleaned her body, his gentleness making her let down her guard again.
She had once forgotten Jackson, but today, Jack had pushed her from heaven into hell.
The moment her clothes were torn and the wound bled, their relationship was completely severed, no resentment, no love, no feelings.
After the shower, she lay on the bed, ready to do the thing she most wanted to do but was most afraid to know.
She wanted to go online and find out what had happened to Jack today that made him lose control and treat her that way.