Chapter 4

"I didn't. I've been at the villa handling my luggage. And, haven't you checked your email?"

"Enough!"

He cut me off.

"Isn't it just because Audrey delayed our destination wedding, and you're feeling resentful?"

"I didn't, I really didn't…"

Before I could finish, my phone suddenly vibrated.

Audrey sent a message: "Annie, your good days are over."

I froze, before I could even understand what was happening.

Footsteps suddenly came from behind me. Before I could turn around, the back of my head was hit with a sharp pain, and the world plunged into darkness.

When I opened my eyes again, I was lying on the floor of a sauna room.

Steam billowed, and my eyes, already poor, could see almost nothing.

Brandon's voice came from outside the door. I struggled to get up and saw Brandon holding and comforting Audrey.

"It's okay, it's okay. I'll get revenge for you."

Audrey was sobbing hysterically in his arms.

As the temperature rose, a pain shot through my eyes. I propped myself up and furiously pounded on the door.

"Brandon, my eyes can't be in here, they'll bleed! Let me out!"

He froze slightly, and Audrey cried even harder.

"My eyes hurt so much, what do I do? What if I can't see anymore, what do I do?"

Brandon tenderly wiped Audrey's tears, not responding to me.

"I really didn't do it! Look at the message she sent me!"

I held my phone up to the glass window, Audrey's text message displayed on the screen.

Brandon glanced at it. Before he could speak, Audrey shrieked again: "My eyes hurt so much! I'll never see again! Brandon, I'm so scared…"

"Don't be afraid, don't be afraid."

Brandon pulled her into his embrace, then turned to look at me, his eyes cold: "Annie, no excuse will work this time. Whatever you did to Audrey, I'll do to you."

I covered my eyes, screaming: "At least look at my phone…"

He didn't listen. He was already embracing Audrey and turning to leave.

The heat grew heavier.

Tears streamed uncontrollably from my eyes, only to be evaporated by the high temperature.

My eyeballs hurt more and more. I desperately smashed the door.

Just then, the door opened. I was overjoyed, trying to get out, but a man pushed me to the ground.

The man was drunk. He lunged at me, mumbling obscenities: "Pretty girl, I'm here."

My eyesight was too poor, I couldn't see his movements, I could only struggle to dodge.

But the sauna room was so small, there was no escaping.

That filthy hand grabbed my wrist.

I gritted my teeth, fumbled for the self-defense weapon I had hidden on me, and forcefully plunged it into my throat.

…

The steam fogged up the glass, obscuring the scene inside.

Brandon's friend, Mike, kindly reminded him.

"Brandon, aren't you going too far? She's your fiancée, after all."

Brandon lit a cigarette, his tone nonchalant: "Just to scare her a bit. I didn't even turn on the temperature."

"I have to teach her a lesson, otherwise she'll keep bullying Audrey."

Mike paused: "Then why is she constantly screaming that her eyes hurt?"

"She's being dramatic." Brandon exhaled a puff of smoke. "That's just how she is…"

Before he could finish, a staff member stumbled over: "N-no good! The lady in the sauna room… she killed herself!"