Dorothy did not know where Hugo had thrown her off to, but when she saw the dilapidated houses on both sides of the streets, the crowded shops, and figures of prostitutes from time to time, she immediately knew that this was far from the bustling city centre. It was most likely Talco City’s slums.
Even though she grew up in Talco City, she had never set her foot in such a place before. She was overwhelmed with fear as the footsteps of the four men chasing her came closer.
In this wretched place, it was normal for things like r*pe and murder to happen.
Even when some pedestrians noticed her being chased by thugs, none of them stopped to help her, what more call the police.
There were times when one would truly experience the harshness of reality.
Dorothy ran desperately. It had been close to a day since she’d eaten, and she was at her limit. As she ran, her breathing became more and more ragged.
The road was full of potholes. As she ran, her heels dug into her feet.
Her sweat flowed like a waterfall, but she couldn’t stop. If those thugs caught her, that was the end.
At this moment, she desperately wished for Credence to suddenly appear in front of her and save her from despair.
“Credence, why haven’t you come for me yet?”
In her despair, Dorothy’s legs weakened and and she slipped on a sharp rock. She fell to the ground, and the pain washed over her.
She held her breath, and her body stiffened. She didn’t dare to move.
Because the four men that had been chasing after her had come up to her and fanned out around her. They all had lecherous and cruel smiles on, and they looked at her like she was a delicious piece of meat.
The ferocious look in their eyes made Dorothy tremble with fear. She turned back to look at the road ahead in a trance, and she seemed to hear Credence calling out to her.
He was speaking with a tender voice, “Dory, where are you?”
In that instant, Dory’s heart jolted, and she teared up. She sobbed hoarsely, “Credence, is that… is that you?”
No one answered her.
The only reply she got was the cold, cold wind.
It billowed around her, cutting into her face.
She thought to herself, “Credence, if you don’t come, this will be the end of me.”
One of the men pounced on her and pulled on her hair, his face thunderous. “F*ck you, why’d you run? Didn’t you see that we had our eyes on you?”
Who would want to catch their eyes?!
Dorothy’s scalp hurt, like it was going to be ripped off her head. She couldn’t stop herself from being pulled up from the ground. Before she could steady herself, another man rushed forward and held her arms behind her back. She was caught.
Someone turned on their phone’s flashlight, and it blinded her.
She’d just squinted her eyes to block out the light when someone harshly pinched her waist. It hurt so much that Dorothy felt like she was being torn in half.
She turned around angrily. It was the leader of the pack, and ugly man with a long scar over his forehead. He was smiling maliciously at her. “We got lucky this time. Guys, as usual, let’s enjoy her first before selling her off to some rundown backwater place. We can probably fetch a good price for such a beauty, at least two hundred thousand.”
The thugs’ eyes lit up when they heard that they could make two hundred thousand dollars. They turned to look at Dorothy like she was an ATM.
She shouted, “Don’t touch me!”
Despite the pain all over her body, Dorothy suppressed her whimpers and forced herself to look at the leader calmly. “If you let me go, I’ll pay you double.”
They scoffed and sneered at Dorothy, whose clothes were torn and rumpled. “You think you can pay us four hundred thousand? Stop f*cking around! We’re not idiots.”
After that, they saw a few black luxury cars coming towards them from about fifty meters away. The leader quickly realised that something was wrong and signalled at the others. “Someone’s here! They could be here for her. We have to get out of here now!”
They didn’t want to be beaten up without being paid a single cent.
They couldn’t afford to offend anybody who could drive such a luxurious car.
Especially since this woman didn’t look like the type that came from a poor family. Though she was disheveled now, she was beautiful, and she had that noble aura.
D*mn it, wealth came with high risks.
Once they finished this job, they would be able to live comfortably for a long time.
These thugs were used to kidnapping random women from the streets. They quickly dragged Dorothy into an obscure street.
Behind them, the sound of car engines rumbling and people getting out of the cars could be heard clearly.
After that, Dorothy heard the conversation between Marvin and Credence.
“Credence, are you sure she’s here?”
“Yes, I’m sure! My men managed to track Hugo down through a bank withdrawal record. He wouldn’t dare lie about something like this if his life depended on it.”
“There are so many people here, though. Where should we start?”
“Get your men and the police to search every nook and cranny. I don’t care what you do, just find her!”
Credence’s words were clear and firm. Dorothy’s tears flowed when she heard him.
She thought she was dreaming, but she knew that this time, she was completely awake.
Credence was here, he was really here.
She tried to make a sound.
She wanted to tell Credence that she was right here!
However, Dorothy’s mouth was completely covered by one of the thugs’ sweaty, smelly palm. She couldn’t make a single sound.
She tried to bite his hand, but to no avail.
She listened to their hurried footsteps, and Credence and Marvin’s voices faded away. When she could no longer hear them, Dorothy gave up struggling. Her tears flowed freely.
The despair buried at the bottom of her heart overwhelmed her once again until she could no longer resurface.