On that day, my father was not at home, and Cameron went to the company as usual. Mom accompanied Carter for his leg rehabilitation. Everyone was out. My heart pounded, and I quietly went back to my room, grabbed the pre-packed luggage, changed into a light outfit, told the housekeeper that I was going to check the new house, and slipped out through the side door.
I had planned the route in advance. I ran southward, where there were train stations, bus stations, and docks. I dared not take a plane because if Cameron discovered my disappearance, he would undoubtedly check the airport entry and exit records.
After some hesitation, I also avoided taking the train or ferry, as they required identification, and any use of identification would make it easy for Cameron to trace me. So, I bought a bus ticket, boarded a long-distance bus heading south, and temporarily set my destination not far from Jerez State in Hallstatt.
Although it was a fugitive journey, I wanted to go to a place with mountains and waters, beautiful scenery. Hallstatt was not large, a picturesque coastal city. In spring, cherry blossom petals fluttered in the air, creating a European small-town atmosphere.
So, I decided to settle there temporarily. I don’t have much luggage, just a backpack and a handbag. It was early summer, and I was still wearing a turtleneck sweater and a thin coat, with a duckbill cap and a scarf wrapped tightly around me.
I must have looked ridiculous; many people along the way were staring at me, making me feel uneasy.
On the long-distance bus, I found the most secluded seat and sat down. During the hours of the journey, I dared not close my eyes, tightly hugging my backpack with a vigilant mindset that didn’t relax in the slightest.
The bus raced on the highway, and the passengers inside were lulled to sleep by the bright sunlight. The bus was quiet, and I could even hear the unsettling sound of my own heartbeat.
At last, the bus reached the next service area. After the bus stopped, people started getting off. However, at this moment, someone suddenly passed by me and bumped into me. The bag in my hand fell to the ground.
“Oh, I’m really sorry.” The man wore a duckbill cap, making it impossible to see his face.
He picked up the bag and handed it back to me, then turned around and got off the bus. My heart trembled, and I stared at his departing figure nervously, even leaning against the window to secretly observe where he was heading. When I saw him come out of the restroom and stand in the square smoking a cigarette, my tightly wound nerves finally relaxed a bit.
I thought, ‘What’s wrong with me? I’m getting overly paranoid. A stranger I don’t know is making me this nervous.’
I stretched lazily, preparing to get off the bus and move around. I reached for the front pocket of my backpack… my ID was missing!
I was stunned for a few seconds, then checked the side pockets. The zipper was open, and all the cash inside was gone.
At that moment, I suddenly felt a sense of despair, and panic and helplessness seemed to tear through my body like invisible hands. My mind went blank, and my initial reaction was that I had encountered a thief. But I had been awake with my eyes open the whole way; how could a thief get close to me?
Then, I thought of the man from earlier.
I shivered and rushed to the bus door, discovering that more than a dozen men in black clothes and black pants, wearing duckbill caps like the man who bumped into me, were standing on the square of the service area.
My legs went weak, my body felt numb, and I leaned against the door frame, unable to move.
One of them approached me, lifting his duckbill cap slightly to reveal a smirk that was mocking yet polite. “Miss Campbell, Mr. Lynch asked me to pick you up.”
My heart sank. My hands and feet turned cold, and my back was covered in cold sweat.
“Miss Campbell, don’t you intend to come back with us?”
“Where is Cameron?”
“Mr. Lynch is waiting for you at home.”
“Please, let me go… let me go…,” my voice trembled, filled with a pleading tone.
I leaned against the door frame, tightly gripping the nearby railing.
“I beg you, let me go… let me go… I can give you money, anything else you want, I can provide! Please spare me, I’ll be grateful to you forever… Spare me…”
“What’s the use of begging me? Miss Campbell, I’m just doing a job.” The man replied coldly.
“I won’t go back!”
“Miss Campbell,” the man looked at me coldly, “Why don’t you think about how we knew your whereabouts? Mr. Lynch has known that you were planning to escape!”
I froze, feeling like I had been hit hard on the head.
“With no ID or cash, how far do you think you can run?” The man chuckled, taking out my belongings from his jacket pocket.
“Miss Campbell, go back with us sooner, and we can finish this earlier,” he said, “Do you… wish for Mr. Lynch to come and fetch you personally?”
That was the moment I realized I would forever be alone, with no one on my side. I was just a plaything in Cameron’s hands, and perhaps, not even a good one.
Under the gaze of onlookers, I got off the bus with my luggage.
People around were pointing at me and whispering.
The sun on that day was scorching, blazing hot. However, I felt dizzy, and a sense of desolation welled up from the bottom of my feet.
Instead of taking me back to The Lynch Family, they brought me directly to the apartment. The apartment that Cameron had rewarded me with had now become the judgment ground for him against me.
I pushed the door open, and someone forcefully closed it behind me with a loud bang.
My heart pounded as I stood in the vast space, now containing only Cameron and me. I could almost hear the irregular beating of my own heart.
He sat on the living room sofa, not turning around even when he heard my footsteps. He was still wearing the usual black shirt and pants. Just looking at his back, I could sense the cruelty emanating from this man.
My legs went stiff, and I stood there motionless, afraid to move.
After a while, he stood up, turned his face, and a faint smile grazed his lips.
I shivered and instinctively took a step back. But he didn’t come towards me. With a long stride, he walked straight to the sunroom upstairs… Soon, I heard a series of crashing sounds from above. I summoned the courage to sneak a peek. To my astonishment, the once crystal-like glass room was now a complete mess…
The shattered glass covered the floor, and sunlight would no longer stream in.
The greenery was scattered everywhere, the hyacinths that had just bloomed were snapped at the stems, their petals soiled with dirt.
The woven swing… now a wreck.
I stared in disbelief at the scene before me. Cameron stood in the midst of the wreckage, his eyes filled with disdain, a wild smile on his face.
He intentionally destroyed it for me to witness. He knew I liked this place, so he personally ruined everything I liked. This was his usual method of punishment.
Cold sweat trickled down my back, my legs went weak, and I struggled to support myself against the wall.
He pursed his lips and smashed the last flower vase.
“Bang!”
I shivered all over.
The air became eerily quiet. Soon, I heard his cold laughter, “Where were you going?”
I hesitated for a moment and then chuckled, “Don’t you already know?”
I lifted my head, “Haven’t you known everything all along? Haven’t you always toyed with me at your fingertips?”
He walked over, forcefully gripping my chin.
“You weren’t pregnant at all. Why lie to me! Planning to escape during this opportunity? Where would you run, Laura… I can’t believe. You’re surprisingly bold!”
I was forced to lift my head, meeting his fierce gaze. Surprisingly, at that moment, I wasn’t frightened. My emotions became surprisingly calm. I finally understood the phrase “to face death with equanimity”. Perhaps it was time to end it all.
I smiled, and Cameron’s eyes showed a hint of surprise.
I couldn’t allow myself to be humiliated without fighting back!
“All of this was forced by you, Cameron…” I struggled to speak these words, “Without you, I would have been happy with Carter… Maybe we weren’t like a typical couple, but we would have had our own child! I would have taken care of him with all my heart, repaying him, repaying The Lynch Family! But you… Why did you have to ruin everything? You’ve threatened me repeatedly, forced me, used all sorts of twisted methods against me! You destroyed my lifelong happiness… Cameron, you’re not human at all, you’re a devil! Yes, a devil!!”