“Look at how neatly the onions are arranged!” Suddenly, I heard Queenie’s voice. “Don’t you like onions?”
I looked over, and the waiter brought us Italian seafood pasta, each with a plate. Cameron had meticulously picked out all the onions from the dish in front of him.
My heart skipped a beat as I looked at him, feeling a bit awkward. Cameron happened to look at me too, his eyes filled with surprise. He then glanced down at the plate, as if he couldn’t believe he had done it himself.
Only I was allergic to onions at this table…
I forcefully lowered my head, almost burying it in my chest. My hands trembled, and the cutlery nearly slipped from my grasp.
“Is this plate mine?” Queenie was about to reach for it when Cameron stopped her, pushing the plate of Italian pasta towards me and handing the other plate to her.
“Laura can’t eat onions,” he said nonchalantly.
“You’re so considerate,” Queenie laughed. “This is clearly Carter’s job, and you snatched it.”
“What nonsense are you spouting?” Cameron suddenly got angry, his outburst catching everyone off guard. Queenie looked at him in astonishment, and soon tears filled her big eyes. Carter remained silent.
I could only advise, “Queenie was just joking, why are you getting angry?”
“Jokes should have limits.”
I broke into a cold sweat. Limits? When he violated me, he didn’t consider these two words.
Suddenly, I felt sorry for Queenie, and guilt crawled over me like vines.
“Laura,” she looked at me with a helpless gaze, “Can you accompany me to the restroom?”
I agreed immediately.
Her makeup was ruined, and she needed to touch up. Such matters were best done with a female companion. In the future, when she married into The Lynch Family, perhaps we would become the closest friends.
For now, I temporarily forgot about the unsettling feelings and tried to see her as a simple heiress. I thought, anyone would get angry seeing me coming out of that room in disarray with her fiancé.
She must really love Cameron!
I patted her shoulder and walked with her to the restroom. Everything seemed normal along the way, but when we entered the restroom, a few figures suddenly surrounded me. Then, they covered my mouth, pushed me into a cubicle, and one of them held my head, forcing me to kneel by the toilet.
“Dare to scream again, and I’ll cut off your tongue!” Queenie was extremely arrogant.
I lifted my eyes and saw her standing above me, completely changing her gentle appearance, staring at me with ferocity.
Several girls beside her, probably her bridesmaids, also crossed their arms, their eyes filled with contempt.
“Is this the little slut who seduced Cameron?” one of the girls asked. “Queenie, what should we do next?”
“We can’t let her off easily!”
“What are you doing?” I became alert.
They approached me with malicious intent, forcing me against the door in the cramped cubicle. One of the girls slapped me hard.
“What are we doing? Teaching you a lesson, little slut!”
I felt my mouth swelling, a bloody taste seeping into it.
Someone grabbed my hair, forcing me to lift my head.
“Look at this face! Slut, take a good look at yourself in the toilet! Do you even deserve to compete with Queenie?”
“I didn’t!” I struggled, “Queenie, why are you doing this? I never tried to steal Cameron from you… After you got engaged, I distanced myself from him!”
“Distanced yourself?” Queenie shrieked, throwing a roll of toilet paper directly at my face. “Do you dare say you distanced yourself from him? Then how do you explain what I saw at the hospital…?”
I felt a bit guilty. “That… that was an accident.”
“An accident?” She sneered. “How many ‘accidents’ do you still want? After I marry Cameron, do you want to have ‘accidents’ over and over again?”
“And what about just now? In front of me, you dared to flirt with Cameron! Cameron even helped you pick out onions!”
“Cameron and I have grown up together; he naturally knows my taste.” I calmly dealt with her. “Queenie, instead of venting your anger on me here, you should learn how to manage your man! Cameron keeps pestering me, and it’s annoying!”
“Laura, you have no shame!”
She subjected me to a flurry of punches and kicks, and I could taste the flavor of blood in my mouth.
Her friends dragged me outside and held my head over the sink. She turned on the faucet, and cold water instantly poured over my head. A suffocating sense of fear spread throughout my body, and I struggled with all my might, but I was no match for their strength.
Their laughter was piercing. At that moment, someone suggested, “Why don’t we strip her naked and take a few pictures, then post them online to ruin this little slut’s reputation!”
“Yes, strip her naked and take a few pictures, expose this little slut to the world!”
“No…” A chill ran up from the soles of my feet as I desperately struggled, but I was still like a fish on a chopping board.
In a matter of moments, they forcibly removed my top and pulled down my skirt. An overwhelming sense of shame engulfed me, and I gritted my teeth, vowing to protect my last bit of dignity.
“Die, slut!” Heavy fists rained down on me. “Still dare to resist? Want us to find a man to strip you instead?”
“Queenie, you can’t!” I shouted desperately. “You can’t do this… Cameron won’t let you off if he finds out!”
Queenie grabbed my hair abruptly, and instantly my scalp tingled.
“Dare to threaten me with Cameron? I’ll make sure you won’t have the face to see him again!”
Then I smelled cigarette smoke.
Someone lit a cigarette with a lighter. Queenie held the cigarette in front of my eyes, teasing, “Looks like if I don’t give you a taste of reality, you won’t know your place! Always seducing men, right? I’ll scar your pretty face, and let’s see how you seduce Cameron then!”
“No…” I was about to scream, but someone clamped their hand over my throat.
I couldn’t move, only watching helplessly as the lit cigarette, glowing with fire, approached slowly.
I was terrified and angry, but I had no strength to resist them. Perhaps this was the punishment I deserved. Anne, who was so good to me, was killed by my father, and Carter, who was so good to me, was betrayed by me.
The Lynch Family raised me, and I became the snake in the fable of the farmer and the snake, biting the hand that fed me. I, in this state, deserved this retribution!
I closed my eyes as the burning sensation gradually touched my skin. At that moment, I heard a sharp scream, and when I opened my eyes, I saw someone lying on the ground.
It was one of Queenie’s friends, the one who had lit the cigarette.
Loud slaps echoed, hitting the faces of the women who had attacked me.
Screams filled the air.
I stared in astonishment at the scene unfolding before me, and a familiar figure came into view. A suit jacket was draped over me, and I found myself enveloped in that warm embrace once again.
“Queenie,” Cameron’s voice was cold and deep. He raised his hand in front of her, but it never landed. “I won’t hit you. You’re my fiancée, and I won’t lay a hand on you.”
“But please, have some self-awareness. Do you know why we are engaged? You should be clear about that!”
“Cameron…” Queenie’s face turned pale, and she stared at him intently. “How could you treat me like this?”
“I warn you, stay away from my woman.” Cameron lifted me up. “If there’s another time, I won’t let you off as easily as today!”
“Cameron!”
Ignoring Queenie’s screams from behind, he carried me away from that dirty place.
Everything happened so suddenly, and I was caught off guard.
“Cameron…” I started to speak, but a sharp pain tore through the corners of my mouth.
“Don’t speak!” He glanced at me. “You’re so useless, getting bullied like this!”
I fell silent, leaning comfortably against his chest.
Listening to the heartbeat that gave me an infinite sense of security, my tears silently flowed.
Why is it you, Cameron? Why is it that every time I face trouble, you’re the one who steps forward for me?
One day, when you discover my identity as the daughter of a murderer, will you still treat me this way?
I dared not think further, just holding him even tighter.
Cameron took me to the apartment, and as soon as we entered, he busied himself preparing a bath and searching for the first aid kit. I felt much better after taking a hot shower. After I came out, he asked me to lie down on the sofa and gently applied medicine to my wounds with a cotton pad.