and he’d chopped a gaping hole.
A thick arm snaked through the hole, pawing
around for the lock.
The instant his fingers touched the bolt, my
heart leaped into my throat.
Click. The lock gave way.
The door creaked open, revealing the drunk’s
twisted, leering face again.
He was already scanning my body, and I was
trapped, exhausted, forced to back away.
“Freeze!”
<
—
Just then, the front door crashed open the
cops!
They tackled the drunk. I crumpled to the floor,
feeling like I’d just survived a war zone.
The cops hauled away the drunk and Carol. I
climbed in the back of a squad car to give my
statement.
Because Carol was stonewalling, I had to go
over every detail, reliving the whole thing.
I was stuck at the police station practically all
night. By the time I got out, it was dawn.
Mark and David knew what I’d been through,
but didn’t bother checking on me. Not even a
text.
I checked my phone. Just one text:
“Lisa’s after-party needs us. We sent someone
く
“Lisa’s after–party needs us. We sent someone
to check on you. Be careful.”
My heart shattered all over again.
When I finally got back to the apartment
complex, Mark and David were already there.
Lisa was sitting between them, laughing,
completely safe.
The injustice hit me like a punch. My eyes
welled up.
Lisa was fine. Maybe my brothers wouldn’t hate
me this time.
A tiny sliver of hope flickered in my chest.
Like always, I called out to them, my voice
trembling: “Mark… David…”
Hoping for a hug, a word of comfort.
く
They barely noticed me.
Mark’s face darkened. He scowled at me and
looked away.
David jumped up and slapped me across the
face.
Then he pointed a finger at me, furious.
“Liu Wen! You think this is a joke?”
“You threw this whole tantrum just because
Mark and I went to Lisa’s show? You even hired
a guy to stage this whole thing!”
I was already shaky from the near–death
experience and lack of sleep.
That slap nearly knocked me off my feet, and I
hit the ground hard.
But no one seemed concerned.
They didn’t care about my safety. All they felt
was anger and the satisfaction of seeing me
get what they thought I deserved.
My heart froze, and I just lay there, tears
streaming down my face.
David’s hand was shaking as he pointed to the
house.
“Do you know how much this house costs? Do
you know how much all the things we bought
for you cost?”
