Chapter 3 Her escape

Chapter 3

There was a throbbing pain shooting from my head.

The place wasn’t familiar to me, but I was sure that I was tied to a chair because I couldn’t move my hand. The smell of dust and wooden crates told me that I was in some kind of warehouse. I tried to move, the chair groaned under me, but didn’t budge, and the rope dug into my skin.

Then I heard footsteps.

Light spilled in from behind me, and then they were inside.

“Is she awake?” I heard James ask.

“I heard movement; I think she is,” Melissa said.

In a few seconds, they were in front of me. James stepped out first, eyes cold but tired, his shirt unbuttoned to his chest.

Melissa crossed her hand over her chest as she sneered at me. I didn’t back down. I glared at the woman whom I once considered a sister.

“What do you two think you are doing?” I snapped at them, but it only seemed to amuse them, especially Melissa. “This is fucking kidnapping.”

“Yeah, and what are you going to do about it? You shouldn’t have followed us, Kalyssa,” James sighed, rubbing his hand over his face.

My stomach twisted. ‘What was he saying? Why were they acting like I was the one in the wrong?

They didn’t even look sorry.

“What are you saying?” I asked, looking from one to another.

Melissa leaned into James; he wrapped his arms around her shoulder. I was filled with disgust; how could they act like this to each other?

“You weren’t supposed to find out by this time,” James said quietly.

“When? Why? how?” I asked all at once. I wanted to know everything.

“We have always been in love with each other,” James started. “But we can’t be together openly because of society and family.”

‘obviously’

“I brought you to him because I knew you wouldn’t suspect a thing,” Melissa added. Her tone suggested she thought I was stupid.

“And you were rich.” James added.

‘Huh, what? That was right, I did hear them saying something about my company.

“You just wanted my money,” I spat at them.

Melissa rolled her eyes. “Of course we do, how else are we going to cater to our child?”

The world stopped. I looked at Melissa’s belly, and that was when I noticed the tiny bulge. I had thought she was only putting on a little weight.

“Yes, I am pregnant, but the doctor said there might be some complications with the pregnancy, and so we need money,” she continued. Her eyes are sharp.

None of this made sense to me. I could only shake my head. I couldn’t think of anything to say.

James took out some folded paper from his pocket and a pen. “Here, you should sign this,” he said, dropping the paper on my lap.

“I’m not going to sign it,” I turned away.

Melissa frowned. “Be a good girl and sign it.”

“Over my dead body,” I spat at her.

Suddenly, she laughed, a manic type that made my skin crawl. “Oh, baby, you have no idea. if you die, James will take over the company automatically, so you will only be making things easier for us.”

While she said this, James stepped away and came back a second later with a metal bucket filled with clear liquid.

Something told me the liquid inside was not water.

“You are a smart girl; I know you know that this isn’t water but acid,” she said.

My heart let to my throat. ‘I have to get out of here.’

“So, which is it, you want the easy way or the hard way?” she said, demonstrating with her hand. Something about her had changed. Her eyes were wild.

“If I sign it, will you let me go?” I asked. They exchanged looks.

“Yes,” James said. Melissa's eyes snapped towards his with a frown. She shook her head at him, but he didn’t look at her.

“You just have to sign it, and we will let you live, “James said. Melissa clenched her hand beside her. Her breathing rapidly increased.

She wasn’t happy with the idea of letting me leave.

I struggled with the rope behind my back, but it was too tight.

“Okay, I’ll sign it,” I nodded at him. James sighed. He looked relieved at my choice. “But I will need you to untie my hand.”

He nodded and went behind me. Soon, the rope came loose. I thought this was an opportunity, but he quickly grabbed my left hand.

“There, now you can sign it,” he said.

With my head bowed, I missed the look Melissa had on her face when James grabbed my hand. She bit her lips hard enough to draw blood.

With no other choice, I signed the document. When I was done, James pulled my arm back and began trying again.

“Not too tight, you stopped my blood circulation,” I told him. He stopped and then continued, but this time he didn’t tie it so tight.

“James,” Melissa called out louder than necessary. We both looked up to see her glaring at me. “Secure the document, I’ll take care of her.”

James nodded and grabbed the document. I wanted to call out to him as he walked away, but Melissa suddenly placed her hand over my mouth.

“Shut up, you bitch” she growled.

I shook her hands free. “What do you think you are doing?” I asked, but was met with a hard slap on the cheek. My head reeled to the side, and I tasted something metallic in my mouth.

“You think I will just let you live? So, you can go back to fucking him?’ she asked.

Oh, why would I possibly want him after all this?

“I don’t want him; you can have him,” I rolled my eyes.

“Liar!” she yelled. Her breathing was hard. She looked like she was holding herself back from tearing me into pieces.

“I can’t let you live. James is still in love with you,” she said, more to herself than to me.

“Melissa,” I called out to her; her wide eyes snapped towards me. She snapped her fingers.

“I know, it's your pretty face,” she said. My heart dropped; I shook my head.

She picked up the bucket and walked carefully towards me.

“If I destroy your face, he wouldn’t want you any longer,” she said and laughed.

She had gone crazy.

“Don’t be stupid, Melissa,” I yelled in fear. I tried moving backwards, but it was of no use.

“I have to, that’s the only way he will be mine,” she said as she drew closer.

When she was close enough, she pulled back, ready to throw the bucket. Anger had clouded her thinking. Acid was like water; if she threw the bucket at this distance, it would surely touch her.

What was she thinking?

Before she could pour it, I kicked her legs, she fell back, and the bucket was thrown behind her.

She yelled as the acid crept towards her; it ate away at her back, and she got up and began running wildly. I used that opportunity to loosen the rope.

And then I ran out of the warehouse with Melissa screaming at me. “I will kill you.”

I ran without looking back. The warehouse was in the woods. I didn’t know where I was going, but I didn’t care. Anywhere was better than here. Exhaustion caught up to me, and I tripped over a protruding branch root twice. The night was cold.

I heard wolves howling at a distance.

After what felt like hours, I finally saw a road. I increased my pace, my lungs protesting, and I ignored the pain shooting from my ribs. When I got to the road, I had reached my limit.

The world blurred, my legs buckled under me, and I collapsed to the floor. Up ahead, there was a blaring light making its way to me.

‘Maybe this was the end for me.’ I thought when the car stopped in front of me.

The door opened, a leather shoe stepped out, and walked towards me. The leather was sparkling; it didn’t look like something James could afford.

“Look at what you have become,” I heard a deep voice say as the leather shoes stopped in front of me.

“Please, help me,” I whispered to the shoes before the world went dark for the second time, placing all my hope on the leather shoes.