Trapped in a Marriage I Never Wanted

CHAPTER 3: THE ESCAPE ROUTE

The heavy silence of the dining hall felt suffocating after the door slammed shut behind Maylin. Hana stood petrified, her eyes wide as she stared at the empty space where the Maylin had been standing. Her heart hammered against her ribs, a cold sweat breaking out across her skin.

Aiden slowly turned his body toward her. Seeing her pale face, his dangerous expression instantly vanished, replaced by an unreadable softness. He stepped toward her, raising his hand slightly as if to reach out and check on her. "Hana, are you—"

The moment his hand lifted, Hana violently flinched, her entire body jerking backward in raw panic.

Aiden stopped dead in his tracks. His hand hovered in the air for a fraction of a second before he slowly lowered it back to his side. "I’m not going to hit you," he said, his deep voice unusually quiet.

"ooh...oh, okay" Hana stammered, her voice shaking as she clutched her midsection. "Ah... my stomach is suddenly paining me. I think... I think I need to go to my room and sleep."

Without waiting for him to reply, Hana spun on her heel and bolted down the marble corridor. She practically threw herself into her bedroom, slamming the heavy wooden door shut and twisting the lock until it clicked securely.

Pressing her back against the door, she slid down to the floor, her breathing shallow and frantic. “Has he been abusing his first wife this whole time?” she thought, her mind racing with horrific scenarios. “If he can deliver a heavy slap to her like that without even blinking, he will absolutely do the same to me one day! I can’t stay here. I don't care about waiting until he helps my dad get his retail company back. I just need to escape now!”

The next morning, the sun had barely risen when Hana finished dressing herself in a casual outfit for campus. she gripped her bag tightly and stepped out into the main hall.

At the exact same moment, Aiden walked out from his room, looking devastatingly sharp in a pristine corporate suit. He paused, his dark eyes scanning her from head to toe. "You're dressed. you want to follow me to work?"

"No," Hana replied quickly, her defensive walls immediately going up. "I’m going to college."

Aiden’s brow texturized slightly in confusion. "Why are you still going?"

Hana wanted to let out a sharp hiss of annoyance but she didn’t. "Did my mom and dad not tell you? I explicitly said I would still go to school!"

Aiden went quiet for a brief moment, studying her expression. "No, they didn't. But it’s okay. You can go." He turned slightly and lifted his phone. "I'll call my driver to take you to campus."

"No!" Hana interjected, her voice tight. "I will go alone."

"No," Aiden countered, his tone leaving absolutely no room for argument. "Let him take you."

Hana bit her lower lip, not wanting to get into an argument with him. "Fine," she muttered, letting out an angry breath.

She turned to walk away, but before she could take two steps, Aiden’s voice echoed down the hall. "Wait."

Hana stopped and froze. She turned around slowly as Aiden walked up to her, closing the distance between them. Hana's breath hitched as he reached out, his long fingers gently touching her hair, softly smoothing the stray strands back behind her ear.

"Don’t get hurt, okay?" he murmured, his gaze intense.

The moment his hand retracted, she practically sprinted out the front door to escape his presence.

Standing in the quiet corridor, Aiden slowly lifted the hand he had just used to touch her hair. He pressed his fingers against his nose, closing his eyes as he inhaled the lingering, sweet scent of her shampoo.

"Having you just by my side..." he whispered, a dark, completely obsessed smile spreading across his face, "...feels like I’m in heaven."

The luxury sedan pulled up to the university gates a short while later. Hana opened the door and stepped out, turning back to the man behind the wheel. “I will call you me when I'm done with my classes."

The driver looked at her through the rearview mirror, his expression tight with apology. "I'm sorry, Mrs. Lu, but President Lu instructed me that I am to wait until you close for the day."

Hana rolled her eyes, throwing her hands up in frustration. "Whatever. Do what you want."

She spun around and marched onto the campus courtyard, trying to shake off the suffocating feeling of being constantly watched.

"Hana!" a cheerful voice called out.

Hana turned to see her closest friend, Hailey, running up to her with a wide, curious grin. But the moment Hailey reached her side, she grabbed Hana's hand, flipping it over to inspect her fingers. "I saw the news this morning! You got married?! Where on earth is your ring?"

Hana’s face went pale, and she quickly yanked her hand back, shushing her friend frantically. "What married?! I’m not married!"

"Oh, please. The entire internet is talking about the Lu Group's wedding," a cruel, mocking voice sneered from behind them.

Hana and Hailey turned to see a small group of wealthy students. Standing at the front was Tiffany Chang (Chang Tiffany), the reigning mean girl of the freshman class, her arms crossed as she looked at Hana with pure disgust.

"I never knew you and your parents could be this desperate, Hana," Tiffany laughed loudly, her friends joining in behind her. "Marrying a tycoon who already has a wife? You must really love money to be a homewrecker at nineteen."

Hana’s fists clenched at her sides, but she forced her expression into a cold, unbothered mask. "I can’t waste my time on garbage," she said loudly to Tiffany.

Without giving Tiffany another glance, Hana turned and walked straight to her classroom.

But entering the classroom offered no relief. The moment Hana stepped through the door, a chorus of whispers and snickers broke out among the rows of desks.

“look guys!" one of the male students shouted out, snickering as he pointed toward the door. "who decided to grace us with her presence. Mrs. Lu!"

The entire lecture hall burst into a wave of teasing laughter. Hana’s face burned with humiliation as she walked to the furthest row and slammed her notebook onto the desk. “This is exactly why I wanted the marriage to be a secret!” she screamed furiously in her mind.

A few grueling hours later, the classes for the day were finally over. Exhausted and emotionally drained, Hana climbed back into the backseat of the luxury car, letting out a long sigh as the driver pulled away from the campus curb.

They were halfway down a quiet, secluded road bordered by heavy trees when the car suddenly sputtered and died, the engine coming to a complete, grinding halt.

The driver tried turning the ignition a few times, but nothing happened. He looked back at Hana through the mirror. "I'm sorry, ma'am. The engine seems to have stalled. I need to step out and check it."

Hana groaned, resting her head against the window. "Fine. Just hurry."

Sitting inside the silent car, the trapped, suffocating feeling from earlier rushed back over her. Unable to just sit there and wait in the cramped space, Hana unlocked her door and stepped out onto the gravel road, stretching her legs.

*VROOOOOOM.*

A sudden, roaring sound of a motorcycle engine shattered the quiet air.

Hana blinked, turning her head toward the sound. A black motorbike was speeding down the road, accelerating directly toward her. The rider was covered in dark clothing, it face hidden behind a tinted helmet visor.

As the bike drew parallel to Hana, the rider suddenly reached into a side pouch, pulling out a thick glass container and hurling the clear liquid inside directly at Hana's face.

"Ma'am, move!" the driver screamed.

Having noticed the suspicious movement just in time, the driver lunged forward with unbelievable speed. He threw his entire body over Hana, spinning her around and using his own torso to shield her from the splash.

*SIZZLE.*

A horrific, burning sound filled the air, immediately followed by a agonizing, guttural scream from the driver.

The motorcycle roared loudly, speeding away into the distance and disappearing around the bend.

Hana stumbled back, her eyes wide with sheer terror as the driver collapsed to his knees, clutching his back in absolute agony. Smoke was literally rising from the fabric of his clothe, the dark suit jacket melting away into a charred, bubbling mess.

"What was that...?" Hana gasped, her voice trembling violently as she dropped to her knees beside him. "Why would someone want to pour something on my body?!"

Panic seizing her entire soul, she reached out to steady him. "Are you okay?! Oh my god, your back..."

As she looked closer at his tearing clothes, her blood ran completely cold. The liquid was eating right through his skin, leaving raw, bloody, and horrific chemical burns across his flesh.

"Acid..." Hana whispered, the realization hitting her like a blow as her chest heaved in pure horror. "Someone just tried to pour acid on me... Why? Why?!"