Illusion or Reality

Chapter 3

“Am I going to meet my end here?”

But fate apparently had other plans. A lightning-fast movement yanked her wrist. Grace closed her eyes tightly, bracing herself for the hard impact of her body against the asphalt.

Wait. Why didn’t she feel any pain at all?

Grace hesitantly opened her eyes. Her palm was resting on something hard and warm. As her vision began to focus, her eyes widened in shock. She had been so bold as to touch a man’s broad chest!

Grace hurriedly stood up to free herself from his embrace. How utterly foolish of her! No wonder she didn’t feel a bit of pain; a man had sacrificed his back to take the impact of the road to protect her. Having been saved, she’d actually landed on top of him! What an incredibly embarrassing situation.

The sound of a metal door slamming shut roughly diverted Grace’s attention. She stared intently at a burly, heavily tattooed man who had just stepped down from the truck’s driver’s seat. Grace swallowed hard; the man looked incredibly intimidating.

“What the hell are you doing?!”

Grace flinched at the shrill shout. She struggled desperately to keep her courage.

“Why don’t you use your eyes when you walk? I almost ran you over and killed you!” the man scolded with a fierce expression. Yet, behind his anger, a flicker of concern shone in his eyes.

Grace’s hands trembled violently. She bowed her head deeply in apology. “I’m sorry, sir. I’m sorry. I promise I won’t do it again,” she stammered.

“All right. Next time, watch where you’re going. Your life is precious,” the driver advised, his tone softening as a faint smile crossed his face.

Grace, hearing this, was utterly stunned, but a moment later, a sweet smile formed on her lips. Although the man looked intimidating on the outside, he turned out to be a caring person.

“Thank you, and I’m sorry.” Grace kept bowing her head repeatedly until the huge truck drove off, leaving her behind.

Her left hand rose to clasp her chest. Finally, she could breathe a sigh of relief. Her heart had nearly leaped out of her chest just now.

“Thank goodness I’m still safe,” Grace muttered as she turned around. Her brow furrowed deeply. “Where did the man who saved me just now go?”

Grace scanned her surroundings in every direction, searching for her rescuer. But to no avail—she didn’t find anyone. The man had vanished so quickly, as if swept away by a gust of night wind. Yet, she hadn’t even had a chance to express her immense gratitude.

Grace could only let out a long sigh. “May God reward him many times over for all his kindness,” she prayed sincerely to the Creator.

The smile on Grace’s face hadn’t faded one bit since then. Even as the rain continued to pelt her body, that smile continued to shine, warming her soul.

Is this world truly cruel? Perhaps her perspective had simply been too narrow all along. The world isn’t cruel; rather, it is humanity’s perspective that shapes that reality.

It’s true that some people have crossed the line and come to view their wickedness as normal. But on the other hand, I’ve also often found sincere souls hidden in this world. They simply express their kindness in different ways.

Grace smoothed out her wet clothes before continuing on her way. The sense of unease that had been weighing on her chest was gone. Her mood had changed drastically simply because of the kindness shown by the two good-hearted men she’d just met.

At the same time, Grace was completely unaware of someone who had been watching her every move from a distance the whole time. That figure was hiding in the shadows behind a building, a faint smile playing on his lips. It was as if he had been infected by the sweetness of Grace’s smile that night.

The sound of the key turning in the lock creaked softly. With what little energy she had left, Grace staggered into her cramped rental apartment. She wrung out her shoes—which were filled with water—as hard as she could, then set them in the corner of the room, hoping they’d be dry by tomorrow morning.

“I’m so tired,” she murmured.

Grace slipped her feet into a pair of comfortable house slippers. She dragged her feet toward the small washing machine in the corner of the kitchen. Since her energy was nearly depleted, she lazily took off her sweater and jeans, which felt incredibly heavy. She stuffed the wet clothes into the washing machine drum, leaving only her underwear and the thin T-shirt she was wearing.

Her long strides came to a halt beside the bed. Her almond-shaped eyes stared intently at her knees. She hadn’t expected her injuries to be this severe. Her left knee was even slightly swollen, with a bluish-purple rash. She cursed her own carelessness, feeling she’d failed to take care of her body.

Grace forced herself to get up to fetch the first-aid kit. This time she chose to sit on her worn-out sofa, not wanting her only bed to be stained by medication.

A constant whimper of pain accompanied every gentle stroke on her wounds. Tears welled up in the corners of her eyes as she tried to endure the stinging pain.

Grace’s eyes, which had been half-closed, now gazed with satisfaction at the bandaged wounds. Even though her movements would be slightly hindered later on, what could she do?

With great effort, she stood up again. No matter how exhausted she was, she couldn’t neglect her duty to keep her home clean. Humming softly to herself, Grace turned the knob on the washing machine and let it run.

Unbeknownst to Grace, a pair of eyes hidden in the darkness of the night watched intently every inch of her movements through a small gap in the window that wasn’t covered by a curtain.

For some reason, something stirred heavily within that figure’s chest, driving his desire to immediately pull Grace into his embrace. However, he realized he must not act rashly. He had to plan everything carefully so that their future encounter would appear as natural as possible.

The mysterious figure’s strong hand reached into his pants pocket, pressing a slim black communication device to his ear. “It seems I can’t stand waiting any longer. Finish all the preparations right now.”

***

The warning bell from the campus tower rang out loudly, shattering the silence of the central library. Grace jumped up from her seat. She hurriedly gathered the media law texts and journalistic investigation guides scattered across her desk. With hurried steps, she returned each reference book to its original shelf, then zipped up her bag as she jogged out of the library.

Grace suddenly stopped in her tracks, glancing frantically at the clock on her wrist. She had only three minutes to get to the lecture hall. Usually, instructors arrive five minutes after the scheduled start time, but that leeway certainly didn’t apply to the senior professors, who were notorious for being very strict with their students.

The woman took a deep breath, trying to calm herself. Whatever punishment awaited her inside, she had to accept it with an open heart. Her fingers gripped the wooden double doors labeled “Mass Communication Auditorium” tightly, then she pushed them open slowly.

A torrent of ice-cold water suddenly pounded her head.

Here we go again. This endless cycle of events seemed never-ending. Grace was sick of it. All she could do was bow her head, letting her hair and clothes get soaked.

Without uttering a single word, Grace turned and walked away toward the faculty restroom. She paid absolutely no attention to the mocking laughter echoing behind her back. Their laughter was like daggers taking turns piercing her heart. And they never stopped inflicting wounds on her.

The restroom door slammed shut as she pushed it open. Although she always tried to stay strong, Grace was still only human and had her limits. Anger and frustration were boiling inside her chest.

She studied her reflection in the large mirror. It was still early in the morning, but her appearance was already a shambles. The only thing she could be grateful for was that the water that had drenched her was just plain water, not dirty mop water.

The sound of a zipper echoing through the quiet room. Grace gazed wistfully at a pair of clean clothes neatly folded inside her bag. She always carried a change of clothes to prepare for any mishaps on campus.

Grace let out a weary sigh. Standing up to them would only drain what little energy she had left. She didn’t want to dig into someone’s past just because their skin had accidentally brushed against hers. It was exhausting.

After stepping out of the stall, Grace checked her reflection once more. Neat and flawless. A faint smile finally appeared on her lips. However, as she smoothed out the hem of her shirt and turned to leave, her steps halted. Grace slowly backed up until her back bumped against the cold porcelain wall.

“Dave! What are you doing in the women’s restroom?” Grace snapped, her breath coming in short gasps as she held back her anger.

Grace flinched when Dave suddenly stepped forward, pinning her against the corner of the wall with his two muscular arms.

“To see you, of course, sweetheart.”

“No!” Grace’s mind protested vehemently. She refused to have any more contact with this young man.

“Don’t I have the right to taste you first before I officially treat you as an ex-girlfriend?” Dave whispered, deliberately emphasizing the words “ex-girlfriend” with a mocking tone. A smirk was etched on his face as he watched the panic radiating from Grace’s eyes.

Dave’s fingers moved as if to stroke her chin, but Grace deftly turned her face away so that Dave’s hand merely brushed a strand of her hair.

Grace glared at the man in front of her. “Don’t you ever dare touch me!”

Dave just chuckled softly. This was the first time he’d seen Grace’s wild side, and it only fueled his desire to conquer her even more. “Oh, now I’m afraid to do it,” Dave teased with a wide grin. “Well then, let’s see who’s in control here.”

Grace shifted restlessly, trying to fend off every attempt the young man made to corner her. Dave pressed his face closer and closer. This couldn’t be allowed!

“Get away from me!”

A well-aimed knee strike to Dave’s groin sent him tumbling backward. Dave groaned, clutching the lower part of his body, which was throbbing with pain. He forced himself to stand upright. Reluctant to appear weak, Dave forced out a hollow laugh.

“We’ll see who ends up begging and kneeling at my feet,” Dave hissed as he held a diamond necklace high in the air.

Grace’s eyes widened. Reflexively, her hand reached for her now-empty neck. That heirloom from her parents—worth far more than her own life—had changed hands! What a sly thief!

“I’ll be waiting for you at the bar behind campus at nine tomorrow night. That is, if you still want to see this necklace back in one piece,” Dave threatened with a triumphant smile. Then he turned and walked away, leaving Grace behind.

Grace’s jaw clenched, and she clenched her fists so tightly her knuckles turned white. “You bastard, Dave!” she cursed silently.