Chapter2
912 Words
A few moments earlier.
"Damn it! How much longer are they going to keep chasing me? For God's sake, I'm so exhausted!" Aletta muttered. She kept running through the darkness toward the riverbank, illuminated only by the moonlight.
Until finally, her steps came to a halt right by a mound of dirt on the edge of the river, where the water flowed rather gently.
Aletta fell to her knees, hiding behind the thick grass and weeds. Both her hands covered her mouth tightly; she even held her breath so her hiding spot wouldn't be discovered.
Then suddenly....
"Don't run, sweetie! Your brother's debt won't just be paid off even if you hide," the hoarse voice of one of the men chasing her rang out, followed by a low chuckle that terrified Aletta even more.
Their footsteps stopped. The men's eyes roamed the area as they stood with their hands on their hips.
"Boss, I'm tired! I can't take it if we have to run anymore," complained a tall, large man. His belly was protruding and his face was round. He was panting heavily from the exhaustion of running.
"You pathetic loser!" snapped a man who was smaller and shorter but had a much fiercer expression. Some of the men following him looked down in fear.
Aletta could guess that this man was definitely the boss of the gang.
"Hey, Aletta! Listen carefully! I know you're hiding somewhere around here!" he shouted, breaking the silence.
Aletta, still in her hiding place, instantly clamped her hands over her mouth even tighter and squeezed her eyes shut when her name was called.
"I am the Leader of The Butcher! I won't hesitate to chop off your body parts if you refuse to pay your brother's debt! I'm giving you one month to pay it off! If not, prepare to be my third wife! Your house and all your assets will be mine! Don't you ever dare to run away, because even if you hide in an anthill, I will definitely find you! So, think about it carefully from now on. Disabled for life, dead, or become my wife!"
Snap!
Aletta's eyes went perfectly wide when she heard the sound of a snapping twig stepped on by a stray cat. It clearly drew the men's attention straight toward her hiding spot.
'God, save me,' Aletta prayed inwardly. She pressed her lips together even more firmly and shut her eyes tightly.
"Ah... so you're hiding there?"
Meow.
A cat casually strolled past the Leader of The Butcher.
"Damn it!" the fierce-faced man cursed. He stood up straight again.
Silence.
Only the tranquil sounds of crickets and the rippling river water could be heard. However, the same couldn't be said for Aletta's heart. It had been racing wildly this whole time.
Not long after, the five debt collectors finally gave up and turned to leave.
"Enough, let's go!"
After ensuring they had truly disappeared, Aletta came out of her hiding spot and sat on the riverbank, trying to catch her breath.
"Ah, finally! Those horrible people are gone!"
The atmosphere returned to a quiet stillness. Aletta closed her eyes for a moment, listening to the sound of the flowing river, which helped her feel a little calmer.
In that silence, Aletta pondered her unfortunate fate. How could she not? A few days ago, she lost her job due to cruel slander by her boss, and now, destiny seemed unsatisfied with playing games with her life.
Because of her brother's actions, she had to lose her father forever. Her father suffered a heart attack upon finding out that their house had been mortgaged by her brother to a ruthless loan shark.
Not only that, but her brother had vanished as if swallowed by the earth, leaving her all alone with a mountain of debt that amounted to an absurd figure. Even crazier, the money was used for something utterly ridiculous.
For what? Online gambling! Once again, online gambling! Aletta felt like she was truly going insane!
"Dad... what should Aletta do?" she said softly, letting tears stream down her cheeks. "Look, your favorite child is acting up again! He's even the cause of your passing, isn't he? How does it feel to be ruined by the actions of the son you were always so proud of? If only you had listened to Aletta and been firm, this would never have happened! Now, he's burdened me, who knows nothing at all!"
Aletta stared at the calm surface of the flowing river. Out of nowhere, an urge to drown herself and end it all suddenly crossed her mind.
However, amidst those crazy thoughts, a loud, booming sound echoed, piercing the night. It instantly startled Aletta.
BANG! BANG!
Aletta reflexively covered both her ears upon hearing gunshots coming from the bridge above.
"What was that sound?" Aletta muttered tensely.
And not long after....
SPLASH!
The sound of a large object hitting the surface of the river echoed from the direction of the towering concrete bridge not far from her position.
"What is that?" Aletta sharpened her gaze toward the river and immediately stood up. In the middle of the current, she saw the silhouette of someone struggling against death. "I-is that... a person?!"
Certain of what she was seeing, Aletta jumped straight into the water and grabbed the hand of the person who was almost drowning. She then pulled him to the riverbank.
"Hey? Sir? Can you hear me?"
To be continued
- Writer
