Married To Two Husbands

“Let me go! Who are you people?!” I screamed, my throat burning painfully. Despite the noise spilling from the casino’s main hall, I was certain my scream carried far beyond the empty corridors. “Somebody help!” But no one was coming to save me. This was my first time getting kidnapped, and I was fairly certain there was no manual on how to save yourself from something like this. It was the dead of night. I had been grabbed from the alleyway into an underground casino—one of the most notorious and illegal business houses in the city. Now I was being dragged through the dark back entrance to God knows where. The experience was both thrilling and terrifying, because deep down I knew the truth of what I had done—and what was about to happen. My heart thumped violently against my ribs as I fought with every ounce of strength I could muster, thrashing and struggling against the men who had ambushed me outside. However, my strength was no match for three grown men. Two of them held me by the arms, dragging me deeper down the fire-exit staircase while the third followed closely behind as a lookout. I didn’t stop yelling. I kicked wildly, trying to hit them or force them to drop me to the floor. None of it worked. The men didn’t even seem bothered. It was almost as if they knew no one would come to save me here. My eyes caught sight of a huge clock hanging in the hallway. Tick. Tick. Tick! The steady ticking sent a chill racing through my veins. There were only a few minutes left until midnight. I was running out of time. Panic surged through me, and I fought even harder, like a rabid dog. We had just reached the bottom of the staircase when the man behind me suddenly yanked my hair with brutal force. My neat bun came undone, and my red hair fell over my eyes. Bright scarlet strands—just like my name—blurred my vision while my scalp burned. Finally fed up with my struggling, his skinny fingers clamped roughly around the back of my neck. “Stay put or I’ll make you!” he growled. My skin crawled at what he was implying. But I wasn’t thinking clearly enough to obey. The only thing in my mind was the instinct to survive. So I struggled even harder. “Let me go this instant! I warn you—you’ll regret it if you lay a hand on me! You f*****g assholes!” That must have been the last straw. Before I could yell again, his hand tightened around my throat, cutting off my breath instantly. The man was thin, but his strength was frightening. The two men restraining my arms slammed me hard against the wall. The skinny lookout stepped in front of me, his face twisted with rage. I saw his hand move. The next second, a sharp slap cracked across my face. “We’ll do whatever the f**k we want with you,” he shouted. “And you—or anybody else—won’t do a damn thing about it!” His voice rang so loudly it made my head pound. He grabbed my chin and forced my head up so I had to stare at him. “Got it?” But in that moment, I saw an opportunity. Without hesitation, I lifted my leg and kicked him hard in the crotch. The skinny man froze instantly. A strangled yelp escaped him as his face twisted in agony. He clutched between his legs and collapsed to his knees. The sudden chaos distracted the others. And in that moment of confusion, I tore myself free and ran. I had no idea where I was going. I just ran. Behind me, the pained howl of a furious madman echoed through the corridor. “Get that b***h!” I didn’t need to look back to know they were coming. Heavy footsteps pounded behind me as they gave chase. The casino corridor stretched endlessly ahead like a tunnel. I ran as fast as I could, stumbling more than once, but no matter how far I went, the men behind me seemed to cover twice the distance. I tried every door I passed, yanking at the handles and shouting for help. None opened or answered. When I finally reached the end of the hallway, dread filled my stomach. I realized my mistake too late. It was a dead end. The way back to the casino’s main hall was the opposite direction. I had run straight into the trap they wanted. There was an elevator beside the wall, but it clearly required a special card to access. Cards only people with serious authority or money would have. I punched the button again and again. It still refused to budge. By then, I had begun to suspect the heavens weren’t on my side. Maybe they saved people according to status. If that was the case, then I was on my own. Only I could save myself. But just as I turned to run back down the corridor, two of the men stepped into view. They had caught up. Seeing I had nowhere left to go, they slowed their pace, panting heavily from the chase. Grim, mocking smiles spread across their faces as they closed in on me. I stumbled back against the elevator and hammered the button again. The doors ignored me, and like before I was trapped. My breath came in ragged gasps. My chest heaved violently as sweat trickled down my face, the salt stinging my eyes. I pressed my back harder against the elevator doors, as if I could somehow melt into them and disappear. Another set of footsteps approached. I looked up and saw the skinny man limping toward us. His face was flushed red with pain and fury. My heart pounded faster. “This is our turf,” he growled. “Where exactly did you think you could run?” He sneered. “Look around. No one’s coming to save you. Even if you scream, I doubt anyone would bother.” His gaze darkened. “And since you kicked me… it’s only fair you repay us twice as much. Isn’t that right?” The hunger in his eyes made my stomach churn. The three of them were so close now that I could smell the sweat soaked into their shirts and see the cruel anticipation in their expressions. In that instant, I understood something terrifying. They weren’t just going to kill me. They were going to do far worse first. My face drained of color. My fists trembled at my sides. The courage to scream disappeared, and suddenly fear made my legs feel impossibly heavy. As the skinny man reached for me and the others moved to grab my arms— I crouched down and squeezed my eyes shut. Was this it? Then— Ding. A smooth sound echoed behind me, shifting the wall at my back. The elevator doors suddenly slid open. Before I could even process what had happened, I lost my balance and fell backward into the open space. I landed hard on the elevator floor with a painful thud. A groan escaped me as I struggled to sit up. When I opened my eyes, the first thing I saw was a sleek pair of dark shoes stepping slightly away from me—as if avoiding contact. Someone was already inside the elevator. Help had finally come. Relief flooded through my chest. I scrambled to my feet, ready to beg for assistance. But when I looked up, the words died in my throat. Cold eyes stared down at me. The man looked at me the way someone might look at a strange animal that had wandered somewhere it didn’t belong. I faltered. On my knees, disheveled and exhausted, maybe I really did look like one. His expression was so frigid it felt like it could freeze the air around us. Yet strangely, his sharply handsome features stirred a faint sense of déjà vu in my mind. But I couldn’t afford to think about that now. Survival came first. Throwing all pride aside, I clasped my hands together in desperate plea before his expensive shoes. “Mister, please—” Before I could finish, the stranger’s gaze shifted past me. He glanced briefly at the men standing outside the elevator. Then, without a single word, he stepped past me and walked out. His movements were slow and unhurried. Not like someone afraid of the dangerous men waiting outside. More like someone who simply didn’t care. About them or about me. I stared in disbelief. My situation was painfully obvious, yet he didn’t even blink. How much worse could my luck get? Frustration burned in my chest, tangled with rising panic. But I refused to give up. Not when the skinny man was already urging the others forward. “Grab her.” The moment they stepped into the elevator, I sprang to my feet and bolted out. I shoved past them and ran straight toward the retreating figure of the stranger. “Babe!” I shouted desperately as I sprinted toward him. Perhaps he sensed the call was directed at him. He stopped. And the next second, I crashed straight into his back. My arms wrapped tightly around his waist. His muscles tensed instantly beneath my grip. Foolishly—or perhaps desperately—I held him even tighter. “Babe,” I whined pitifully, “are you still mad at me? Is that why you ignored me?” I clung to him like he was the last lifeline in the world. I didn’t need to see his face to know his expression had turned ugly. I could already feel the recoil of his body at my touch.