~2~

"Think about Rachel. She'll be hurt if she finds out," Lucie said, trying to pry Mike off.

"I couldn't care less," he whispered, nibbling on her ear.

"This is not funny. Release me, please!"

"One night. I will allow you to leave," he said, grabbing her by the hair. She didn't want to do anything with him. Why was he forcing her? Why was he so tenacious?

"I am sorry if I offended you before. I am sorry I was mean to you. Let me go, okay. I will be nice." Lucie was frightened. She didn't know what he was going to do next. The best thing she could do was to apologize and play it safe.

"Why am I asking? When I can easily take it," he smirked. Take what? He grabbed her by the hair dragging her away behind him. "What I want, I get," he said, tossing her on the bed.

"Don't do this, Mike! I am sorry," she said as tears flowed down her cheeks.

But why was she apologizing to him? She did nothing wrong.

He approached the bed unfastening his shirt. "Don't come over!" She shouted, throwing the lamp at him, but he dodged it.

Lucie was not going to stay there and be violated by him, but she also did not want to die. She was scared, petrified. She pushed Mike aside strenuously as she made a run for the door.

It was locked! "Mike, please. I am begging you." There were no other ways to get out of this, so she begged for her life. "No one will know I was here, and no one saw me. I will leave. Please let me go," she said as she held onto his legs, asking for his mercy. "What have I done to you except avoiding you?"

"One night, that's all I asked. No one ever refused me. But you! You made me work for this," he said, going down in a squat position. "I sincerely love you. Is my love so unworthy to accept?" He asked, grabbing her chin. She didn't want to look at him that face. She didn't want to see it.

Love? Was that love? Do people hurt the ones they love? He didn't give her a chance to accept or reject it. How could he call it 'love'? And she had the right to refuse him. Was it an obligation to reciprocate someone's feelings just because they expressed theirs to you?

"No, I am unworthy of your love," Lucie said, "There is nothing good about me," she started to babble, "I am stupid, I am from a poor family..."

"Playtime is over, sweetheart." In a swift move, he ripped the blouse off her and carried her on the bed. "If you fight me, I will kill you," he said. His eyes, determined and dark.

'Then let me die!' Lucie slapped him. She thought if she hurt his pride, he'd kill her. Then, she could escape.

"Even if you were the last man on earth, I wouldn't sleep with you. I don't like you. You are a fucking bastard. Do you think all women want to sleep with you because you have money? You stupid fuck. You are fucking ugly.

"Shut your mouth," Mike said, slapping her face hard.

"Kill me! Go ahead and kill me, you moron."

He seized her lips, pushing in his tongue forcefully. She bit him. "I don't like hitting women. Don't make me hit you again," he warned. He kissed her. Should it even be called a kiss? Nothing, no reaction. Mike vigorously kissed, bit, suck her lips.

'Kiss? It was an assault.'

He kissed her nose, her cheeks and planted a light kiss on her forehead, and he whispered, "I am sorry." Those were the things she had imagined her boyfriend Dann doing on her first night.

She felt disgusted. Sorry? She laughed.

While he was kissing her neck, Lucie plunged her teeth into his shoulder, biting as hard as she could.

Blood flowed down from his shoulder to his back and the bedsheet."Ah!" He roared, but she did not let go. He yanked her away from him, tossing her aside, her head hitting the concrete headboard.

Mike opened the drawer, took out a gun and a bottle. He pointed it at her. "I won't kill you. I love you too much." How could he use the word 'love' so casually?

Lucie's hopes of escaping are shattered. "I have been too lenient."

~~~

He pushed her legs open and slammed into her forcefully. Painful! "It hurts," Lucie cried, "Stop! It fucking hurt Mike." He kept going and going. He didn't listen to her cries as she pleaded for him to stop.

"I am begging you, stop," she said, but he continued as if he didn't hear her pleads.

"I have you no matter what. When I want something, I get it."

Mike paid her no attention as he continued to ram into her violently. He turned her on her stomach, and he thrust into her nonstop. She was in agony, not just emotionally but also physically. She could not endure the pain. No matter how many times she told him to stop, he wasn't going to do anything until he was fully satisfied.

After what felt like an eternity, he let go of her. Lucie laid still and motionless.

Why did this happen? Why did Mike—?

How was she supposed to face Dan? She couldn't go on with her life and acted as if nothing happened.

Lucie had a great job that she loved, an amazing boyfriend, and friendly coworkers and neighbors.

In one night, it took one night to destroy all she had.

~~~

She couldn't move her body because of the pain. She wanted to die because she didn't know how her boyfriend Dan would react. The wounds, the humiliations, she was not confident that she could survive with them.

She got out of bed, picked up her clothes on the floor to leave when Mike suddenly came out of the bathroom.

"Where are you going?"

Lucie ignored him and hobbled towards the door.

"I didn't say you could leave," Mike warned.

"What more do you need, you bastard?" She yelled.

"You are the woman I want," he whispered.

"Sorry, you're the man I want dead. Even if you were the last man—I would rather die than be with you."

"You can't do anything about it. You are in my home." He picked his phone and called someone. "Come take her, lock her up!"

"Please, let me go!" Lucie pleaded, begged, kneeling as if she was worshiping him. She couldn't take more of this. No!

"I won't tell anyone. I will change my name and leave the country. You will never hear from me. Please."

"You won't tell anyone," he laughed. "I am the mayor's son, and my mother is the CEO of Spence Corp. No one will believe you."

He was so powerful. Everyone loved him, thinking that he was a great person who behaved well.

No matter what, people would blame her, saying that she was only doing so to get money.

Who was she?

A nobody. Lucie didn't have many friends. Her parents' background couldn't help.

"NO ONE WILL BELIEVE YOU!" He reminded her.

What could people like her do? People with nothing. No matter how loud they shout. No matter how loud their cries and sorrows are, no one will hear them. They wouldn't do anything. And those who'd want to help would be crushed by the others.

Why? We don't have the power to protect those people. We don't have a status. We are not wealthy. We don't have connections.

Lucie cried uncontrollably, forgetting the pain in her legs and waist.

"What I have done to you? Why are you doing this to me? I hate you!"

"Hate me all you want."

"I have never offended you in any way. Why must you do this to me? What have I ever done to you? Let me go, huh. Please!"

"I am sorry," Mike said, patting her head. "I love you, sincerely. I can't let you go if I let you go. You'll go back to him. I can't do it."

"This isn't how you show love, Mike. You don't harm the person you supposedly love. That's what you're doing to me, Mike," Lucie cried. "How did you turn out to be like this?"

"Call it whatever you'd like. Take the miss away."

"No! I won't go. Don't do this!"

"Take her," he ordered.

"I hate you. I will never forgive you for this!"