Once he noticed Steven coming up to them, the man left the girl alone and ran for his life as though he had seen a ghost.
“Better watch out next time!” Steven shot daggers at the running figure which vanished into the alley. He then turned around to help the girl up while comforting, “It’s okay now. He’s gone. Are you alright?”
She nodded and squeezed out the word ‘thank you’ with difficulty, but it was left unheeded due to the rain.
“What did you say?” He could not hear her clearly, and he led her to the convenience store to take shelter from the rain.
“Welcome!”
The girl did not seem to be drunk because she did not reek of alcohol. Steven helped her into the store and toward the table. “Stay here. I’ll get my umbrella. You-”
He stopped midway as the girl looked familiar to him the longer he stared at her, as though they had met before. His expression changed when he suddenly thought of someone. “It’s you! That crazy girl!”
Although she had let her hair down, she was wearing the same green hoodie she did in the afternoon while getting into a fight with him at the reservoir, which was located in the suburbs.. Steven and the couples even gave her a lift to Westhill Racecourse!
But why is she here?
Steven took two steps back instinctively and observed her warily. “Are you trying to rip me off? I’m warning you-it’s going to be your bad day if you’re scheming against me!”
However, Sandra did not have the energy to raise her head to look at him, let alone listen to him talk. The grogginess plagued her head and the moment he released her, she stumbled onto the floor.
“Hey!” he shrieked in surprise and held her quickly. “Are you putting on a show? That won’t work! There are surveillance cameras in this store.”
He blabbered on and on, yet the girl collapsed in his arms weakly like she had lost consciousness. So, he placed his hand on her. forehead. She’s burning!
“Hey! Wake up!” He shook her twice to no avail. He turned around and saw two employees watching them. “What are you guys looking at me? I don’t know her!”
“Sir, why are you telling us that? She looks sick.”
“Why don’t you call the police? I seriously don’t know her. I only met her in the afternoon once. I’m leaving.” Steven adjusted her position so that she could lean against the wall. Still, she was not in a state of mind to sit upright, so how could she possibly do that?
In the meantime, the employees’ gazes on him turned complicated due to his feeble reasoning. and the fact that he was the one who brought her in. I’m afraid they’ll report me to the police if I abandon her here.
He planned to leave her alone under the employees’ scorching gazes, but something might happen because they were both guys. Damn it! What rotten luck!
At long last, he carried Sandra in his arms and left the place.
Just what the hell is going on? The rain poured throughout the night. It showed no means of stopping even when the morning sun had risen. As the raindrops tapped against the window, the wall of rain poured non-stop.
Sandra was sleeping restlessly. Before she fainted, her last memory was a stranger dragging her into a dark alley. No matter how much strength she mustered, she could not shake him off.
She had practiced judo for twelve years, so ordinary people could not lay a finger on her. Even so, something went wrong today; her body felt heavier right after she walked a distance from Westhill Racecourse, and toward the end, she didn’t even stand a chance against a skinny man.
While she fought through the drowsiness, the image of the side hall appeared in her mind. It was the scene where her mother was nestling in a man’s embrace.
“Once Dorothy is gone, she will have no one to depend on except you.”
The ruthless and apathetic words rang in her head. Not even a smidgen of sympathy could be felt from them. Right then, Sandra vaguely saw someone strangling Dorothy to death as the background loomed in darkness.
“Ahhh!” she screamed as her eyes shot open. Huffing and puffing, she found herself in an unfamiliar place.
It was a classic yet luxurious European-style bedroom. The cream bedsheet was silky and comfortable to sleep in. It was worlds apart compared to the environment she grew up in.
Her first reaction was to check on herself, aside from her green hoodie, she had her clothes on, including her long pants. Except for the stain on them, there were no traces of her being sexually assaulted.
Thank goodness! Sandra heaved a sigh of relief. Meanwhile, Richard just parked his car in the garage in Carter Residence.
“Mum, Dad, I’ll call Steven over to grab the stuff.”
“Okay. Take this bag of vegetables with you.”
“Steven can take those later. It’s heavy.”
“They’re just vegetables, you lazy bum!”
Marilyn retaliated against Jolly’s excuse, yet she had no intentions to bring the things into the house herself either. Richard smiled helplessly. “Go on. Steven and I can do the rest.”
“Then, I’ll leave it to you guys. Thank you for your hard work, honey.” Although she had reached middle age, she was still child-like in front of her husband.
“My pleasure, darling.”
Once Marilyn entered the house, she saw Jolly bent over and leaning against the door of the guest room on the second floor to eavesdrop. “What are you doing?”
“Shh!” Jolly turned around and gestured for Marilyn to stay quiet, after which she rushed down the stairs and pulled her mother to hide behind the staircase.
Suddenly, hasty footsteps could be heard from above them.
“There’s a bus stop outside the neighborhood. It’s hard to hail a cab around here because of the green travel policy.” Steven’s voice filled the living room. Sandra turned to look at him. “Where’s my hoodie?”
“I dumped it.”
“What? But it’s mine!”
“Have you forgotten that you fell in the rain yesterday? Do you think that it’s still wearable?”
“That’s none of your business. Give me back my clothes!” Her figure was discernible because she was only wearing a white singlet.
Meanwhile, the two women, who were hiding behind the staircase, looked at each other in confusion.
“Won’t you look at that attitude of yours.” Steven rambled on, “Can’t you at least say thank you? | was the one who brought you home and gave you a place to stay for the night. What’s wrong with throwing away your clothes?”
Sandra’s countenance remained grim. “Did I ask for your help?”
“Fine. Let’s just say that I was a busybody yesterday. Leave.” He was so vexed that he began to drive her away. “Get out of my sight at this instant.”
Hearing that, Jolly revealed herself at the drop of the hat. “You brat! What did you just say? How irresponsible of you to say that after spending the night with her!”
He was taken aback as he gazed at her like she was a ghost, as well as her mother who was standing behind her. “Jolly, Marilyn, since when are you back?”
Marilyn observed him and Sandra, who was standing behind him, before giving him a contemplative look. “When you said you’ve thrown away her clothes.”
