Chapter 2

Once again, I drifted behind Martin as he headed to the police station.

The officer in charge led him to the evidence room and presented him with what they found: my clothes and my cellphone. "Could you please verify if these items belong to Ms. Cox?"

Martin scowled and only spoke after a long while. "Where is she?"

"Apologies, sir, but initial investigation suggests that she may have come to harm. We have still yet to find a body…"

"Then don't bother looking." Martin chuckled coolly. "Don't waste your energy—she isn't in trouble, and she's just trying to draw attention to make me feel guilty and play to her whims."

Clearly, he refused to believe that I had died—if anything, he would rather I did die, since I was a villainess who stopped at nothing to get what she wanted.

Even so, the officer was staring at him hesitantly. "Are you sure about that, sir?"

"Yes." Martin nodded solemnly. "Apologies for the trouble, but I'll sort out this mess myself. She'll be found in three days."

There was a dark gleam of rage in his eyes, and I knew that he thought I had gone too far this time.

I laughed right beside him until I couldn't.

Here I was, dead as a doornail, but he'd still stop the authorities from doing their jobs.

It was just like the day I was killed, when I had called him one last time for help.

However, he snapped as soon as he answered, "It's never over with you, is it? Why don't you just die?"

I dropped my phone in despair as my killer knocked me out and took me away.

-

Back in the present, Martin made a call as soon as he stepped out of the precinct.

"Lynn Taylor!" he bellowed furiously. "Where's Beatrice?! Tell her to come home and stop hiding!"

Lynn was my only friend whom I couldn't even say goodbye to, and she fearlessly shot back, "What's your problem?! That's exactly what I want to ask you myself! Where have you been hiding her?!"

I watched as Martin grew visibly nervous, his breathing turning rushed—though for what reason, I had no idea.

Still, he snapped back at Lynn, "Well, I don't care what you say—tell her this is her last chance! She'd better come home tomorrow, or I don't care if she's rotting in some ditch!"

I scoffed as I stood, numb to my toes. "You don't have to care. You'll never find my body anyway…"

Still, that was when Lynn burst into tears on the other end. "You douche! Bea is really missing, and I've already called the cops! If anything bad happens to her, I'll hurt you!"

Martin clearly flinched but soon laughed mockingly anyway. "So, that's her plan all along? Using such a pathetic excuse to make me marry her? Well that's a new low!"

My vision blurred with tears even as I looked at him, as I decided to truly give up on him just then.

-

It was a stormy night a week before I died.

As thunder rumbled, Martin pushed me down on the bed, his glare cold and threatening. "You kept seducing me so that I'll do it with you, huh? Why are you such a loose woman? Are you so desperate for a man's touch?"

"I'm not!" I snapped back. "We're engaged in the first place, but you're refusing to honor it—"

He refused to listen, grabbing my chin as he crushed his lips against mine.

But the kiss was devoid of affection—he was just unleashing his lust.

When I resisted, he snorted. "Isn't this what you want? Why are you pretending to be a reluctant maiden now?"

"Please stop… My stomach hurts…" I sobbed as I begged.

But he didn't stop, holding my waist as he thrusted viciously, leaving me feeling that he was trying to kill me for a second.

And even as he did, he rambled, "You pushed Yvie down the stairs and almost killed her, but I didn't hold it against you, let alone call the cops or send you to prison.

"I've already played nice as much as I can, so don't you dare play any more of your tricks! And you're still demanding that I marry you?! Give up already!"

In the end, my throat was so hoarse that I couldn't manage a word.

But it wasn't me—I didn't push Yvie.

Blood started streaming from between my legs even as I felt the persistent stabbing pain in my belly, suffocating me.

"It really hurts…" I begged him, noticing that something had just gone horribly wrong. "Please, you have to take me to the hospital…"

"Buzzkill." He snorted in disgust, shoving me aside as he went to get his shirt.

He was actually going to take me to the hospital, until the phone rang and Yvie screamed, "Martin! Please, help me! That serial killer is coming after me! Help!"

As Martin's face dropped, he promptly picked up his clothes and dashed out of the room, not bothered by what would happen to me.

Overwhelmed by the pain, I fell off the bed and curled up as I kept begging, "Help… Please don't leave me… Martin…"