Chapter 3

The sound of the train was getting closer, and Eric shouted anxiously, "Hurry up! Get on the train!"

Everyone snapped out of it like waking from a dream and bolted toward the train in a panic.

Byron instinctively grabbed Lisa's hand and ran, completely forgetting about me, his so-called mate.

"Bethany, can you run faster? You're slowing us down," Lisa snapped when she noticed me behind them.

"I'm running as fast as I can," I said coldly.

But what did it matter how fast I ran?

The train doors were open, but since no one got on right away, the staff just closed them.

Then the train sped up, leaving us no chance to catch it.

Seeing we couldn't make it anymore, I finally stopped and called out, my voice loud but laced with frustration, "Stop running. It's too late."

Everyone slowed down and came to a stop, eyes fixed on the train as it disappeared into the distance.

A few women started crying helplessly.

The ones standing with Eric wore hard expressions, anger practically radiating off their bodies.

Someone stormed up and grabbed Byron by the collar.

"You son of a… You happy now?"

"Lisa, you just had to wash your face? Is it really that important to look pretty? Who the hell are you trying to impress?"

Lisa's face went pale as she cowered behind Byron in fear.

Byron, instead of calming things down, turned to glare at me. Then he slapped me across the face and threw all the blame on me.

"Bethany, you told Lisa to go wash up, and you ran so damn slow! If you'd moved faster, we all could've gotten on the train!"

I touched my burning cheek, letting out a bitter laugh.

Ten years, and no matter what Lisa did wrong, he always found a way to pin it on me.

He treated me like dirt because he didn't love me.

Luckily, I already knew how heartless he was. I'd already felt that pain once. Now, all I felt toward him was disappointment and hatred I'd never forget.

"Yeah, it was Bethany's idea that I go and wash up," Lisa chimed in right away. "She said we still had half an hour, and that even if I was late, everyone could just wait a bit longer for me."

The others instantly turned on me, their eyes filled with fury, resentment, and disgust.

"How could you?"

"We treated you like a friend, and this is how you repay us?"

"When did you get so cruel?"

A few of the women couldn't hold back their anger. They surrounded me, yelling and cursing. One of them even dug her fingers into my arm.

I didn't bother explaining. I knew they wouldn't believe me anyway.

They needed someone to blame, and I was the easiest target.

When I tried to leave, it only made them angrier. A few of them started hitting me.

"This isn't just Bethany's fault—Lisa and Byron are just as much to blame! All three of them should take responsibility!"

Eric couldn't hold back anymore either and lunged at Byron.

Byron fought back with everything he had.

Lisa, terrified, tried to run.

But another woman saw her trying to slip away and went after her, dragging her into the fight.

Byron, furious at seeing Lisa get attacked, broke free from the men holding him and shoved the women away from Lisa, shielding her in his arms.

No one stood up for me.

I took every hit, and soon my face was bruised and swollen.

They even pushed me close to the edge of a deep, dangerous silver mine pit. I scrambled away just in time.

The pain all over my body made me grit my teeth, and I crouched down, hugging my head and trying to bear it.

Everyone was seething.

I sat in a corner, forgotten, while Byron held Lisa tight as she cried in his arms like a delicate flower drenched in rain.

Boiling with rage, Byron pulled a silver knife out of his bag and shouted like a madman, "Stop it! If anyone lays another finger on Lisa, I swear I'll kill them!"