"The next morning, the ward was silent, with only the sound of the patient monitor filling the air as Gina lay unconscious on the bed. Shortly after, a female doctor entered Gina's ward carrying a tray of fruits. She placed the tray quietly on the table, making sure not to disturb the sleeping patient. However, the door suddenly swung open, revealing a clumsy cleaner.
"Bani, please try to walk in silently whenever you enter a patient's ward," the female doctor whispered.
"I'm so sorry, ma'am," the cleaner responded in a hushed voice.
Meanwhile, Gina was awakened by the creaking sound of the old hospital door. She gradually opened her eyes and mustered the strength to sit up, while the doctor rushed to offer her assistance. As she sat up, she felt a sharp pain in her head and between her thighs. She placed her hands on her head, trying to recall what had happened, but she couldn't remember anything.
"Where am I?" Gina weakly asked.
"Good morning, dear. You're in the hospital. Don't worry, you're safe with us," the doctor replied with a bright smile.
"What happened to me, and how did I get to the hospital?" Gina inquired, scanning her surroundings.
"I'm sorry about what happened to you. Someone brought you to the hospital early this morning, claiming to have found you unconscious near a river bank close to their village. They brought you here for treatment, but couldn't afford to pay the bills. Fortunately, we found a broken phone, which we assumed was yours. We switched your SIM card to a better phone and searched through the contacts to find any relatives we could contact. Luckily, we found a number saved as 'MY LOVELY MUM,' which we assumed to be your mother's number. We contacted her at 6:00 AM this morning and asked her to come as quickly as possible, but it's now 4:00 PM, and she hasn't arrived. I'm afraid I may have called the wrong person. Can you confirm if this is your phone and if the number belongs to your mother?" the doctor asked, handing Gina a broken phone and a piece of paper with some digits written on it.
"Um, yes, this is my phone, and that's my mother's phone number," Gina stuttered as she suddenly remembered her encounter with the unknown men the previous night.
"Thank goodness! I almost thought I had called the wrong person," the doctor muttered to herself.
"By the way, I'm Dr. Flora, a medical doctor and therapist. The person who brought you here said they found you lying unconscious near a small river bank close to Miami. That river leads to the most popular bar and crime-prone area in Florida called 'BIG BOYZ.' Every month, the bodies of young teenage girls are found in that river, with some dead and others lucky to be alive. You are incredibly fortunate to have survived. Most of the girls found near the river were prostitutes and strippers from BIG BOYZ, many of whom were used, killed, and even had vital body parts missing. Some of the victims may not have been prostitutes or strippers but were invited by friends or lovers and ended up being raped, abused, or killed. When you were brought here, we conducted a test that showed you were raped multiple times by more than four men and thrown into running water," the doctor finished with a sigh, causing Gina to burst into tears.
As the nurse was about to say something, the door swung open, and Miss Sonia walked in, accompanied by a nurse. She didn't appear concerned about her child but looked relaxed and beautiful in her short dress and light makeup. She comfortably sat on a chair in Gina's ward while the nurse stared at her in confusion.
"Sorry, who are you?" the nurse asked, wearing a puzzled expression.
"She's my mom," Gina muttered, sniffling.
"Oh, you're welcome, ma'am. There's nothing to worry about; your daughter will..."
"Of course, doc. There's absolutely nothing to worry about," Gina's mom interjected, removing her sunglasses.
"Okay, I'm glad you're not worried. Here you go, ma'am," the doctor said, handing a paper to Gina's mom.
"What's this?" Gina's mom asked, looking confused.
"The test results show that your daughter was repeatedly raped," the doctor announced.
"Wow," Gina's mom muttered without showing any remorse.
"She was found at a river bank this morning and brought to the hospital by a stranger. It seems the incident happened near a nearby club known as 'BIG BOYZ.' We have treated many cases like this, so it's likely that it happened at that club," the doctor added. However, Gina's mom remained unmoved by sympathy.
"Wow, once again! I'm really speechless. Gina, what the hell were you doing at BIG BOYZ? I can't wait to punish you when we get home," Gina's mom berated, but the doctor intervened before Gina could say anything.
"I don't think it's right to blame her for..."
"Jeez! Are you really a doctor? Why do you talk so much? You both make me sick. How much is her bill? I need to leave now," Gina's mom rudely interrupted, picking up her purse.
"Just $20, ma'am. I treated her for free, but she needs to purchase the required medications, which cost $20," the doctor answered with a smile.
"Well, thanks so much, Gina! Thanks so much for making me spend so much on you!" Gina's mom yelled angrily as she left with her bag.
After a long drive, Gina and her mom arrived home. Her mom stormed out of the car in anger, while Gina limped behind her slowly. She felt immense pain between her legs, and it wasn't easy for her to enter the house alone. However, she gathered her strength and walked into her room. Collapsing onto her bed, she felt incredibly hungry but knew she had to keep it to herself because her mom was mad at her.
As she lay on the bed, reminiscing about the previous night, everything still felt like a nightmare to her. How could she have been attacked by four strange men at the club? It was obvious that they wanted her dead since their initial plan involved stabbing her. Why would anyone want to kill her? She rarely socialized with people, and her only friend was Natalia. So who could hate her enough to want her dead? After much contemplation, exhaustion took over, and she fell asleep.
However, she was abruptly awakened by a strong tapping on her legs. Opening her eyes slightly, she saw her mom standing there with a stern look.
"What do you think you're doing? Didn't you get enough sleep at the club last night? Get your lazy ass to the kitchen and prepare my lunch!" Gina's mom yelled, prompting Gina to sluggishly sit up and proceed to the kitchen. She opened the refrigerator and took out some beef, preparing to cook.
After a while, Gina finished cooking and served her mom. She also managed to sneak a plate of food to her room for herself without her mother noticing. After finishing her meal, she went back to the kitchen to wash the dishes. As she arranged the dishes on the counter, she noticed Natalie sneaking into the compound. Seeing Natalie filled her with unexplainable anger, as she somehow blamed Natalie for her misfortune. Wiping her hands with a towel, she went outside to confront Natalie.
"Gina, why didn't you show up last night? I waited for you all night! You could have told me you weren't coming. That wasn't cool, Gina!" Natalie asked in ignorance, but Gina lost her temper and slapped her.
"How dare you, Natalie! How dare you come here to mock me! Do you have any idea what your stupid idea caused me? It cost me my virginity!" Gina said angrily.
"What do you mean, Gina?" Natalie asked in shock.
"I was raped yesterday, Natalie! If you hadn't insisted on going to BIG BOYZ, none of this would have happened. It's all your fault, Natalie, and I'll never forgive you for this," Gina said through tears.
"Gina, I'm so sorry. I never knew all this would happen," Natalie pleaded, attempting to hold Gina's hands, but Gina pushed her away.
"Go away, Natalie! I don't ever want to see you near me again!" Gina said as she left Natalie in tears. She didn't know why she blamed Natalie; obviously, it wasn't her fault. But she needed someone to vent her frustration on.
A black car parked in front of Miss Sonia's house, and a man in a black suit stepped out. Hearing the car's sound, Miss Sonia peeped through the window to see who it was. She flinched in fear upon seeing the man and began running around in panic, unsure of where to go. She realized she couldn't run forever; she had been running for years, yet she was still being hunted. Her fears escalated when she heard a knock on the door, but she was too scared to answer. However, whether she answered or not, she was still in a dangerous situation, so she had to open the door before he broke it down.
"Coming!" she said, trying to conceal her fear in her voice. She walked steadily to the door and opened it, revealing a handsome man in his late thirties.
"Hello, Sonia. Long time no see," the man said with a smirk.
A scream tore from Ralph's throat as Gina toppled over the edge. But before gravity claimed her, a strong grip clamped onto her wrist. Boris, eyes wide with shock, had lunged forward, snatching her back from the abyss. He dragged her back onto the rooftop, her heart hammering against her ribs; she couldn’t believe she just saw her life flash before her eyes in a second. Gina sat sprawled on the concrete, gasping for breath, the world tilting around her.Ralph’s face held a mixture of shock and relief as he stared at her for a while. Silence stretched for a lifetime, finally broken by Boris's gravelly voice. "Where's the staff?" he rasped, eyes narrowed at Gina. His grip on her wrist had loosened, but the question held her pinned where she sat. Gina, still panting for breath, looked up at him with a shaky smile. "I think I dropped it," she admitted, embarrassment creeping up her face.Before Boris could respond, a gruff voice cut through the stillness. Ralph, pushing past Boris with a
“He’s gone to get the staff from Boris; after this, he’ll leave for good,” Ivy announced, making Gina’s heart drop.“Where is he now? I need to find him,” Gina said as she got up immediately.“I’m not trying to stop you, but you can’t just go out there without a plan. It’s dangerous out there,” Ivy warned. Gina walked towards her and held her hands in hers.“Ivy, please tell me where he is. That is all I ask. I promise that I won’t try to stop him from leaving; I just want to have a last talk with him,” Gina pleaded, which was only a lie. There was no way she would let Ralph sacrifice himself just for her to live. Even though she didn’t have a plan yet, she was sure she would come up with an idea, whether smart or a dumb one. She was more focused on the end result, which was stopping him from leaving. She held Ivy’s hands, silently hoping that would be enough to convince her.“I don’t know, Gina. Ralph would be really mad at me if you get hurt,” Ivy said, trying to pull her hands out
“i’ll follow the rules. I will have to look for a way to get rid of you and take zayn with me,” Ralph said as he stared at her, as though waiting for her reaction.Gina stared at him for a while, her expression almost comical. Shock and disappointment were etched on her face as she did. “Uhmm… I see,” Gina finally let out, her shock still evident. Ralph stared on silently, his eyes pinned on her face. And then slowly, a small smile appeared on his lips.“I was only messing with you, silly. Don’t tell me you fell for that?” Ralph asked with a smile as he playfully pinched the tip of her nose.The playful pinch to her nose sent a spark of laughter dancing in Gina's eyes, dispelling the shock that had momentarily settled there. Relief flooded her in a warm wave, replacing the tensed look on her face.“Don’t ever make such a joke with me again; that wasn’t funny,” Gina said with a smile, playfully hitting his chest."Don’t tell me you actually believed that I’ll choose anything over you?"
As Gina paced around the room, her mind filled with worry and panic, Ralph, seated in a corner of the room, watched Gina pace with an understanding but pensive gaze. He could sense her worry and panic; the staff wasn’t some random object that someone like Boris could have in his possession. An object like that could destroy the entire world in a second with just a little effort."It's okay, I'll get the staff back, I promise," Ralph said, reaching out to gently hold her in place, his eyes reflecting a sincerity that only seemed to agitate Gina further."You say it's okay? Do you realize what's at stake here? That staff is not just some random object, Ralph! How could you even think of trading something that holds the safety of the entire world just to save one person!? Was it even worth it?" Gina said, almost yelling.Ralph held her gaze for a while, as though at a loss for words, but he answered, “You are not just ‘one person,’ Gina. You and Zayn are my only priorities. I’m going to
Back on the beach, Ralph's worry deepened as the minutes stretched into an eternity. After about 15 minutes of waiting without any trace of her, he decided to go to the female’s restroom in search of her even though he knew it wasn’t right. Upon entering the restroom, it was eerily quiet, the only sound was the distant crash of waves against the shore. Panic clutched at his chest as he scanned the vacant room, finding only her abandoned phone on the floor, its screen shattered. His heart pounded as he picked it up, a premonition of impending trouble settling over him. Confusion and fear intertwined as he stared at the broken screen, contemplating his next move. Before he could gather his thoughts, a new message flashed across the damaged display. Unknown Number: you really thought you could protect her, didn’t you? A chill ran down his spine as he read the text, trembling hands gripping her damaged phone tightly, anger welling up within him. Frustration boiled over, and he couldn't c
A surprised smile touched Gina's lips. It wasn't the question she had expected. She glanced at Ralph, a mix of shock and amusement as she stared. “So, where are we going” gina asked with a smile Ralph smiled, a glimmer of excitement in his eyes. "you once mentioned that you wanted to go to a beach” Gina's eyes sparkled with surprise and delight. "A beach? That would be amazing." She said with a blush as she bites her lips in attempt to contain her smile. But he walked up to her, took her hands and pulled her into a warm embrace. “i want us to make the best of the little time we have together” he said stroking her hair gently while gina nodded with a tight smile even though he clearly couldn’t see her nod as her head was resting against his chest. The Next Day the sun hung lazily in the sky, casting a warm glow on the sandy shores of the beach. The rhythmic sounds of waves crashing against the shore created a soothing melody as Gina and Ralph strolled hand in hand along the water
Gina stared on for a while with a blank expression, him getting the staff only meant one thing; that was the end of the road for both of them, he was definitely leaving and they would probably never see again.“are you okay?” he whispered, bringing her out of her thoughtsGina forced a smile as she answered “yes. I—uhm, i’m glad you finally got it”He remained quiet, staring at her, trying to figure out what really was going on in her head.“so, when are you leaving?” gina asked“as soon as i’m able to get a hold of boris, i can’t leave him roaming around here because he is a threat to your safety” he answered, still staring at her trying to read her expression“okay, that’s great!” she said, ones again with a fake smile“that’s the fakest smile I’ve ever seen. You can tell me what’s on your mind” he asked after failing to figure out what she was thinking.“your hand, it needs to be treated” gina said taking the bandage and a pair of scissors while ralph watched quietly as she gently
“i’m sorry about how i’ve been treating you lately, i was just annoyed that i have dragged you into my own mess. If i hadn’t gotten you involved in the first place, then boris wouldn’t have seen you as an easy target and a way to get to me” ralph said, changing the topic“what do you mean?” gina asked“boris is out in search of you, i think he’s trying to use you as a bait to stop me from collecting the staff” ralph answeredGina fell into a deep silence, her mind racing with thoughts and emotions she couldn't put into words. Just as the silence became almost unbearable, her phone beeped loudly, jolting her from her thoughts. It was a phone call from Natalie. Gina hesitated for a moment, then decided not to answer it. She swiped up her phone to text her friend instead.As she unlocked her phone, she found series of frantic texts from Natalie. "Are you there?" "Hang on, the police are on their way."Gina's heart pounded in her chest. The reality of their situation hit her like a bolt
Ralph had returned home. Anxiety had gnawed at his ride back home, making it impossible to focus on anything other than Gina's safety. When he found her missing from the house, he had hurried to Ivy, a mixture of panic and anger coursing through him."Where's Gina?" Ralph demanded, his voice strained with worry and irritation.Ivy turned to him, her expression a mix of shock and confusion. "She went out, Ralph. She's with her friend, Natalie."Ralph's eyes flared with anger. "Why would you let her go out after all i told you?" His voice held a note of accusation.Ivy sighed, her patience wearing thin. "I suggested she reconsider, but she insisted. Besides, if you hadn't been avoiding her or if you had at least told her what was going on, maybe it would have made sense."Frustration welled up within Ralph as he realized the consequences of his recent behaviour. He didn't have time to explain himself to Ivy. He needed to find gina before boris finds her first. He snatched Ivy's phone fr