[Song Recommendation: Adele - Set Fire to the Rain.]
Vincent separated himself from Chloe to give her a little space, but still close enough that he could always subdue her stupid struggle if he needed to.
He lifted his hands and ordered, "Go on, pick up the call."
Chloe swallowed her saliva hard. She was being stared at by Vincent right now, and she knew that Vincent just wanted to taunt her before he crushed her.
There was nothing she could do to hide Vernon's identity. Vincent would find out about his identity as her benefactor as soon as she picked up the call.
The phone continued to ring nonstop. Vernon must be panicking, or at least anxious because both bodyguards had been subdued and uncontactable. He was probably on his way to the school just to check.
'I hope he's too busy at work though. I really don't want him to get discovered...' Chloe fretted in her heart. 'I really hope he stops caring for me at this moment, so he can save himself....'
"Pick it up, Chloe. I can't wait to hear the voice of that bastard who dared to fuck my wife."
Chloe was on the verge of giving up.
She knew she would probably get beaten badly if she refused to pick up the call.
But if she picked it up, Vernon's identity would be revealed, and his life would be ruined because there was no way Vincent would let him off.
In front of her nightmare, Chloe's mind flashed with all the happy memories he had with Little Vernon, watching him grow up from a bratty kid to an even brattier teenager.
Then he suddenly disappeared for ten years before he returned as a changed man. He looked intimidating and cold, but after Chloe had lived with him for the past six months, she discovered he was still the same Vernon she knew.
Bratty, picky, too confident, and spoiled.
But he was very dedicated to what he was doing and was a talented man.
'He is also a gentleman to Mackie and I. He might look rough outside, but never once does he ever hurt us....' Chloe's heart was warm as she kept thinking about Vernon and Mackie. 'Instead, he promised to celebrate Mackie's successful stage play. I don't know if I can attend it though, it will be a waste, unfortunately....'
Chloe stared at her nightmare for a long time and imagined all the cruel things Vincent could do to Vernon.
She might get it hard because she would be humiliated and abused. But Vernon might get killed at the hand of his own Big brother.
Thinking about all the kindness that Vernon did to her and all the help he gave to make her get better, Chloe thought it would be selfish for her to cower in fear.
'I--I'd rather see myself getting hurt, than seeing Vincent ruining the life of a good man.'
Thus, Chloe took a deep breath to muster her courage and tried to reason as long as she could protect Vernon, "Y--You can beat me now."
"Hm?" Vincent raised his brow. He crossed his arms as he got confused by Chloe's statement, "You want to be beaten? Did I hear that right?"
"Yes," Chloe nodded. "Beat me. You can hit me in the face or shove me to the ground. Y--You can-- do anything...."
Chloe's words astonished Vincent, which was rare because he thought he knew her in and out. Chloe was a pretty predictable woman, after all.
But this time, even Vincent was shocked by her.
"You... want to be beaten? You know how bad it could be, right?"
"I know," Chloe nodded with certainty. "I won't pick up the call, you can beat me instead."
Vincent saw the courage in Chloe's eyes, and he clenched his fist so hard that his whole body trembled out of rage.
"You're going to sacrifice yourself for this bastard?" Vincent asked. His expression got slightly twisted, "Heheh that makes me want to chop him to pieces now. Maybe cut off his dick and give it to you, I bet I can laugh at your misery."
He thought that would be enough to deter Chloe. He had never killed anyone before, but this might happen if she continued to fight back.
"He is not a bastard," Chloe clarified. She knew there was no turning back, so she freely said something that had been bugging her mind for a while.
"He is a much better man than you could ever be, Vincent."
"GRH! FUCK!"
Chloe jolted when Vincent suddenly kicked the chair at his left until it flipped. His chest rose up and down as he glared at Chloe.
He had lost his cool, and he wasn't proud of it.
But Chloe taunted him enough. He was truly at his limit now!
"You fucking dare to say that your bastard man is better than me? ME?! NOW YOU'VE DONE IT, CHLOE GRAY!"
Vincent raised his fist and aimed at Chloe's face. He didn't like to hit her face now because that should be for dessert later.
But this bitch needed to know her place! Vincent had to punish her, even if he had to ruin his plan!
Chloe closed her eyes, ready to accept the hit.
Right before the punch landed on her face, the phone suddenly rang again, and Vincent stopped.
His eyes darted at Chloe's chest, where she pocketed her phone, "PICK UP THE CALL!"
...
"PICK UP THE CALL OR I WILL KILL YOU!"
Vincent's threat was so effective that Chloe's heart was shaken. She instinctively fished the phone out of her pocket and checked the caller.
Vernon.
"It's him, right?" Vincent asked impatiently.
Chloe glanced up to check at Vincent and thought it was a bad idea.
Because she had never seen Vincent this angry in her life.
"LET ME HEAR HIS VOICE!"
...
"BITCH, I TOLD YOU TO PICK IT UP! DO YOU REALLY WANT TO DIE!?"
Chloe's trembling thumb hovered on the green button. She could just pick up the call and reveal Vernon's voice. It would save her from demise, at least.
But she wasn't a selfish woman who would allow Vincent to hurt Vernon-- the only man who had been good to her.
Chloe closed her eyes, and the first thing on her mind was Vernon, who smiled at her.
She also remembered one sentence that gave her courage.
-
Discard any stupid idea of yours, and trust me.
-
Chloe bit her lower lip, trying to stand her ground in front of Vincent, 'I trust you, Vernon. Even if it hurts me, I still want to trust your words.'
'And I will never let him hurt you, no matter what. Let Big sis Chloe protect you.'
Chloe opened her eyes slowly, staring at Vincent with different eyes than before.
Her eyes were filled with courage, and her heart was filled with determination to protect Vernon.
"WHAT TOOK YOU SO LONG TO ANSWER THE CALL? STUPID BITCH, YOU'RE SERIOUSLY PISSING ME OFF!"
Chloe quickly rejected the call and glared back at Vincent. For the first time in her life, she hurled an insult back at the enraged Vincent;
"I'M NOT YOUR BITCH, YOU CRAZY BASTARD!"
Chloe collected all her strength into her hand and smashed her phone to the floor as hard as possible.
Crack!
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