No Regrets

I squeezed my eyes shut. However, the heavy blow I was expecting did not happen even after some time had passed.

Another person's voice came from outside the door.

"What's this? Are you trying to kill her?" A man's deep voice reverberated through the room.

I lifted my head and looked in the direction of the voice. Someone was standing at the door.

A flash of lightning outside shone some light into the room. The light fell on the stranger's face as well.

His eyes were hidden behind his long fringe. The man had a straight nose and chiseled jaw. A long scar ran down his right cheek.

The man seemed like someone one should never pick a fight with.

Arthur appeared to have noticed that too. He did not swing the vase at me. Instead, an awkward smile was plastered across his face.

"Sorry for being a nuisance, dude. I'm trying to teach my woman a lesson here. I'll be done with it very soon."

Arthur pulled me up to my feet. Yet, he did not loosen the grip over my wrist.

"Let's go. We're going home."

I had no choice but to seek help from the stranger, who was my last hope to escape Arthur.

"No! Please help me! I'm not going with him!" I shook my head violently and cried for help.

"He and I are divorced now. He hit me when we were still married. He'll beat me to death if I go with him now!"

The man seemed relaxed as he took out a cigarette and held it next to his mouth. "Oh? Is what she's saying true?"

Gray smoke curled up from his cigarette. There was an unreadable look in his eyes.

Arthur wished he could just slap his hand over my mouth. "You shouldn't listen to this woman. You can head back home now. This is between us."

Tears brimmed over and blurred my vision as I panicked.

Meanwhile, the stranger grinned and put out the cigarette by pressing the lighted end with his two fingers.

He turned his eyes to me.

"What kind of benefits can you offer me if I help you?"

Both Arthur and I were momentarily stunned.

While we were still in a daze, the man took a few big strides and threw a punch at Arthur's temple.

"What the——!" Arthur cursed aloud when he realized he had been struck. Like a rabid dog, he lunged at the man and tried to hit him.

Unfortunately, he was no match for the stranger. Arthur was soon hurled onto the floor again after taking a few hits.

He kept saying how he would not let me off for what happened here as he scurried out of the room.

With one danger removed, another danger was approaching.

The stranger and I were the only ones left in the deserted room. The man showed no signs of leaving.

I adjusted my breathing and tried to remain calm.

"Thank you. However, what did you mean just now by the benefits I could offer you?"

He looked me right in the eye. Those dark orbs partially concealed behind his hair seemed lifeless.

"What did you think I meant by that?"

There was a brief, unsettling silence as none of us spoke. Suddenly, the man burst into laughter.

"It's nothing. A 'thank you' is more than enough."

Then, the man pointed toward the door.

"You don't have power in your place because that fool cut off the wires for the electricity supply. He was probably trying to lure you out of the house.

"However, he happened to have cut off the wires for my electricity supply too. I came out to check what happened and saw that he was hitting you."

The man extended his hand toward me and said flatly, "By the way, I should ask for your name. I just moved here recently."

I shook his hand. "Hello, I'm Olivia Cohen."

The stranger's eyes lit up at that moment.

His eyes widened, and his voice shook a little.

"What did you say your name was?"

"It's Olivia Cohen," I repeated.

The smile on his face vanished. There seemed to be a hint of curiosity in his eyes as the stranger looked at me.

I quickly brought up a question myself to lessen the awkwardness between us.