When Love Went to Market

I bit down on my hand to stifle a sob, tears streaming down in silence.

"Come out, come out, wherever you are," Adrian sang, taunting as he barged into the bedroom.

He tore through the room, flinging open drawers and slamming closet doors, each bang resonating like a drumbeat.

Thud!

His foot crashed onto the mattress, sending a shower of dust into the air, stinging my eyes.

I held back a cough, the terror so intense I felt disembodied.

A hand, hairy and rough, suddenly appeared inches from my face, hovering at the edge of the bed.

He was peering under the bed!

I froze, my heart pounding in my chest like it was trying to escape.

However, he just snatched a pair of slippers from the floor, never once lifting the bedsheet.

"Blast it! Did she vanish into thin air?"

Adrian was spewing curses when suddenly, my phone in my pocket buzzed to life.

Buzz…

It was a group text from the property management, nagging about the water and electric bill.

I had silenced it, but in the eerie quiet under the bed, the floor amplified the vibration, making it sound like a clap of thunder.

'I'm done for,' I thought.

My mind went completely blank.

Adrian froze in his tracks.

He bent over slowly, and with a swift yank, the bedsheet was gone.

There he was, his face a greasy, chubby mess, looming over me.

His mouth twisted into a grin, his yellow teeth bared, and his eyes alight with the thrill of the hunt.

"Heh, heh, gotcha!

"Turns out, you're just a little mouse in a hole."

Before I could even process the situation, a rough hand clamped around my ankle and yanked me out from under the bed.

"Argh!"

I let out a blood-curdling scream, my nails leaving trails of red on the floor.

"Jeffrey! Save me! Jeffrey!"

I thrashed wildly, hoping to stir some shred of decency in the man outside.

However, Jeffrey's voice came through the door, chilling and detached, saying, "Adrian, that lady's got a set of lungs on her. Go easy, will you?

"Just keep it clean and enjoy yourself!"

My heart felt like it had sunk into an abyss.

Caroline stood off to the side, an indifferent spectator, even pulling the curtains closed for us.

"That's it, Adrian. She's a wild one. Don't let her get away."

Adrian snickered, his hands working at his belt.

"Now, it gets interesting."

Adrian leaned in, and the foul stench of him filled my senses.

In my desperation, my hand found something at my waist.

It was the scissors I had slipped into my yoga pants pocket when I fled my house.

They were meant for protection, but I never imagined they would be that necessary.

With a swift motion, I drew the scissors, pressing them to my throat.

The edge of the scissors bit into my skin, and blood welled up instantly.

"Stay back!"

My voice was a roar, eyes blazing with fury. "One step closer, and I'll be a corpse on your conscience! You'll all be behind bars if I die!"

Adrian froze, uncertainty flickering in his movements.

"Feisty, aren't you? I like that."

However, even as he played it cool, he took a step back, his gaze tinged with caution.

Caroline jumped, her voice tinged with alarm as she said, "Hey, don't do anything crazy. A scarred face won't fetch a dime!"

In their moment of shock, I snatched a hefty vase from the nearby coffee table.

Channeling all my strength, I hurled it at Adrian's head.

Thud!

The vase exploded on impact.

Adrian clutched his head, screaming as blood seeped through his fingers.

"Argh! You witch! I'm going to end you!"

He stumbled toward me.