Love is treated as a game
After struggling to carry him out, I discovered it was just a mannequin.
Laughter echoed from the house next door.
A man said, That idiot Chloe Roberts fell for it again.
Through the half-open window, I saw Luca lounging on the couch, playing on his phone, completely unharmed.
The man continued, "That's the 47th time we've gotten revenge on her. Once we hit 50, we can call it quits."
Another man chimed in, "She deserves it! She stole Ruby Mitchell's scholarship. Ruby's the girl Luca actually likes, so we decided to have Luca date her as revenge 50 times. Too bad there won't be any fun left after the revenge is over."
I bent over, gasping for air.
So the relationship I'd been so carefully nurturing was nothing but a game to them.
*****
I stood outside the door, my whole body trembling uncontrollably.
Both arms bore burn marks from the fire, too painful to move properly.
I stared at the mannequin on the ground while mocking laughter continued to drift from the room.
One man laughed, "Think she'll go back to save him a second time? After all, what she carried out was just a dummy."
Another man replied, "Of course she will. Remember when we tricked her into thinking Luca was trapped at school? She smashed open every locked room. Ended up paying eighty thousand dollars in damages, just finished paying it off."
The first man laughed, "Exactly. A poor girl trying to play hero – how ridiculous."
Luca casually interrupted them, "Alright, I already called the fire department to put out the fire. Don't actually kill her – we're not done playing yet."
The words "not done playing" echoed in my ears like a curse, making me nearly lose my balance.
It wasn't until the paramedics lifted me onto a stretcher and put an oxygen mask over my face that I snapped back to reality.
When my arm brushed against the stretcher's edge, sharp pain shot through me, making me curl up instinctively.
The attentive paramedic noticed and bent down to ask if I was in pain.
Like I'd found an outlet for my emotions, my eyes immediately welled up with tears.
I said, "I hurt so much."
Not just physically, but emotionally – my whole body ached unbearably.
I spoke softly, yet it felt like I'd used every ounce of my strength.
As consciousness faded, I closed my eyes.
In my dreams, I returned to when I first met Luca.
He appeared in my life like an angel, giving me love and teaching me what love meant.
Luca, a privileged rich kid, not only sympathized with my orphaned background but also protected my fragile heart.
I worked hard to maintain the balance in our relationship.
Until sophomore year, when I ended up owing the school eighty thousand dollars trying to save him. My stubborn pride kept me from telling him about it.
Eventually, he found me collapsed in the hospital from exhaustion after working three jobs a day.
Luca cried heartbrokenly. His tears tore at my heart.
He paid off that eighty thousand dollars for me and said he'd marry no one but me in this lifetime.
Back then, my heart was full of sweetness, thinking God had finally decided to bless this unfortunate soul.
But when I opened my tear-filled eyes, only my good friend Eliana Walker was there – no sign of Luca anywhere.
Seeing me awake, she finally couldn't hold back her tears.
Eliana said, "Your injuries need at least two weeks to heal. Was it worth it for Luca?"
I forced a smile and grabbed her hand.
I said, "After two weeks, help me buy a train ticket. Anywhere will do."
As long as I could get away from Luca.
After the doctor's examination, he confirmed I only had superficial injuries, and the hospital discharged me quickly.
I immediately took a taxi back to the company to resign.
The manager looked at me with a troubled expression, constantly trying to persuade me to stay. Seeing my firm attitude, he could only sigh.
At that moment, Luca called, his tone somewhat cold.
"You want to resign?" he asked.
I was somewhat surprised. "How did you know?"
Looking at the manager pressing his forehead, I understood immediately.
"This company belongs to your family, doesn't it?" I asked.
I clenched my fists tightly, my mind in complete chaos.
This explained all the difficulties I'd encountered at the company.
No wonder I was always assigned all the dirty and exhausting work. No wonder I'd completed several major projects and consistently ranked first in performance, yet never received any bonuses.
No wonder everyone looked at me with contempt and excluded me from every activity.
I should have gotten used to being isolated all these years.
I was honest and just wanted a job so I could pay off my debts and then switch companies.
But thinking that all of this was Luca's arrangement made me feel cold all over, almost unable to breathe.
Seeing my silence, Luca let out a cold laugh.
"I know I shouldn't have hidden this from you initially, but you never wanted to let me help you. I could only do this behind the scenes. This isn't my fault," he said.
I couldn't help but question him, "So everyone in the company knows I got in through my connection with you. Have you ever thought about what kind of life I've been living at the company?"
Luca avoided my question, clearly acknowledging it.
"I'll just explain things for you at the company. It's not a big deal," he said.
"You don't need to explain anything. I'm resigning," I insisted.
Luca grew somewhat impatient, his voice getting louder.
"Do you really have to obsess over that bit of pride that nobody cares about? If it weren't for me, how could you possibly be living such a good life now?" he said.
At that moment, a sweet woman's voice came through the phone, asking when he could finish the call.
Luca said hastily, "Alright. I'll come find you later."
The call ended abruptly.
I didn't take his words to heart and decisively returned to my desk to pack up my things before leaving the company.
As I walked into the alley I had to pass through to get home, a blonde man suddenly appeared before me.
He whistled and said, "Hey beautiful, where are you headed?"
I recognized that voice. He was one of the people who had mocked me before.
I gripped my bag tightly and turned to run back.
But after just a few steps, I stopped immediately.
I was blocked from both front and back. Before I could react, a hand suddenly grabbed my hair and yanked it back hard. Sleazy laughter came from above my head.
A man said, "Don't be afraid. We'll all take good 'care' of you."
At the front of the alley, dim lighting illuminated a man wearing a mask.
The alcohol on his breath made my head ache.
His hands roamed over my body, then tightly embraced my waist.
"Your waist is so soft," he said with a laugh.
I suppressed the urge to vomit and lifted my foot to kick hard upward.
"Get away from me!" I roared.
The masked man groaned and released my waist.
Seeing me struggle, the blonde man used his other hand to grab my throat directly, shouting at the man on the ground, "Hurry up and strip off her clothes, then take some photos."
After the masked man recovered, he slapped me hard across the face.
"How dare you kick me!" he said.
The two of them pressed me against the wall together. I watched as my clothes were stripped down to just my underwear, tears streaming down uncontrollably.
"Ah!" A scream rang out.
The force holding me down suddenly disappeared. I opened my eyes to see a jacket thrown over me, covering me up.
After hearing the sound of fists hitting flesh, I heard Luca say coldly, "Get lost!"
I crouched against the wall. Luca pulled aside the jacket and helped me put my clothes back on with his head down. When he looked up, his eyes were red.
"I'm sorry, I came too late," he said.
Luca tried to pick me up, but I pushed him away.
I supported myself against the wall, stood up shakily, and slowly walked forward.
Luca remained silent, just following behind me. As I walked, I fainted.
I don't know how much time passed before I groggily woke up to hear Luca arguing with someone.
"Can't you ask for my opinion before you take action? She's my woman, at least," he said.
A man said, "We knew she yelled at you this afternoon, so we thought we'd have some fun with her. What's wrong? You're not actually falling for her, are you?"
Luca's voice suddenly got louder, "How is that possible? She's the person I hate most in this lifetime."
Then I heard a "bang," like he'd punched the wall.
Luca continued, "Anyway, you're not allowed to act recklessly anymore. Follow my orders."
After saying this, he suddenly walked in. I didn't have time to close my eyes and made eye contact with him.
I saw his face instantly turn pale.
"Did you hear everything?" Luca asked.
"What?" I feigned confusion. Luca breathed a sigh of relief. After that, I became cold and distant, turning over to get up. I said, "If there's nothing else, I'll head home now."
Luca grabbed my hand and pressed down on my shoulder, making me lie back down. He said, "This is my bedroom. You should rest here."
Of course I knew this was Luca's bedroom, because there was still a photo of him and Ruby on the nightstand. They were both wearing high school uniforms, smiling so brightly, so radiantly. Luca and I had been together for five years, and forget about taking photos together—whenever I wanted to take a picture of him as a keepsake, he would immediately snatch my phone away and angrily shout, "Don't you dare take photos from now on. I hate having my picture taken."
Luca followed my gaze and immediately rushed forward to flip the photo face down on the table, then frantically explained, "This girl is Ruby. She's your college classmate and also my cousin. Don't overthink it."
"Okay." I responded dismissively. Luca froze, unable to help asking, "Don't you have anything else you want to know?"
I looked up, staring at him intently, my clenched fingers digging into my palms as a trace of indescribable hope flashed through my heart. I asked, "Is there anything you want to explain?"
Luca opened his mouth, a hint of irritation crossing his expression. We both knew something had changed between us, right after that fire that was meant to torment me. I was being too compliant. If this were before, I would have kept asking Luca why he took photos with her but not with me. Luca would probably have gotten into a big fight with me. The end result would have been no photo taken, me crying heartbrokenly, and him leaving the house in an irritated mood.
A silence spread between us. Then, a woman's voice came from nearby, breaking the quiet: "Luca, I heard Chloe came to your place, so I came to check on things."
I hadn't expected to see Ruby again at Luca's house. She was even more beautiful than when I'd seen her in college, dressed head to toe in luxury brands, with dimples when she smiled. Without even looking at myself, I knew I looked far more disheveled than her, covered in injuries. I forced a smile and said, "Ruby, long time no see."
Before Ruby could say anything, Luca grabbed her hand and led her outside. The soundproofing in this room wasn't very good. I heard Luca ask in a low voice, "What are you doing here? Didn't I tell you two not to meet?"
Ruby's aggrieved voice came from outside: "But you haven't talked to me for twenty-four hours. I heard them say you brought her to your house. You never used to bring her here, and didn't you say before that only I could sleep in your bed?"
I froze, unable to believe my ears. The stinging sensation in my eyes couldn't help but well up as I covered my mouth with trembling hands. I heard Luca quietly scold, "Keep your voice down. What if she hears us?"
Ruby paused, and though her voice became quieter, it sounded even more aggrieved: "You're actually getting angry at me because of her."
Their conversation was so quiet, so quiet that I had to strain to hear it. But the sound of Luca kissing her was loud. Luca said, "Be good, just wait a little longer for me, okay?"
Ruby sniffled, and after a moment of silence said, "In a few days, I'm having my birthday party on a cruise ship. You have to stay with me the whole time, and make her come too. I want to break her heart badly on that cruise, make her watch with her own eyes as the person she likes gets close to me. Finally, I'll say the ship is in trouble and put her on a small boat I've prepared."
Luca's voice turned somewhat cold: "What are you trying to do?"
Ruby snorted coldly and said, "I want her to completely cut ties with us and drift away alone."
"She could get hurt that way."
Ruby grew anxious and questioned him: "Didn't you say you'd do anything for me? What do you mean now? Besides, she can swim—what are you afraid of?"
"Fine, I promise you. Don't be mad." Luca coaxed her gently.
I heard their footsteps getting closer and immediately returned to bed, lying down. The door opened, and Ruby came in with a bright smile on her face, jogging over to check on me with concern. Then she said eagerly: "Chloe, I'm having my birthday party on a cruise ship in three days. Will you come?"
Luca stood nearby without saying a word, his face dark. I smiled and said: "Sure, after all, we haven't seen each other in a long time."
So you want me to disappear in front of you both? I'll make it happen.
The three days passed faster than I expected. Ruby's birthday party was grand, with all kinds of people gathered on the cruise ship. Just as she said, she made a dazzling entrance, arm in arm with Luca, walking out slowly amid everyone's praise of "they're such a perfect match."
All the contemptuous looks fell on me, and mocking laughter came from around me. I ignored it, just getting a bit impatient from waiting.
The party was proceeding normally when suddenly someone shouted: "Fire!"
People on the cruise ship began running everywhere. I was pushed onto the deck by the crowd. Ruby immediately rushed over and grabbed my hand, saying urgently: "Chloe, jump onto that boat first."
Looking at the small boat specially prepared for me, I jumped down without hesitation. After a moment of dizziness, I heard laughter from the ship above. Someone shouted: "Look everyone, that idiot Chloe actually jumped!"
I raised my head and looked at them quietly. The ship's edge was crowded with people, each wearing the same mocking expression. Ruby slowly raised a pair of scissors and, amid everyone's jeering and under my gaze, cut the rope connecting the small boat to the cruise ship.
She said: "Idiot, drift away by yourself."
As soon as she finished speaking, I saw Luca running frantically from behind. He pushed everyone aside and desperately tried to grab the falling rope, but missed. Luca roared: "Are you all insane? Chloe will really die this way! There's a bomb on that boat!"
Hearing his words, I turned to look at the countdown displayed on the bomb and smiled. The sea breeze tousled my hair. Looking at Luca's anxious expression at this moment, I found it ridiculous. After being deceived by him for so long, I could finally play him for once.
I smiled and said: "Luca, are you satisfied with this forty-seventh revenge?"
The sea breeze carried away most of my voice, but I knew Luca definitely heard me. He stood there stunned.
Taking advantage of his daze, I walked toward the cabin without hesitation. With a bang, flames shot up into the sky, illuminating the surroundings.
I whispered: "Goodbye, Luca."
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