Me Against the Comments

I waited until the motion-sensor lights in the stairwell finally went out, then hurried upstairs as quietly as I could.

When I reached my apartment, I saw that the front door was completely destroyed. I immediately slipped into the bedroom, locked the door, and hid inside the closet.

Curled up in that cramped space, I finally felt a sliver of safety.

I retrieved my phone and hurriedly dialed 911, only to realize there was no signal at all.

My heart sank.

At that moment, regret flooded me. Why had I moved into a brand-new building so quickly? There were barely any neighbors. Even if I wanted help, there was no one to ask.

Just as I was thinking about what to do next, the disgusting comments appeared again.

[Great! Bea actually used her phone. She has no idea it was implanted with a tracking program long ago. Calling the police will trigger it immediately!]

[Now, Bea can't escape. She'll just have to wait for the male lead to swoop in and save her. A breathtaking romance is about to begin!]

My heart jolted. I almost threw the phone away, but I stopped myself.

I still needed the comments to get information. I couldn't let them realize that I could see them.

I pretended nothing was wrong, climbed out of the closet, quickly changed into athletic clothes, and deliberately acted flustered. I then left the phone behind in the wardrobe.

I heard footsteps again.

I scanned the bedroom, grabbed the heavy oil lamp by the bed, and carefully hid behind the door.

The heavy footsteps stopped outside. Andy's hoarse voice rang out.

"Stop hiding, Beatrice! I know you're in there. If you come out now, you'll suffer a lot less."

I stood silently behind the door. I was waiting to build strength for a single strike.

Thump.

Andy began slamming against the door in a rage. His resentful words drifted into my ears one after another.

"Women should just get married, have kids, and serve men. You gold-digging women who talk about staying single and childfree are a plague on society! I'm doing the people a favor. I'll teach you how to be a virtuous wife and mother."

Listening to those nauseating words, the coldness in my eyes intensified.

Cracks quickly spread across the flimsy door, about to give way under Andy's hammer.

I quietly slid the latch open.

When Andy slammed into the door again, he lunged forward as it flew open and stumbled toward the floor.

I seized the moment and swung the oil lamp hard at the back of his head.

Joy had just begun to rise in my chest when I saw Andy twist his body mid-fall. He raised his hammer and blocked the fatal blow.

He bared his yellowed teeth in a leering grin.

"Beatrice, just lie obediently under me already!"

As he lunged at me viciously, my heart skipped a beat.

The next second, I lifted my leg and kicked him brutally between the legs. I then turned around and ran.

"Arghh! You wretch! I'll kill you!" Andy screamed in agony.

Bent over, he glared at me and swung the hammer at me with all his strength.

I staggered and fell to the ground. There was a sharp pain in my left shoulder.

It was broken.

I was in pain, but I didn't dare waste even a second. I scrambled back to my feet and bolted out.

The comments went wild.

[Bea, stop struggling! You can't beat this man. Just give in and let the male lead pull you into his arms.]

[He's waiting for you on the thirteenth floor. As long as you knock, he'll open the door. Bea, stop wasting time.]