Chapter 2: Don’t Abandon Me, I Beg You

Chapter 2: Chapter 2: Don’t Abandon Me, I Beg You

I followed Julian into the detective squad.

"Mr. Fletcher, please confirm these for us." An officer led Julian over to identify the personal effects from the scene. The clothes, the phone, the purse—they were all mine.

Julian’s expression was grim.

After a long moment, he finally spoke. "Where is she?"

"I’m sorry, Mr. Fletcher. Our preliminary investigation suggests she has likely met with foul play, but we haven’t found a body yet."

"Then don’t bother investigating. Don’t waste police resources on her. Nothing happened to her." Julian sneered. "She just deliberately left her things there to create drama, to make me feel guilty and give in."

Julian simply didn’t believe I was dead.

In his eyes, I was just a villain who would stop at nothing to get what she wanted. He wished I were really dead.

"Mr. Fletcher, are you sure?" the officer asked, looking at Julian in confusion.

"I’m sure." Julian nodded, his tone firm. "Sorry for the trouble. I’ll handle this. I’ll find her within three days."

Julian’s eyes darkened. He was clearly angry.

’I knew him too well. He was angry that I’d taken things too far this time.’

I suddenly wanted to laugh.

Standing beside Julian, I laughed and laughed until I couldn’t anymore.

’I was dead, yet he was delaying the police investigation.’

Just like on the day I died, my last call for help was to him. But when he answered, he snapped irritably, "Cecilia Caldwell, will you ever stop? Why don’t you just go and die?"

In despair, I dropped my phone. I was drugged by the killer, taken away, and murdered.

"Madeline, where is Cecilia Caldwell? Tell her to get her ass back here and stop hiding." As soon as he left the detective squad, Julian called Madeline Quinn, his voice thick with anger.

Madeline was my only friend.

I didn’t even get to say goodbye to her.

"Julian, are you insane? I was about to ask you! Where’s Cece? What did you do with her?"

"You tell her this is her last chance. She needs to be home immediately—tomorrow. Otherwise, if she drops dead outside, I won’t even collect her body!" Julian snapped, frantic.

’I didn’t understand what he was so frantic about. Even his breathing was ragged.’

I stood there numbly, a mocking smile on my face. ’You don’t have to worry about collecting my body, because you’ll never find it.’

"Julian, Cece is missing! I’ve already called the police! You bastard, if anything happens to her, I swear I’ll make you pay!" Madeline sobbed as she screamed at Julian.

Julian’s chest tightened, and he let out a sarcastic laugh. "So this is her new trick? Using this to force me to marry her? Heh... How utterly despicable."

My vision blurred as I looked at Julian.

’In that moment, my heart truly died.’

...

A week before the incident, it was a night of heavy rain, with flashes of lightning and rumbles of thunder.

Julian pinned me to the bed, his eyes cold and threatening.

"Cecilia Caldwell, you keep seducing me because you want me to touch you, don’t you? Are you that desperate for a man?"

"I’m not... Julian, we were engaged. You’re the one who refuses to honor our engagement..."

Julian completely ignored my explanation.

He grabbed my chin and kissed me. There was no love in that kiss, only carnal release.

"Isn’t this what you wanted? Why pretend?"

"Julian, I’m begging you, my stomach hurts so much..." I cried and pleaded with him, but he didn’t stop.

He gripped my waist, his thrusts forceful, almost savage.

’In that moment, it felt like he wanted to kill me.’

"Cecilia Caldwell, you pushed Erin down the stairs and almost killed her. I haven’t settled that score with you yet."

"The fact that I didn’t call the police and have you thrown in jail was more than generous. Stop playing these games! You want me to marry you? You’d better give up that idea right now!"

By the end, my throat was hoarse. I couldn’t utter a single word.

’It wasn’t me. I didn’t push her.’

Dark red blood gushed from between my legs. My stomach cramped violently, the pain so intense it was suffocating. "Julian... it hurts so much. Please, take me to the hospital."

’At that moment, I knew something was terribly wrong.’

"Such a damn nuisance." Julian tossed me aside in disgust, got up, and started getting dressed, intending to take me to the hospital.

But just then, his phone rang.

"Julian! Julian... help me! I think that psycho serial killer is after me! Help me!"

Julian’s face fell. He grabbed his clothes in a panic and ran out.

’He was too worried about Erin Whittaker. Why would he care if I lived or died?’

The pain was so intense I fell off the bed and curled into a ball. "Help... Julian..."

"Don’t abandon me... I beg you..."