Big Novel

Can’t Win Me Back by Ginger Sue

The van experienced simultaneous punctures in both of its front tires. The driver lost control, causing the vehicle to crash into the left wall with a jarring impact, leaving the door dented and the front end mangled. It was a horrible sight.
Fortunately, the officers had fastened their seatbelts, so they sustained only minor bruises. But Zoe, seated in the back row, was in a dire state. Wailing in agony, she suffered a head injury and had her left arm pinned by the door, with a metal plate slicing her flesh, causing profuse bleeding.
Amidst the chaos, confusion arose.
"Why did the tires go flat all of a sudden?"
"It's too strange. Let's go and take a look!"
Both officers got out of the van. The moment they bent down to inspect the tires, they both felt a sharp pain at the back of their necks. They lost consciousness and collapsed to the ground.
When Zoe witnessed that, she wasn't afraid. Instead, she looked at the man in front of her with a gaze full of gratitude. Hopefully, she asked, "Did Grandpa send you to save me? He did, didn't he?"
"To save a monster like you?" The man, clad in a black coat and mask, narrowed his eyes and chuckled derisively. "I'm not so low as to do that."
Zoe's hope turned to terror as she stared at him, trembling.
"Who... Who are you?" she stammered.
"Me?" Leaning closer with an overbearing gaze, the man identified himself, "Me? I am Ares, the son of Zeus and Hera. I am here to serve justice."
When Zoe regained consciousness, she found herself bound by iron chains hanging from the ceiling in an unfamiliar room. Stripped of her prison uniform, she was left only in filthy undergarments.
The room had no windows at all. Zoe figured that she was in a basement. The air was so chilly that it made her teeth chatter. She started to get goosebumps all over her body.
"Is anyone there? Help! Save me!" Zoe struggled to free herself as she cried out continuously, "Grandpa. Mom. Save me!"
Suddenly, the basement door opened, and three burly men entered without a word, stripping away the last shreds of Zoe's dignity. In a harrowing ordeal, they subjected her to unspeakable acts of violence, her screams reverberating through the confines of the room.
Zoe bawled until her vision became blurry. She stared at the dim lamp that was swinging above her. Her eyes were filled with despair.
Her face swelled up from the beatings she took. Yet, she was powerless and could only endure the brutality that was being forced upon her.
The pain was agonizing. It was as if she had kept crawling toward the prison exit but was being pulled back into the abyss time and time again.
After an indefinite amount of time had passed, the three men decided that they were done with her. They flung a jacket on her to cover her lower body, which was bleeding. Then, they left the basement.
Zoe was in so much pain that it felt like her body had been split open. She wrapped the clothing around her and crawled forward slowly. Her crying was extremely pitiful.
Right at that moment, she heard the sound of heavy footsteps approaching.
A pair of clean leather shoes showed up in front of her. Her eyes were so swollen that she could only see through slits. She mustered up her strength and looked up.
"Why... you..." Zoe breathed heavily. Her eyes were ablaze with anger.
"How does it feel to be abused by other people, Ms. Zoe?" Landon glared at her frigidly. He lifted the corners of his lips into a cruel smirk. "You've tormented Lauren for three years. So, I got three men to torment you. An eye for an eye. Fair and square."

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