I was thrown into the stall so hard my shoulder clipped the divider. Before I could even stumble back, the door slammed shut behind us.
The lock clicked loudly. His hand tangled in my hair, forcing my head down as he bent me forward.
My knee hit the toilet seat. The sharp smell of disinfectant stung my nose.
He didn't bother to measure his strength. My skull struck the wall with a hollow thud that rattled my teeth. My vision collapsed for a heartbeat, darkness pressing in. But I clenched my jaw and stayed upright.
I knew too well. Surrendering and hoping for mercy from these kinds of men would only end in bitter disappointment.
I sucked in a breath and opened my mouth to scream.
A filthy cloth was jammed between my lips before a sound could escape. It tasted rancid—sweaty and stale—and bile rose in my throat. I gagged, but his hands were already on my arms, wrenching them behind my back, twisting until my shoulders screamed in protest.
I was pinned. Completely.
His weight pressed into me, crushing the air from my lungs. I could hear my own heartbeat pounding in my ears.
He leaned in close. Hot breath slid over my ear, reeking of sweat and alcohol. When he spoke, his voice was low and hoarse, the words crawling against my skin.
"You came here knowing this would happen. Didn't you?"
I shuddered as his hands dropped to my waist, yanking my pants down in a single brutal motion. Stripping me away from the last layer of defense in a single, merciless motion.
Cold air rushed over my exposed bottom and back. My body broke. Hot tears filled my eyes and spilled down my cheeks.
I had told myself everything would be alright if I could endure a little bit. At least I could avoid the worst-case scenario. But—
What could be worse than this?
His breathing changed the moment he saw me. It grew heavy and uneven—purely driven by lust.
I fought him anyway.
I twisted and thrashed in his grip, my movements frantic and desperate... but also futile.
He was stronger. Every ounce of resistance drained out of me without changing anything.
Cold dread coiled around my chest, squeezing tighter with every second. My resolve fractured, unsettling thoughts began to creep inside.
Should I let him be? Would that be enough for me and Alex to escape this hellhole?
My resistance faltered. Strength drained from my limbs, and my body went slack.
"Yes… I knew I was right."
His voice was pleased.
He released my head, and his hand slid down, groping my ass cheeks with his big, rough hand.
I squeezed my eyes shut as hopelessness crushed down on me. Then—
The sound of footsteps approaching echoed.
The pig like man froze in panic, his grip faltered a bit. And my eyes flew open, my resolve coming back. In that brief moment, as I sensed his hold loosen, I twisted my neck and spat the filthy cloth from my mouth.
A hand slammed over my mouth just as I began to scream. But his hand was too big for my mouth only.
His palm sealed my lips; his fingers crushed against my face, blocking my nose completely.
But the footsteps didn't even linger outside our stall.
Whoever it was seemed occupied with their own business. The steady sound of running water echoed continuously, but for far longer than it should have.
Every passing second strained my nerves, causing my hope to diminish with each insignificant splash.
I struggled.
My lungs burned. Pressure built until it hurt. I tried to move anything, but the heavy weight of pig like man crushed me in place. My arms were useless. My legs trembled beneath me.
I couldn't breathe.
Desperation clawed through me, and a sudden surge of strength enveloped my body. I slammed my foot backward, driving it into the wall as hard as I could.
A searing pain shot up my leg, nearly stealing my consciousness.
But it was nothing compared to the agony of what I was experiencing. Still, it served its purpose. The sharp, violent noise that reverberated through the bathroom was impossible to ignore.
I heard footsteps again. My heart surged with hope as they came closer, but—
They passed by, continuing toward the exit.
No. My heart sank.
They had to have heard it. The crash was too loud to ignore.
And yet—
They were leaving.
The last spark of hope inside me went out. My face, already flushed from lack of air, reddened further as tears streamed uncontrollably.
The pig like man froze too. The way his body went rigid, how he stopped breathing as we waited in that stretched, unbearable silence. Seconds dragged on until the footsteps faded completely, leaving nothing but the dull rush of blood in my ears.
Relief crossed his face. Only for a moment. Because—
The sound came back.
This time, the steps grew steadily louder with each step until they stopped directly outside the bathroom stall.
"Dear guest, your actions are disturbing the other guests, so please calm yourself."
The voice that came from the outside was polite and calm but very familiar.
The tone was calm and indifferent, with clearly spoken words that sounded both cold and rich. It would be incredibly foolish for me not to recognize this voice.
It was her, the woman who had warned what would happen if we met again.
"Fuck off." The pig like man shouted.
In the silence that followed, I heard her sigh, unmistakably displeased.
I didn't understand what she had meant earlier, nor did I know how she intended to do that. But I knew one thing with absolute certainty.
Whatever waited on the other side of that stall was infinitely better than under this man.
I gathered what little strength I had left and fought.
I don't know where it came from, but a huge amount of strength came through me. I shoved hard, and for the first time, the pig like man stumbled back a step.
He startled and lunged to restrain me. The hand clamped over my mouth slipped.
I didn't even breathe in.
"Help me!"
The scream tore out of my throat, weak and thin. But loud enough to reach her. She was my only hope.
The man cursed again and slammed my head into the wall.
The impact exploded behind my eyes. My whole world tilted violently.
No.
I clung to my consciousness with everything I had left, refusing to let myself faint. I would not black out—not yet.
Not until I knew she would help me.
Through the haze, I felt the stall shake once. Then again. Violent tremors ran through the thin walls. That man was shouting something, but his words blurred together, swallowed by the deafening sound of door banging.
And then suddenly, it was torn away. The door flew sideways, crashing against the tiles as a woman stepped through.
"I believe I told you not to do this here."
With the stall exposed, she took in the scene—me and that man, the state we were both in—and yet her expression didn't change.
Nothing. Just cold, detached indifference, as if she were looking at something mildly inconvenient.
"Who the hell are you?"
That man snapped and turned fully toward her, frustration twisting his face as he grabbed at her collar and yanked her closer. She was taller than him—just enough that he had to lift his chin to meet her eyes.
She didn't react.
"Mind your own business, okay?" The man growled.
But he released her almost immediately, brushing his hand off. She remained exactly where she was, her back straight, gaze steady, as though none of it had mattered in the slightest.
But her eyes were on me.