Payback at Once

I was proposed to by my boyfriend Liam Curtis of five years, but that same night, my close girlfriend sent me a link to a "misogynistic post."

Curious, I clicked on it, and the content was shocking:

"This stupid woman still doesn't know I'm planning to have her assaulted, does she?

What can a woman achieve? If I change my surname to her, her old man will treat me like his own son!

If that old man doesn't cooperate, I'll just get rid of him, and taking advantage of a family legacy will be mine!"

A chill ran down my spine because the heavily pixelated person in the illustrations was unmistakably me.

1

"What are you looking at?"

Liam's voice broke the silence. He had just finished his shower, water droplets still trickling from his hair.

Drip, drip...

My gaze drifted downward.

His muscular physique was on full display.

He wasn't wearing a shirt...

Normally, I'd be incredibly shy, but at this moment, my heart felt as if it had turned to ash.

The post my close girlfriend forwarded to me-I clicked on it and saw myself.

Even with the heavy pixilation, I recognize myself at the first glance.

It was me!

Liam kept asking what I was looking at, but I clutched my phone tightly, refusing his checking request.

"Oh, nothing much, just some gossip. An A-list celebrity secretly got married and even has a daughter. I'm just shocked."

I casually made up some celebrity gossip to brush him off.

He was never interested in such tabloid news, so he didn't press further.

We were in the same room, and the atmosphere inevitably turned a bit intimate.

Liam's hand rested on my waist, but I was covered in goosebumps due to his real nature.

He leaned his head on my shoulder, murmuring, "Alex, It feels like a dream of being with you since we met."

I didn't respond, but he ignored my silence, continuing to talk about how difficult it had been for him to get here.

All those sweet memories now felt utterly disgusting.

His hand slowly moved upwards...

"Alex, I'm finally going to be fulfilled."

After five years together, we had never gone that far.

Tonight, after his proposal, I "silently agreed." He took me to a hotel.

We were both adults, so we naturally knew what would happen.

At this moment, his was getting closer nakedly.

His hands roamed over me.

My stomach churned uncontrollably...

I felt like throwing up!

"Wait... "

I pushed him away.

With such force that he couldn't react and fell flat on the floor.

"I'm... I'm not feeling well. Let's do this another day."

I fled in panic.

2

I actually took the advice of all the sisters online

and hailed a cab to escape!

On the way, my phone kept buzzing with messages from my bewildered boyfriend.

The incessant ringing

even prompted the driver to ask what was going on.

I casually made up an excuse to placate the concerned driver.

"It's nothing. My boyfriend cheated and got hit by a car. His family is insisting I should attend the funeral! It's so annoying!"

Through the rearview mirror, I could see the driver's awkward expression twitch slightly.

He was clearly taken aback, and then weakly said, "Cheating, huh... Well, don't bother with it."

I reopened the forwarded post from my close girlfriend.

All the girls online were in a "girl helps girl" mode, trying to identify me through my boyfriend's cryptic words.

The account that posted it had been deleted, but some kind-hearted sisters had taken screenshots of this jerk's posts.

Suppressing my anger, I carefully 'studied' each of his posts!

The more I read, the more I felt like I needed medication to calm myself down.

This jerk had been documenting everything for over five years.

It was all about how he meticulously approached me, fantasizing about hitting the jackpot by inheriting everything.

There was never any genuine connection; it was all him stalking my social media!

This was a calculated social climber!

After learning all my preferences, he deliberately struck up a conversation with me at the freshman welcome party.

At the time, I felt an instant connection with someone who shared my interests.

But he wrote on his social media: "Bait progress 5%."

I was astonished by his opinion.

After the welcome party ended, Liam, this manipulative guy, began to infiltrate my life.

Although I found him very understanding, I wasn't moved by it.

His posts from that time were all insults directed at me.

A man whose facade was cracking emerged vividly!

How could this match the graceful and gentle persona he presented in real life?

The stark contrast between his online venom

and his real-life warmth ripped me apart.

As I continued scrolling through the screenshots, I found he was quite persistent.

He would pop up on social media almost every week, documenting our interactions.

Yet, the progress was always 5%, which made me want to laugh!

Indeed, after half a year of pestering, our relationship remained lukewarm.

Before that, it was all just his one-sided harassment!

"Damn! This chick finally fell for it, the laxative did the trick, haha! Progress increased to 15%."

This tweet quickly caught my attention.

The progress bar actually moved?

15%?

What caused this?

Frowning, I glanced at the tweet's timestamp and began to recall the incident that accelerated our relationship so unexpectedly.

It was only then that I realized this man was far more devious than I had imagined.

Damn it! Liam actually drugged me!

3

The real turning point in my relationship with him was an unexpected incident.

Back then, our university department organized a camping trip to the mountains.

Everyone eagerly agreed, excited for the chance to enjoy the great outdoors.

The scenery was beautiful, with cable cars and stargazing opportunities.

The gentle breeze and the majestic view from the top were truly awe-inspiring.

Who wouldn't get a little dizzy?

We'd triumphantly ascended to the summit! As we had planned to camp overnight, we wholeheartedly indulged in barbecuing and drinking, thoroughly enjoying ourselves.

During this time, Liam was constantly looking after me, serving ribs and sausages without a break.

He seemed willing to go through fire and water for me, showing no concern for propriety between men and women.

On the surface, it seemed humble, but in reality, it was a declaration of ownership.

Men could be such strange creatures sometimes.

Like a peacock claiming its territory, once he spread his feathers, others automatically assumed we were together.

It was as if... I was already taken by Liam.

Though I found it troubling, I didn't bother to address it.

I knew that denying it would only make them more persistent. After a round of barbecue, I

was full, but he hadn't eaten a bite, dedicating himself entirely to serving me.

During this time, he handed me a cup of water.

That night, I started having stomach issues.

I initially assumed that it was merely due to the unhygienic food, and I reckoned that a few visits to the bathroom would sort the problem out.

But I was too naive. I ended up running back and forth five or six times.

I was completely exhausted, yet my stomach still hurt, with excruciating cramps.

I called out for help, but the other girls were sound asleep.

Enduring the intense pain in my abdomen, I stepped out of the tent.

After searching around, I found all the guys were dead drunk.

I began to despair, accompanied by a terrifying sense of panic.

Searching for help had drained all my energy.

Just when I thought I might pass out from the pain, Liam appeared.

He helped me up

and hurriedly tried to get me medical attention.

It was so late, the cable cars had stopped, and there wasn't a single staff member in the area.

Just when I thought I might die from the stomach pain, Liam carried me down the mountain...

It took a full two hours to descend.

I was filled with a deep sense of indebtedness.

I was deeply grateful to Liam; he had saved my life.

After that, I tacitly accepted some of Liam's annoying persistence.

Memories flooded back as I connected them to this tweet.

How could I not understand?

The reason I suffered from such severe stomach problems, to the extent that my life was in jeopardy, was entirely attributable to this despicable man!

I browsed through his tweets. Over the past six months, although he seemed to be committed to me, he was, in fact, hurling all manner of malicious insults about me behind my back.

I resisted the anger, continuing scrolling his other posts.

Until... one tweet caught my attention.

November 11th, 2018, the day before we officially became a couple.

"I can't wait any longer. I need to speed up my progress and make her my girlfriend. Tomorrow, I'll pay the final installment!"

November 12, 2018.

"All my efforts finally paid off, progress increased to 40%. The final payment was 20% more than initially agreed. Damn it! But it was worth it! I'll get it back from her!"

I was instantly filled with dread.

Yes, the reason I ended up with him was because of his second "heroic rescue."

November 12, 2018, was a day I'd never forget.

I narrowly escaped a horrific assault.

4

Close to the university, there was a bustling night market. Liam had once informed me of a shortcut that could enable me to return to campus more expeditiously.

During that period, Liam stated that the instructor had requested him to take part in a competition in a nearby city, and he might be away for a week.

It was that week that I noticed someone following me.

Nevertheless, when I brought up the matter with Liam on the phone, he advised me not to over - analyze it. Given the large number of students around and the high popularity of the night market, he questioned, "Who would dare to do anything malicious?"

It made sense to me.

Until that day, when a pair of large hands covered my mouth on the shortcut.

The stench of sweat filled my nostrils.

I struggled desperately, only to be slapped to the ground.

"You dare to resist? Let's see how I deal with you!"

His large hands reached for me, and I kicked him with all my might, but it only resulted in more brutal treatment.

The bustling noise of the night market outside drowned out my cries in the dark alley.

"Rip--"

My clothes were torn open, and the man was about to pin me down. I was drowning in despair.

Just then, a powerful force pulled the man away.