"What was that again?" Jacob's voice became hoarse, bordering on a roar.
With tears almost breaking out of her eyes, Emily looked into his eyes and whispered, "... I'm sorry."
"Emily Bai!" he shouted. Jacob's face burned with anger, at the thought of his efforts to pretend as if he had no idea what was going on. Emily's unforthcoming attitude was like a tight slap on his face!
Emily's recent unusual behavior did not go unnoticed by him, and it worried him greatly when she suddenly wanted to break up with him, so he sent people to check up on her.
Step by step, with proper investigation, he finally caught a glimpse of the ugly truth even he wished he did not uncover.
Jacob found out that Emily and Jack were still in contact. Moreover, one of Jacob's hackers even found an intimate photo of the two of them in Jack's phone and sent it to Jacob.
Jacob forced himself to keep calm and even employed numerous experts, seeking to prove that the picture was photoshopped, but the truth broke his heart.
"Oh, so you want to break up with me to be with Jack?" he asked Emily. Jacob slowly took his phone out of his pocket, while resisting the impulse to break it, and then showed Emily the photo on the screen.
Emily's jaw dropped to the floor so quick, she couldn't utter another word. Her lips quivered like a dry leaf, fearing the worst.
Even though she had expected the truth to come out one day, when her worst nightmare became reality, she couldn't handle the weight of the situation.
Emily's worst nightmare was brought to light and presented right in front of the man she loved the most.
"... Where did you get this photo?" she asked.
"Surprised?" he taunted. Not wasting another second, Jacob dropped his phone to the ground and stomped on it. "You're still in love with him, right? Or else, why would you sleep with him while I was away on business?" he asked, desperation appearing in his eyes.
"I didn't..." Emily responded under her breath. The very next moment, Jacob pushed her against the wall, hurting her back.
The pain dragged a cry of pain up her throat. She frowned, but the man in front of her remained unmoved. Instead, he burned her with his glare and said, "This face, makes me wonder how many men have fallen for your beauty. Even I, myself..."
The thought that Emily still harboured feelings for Jack, was like an icy wind choking the breath from his lungs and making a noose around his neck. Its savage, bitter blasts cut right to his bones and gripped his brain in its freezing claws.
Intimidated by his unhinged demeanor, Emily bit her lips and said, "... Do you get pleasure from insulting me?"
"Insulting you? You call this an insult?" he said. Jacob smiled coldly, and added, "Then shall I show you what a real insult is?"
Jacob turned her over against the wall, with her back to him.
"I have been too nice to you. That's why you were brave enough to cheat on me," he whispered. Jacob's lips were close to her ear, and his warm breath brushed against it, but all Emily felt was the coldness.
"Do you know what they call a woman like you who sleeps around with different men... they call her a dirty whore!" he said.
Jacob's last word was fashioned like a dagger, mercilessly stabbing into Emily's heart and twisting it.
"Jacob!" Emily bellowed almost uncontrollably, as if to relieve some of the pain in her heart. "You've gone too far!" she added.
Emily admitted that it was her fault, but it was not like she wanted to cheat on Jacob. She was a victim, too! She knew she was guilty of doing him wrong, but that didn't mean he could humiliate her at will!
"Too far? I'm afraid this isn't far enough! You think I have gone too far because I called you a whore? What about you? Do you know what you have done? " he yelled.
"..."
It wasn't until Emily fainted that he regained his senses. Emily lay on the bed, blood seeping under her skin. Patterns of black and blue appearing over her thighs and her ribs. Her battered, tear soaked face looked rather pitiable.
The sight of her sunk his heart to the darkest depths of hell. A bloody portrait of his making. When he tortured her, he was also torturing himself.
"... Why did you cheat on me?" Jacob reached out his hand and gently stroked her face, wiping away the tears on her face. His heart felt heavy, like boulders.
Although he could not accept her betrayal, he could never let her leave him! This woman belonged to him. Whoever dared touch her would sign their own death contract!
Jacob took a deep breath and his coal black eyes, glimmered with the intent to kill. Showing mercy to Jack had been the biggest mistake of his life, and now it was time to get even with him!
Jacob shifted his gaze down at Emily again and tenderly held her in his arms. Clouds of pain lingered in his eyes, unwilling to disperse.
A few minutes later, he realized something strange about the woman in his arms. Her body felt cold. The kind of cold that would worry any sensible human being.
Jacob sat up to check, and accidentally found dried blood on the bed, patterned like blossoming flowers, extremely enchanting.
His skin prickled with fear, and his chest ached with the pounding of his heart. "Emily? Emily? What is wrong... Wake up!" he urged.
Emily's breathing was barely perceptible. She looked lifeless.
Jacob's face changed and he dialed the interior phone. "Bring me the best doctor immediately! In ten minutes! Hurry!"
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