Chapter 7

Startled, Vanessa slammed the door shut. Her cheeks were flushed red. She didn't know how to respond. Baxter sensed something was off about her and was about to ask when a voice came from inside the room. "Baxter, save me!" Baxter's expression darkened, and he pushed Vanessa aside. As soon as the door opened, Tabitha fell into his arms. She was crying pitifully, her face covered in tears. Behind her, a man stretched lazily, looking thoroughly satisfied. Baxter had suspected something. But even so, he couldn't believe what he was seeing. "Just what the hell is going on?" he demanded through gritted teeth. "I-It was Vanessa!" Tabitha choked out, sobbing. "She gave me a drink earlier. But after I drank it, I felt dizzy… and then this man… he…" A wave of shock froze Vanessa in place. She never imagined Tabitha would twist it around and accuse her. "I didn't!" She looked coldly at Tabitha, no longer covering for her. "It was consensual between the two of them. Baxter, don't let her fool you!" "Shut up!" Baxter snapped, his eyes burning with poisonous rage. "Vanessa, how can you be so despicable? If you didn't plan this, then why were you sneaking around and slamming the door shut the moment you saw me?" Realization suddenly dawned on Vanessa. She had fallen into Tabitha's trap again. He probably wouldn't believe anything she said now. But even so, she couldn't just swallow the blame in silence. "I was just passing by and happened to see it. I wasn't sneaking around, and I definitely didn't drug her." "You're still denying it?" Baxter's clenched fist turned white. He took off his jacket and draped it over Tabitha. Then, he walked over to the table and picked up the wine glass. Sure enough, there was a faint trace of white powder on the rim—a clear evidence of the wine being spiked. His face instantly turned dark and stormy. He marched over to Vanessa and demanded, "You say you didn't drug her? Then, do you have the guts to drink it to prove you didn't do anything?" As soon as the words fell, Vanessa lowered her gaze. It was just as she thought. He wouldn't believe her, no matter what she said. Her lips curved faintly. She wanted to laugh, but when she tilted her head back, all she tasted was bitterness. Then, she looked at him with quiet sorrow. "I didn't do it. That's the truth. I don't need to prove myself." With that, she turned to leave. But just as she did, Baxter grabbed her arm. "You think you can just walk away after bullying Tabby? She might be soft-tempered, but I'm not!" The next second, he grabbed her jaw and forced the drugged wine down her throat. Vanessa choked and coughed violently. Before she could even recover, he shoved her into the room. She stumbled and fell to the floor. "Mr. Johnston, what's the meaning of this?" the man who had been watching the drama unfold asked. Baxter shot him a glance and answered coldly, "She's yours." Then, without looking back, he picked up Tabitha and walked away. Trembling, Vanessa looked up in disbelief. All she saw was his cold, unfeeling back. Tears spilled from her eyes. Once again, Baxter had abandoned her. A lewd laugh came from the man above her. "That body, that face. Well, you're no worse than that slut, Tabitha. Looks like I'm in for a real treat today." Vanessa jolted in fear and frantically backed away. But just then, a wave of heat surged through her body, slowly eroding her sense of reason. "S-Stay away from me!" "Don't bother struggling. The drug is strong. Trust me, I'll make sure you feel really good." The man towered over her. With one hand clutching her neck, the other ripped her clothes. He pressed his entire body down on hers, ravenously ravaging her. All Vanessa could feel were pure humiliation, fear, and despair. She screamed until her voice went hoarse. But the door remained tightly shut. No one came to save her. Her happy memories with Baxter flashed across her mind, only to be shattered and torn apart. Just as the man was about to force himself inside her, Vanessa felt around and grabbed a porcelain object. She immediately smashed it over his head. The man clutched his head and screamed. Desperate to stay conscious, Vanessa picked up a sharp shard and stabbed her thigh.