Chapter 5

"In your dreams!" Winona shouted before a string of curses exploded from her mouth. Her eyes were reddened, and there was fresh blood staining the corner of her lips. She felt someone grab her hair in the next second. They ruthlessly knocked her forehead against the ground, making her vision go blurry for a split second from the impact. "Admit that you're wrong! Admit that your brother is no better than a beast! Admit that your entire family deserves to die!" They kept knocking her head against the floor over and over again. Winona felt incredibly dazed. There was a loud buzzing in her head as blood flowed from her forehead and down her cheeks. Her clenched teeth were stained with fresh blood. She wanted to retaliate and argue, but she had lost the strength to even speak. Insults and laughter reverberated in her ears. She could hear someone, who was standing to the side, counting loudly. Winona felt like she was being suffocated by immense humiliation and hatred. However, she couldn't free herself and was forced to knock her head against the floor countless times. When they forced her head to the floor for the last time, she finally felt the grip on her body loosen. She mustered every bit of strength that she had left and shoved her way through the crowd. She was dizzy and unsteady on her feet as she bolted out of the hotel, operating on pure instinct as she ran onto the road. Just then, a pair of piercing headlights shone on her. Seconds later, a black car sped toward her. Winona's eyes widened. She wanted to move out of the way, but her body refused to listen to her. The car rammed into her with a loud bang, sending her flying before she crashed in a heap on the cold and hard ground. Winona was assaulted by overwhelming pain from all sides. She could feel something warm and sticky flow out of her mouth, nose, and other parts of her body. Her blood stained the ground beneath her a gruesome red. Black spots danced in her vision. Although she was on the verge of fainting, she saw Zack and Connor standing on the balcony of the banquet hall on the second floor. They were standing next to each other while holding two glasses of wine. Both of them seemed to be completely indifferent to Winona's plight as they gazed in her direction. "Zack, Connor, what happened outside?" Sadie had stepped out of the banquet hall. The two of them turned in unison to face her, the icy expressions on their faces melting away. Connor stepped in front of her and used his hands to block her view. "Don't look. It's filthy." His words were like a frosted blade that stabbed itself into Winona's heart. Her vision went dark as she lost consciousness. … Winona was at the hospital again when she woke up. Connor was keeping vigil by her bedside. Dark circles were beginning to form under his eyes. When he heard the rustling sounds from her moving around, he nervously got to his feet to check on her. "You're finally awake, Winnie! I'm sorry. I should have sent you home first. You wouldn't have gotten into that car accident if I hadn't left." Winona calmly watched as Connor acted like a concerned boyfriend. "I was beaten up at the banquet hall," she blurted out suddenly. "I want to call the police and file a lawsuit against the people who were at the party for battery." Connor frowned slightly. "I checked the surveillance footage after you got into the accident, Winnie. The cameras in the hall weren't working—" "Have the police conduct an investigation then!" Winona said stubbornly. "I'm not just going to forget about what happened. I'll definitely report them to the police!" She grabbed her phone and was about to dial the police station's number when Sadie suddenly rushed into the room. She snatched Winona's phone out of her hand and hurled it to the floor. Sadie's eyes were bloodshot, and her voice was thick with emotion when she exclaimed, "You want to call the police? Why? Are you working with the police to frame me?" It was as if she were lost in her own world. She kept pacing around the room, muttering to herself anxiously. "It's all your fault! It's all Scott's fault! He's the one who assaulted me! I wasn't lying. I wasn't!" "Sadie!" Connor ignored everything else that was happening. He felt as if his heart was breaking as he watched Sadie with reddened eyes. He approached her and tried to hug her. Sadie suddenly whipped her head up. Her eyes were bloodshot as she snatched up the fruit knife on the table and swiftly sliced it across her inner wrist. Fresh blood immediately began to flow down her pale wrist, dripping onto the floor. Connor's eyes widened. He hastily picked Sadie up and rushed out of the room. His voice was laced with terror and shock as he shouted for a doctor. Winona watched their retreating figures. A long time passed before she forced her weak body off the bed. She picked up her phone and was about to call the police when someone covered her nose and mouth from behind her. She fainted before she could even struggle.