Betrayal of Wisteria ✓

8

Zhen Jie woke up in one of the empty apartments, stripped naked and aching all over her body. The cold air from the shattered window blew in, causing her to shiver. The wind felt like ice against her wounds and bruises.

The door to the room opened and someone walked in, their shoes clicking against the old tile. They laughed at Zhen Jie's state and tsked under their breath, "You're awake." They stated. "I'm sorry I couldn't see the little fun you had with my boys earlier — but don't worry, I'll get to see it this time."

"What? Please... no." Zhen Jie begged.

"Shut the fuck up. You should've thought about that before you decided to be a fucking snitch." They rolled their eyes. "What exactly did you tell the cops?" When Zhen Jie failed to respond, they walked closer and spat at her, "I'm talking to you, whore!"

They pulled their hand back and started to deliver short, curt hits to Zhen Jie's face when she screamed towards the window for help. Each hit demanded silence and answers at the same time.

They stepped back when her head hung low and blood strung from her mouth. They pulled out a cigarette and lit it with an orange lighter, pushing it through the mouth slit of their mask and taking a long drag. They stepped towards Zhen Jie again and pressed the cigarette into her face before blowing their smoke into it.

"I have a secret, Little Zhen," They smiled. "I'm the one who told Qi Qiao to take you the book." Zhen Jie's heart dropped at their words. "You see, Qi Qiao was never supposed to be raped — but one of my friends wanted to have a little fun so I decided, why not? She was going to die either way and having her raped would be good for me."

"It'd deter the cops from suspecting..."

Qiu Fu ran into the living room and shook Yi Zhao awake. Yi Zhao knew something was wrong when he saw the tears streaming down his friends face. Qiu Fu never cried, and if he did, he would never let anyone see it. He was too tough. He found himself to be "too much of a man" to ever give anyone the grace of watching him break apart, so to see him say to hell with that meant something bad happened.

"Zhao, I'm sorry! I told her to stay inside! I told her not to leave... I didn't think she'd leave, I'm so sorry!"

Yi Zhao jumped off of the couch and glared at his friend, "What the fuck happened."

"She was raped and beat last night..." Yi Zhao's world stopped spinning and his head started. He felt like he would pass out at any minute and he wasn't anywhere near prepared for the words that were to come.

"And Hou Wei was one of the rapists."

"Where the hell is that son of a bitch?" Yi Zhao's voice was calm. It was terrifying how low and mellow it was, but the way the skin of his body paled and his face fueled into a bright red, Qiu Fu knew he was livid. "No, where's my girlfriend? Where is she?"

"Hou Wei was arrested along with the other guys. Someone caught them in the act... I think Zhen Jie's at that officer's place. She's traumatized. She begged him to take her to his place after the hospital." Qiu Fu said, hanging his head low. "I got there too late... I saw them getting taken away, I saw how her body trembled and how she begged that officer not to leave her." Another tear dropped to the floor, and Qiu Fu didn't move to wipe it away. "I'm sorry, Zhao. I'm so sorry. It's my fault, I shouldn't have left. I should've stayed and slept outside like I normally do."

"No, it's not your fault. It's not your fault, Fu," Yi Zhao shook his head, holding back his tears that felt almost impossible to restrain. "Do you know where he lives? Officer Gong?"

Qiu Fu nodded and the two guys left hurriedly, speeding off on Qiu Fu's motorcycle. Yi Zhao chewed his bottom lip, tasting the metallic taste of blood after a while. Everything he passed by reminded him of Zhen Jie and how he failed her, and how he was the reason everything happened to her.