Mindful Beauty

10) Her Pain

"Maybe for you. Everyone else is probably going to work overtime." Joselyn groaned, rubbing her eyes, tired.

Ella was already on her way out, too. She had promised Fransisco to have dinner with him this evening even though she knew that it was just his way to check up on her. "Bye, ladies. Don't let Jihye overwork you guys." Ella joked, eager to leave since she was running a bit late.

Hope chuckled, waving bye to Ella who quickly stepped out into the elevator. Ella checked the time on her watch while descending down to the basement. As soon as she stepped out, her hand digging into her purse to pull out her phone to text her brother, she accidentally bumped into another person.

"Oh, I'm sorry!" Ella dropped her keys, looking up to see a young man decked out in all black with a cap. She quickly noticed his brown eyes staring back at her, surprised.

Cautiously, she stepped back twice, surprised at their proximity. He stepped closer, his head dropping before he sighed, "I'm sorry, too." With that said, his arm shot out, punching Ella in the stomach, successfully knocking her down. With a gasp, she quickly realized the situation she was in.

With her hand in her purse, the quickly dug out a pen, clicking it on as he descended on her, his hands wrapping around her neck despite her struggles to get him off her. Left with no other choice, she stabbed into his body with the pen, successfully distracting him as she elbowed his face.

The man, angered now, grabbed the back of her shirt, harshly yanking her backwards, backslapping her to keep her shocked and still for a moment while he resumed his previous position, pinning her arms under his knees. Her watch cracked under pressure, and Ella ignored the throb of her busted lip and her arms numbing under his weight as he rewrapped his fingers around her neck, squeezing.

Thrashing under his hold, Ella was quickly losing the battle, her vision blackened just as she managed to slip one hand away from his grip. In her last effort to redeem herself, she clutched his wrist, just barely managing to take off his watch with whatever strength she had when a loud, wailing scream was heard. Frantic, the man squeezed tighter, but heels were quickly clicking in their direction, and the man let go of Ella, running away just as Ella gasped for air.

"Oh my God!" It was Hope.

After realizing Ella had left her phone once it began ringing with calls, Hope had rushed down in hopes to return it to her before she left, but she would have never even imagined that this would be what she would encounter.

After Ella's vision returned, with the help of Hope, she stood up on wobbly legs. Her head and heart were still pounding from the lack of oxygen; Ella just wanted to lie down and rest for a little while.

"Lean here for just a little bit, yeah?" Hope waited until Ella nodded against the elevator wall, too tired to speak as Hope rushed to collect the dropped items. "I can't believe this!" Hope had tears in her eyes as she returned to help Ella stand. The poor young girl looked as if she would collapse at any given second. "We're almost there, Ella. Okay?" Hope watched in relief as the elevator doors opened. "Guys! Guys, please! Help!" Hope was crying out, still clutching onto Ella, unaware of Ella's bruised ribs. "Guys!" Hope wailed even louder upon seeing Ella's eyes flutter open and close, her body beginning to weigh more on her.

"What? What?" Joselyn was the first one to approach, and upon seeing Ella's messy clothes and busted lip as well as her pale color, she quickly dropped her coffee mug, leaving it to shatter onto the floor as she rushed over, also helping to keep an almost unconscious Ella up. "Mr. Kim! Kim!" Joselyn was yelling now too, and soon, everyone was out of their offices with all of the commotion.

"What happened?!" Mr. Kim thundered angrily as Damien also rushed forward, his heart pounding in concern and anger.

"Get some alcohol, she's passing out." Damien grounded out, bending to wrap his arm around Ella's knees, sweeping her off her feet and into his arms and he wrapped another arm around her back.