The Devil's Sweetheart

89

Jennie sobbed, tears dripped raining down onto the pillow. Her breathing ragged, strength left her body. Her sounds of wailing and suffering echoed throughout the house. There was no one to comfort her now. She cried until no more tears came, but still emptiness and sorrow reminded. Even the first light of the day arrived, she remained unmoved. Eventually, fatigue kicked in and she dozed off in the morning.

.....

"I have never let you down, I am shining on sight

In a flash like that, I am back...I am back my dear Jennie." Singing to a song as if she was choir leader at a church, Rosé keyed in the passcode of the house. Her grandfather has started business lectures even before she graduated. So, she started the early journey to escape from his boring classes.

"I will pull a ghost prank on crazy Jennie now." Rosé giggled. She hasn't informed Jennie that she would be arriving. When Rosé stepped into the house, she was surprised to see the living room all messy. Jennie's favorite plant was thrown on the ground, a glass vase was broken, pictures sprawled across the floor. Jennie, being a clean freak, would yell at Rosé and Irene even if it is a little untidy. What happened today? Is she not in the home? Rosé wondered.

Rosé moved ahead and picked a picture lying on the floor. It scared the bejesus out of Rosé's mind like a shot. "What on earth happened? Why is Jennie lying next to a different man in every picture?"

Rosé hurriedly made herself into Jennie's room. She was expecting something would have happened to her friend when she saw those morphed pictures, but the reality was worse. Rosé was horrified to see the disheveled clothes on Jennie's body, bruises on her face and arms which have turned purple. Her face darkened instantly. Who did this to her!

She drew a few shaky breaths to calm herself and touched Jennie's face.

"Please...Don't..." Involuntarily Jennie shuddered gripping her blanket tightly. Her heart race accelerated and attempted to control her breathing rate thinking he has come to torture her again. Since last night, Jennie would smell his scent with no source either and scared she has woken up from her sleep now and then

"Jennie. Don't panic...It's me...Rosé." Rosé quickly explained and rubbed Jennie's arms to relieve her tensed body. Only when she heard the familiar voice, Jennie loosened up a little.

"What happened to my Jennie! Who came here and harmed her!" Rosé mumbled Other than the guest list, people have to have the consent of the flat owner to enter the apartment and Francis made sure there shouldn't be any outsider on the directory. Rosé's eyes glimmered with watery tears, it spilled over the sides of her eyes seeing the wretched state of her friend.

"What do I do now? Should I call Seulgi and Francis? No. They would freak out..." Rosé incoherently mumbled and grabbed her mobile. She hastily made a call to Irene and asked her to come home immediately without letting Seulgi know anything.

Rosé did not know what to do except to call Irene in a frenzy. She sat next to Jennie, wiped the tears every few seconds that were flowing involuntarily even with Jennie's eyes closed.

Within half n hour Irene arrived home and even she was mortified like Rosé when she saw Jennie lying on the bed like a broken doll. "Who...her bruises?" With a shaky hand, she tried to touch Jennie's arm but Rosé swatted her hand even before that.

"She is not in her usual self," Rosé said.

"Who has done this to-"

"It must be Ethan. I have asked at the front desk. No one has come to meet Jennie except him." Rosé felt a stab of anger towards that monster. She has an inkling of the situation when she saw the pictures. Ethan must have misunderstood and slapped her. Who has given the right to torment her?