14. 4/5.

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Tara chewed on her lip as she made her way through the corridors of her university. Nausea gnawed at her insides, stress ruining her appetite. The weight of the day bore down on her, leaving her drained from maintaining a facade of normalcy among her fellow students.

Though her mind struggled to focus, she had to attend her classes. The anticipation of returning home to execute her next revenge fueled her throughout the day, her mind wandering to the intricate details of her plan.

With Nathan's revelation and subsequent demise, the police swiftly connected the dots between all three incidents. It appeared he hadn't provided enough information before his passing, prompting authorities to implement extra security measures around the city, blindly searching for her. Police cars often patrolled their neighborhood, working tirelessly to uncover any additional clues that could lead them to the perpetrator and the remaining two targets.

"Like that's going to stop me," Tara mumbled, nibbling on a granola bar while heading home. With a childlike swing of her arm, she pressed on, undeterred by the increased difficulty. Instead, she found it challenging—a game of cat and mouse with the law meant to protect and avenge her but now standing in her way. "The irony," she scoffed, quelling the roaring anger within her.

She had better plans than lamenting the lack of help she got.

Once home, Tara started getting ready, painting her face before styling her hair. After clipping on fake bangs, she added extensions to give her hair more length and volume. Then, she stuffed her bra and squeezed into a tight corset. Though she had ensured her head was always down and her disguise was meticulous, the police might've caught a glimpse of her in the surrounding cameras around the café. 

Two months had passed since the kidnapping, however, so no matter how hard the authorities were working, Tara was working harder.

Shimmying into a short, glittery dress, she stood before her mirror, scrutinizing her reflection. Hollow eyes stared back at her, devoid of the spark they once held. The sight tore at her heart, but she refused to let despair consume her. Instead, a fierce determination surged within her, fueled by the desire for retribution.

Shaking her head to dispel any lingering negativity, Tara's lips curled into a smirk. "Daniel Mitchell, let's fucking party."

Daniel Mitchell always reeked of alcohol whenever it was his turn to ravage her

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Daniel Mitchell always reeked of alcohol whenever it was his turn to ravage her. He was a religious, heavy partygoer, and a devoted carouser. His social media was full of blurred selfies and shaky videos of him dancing, drinking, or screaming his lungs out to whatever song the DJ played.

However, the recent incidents cast a dark cloud over his once carefree lifestyle, the threat of danger tainting his debauchery. It also didn't help that Tara had been secretly planting rumors about him in all the places he frequented, erasing the endless stream of girls hanging onto his broad shoulders and his father's wealth. The shadow of fear and boredom now loomed over his life, disrupting his nights of revelry and forcing chastity upon him.

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