Arrogant Billionaire: Love vs Hate

Chap. 9

"It is easy to hate and it is difficult to love. This is how the whole scheme of things works. All good things are difficult to achieve; and bad things are very easy to get."
-Confucius
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Andy's POV

I was in a dark room, the air heavy and suffocating around me. I lay on a bed unable to move, my hands and legs tightly tied to the corners with thick ropes that cut painfully into my skin. Panic surged through my body as I struggled desperately, twisting my wrists and pulling against the restraints, but every effort only made the ropes dig deeper. My breathing grew uneven, and a wave of helpless fear washed over me as I realized I couldn't free myself no matter how hard I tried.

Suddenly the door burst open with a loud bang. A tall shadowy figure appeared in the doorway, his presence instantly making my heart pound violently against my chest. 

"Who are you?" I shouted, my voice trembling despite my attempt to sound brave. "Why have you kidnapped me? What do you want?" 

The figure didn't answer. Instead, he slowly began walking toward the bed. With each step he took, the fear inside me grew stronger, curling like ice in my veins. Soon he was standing beside me, towering over the bed. He leaned down close to my ear, his voice low and chilling. "You rejected my offer, nerd."

The bedside lamp suddenly flicked on, filling the room with dim yellow light. My breath caught in my throat as I saw his face clearly. Mark Winston. A cruel smile lingered on his lips as his eyes locked onto mine. "But I always get what I want."

"Don't you dare touch me!" I shouted, my entire body trembling with fear and anger. A dark glint flashed in his eyes as he reached toward my shirt and slowly began unbuttoning it. 

Tears streamed down my face while I struggled helplessly against the ropes, my heart racing wildly as the nightmare unfolded before me. 

"You know what, nerd—"

Beep. Beep. Beep.

My eyes flew open instantly. I sat up in bed, breathing heavily as sweat clung to my skin. The alarm clock beside my bed continued ringing loudly, pulling me fully back into reality. For a few seconds I just stared at the ceiling, trying to steady my racing heartbeat and convince myself that I was safe. It had only been a dream. The worst nightmare I had ever had. For the first time in my life, I felt grateful to my alarm for dragging me out of such a horrifying scene.

After taking a long shower to calm myself, I got ready for college. The memory of the nightmare still lingered faintly in my mind, but I refused to let fear control me. Determination slowly pushed away the unease as I went downstairs, where Mom was already arranging breakfast on the table.

"Andyyyy, look!" my little brother shouted excitedly as he ran toward me, holding a tiny fluffy white kitten in his arms. "Daddy got me a new Miss Lucy!"

I couldn't help smiling at the sight. The kitten blinked sleepily as I gently stroked her soft fur, and she responded with a content little purr. "Aww, she's adorable," I said warmly, leaning down to kiss my brother's cheek.

"Come sit, honey," Mom said, placing plates on the table. "Have some breakfast. Should I drop you to college?"

"No, Mom. Clara is picking me up," I replied while eating. "You have to go to the library anyway."

Just then the sound of a car horn echoed outside the house. I quickly grabbed my bag and stood up. "I think she's here. Bye Mom."

"Bye honey."

Outside, Clara was waiting in her car. I walked toward her with a small grin. "Hey girl, how's your ass?" I joked lightly.

"Scared as hell," she admitted immediately, her face looking pale and uneasy.