Hello, Ex! I Finally Found My Worth! - Chapter 93

Chapter 93: A Pawn

The world was blurry when Emma’s eyes fluttered open. Her head throbbed, her limbs felt like lead, and her mouth was dry as if she’d been walking through a desert.

She blinked a few times, trying to focus, but the room swam before her. Dim light filtered in from a single bulb hanging above her, casting eerie shadows on the walls.

It took her a moment to realize she was upright. No, not just upright—restrained.

The realization hit her like a truck, and her body jolted in panic. She tried to move her arms, but they wouldn’t budge. A sharp tug confirmed what her foggy mind had already guessed what it was.

Her wrists were tied behind her back. Her legs were similarly bound to the chair she was sitting on, the ropes digging into her skin with every attempted movement.

Her breath came in quick, shallow gasps. This isn’t real. This can’t be real.

Emma tugged harder against her bindings, the rough fibers scraping her skin. The chair creaked beneath her, but it didn’t budge. The more she struggled, the tighter the ropes seemed to feel.

Her heartbeat roared in her ears, drowning out the faint sounds around her. How did this happen? Where am I? Who did this to me?

Memories began to flood back in disjointed fragments—her decision to leave the house, the cool afternoon air against her skin, the car screeching to a stop in front of her…. two men dragging her into the car and her asking them questions… and then… nothing. Just a sharp sting at the back of her head and the world going dark.

She tried to cry out, but a muffled noise was all she could manage. It was then she realized her mouth was gagged, a rough cloth tied tightly around her head.

Her panic intensified, her thoughts spiraling.

“Oh my God. I’ve been kidnapped. I’ve been kidnapped. What are they going to do to me?”

Her mind raced through every possibility, each, more horrifying than the last.

“What if they want money? But I don’t have much. What if they don’t want money? What if… what if they just want to hurt me? Who are they and what do they want with me?”

Tears pricked her eyes, threatening to spill over. She shook her head, as if denying her situation could make it any less real. But the ropes bit into her wrists, grounding her in the terrifying reality.

“This is how I’m going to die,” she thought, her chest heaving with suppressed sobs. “I’m going to die tied to a chair in some unknown place, and no one will even know what happened to me.”

The thought of Alex hit her like a punch to the gut. Her breath hitched, and her tears finally spilled over.

“Alex… he must be home by now. Does he even know I’m missing? Or is he thinking I just went out somewhere?”

She pictured him pacing the house, his phone in hand, calling her over and over only to hear it go to voicemail. She imagined his worry turning to fear, his mind racing just as hers was now.

“If I had known… if I had known this was going to happen…” Her thoughts trailed off, her heart aching with regret.

“I wouldn’t have left the house. I wouldn’t have run off like that. I should’ve stayed. I should’ve told him.”

Her chest tightened as the realization sank in. She had wasted so much time hiding her feelings, so afraid of rejection that she hadn’t even given herself a chance to experience the joy of loving openly.

“If I’d known I had so little time left, I would’ve told him everything, she thought bitterly. I would’ve told him I love him. Even if he didn’t feel the same, at least he would know. Now, I’m going to die with regrets.”

She thought about his smile, the way his voice softened whenever he spoke to her, the way he always seemed to notice the little things about her.

“Does he know how much he means to me? Does he know how much I wish I could see him just one more time?”

Emma’s tears flowed freely now, soaking into the gag that muffled her cries. She wanted to scream, to beg whoever had done this to let her go, to give her one more chance to live her life fully.

But she couldn’t. All she could do was sit there, bound and helpless, her thoughts spiraling into a storm of fear, regret, and longing.

Her head dropped forward, her energy drained from the futile struggling. She could feel the sting of the ropes against her skin, the ache in her muscles from being tied for who knows how long.

She took a shaky breath, trying to calm herself, but the panic was unrelenting.

“What if Alex never finds me? What if this is it? What if I never get to see him again?”

Her mind screamed for a way out. “There has to be something I can do.”

If only she could just take out her phone to call Alex or even go live. She thought.

She twisted her wrists, ignoring the pain, searching for any give in the ropes. Her eyes scanned the dimly lit room for anything sharp or loose, anything she could use to free herself.

But there was nothing. Just bare walls, a creaky chair, and silence.

“Think, Emma, think!” She urged herself. “You can’t just sit here and wait to die.”

But no matter how hard she tried to focus, her thoughts kept drifting back to Alex. To the life she might never get to live. To the love she might never get to express.

And the thought crushed her more than any fear of her captors ever could.

Emma froze when she heard footsteps. The soft thuds echoed in the otherwise silent room, growing louder with each passing second.

Her heart raced, her breath hitched, and a cold wave of fear washed over her. She twisted her hands against the ropes again, desperation clawing at her, but they held firm.

The door creaked open, and two men stepped inside. They were tall and broad, their faces shadowed under the dim light.

One had a scruffy beard, his eyes sharp and predatory. The other had a clean-shaven face but carried a menacing air that made her stomach churn.

“I can see our little missy is awake,” the clean-shaven guy said, looking Emma over.

Emma’s chest tightened. She tried to steel herself, to push down the overwhelming panic threatening to swallow her whole.

“Who are you?” she demanded, her voice shaky but loud enough to cut through the oppressive silence. “What do you want with me?”

The bearded man smirked, his teeth yellowed and jagged. “Who are we?” he repeated mockingly, stepping closer. “We’re the ones presiding over your life right now, sweetheart.”

Emma’s throat dried up. She swallowed hard, trying to keep her voice steady. “You… don’t have that power,” she said, her words trembling with a mixture of defiance and fear.

The clean-shaven man scoffed. Without warning, he struck her across the cheek with the back of his hand. The sharp sting exploded across her face, and her head snapped to the side.

A gasp of pain escaped her lips, tears springing to her eyes. Her skin burned where his hand had landed, the metallic taste of blood filling her mouth where her teeth had caught her lip.

The two men laughed, the sound cold and cruel, sending a shiver down her spine.

“Not so tough now, are you?” the clean-shaven man sneered. “Thought you were some kind of god, huh? Look at you-tied up, helpless, in our custody. And yet, you still have the nerve to act like you’ve got the upper hand?”

Emma bit down on her lip, the pain grounding her. Her heart pounded in her chest, but she refused to let herself cry in front of them. She turned her head slowly to meet their eyes, defiance flickering in her gaze despite the tears threatening to fall.

“What do you want?” she asked, her voice quieter now but firm. “Why did you kidnap me?”

The bearded man chuckled darkly, leaning closer. “What we want? Why we took you?” He shook his head, amused. “You don’t need to know any of that, princess.”

“That information’s not for you,” the clean-shaven man added with a smirk. “You’re just the pawn in this little game. Asking questions isn’t going to change a thing.”

Emma’s stomach churned. A game? She didn’t understand what they meant, but their words only deepened her fear.

“Please,” she tried again, her voice trembling now. “If this is about money, I-”

The bearded man interrupted her with a laugh. “Money? You think this is about money?” He straightened, his expression darkening. “You don’t get it, do you? You’re not in a position to make demands or bargains. You’re just here to play your part.”

Emma felt her chest tighten further. Her mind scrambled for answers, for anything that could make sense of this nightmare. But their cryptic words and mocking tone only left her more confused and terrified.

The clean-shaven man grabbed her chin roughly, forcing her to look up at him. “Here’s a tip,” he said, his voice low and menacing. “Stop asking questions. You won’t like the answers.”

With that, they turned and walked out, their laughter echoing as the door slammed shut behind them.

The sound reverberated in Emma’s ears, leaving her alone once again in the stifling silence.

She slumped forward, the ropes biting into her wrists and ankles. Her cheek throbbed where she’d been struck, and the tears she had been holding back finally spilled over.

Her thoughts spiraled as she tried to process what had just happened. Who were these men? What did they mean by “a game”? Why her? What was the connection?

And the worst question of all: What are they going to do to me?

She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to block out the overwhelming terror. But no matter how hard she tried, their words and the sound of their laughter lingered, feeding the growing dread in her chest.

Alex… please find me. Please.