Days passed, but I kept silent about what Venus and Darius had done to me. No one would believe me anyway. And honestly? I didn't want to relive the nightmare. I thought I could keep my head down and figure out my next move. But life had other plans.
One morning, a loud knock echoed through the house. When I opened the door, I was greeted by stern-faced policemen.
"Jillian Laví-Emillion," one of them said. "You are under arrest for the attempted murder of Lorde Ace Emillion."
My heart sank. "W-What? No! I-I didn't do it!"
But my protests fell on deaf ears. They handcuffed me and dragged me to the station. Before I knew it, I was thrown into the women's detention cell - a place that felt more like a dungeon than a jail.
The cell was massive, crowded with women who wore their crimes like badges of honor. Tattoos covered their skin, their eyes cold and calculating. As I walked in, their whispers began, low and menacing. I felt their eyes on me, sizing me up like prey.
I clutched my bag tightly and headed to the farthest corner, pretending not to notice them. I just wanted to keep to myself, but that wasn't going to happen.
"Hey, new girl," one of them called out. Her voice was sharp, almost playful, but there was a threat hidden in her tone.
I ignored her, focusing on arranging my things.
"Don't ya ignore me!" she snapped, and before I could react, she grabbed my hair and yanked me back.
The next thing I knew, punches and kicks rained down on me. I tried to fight back, but there were too many of them. Pain shot through every part of my body as I crumpled to the floor, beaten and bruised.
When they were done, they left me there, lying on the cold concrete. My vision blurred from the pain, and I thought that was it - my breaking point.
But then, someone approached me. A woman with kind but wary eyes knelt beside me and helped me sit up.
"Here," she said, handing me a piece of cloth to wipe the blood off my face. "Uhm… I'm Laura. You shouldn't have come here unprepared."
I let out a bitter laugh, wincing as it hurt my ribs. "Like I had a choice."
Laura's expression darkened. "Listen, those women? They're planning to kill you. It's been in the works since before you got here."
My stomach twisted. I frowned, "W-What? Why?"
She hesitated before answering, her voice dropping to a whisper. "I've heard them mention a name. Venus. Do you know her?"
The air left my lungs. It was her? She wasn't satisfied with ruining my life outside - now she wanted me dead.
I spent the rest of the day stewing in anger. Every bruise on my body, every ache, every humiliation - it all fueled the fire inside me. I wasn't going to let Venus win.
That night, as the cell lights dimmed and the other inmates drifted off to sleep, I turned to Laura.
"Do you have a lighter and some cigarettes?" I asked in a low voice.
Her brows furrowed. "Why?"
"Just trust me," I said.
She nodded hesitantly and handed them over. I spent the next few hours tearing apart my mattress, using the fabric to create makeshift wicks.
By midnight, the cell was silent. Everyone was asleep - except for me and Laura. I nudged her awake and motioned for her to follow me.
"Damn! W-What are you doing?" she whispered, panic in her voice.
"You'll see."
We slipped into the small bathroom at the corner of the cell. Laura pulled out a one-liter bottle of gasoline she'd hidden earlier like I said - how she got it, I didn't ask. Some things were better left unexplained.
I poured the gasoline over the torn mattress pieces, creating a trail that led toward the exit.
"A-Are you insane?" Laura hissed.
"No," I said, flicking the lighter. "I'm desperate."
I lit the trail, and the flames roared to life. The fire spread quickly, consuming the mattresses and walls. Chaos erupted as inmates screamed and scrambled to escape the growing inferno.
In the midst of the chaos, Laura and I slipped out through the back, where the bars had weakened from the heat. We ran through the dark, our breaths coming in sharp, panicked bursts.
We reached the edge of the woods behind the prison, the fire still raging behind us. For the first time in hours, I allowed myself to breathe.
But Laura grabbed my arm, stopping me. Her face was pale, her eyes wide with fear. "What the hell did you just do?!" she demanded. "You know they'll hunt us down now! You just signed our death warrants!"
I met her gaze, unflinching. "Bitch! I had no choice. If I stayed, I'd be dead by morning. I can't let Venus win, alright?"
"W-Win… what?" she shot back. "What are you even fighting for?"
I took a deep breath, my hands balling into fists. "Revenge. Before she ruins what's left of my life, I'm going to destroy hers."
Laura stared at me, fear and uncertainty etched on her face. But I didn't care. I wasn't running anymore. It was time to fight back.
