The Knot That Exposed My Kidnapper

The day before my wedding, I was kidnapped.

My eyes were blindfolded, but I could smell the sharp scent of fresh roses mixed with the salty tang of the ocean breeze.

I knew this smell. It was the coastal estate where I was supposed to get married tomorrow!

As a top-tier private investigator, I quickly ran through every client and enemy I had ever made in my head. I couldn't think of anyone who would do this.

The captor didn't just torture me; they used a voice changer to ask me incredibly bizarre questions.

"Can you describe, in detail, what it feels like to be touched right now?"

"If you had to choose again, would you prefer an ice bath or a boiling sauna?"

"Do you think the kidnapping from ten years ago was more fun, or is this one better?"

The mention of ten years ago triggered a massive panic attack. I shook so hard I couldn't breathe, let alone speak.

But as I struggled, my hand accidentally brushed against the rope tied behind my back. My fingers traced the knot.

It was a very specific, unique knot. One that I had invented myself.

I had never taught it to anyone. Except for one person.

My fianc, Ethan.

"Cut!"

"Let's wrap it up for today. Amber is getting hungry."

My blindfold was violently ripped off.

The estate hall was filled with cameras and crew members.

And there they were, sitting behind the monitorsmy fianc, Ethan, and Amber.

I felt like my soul had been sucked out. Even though the ropes were undone, I sat frozen in the chair, unable to move.

Ethan looked at Amber with absolute adoration, then turned to me with a casual smile.

"Chloe, you know Amber is a sociology major. Her senior thesis is about the real-time psychological reactions of kidnap victims."

"You have past experience with this, so you were the perfect fit. Plus, our wedding is tomorrow, so I figured this was a good chance to bring you over and get you familiar with the venue."

Amber turned off her voice changer, bouncing over from behind him.

"Chloe, thank you so much! My thesis is saved! Your crying and begging face just now was so incredibly realistic!"

The memories of when I was eighteen rushed back like a tidal wave.

Back then, I had cried and begged just like this. Actually, it was much worse.

My body was still shivering from being drenched in ice water. I clenched my teeth, trying to stop them from chattering, and stared at Ethan.

"So, for the sake of her college project, you were willing to drag me back to hell?"

A flicker of guilt crossed his eyes.

He quickly draped a dry towel over my shoulders and handed me a mug of hot cocoa.

"I know it was hard on you today, but try to understand the pressure Amber is under to graduate. You're about to be my bride tomorrow. Just think of it as helping out a little sister."

Amber chimed in with a sweet, pouty voice. "Chloe, the person who touched your leg just now was actually a female crew member. We just had a professional male voice actor speak near your ear. Please don't be mad at Ethan."

"And besides, when you were kidnapped back then, didn't Ethan risk his life to save you? Ethan is the hottest luxury designer right now. It's fine if you don't wear his designs, but you don't have to keep picking fights with him..."

Looking at my cold, expressionless face, the guilt in Ethan's eyes faded, replaced by annoyance.

He snatched the hot cocoa I hadn't touched and threw it into the trash can.

"Ethan," I asked, my voice deadly quiet. "Do you honestly think we still need to get married tomorrow?"

He frowned, looking down at me.

"Chloe, don't be so dramatic. Didn't you practically force me into this proposal anyway?"

"Enough is enough. Amber's blood sugar is dropping. Go home by yourself."

He tossed my phone onto the table and led the entire crew out.

The massive estate was suddenly dead quiet. I was left all alone.

Then, I noticed a laptop left open on the table. I walked over.

On the screen was a document titled: Chloe's Kidnapping Simulation Details.

Keep the temperature at 32F. She is extremely sensitive to the cold.

The voice actor's voice must be disgusting and raspy. That is her biggest trigger.

Use a hand model with rough skin to touch her, to make it feel real.

I stared at the screen for a long, long time. Tears finally spilled over my cheeks.

Ten years ago, Ethan and I were eighteen.

My father, Arthur, who was also a detective back then, had pissed off a dangerous man named Marcus.

Marcus kidnapped me. I was missing for three days and three nights, and no one could find me.

It was Ethan, who I knew from my part-time job, who found me.

He had climbed over the wall into the freezer of an abandoned food factory.

While waiting for rescue, he wrapped all of his clothes around me.

It was below zero. His eyelashes were covered in frost.

I was hallucinating, hearing Marcus's disgusting, raspy voice in my ears.

Ethan gently sang to me. His teeth were chattering so hard he could barely get the words out.

When Marcus returned, Ethan hid me.

Ethan was whipped with a salt-water drenched lash until his back was raw and bleeding, but he never gave up my location.

The memory of the bloody wounds on Ethan's back slowly merged with the Chloe's Kidnapping Simulation Details on the screen.

Since we had survived life and death together, of course he knew exactly where to stab me to make me bleed the most.

I picked up my phone from the floor and dialed a number.

"Dad, cancel the wedding tomorrow."

The moment the words left my mouth, my phone died.

Feeling utterly humiliated, I began the long walk back to the city.

The long dress I was wearing had been shredded into a miniskirt by the "kidnappers," and the neckline was ripped low.

I suddenly remembered the dress. It was the one Ethan gave me the year he won his first major design award.

Back then, he skyrocketed to fame with a bold, avant-garde little black dress.

That exclusive dress, which countless girls dreamed of, was custom-made for me.

But the moment I put it on, I couldn't stop thinking about the torn clothes Marcus had forced me to wear during those three days.

So, I had only worn it three times.

I felt guilty for wasting his hard work, but he had smiled and told me:

"If you don't like it, then it's not a good dress. I'll work harder to design something Chloe actually wants to wear!"

But now, every new seasonal piece he designed was worn by Amber before it even hit the runway.

After walking for three hours, I finally made it back to my apartment complex.

Suddenly, a heavy, greasy hand clapped down on my shoulder.

I whipped around, cold with fear, and pushed his hand away.

A heavy-set man smiled, revealing a row of yellow teeth. "How much for a night?"

"What?"

"I asked how much. You're wearing that trashy, ripped dress. Who are you trying to play innocent for?"

I didn't answer. I clutched my torn collar tightly and ran.

The man yelled after me, "Bitch! Dressing like a whore and pretending to be pure!"

I ran up the stairs and pushed open my door.

Ethan was there, wearing an apron, roasting the herb chicken I loved.

He acted as if today's "kidnapping" had never happened. His tone was perfectly casual.

"Go wash your hands. Dinner's ready."

Looking at the beautiful spread of food, I felt a wave of nausea.

People always said Ethan's hands were worth millions because they designed the most elegant dresses in the world.

But nobody knew those same hands happily cooked for me at home.

He set a bowl of soup in front of me. This was his way of apologizing.

"I brought the wedding dress back from the studio. I adjusted a few details. Why don't you try it on later?"

I turned my head to look at the gorgeous wedding dress hanging in the living room.

He had designed it before he was even famous.

Once, a luxury brand offered him three million dollars for the design.

Ethan was broke back then, but he rejected the offer without a second thought.

He had knelt before me with the sketch and said:

"What are fame and fortune compared to you? Marrying you is my ultimate jackpot."

When did we start to drift apart?

It seemed to start when Amber joined his studio as a fit model.

Ethan started forgetting my preferences. He began criticizing my conservative style.

And he grew to despise my job as an investigator.

The steam from the soup stung my eyes. Treating this as our final meal, I forced myself to finish the bowl.

After dinner, Ethan drew a warm bath for me.

I hesitated for a few minutes before finally putting on the wedding dress.

The way he looked at me was still intense and passionate.

But I knew he wasn't the same Ethan who had knelt on one knee and told me marrying me was his ultimate jackpot.

He brought out a strawberry cake from behind his back.

"Happy birthday, Chloe."

"And happy tenth anniversary."

Under the candlelight, his eyes were mesmerizing. For a split second, I found myself wishing we could just start over.

The next second, Amber's custom ringtone broke the silence.

Ethan answered it right in front of me, his expression instantly changing to one of concern.

I don't know what she said, but he hurriedly grabbed his car keys.

The candles weren't even blown out yet, and wax began dripping onto the cake.

It was a perfect metaphor for my life.

Ethan said as he put on his shoes, "Amber's power went out, and she's terrified of the dark. I'll go over, change the lightbulb, and come right back. Eat the cake without me."

I calmly took off the gorgeous wedding dress and hung it back up, exactly where it had been.

Then, I pulled out my suitcase and packed every single thing I owned.

Just as I was zipping it shut, Ethan called.

"Amber has a fever. I have to stay and take care of her. Tomorrow's wedding... let's postpone it. Otherwise, Amber won't be able to make it."

I didn't yell. I didn't scream. I just said, "Okay."

There was a pause on the other line, sounding confused. "You're not mad this time?"

I placed my house key on the coffee table. My voice was dead calm.

"There's nothing to be mad about."

He breathed a sigh of relief. "Great. Don't get upset if you see some videos online. I promise I'll give you an unforgettable wedding next month to make up for it."

After we hung up, I went online and found the video he was talking about.

It was the footage from the "kidnapping."

In the sauna, I was heat-stroked and vomiting bile.

They tore my dress, while a voice actor whispered disgusting lines in my ear.

The cleaning lady's rough hand was on my thigh, pretending to be a man's.

I was having a breakdown, kneeling and begging on the floor.

And there was Ethan, holding Amber's shoulder, sipping champagne as they watched.

Halfway through the video, I ran to the bathroom and threw up my entire dinner.

Ignoring my aching body, I dragged my suitcase out into the night.

I had just hailed a cab when a sharp, stabbing pain in my abdomen made the world spin.

When I woke up, I was lying in a hospital bed.

The doctor looked at me with a sympathetic sigh.

"I'm so sorry, but you were seven weeks pregnant. We couldn't save the baby."

I stared blankly at the IV drip, unable to shed a single tear.

The good Samaritan who had brought me in had used my phone to call Ethan.

Soon, Ethan and Amber appeared in the ER.

Ethan looked incredibly annoyed. "Chloe, I actually believed you were going to behave tonight. It's the middle of the night, and Amber has a fever, yet she insisted on coming to see you. What is it this time?"

My hand rested on my empty stomach. "Ethan, our..."

Amber looked pale, leaning heavily against Ethan.

"Chloe! There's a terrible flu going around. Look at how crowded the ER is. People are literally waiting in the hallways for a bed. It's not right for you to occupy a bed when you're perfectly fine."

"I know you're mad that Ethan was with me. Cough, cough. But I didn't want to get sick. It's all my fault..."

The ER was indeed packed, and patients were starting to look over at us with angry glares.

"What is wrong with her? Take your domestic drama home! We're actually sick here!"

"She looks so young, how can she be so selfish?"

"If you can't keep your man, don't take it out on hospital patients. Get out!"

Ethan quickly apologized to the crowd.

"I'm so sorry, everyone. My fianc is just being immature. I'll take her home right now and free up the bed."

He grabbed my arm and ripped the IV needle straight out of my skin.

As blood welled up on the back of my hand, I actually felt relieved.

Relieved that my baby would never have to open its eyes to this world.

Otherwise, they would grow up and blame me for choosing such a monster of a father.

Outside the hospital, Ethan shoved me into his car.

"Chloe, Amber's thesis deadline is tomorrow, and there are still a few shots missing. You need to come back to the estate and do a quick interview video."

The car doors clicked, locking me in. I banged on the window. "No! I'm not doing it! Let me out!"

Amber wiped a tear. "If Chloe doesn't want to, let's not force her. It's fine if I fail. The worst that happens is I don't graduate..."

Ethan unlocked the doors, his voice cold as ice.

"Fine, Chloe. You can leave."

"But don't expect me to introduce the heart surgeon for your grandmother anymore."

The top heart specialist in the country was someone only Ethan's high-society connections could reach.

I let out a bitter laugh and stopped resisting.

At the estate, the wedding decorations were halfway set up.

The pearl satin drapes and the iris-rose archway that I had once loved now felt like a sick joke.

Ethan tied me to the chair again and turned on the camera.

Amber walked up, a microphone in her hand.

"Ten years ago, when you were kidnapped, didn't you feel a tiny bit of excitement? A little thrill?"

"That man only played with you for three days. Don't you think it's unfair that he had to go to prison for so many years?"

"Maybe he just liked you too much and couldn't help himself. Why didn't you give him a chance?"

Amber's words sliced right into my deepest trauma.

Ethan didn't seem to find anything wrong with her questions. He was busy slicing fresh fruit for her nearby.

Suddenly, his phone rang.

After a quick call, he turned to Amber excitedly.

"Amber, I finally got a lead on my mother's case. I have to go check it out right now. I'll be back to pick you up soon."

Ethan had always believed his mother was murdered by his father's business rivals, and he had been searching for the truth for years.

But Arthur's agency had recently discovered the truth: Ethan's mother had committed suicide after years of horrific domestic abuse by Ethan's father.

I was still trying to figure out how to break the news to him gently.

Once Ethan left, Amber walked over and shut off the camera.

She pulled on a pair of latex gloves and drew a surgical scalpel from her bag.

"You know how Ethan's mother really died, don't you?"

"Too bad he doesn't. I told him that your detective father leaked his mother's location to her abusers. And the idiot actually believed me. Hahaha..."

So that was why Ethan's attitude toward me had completely flipped.

A decade of love was completely destroyed by a single lie from a stranger.

I stared at Amber's twisted, smiling face.

Suddenly, her face overlapped with the face of the monster from ten years ago.

"Amber..."

Every single pore on my body screamed in terror.

"You're... you're Marcus's daughter!"

Amber slapped me hard across the face, her nails leaving bloody scratches on my cheek.

"Chloe, you put my father in prison for ten years, and you're only realizing who I am now? Too slow!"

This year was the tenth year!

At the other end of the estate hall, the heavy oak doors slowly creaked open.

A set of heavy, dragging footsteps echoed through the roomthe exact sound from my nightmares.

I was tied to the chair, my pupils dilating in pure horror.

I watched Marcus walk out of the shadows, step by step.

He looked like a demon crawling out of hell, his face covered in scars and fat.

He pinched my chin, his greasy breath hot on my face. "Chloe, baby, it's been so long. You've grown up so beautiful..."

The terror of the past and the present crashed over me, shattering my sanity.

I shut my eyes, praying that death would take me quickly.

Amber handed the scalpel and a cheap, revealing dress to Marcus.

"Dad, I'll leave the rest to you. I'm going to call Ethan and make sure he doesn't come back here."

Once Amber left, Marcus began unbuttoning his shirt.

"Chloe, look at this pretty dress I bought for you. Let's put it on, and then we can play. You have to be a good girl, just like before..."

"So this is where you were going to get married? How exciting..."

"Tomorrow, I'm going to hang you high from the ceiling in this dress, so your detective daddy can get a great view of his precious daughter! Hahaha!"

Marcus reached for my collar.

I closed my eyes in absolute despair.

The greasy touch of his hands on my skin made me want to die.

Right when I was about to give up, the heavy doors of the estate were kicked open with a thunderous crash.

"Chloe!"