Chapter 2
689words
Joseph shoved me hard, sending me sprawling to the ground. "That's enough, Yvonne Sommer! You're just stirring up trouble and being difficult at this point! You clearly don't respect my position as your drill instructor at all, Yvonne!"
I pointed to Wanda's limp, barely breathing body and shrieked at the top of my lungs, "Have you gone blind, Joseph? Do you not see how Wanda is slipping away here? She's actually going to die if you drag this on any longer!"
Ella let out a mocking snicker before yelling, "You think she's just going to die like that, huh? Give me a break! You're quite a team, aren't you? You see, one fakes a medical crisis perfectly, while the other puts on this life-or-death drama! Do you really take us for fools, Yvonne?
"If we don't put them in their place, they'll think we're pushovers! Get them, ladies! Give them something to really cry about!"
Ella gave the order, and the several women around her immediately swarmed over us. They began raining blows and kicks down on Wanda and me, while others started forcefully tearing at Wanda's clothes.
"I'm going to strip you naked! I'm going to see how long you keep faking it once you're exposed for everyone to see!"
I lunged forward like a madwoman, throwing my entire weight into the group of women to shove them off. I shielded Wanda with my own body, pinning her beneath me. "You'd better stop it this instant! You're going to end up with blood on your hands!"
"Shut up!" Ella stormed over and slapped me hard across the face, leaving it stinging with a burning heat.
"You think we're going to end up killing her, huh? I'm going to beat you guys regardless. I want to see who's going to make us pay for it!" Ella snapped as she raised her hand again, intending to take a swing at me.
"How can you just stand there and watch, Joseph? Do you have any humanity at all?" I yelled toward Joseph, who was standing a short distance away, looking on as if it were all entertainment.
Joseph sneered, his arms crossed over his chest with an air of total indifference. "You ought to know that habitual liars with no sense of discipline deserve to be put in their place, Yvonne.
"You're the one who insists on joining her in this act. I'm merely doing my job as the drill instructor and upholding the discipline of the outdoor orientation boot camp."
I trembled with fury at his callousness as my vision began to swim. I hissed through gritted teeth, "Y-You're going to regret this, Joseph!"
Joseph let out a dismissive snicker. "You think I'll regret it, huh? I've never regretted a single thing I've done in my life, Yvonne!"
It was then that Wanda gave a weak groan as her entire body began to shake with violent tremors.
"Wanda!" I cried out in alarm as I looked down at her, noting that she was deathly pale, her lips were colorless, and she wouldn't stop trembling.
Ella and the others, despite the situation, refused to stop punching and kicking us.
"That's enough!" Joseph barked, finally realizing the situation was spiraling out of control. He furrowed his brows and called an end to the assault.
It was only then that they pulled back and stopped the assault.
Ella still wasn't satisfied. She took advantage of the moment Joseph looked away and lunged forward, kicking me in the stomach with all her might.
I doubled over in agony, my lungs seizing up from the kick. I felt a sudden surge of blood hit the back of my throat before I involuntarily coughed up a mouthful of blood.
It was then that I heard a siren in the distance getting closer—the ambulance had finally arrived!
