He Locked Me In A Closet, So I Destroyed His Empire Chapter 02

He Locked Me In A Closet, So I Destroyed His Empire Chapter 02

Looking at that piercing message, my breath caught in my throat.

A wave of bitter sorrow welled up, burning behind my eyes.

Leaning weakly against the door, I murmured, “Weston, do you even remember our second year abroad? What we went through?”

That year, he’d heard about a mountain trail with a breathtaking sunset view.

But with the slopes covered in wild blooms and the air thick with pollen, I had an asthma attack.

He completely panicked, hoisting me onto his back and sprinting down the mountain without a single pause.

The moment we reached the emergency room, his legs gave out, and he collapsed to his knees right in front of my bed.

His first instinct had been to beg for my forgiveness.

“Summer, this is all my fault,” he sobbed, his voice muffled and breaking. “I didn’t research the trail properly. I did this to you. If anything happens to you, I don’t know how I’ll go on.”

In the end, I was the one sitting there with an oxygen mask, spending an hour comforting him.

He knew exactly how real my illness was.

Yet here he was, content to watch me suffocate inside a filthy janitor’s closet.

Chloe’s voice suddenly cut through the air, shattering my memories.

“Weston, I’m not crossing the line here, am I?”

Weston’s response was entirely detached.

“She owes you this. Just make sure she doesn’t actually end up in the hospital.”

Chloe clapped her hands together gleefully, turning back to face her streaming camera.

“Alright, everyone! Thank you all for tuning in. The trial of justice officially begins now. Anyone who sends a tip over twenty-five dollars gets to choose a punishment.”

“I’ve got a whole assortment of props right behind me, so take your pick!”

The chat descended into a frenzied celebration, with donations flooding the screen so fast it was impossible to read them all.

Chloe began calling out the top donors.

“First up, we have someone voting for ice water! Let’s give her a bucket to help clear her mind.”

Chloe glanced at the large bucket filled to the brim with ice-cold water and gave a sharp nod to the technician standing next to her.

The next moment, the small ventilation window at the top of the door slammed open.

A torrential cascade of freezing water and solid ice blocks rained down on me from above.

I tried to dodge, but a stray block of ice slammed hard against my forehead and cheek.

My already damp clothes were instantly soaked through, sticking to my skin like ice sheets.

I began to shudder violently from the cold.

But the live stream chat only grew more ecstatic.

[Now do the trash! Make sure it’s the stuff that’s been rotting for days. Put her right where she belongs with the rest of the garbage!]

Chloe’s voice was dripping with adrenaline.

“Wow, you guys are incredible! It’s only been a few minutes and we’ve already raised thousands of dollars. Let’s keep them coming, one by one.”

The ventilation window swung open a second time.

“Summer, let’s use this bucket to wash away your past sins,” Chloe sneered.

An entire industrial trash can was flipped upside down through the opening.

Rotting fruit peels, soiled tissues, and moldy food scraps rained down, splashing heavily around my feet.

Bucket after bucket of refuse followed.

The suffocating, sour stench of decay instantly exploded within the tight, unventilated space.

I curled myself into the tightest ball possible in the corner, burying my face into the wet fabric of my school uniform.

[Hahaha, look at her, she looks like a drowned rat!]

[This is exactly how bullies should be treated!]

[Chloe really knows how to throw a party!]

Suddenly, my vision began to go dark, and my face turned a sickly, translucent white.

The comment section paused for a fraction of a second.

[Wait… her lips are literally turning blue…]

[Hey guys, maybe stop sending gifts for a second. What if she actually does have asthma?]

The argument on the screen began to heat up, but the text was already dissolving into a blur before my failing eyes.

The violent coughing fit made my chest tighten rhythmically.

Chloe, however, was completely oblivious, continuing to play to her audience.

“Oh, come on, Summer, you really are a piece of work. Even like this, you still manage to play the victim well enough to make people doubt reality.”

“No wonder you managed to fool Weston for so long with that pathetic, fragile act.”

“Tell you what, I’m not completely heartless. If you get on your knees right now, bow your head, and apologize to me—and yell ‘I am a pathetic bully who deserves to die’ a hundred times—I’ll find it in my heart to let you out. Deal?”

Hearing Chloe’s demands, a flash of cold fury pierced through the fog in my mind.

Dragging my body up with immense effort, I stepped through the piles of garbage and leaned heavily against the small ventilation window.

“Weston,” I gasped out, my voice cracking under the strain. “Are you really going to let her do this to me?”

The hallway outside fell deathly silent, as if every single person was holding their breath, waiting for Weston’s response.

When he finally spoke, his tone was entirely flat, devoid of any emotion.

“Summer, when you do something wrong, you have to face the consequences. Just give her a sincere apology and this whole thing will be over. My promise to you about our future hasn’t changed.”

A bitter laugh forced its way out of my throat, instantly triggering another violent wave of coughing.

He actually believed that after he had actively helped Chloe torturing me, I would still want to marry him.