After Encountering A Fatal Blind Date, I Took Revenge

During the holidays, when I went back home, Aunt Jessica introduced me to a potential match.

There I was, staring at an elderly man with a limp who was divorced and had two kids. I wasn't interested, so I immediately redirected him to my cousin Anika, who was into the whole "daddy" type of guy.

It was all about keeping things balanced and fair!

——

On the first day of winter break, Aunt Jessica showed up at our door, excited and carrying two bottles of cheap liquor. When she saw me at home, her steps slowed, and her expression soured a bit.

But since she was already there, she forced a smile and said, "Phoebe, you're home early this year."

I smiled and let her in. My mom was also surprised to see Aunt Jessica. She usually avoided our modest home, only visiting during the holidays if she felt like it. Her sudden visit with a couple of bottles in hand clearly meant she had something on her mind.

Mom didn't think much of it and decided to stop what she was doing to prepare a meal for Aunt Jessica. Aunt Jessica glanced around at our wornout dishes and waved her hand dismissively.

"I'm not here for dinner, Faith. I have something important to discuss…"

Before she could finish, she noticed I was still standing there. Frowning, she said, "Go on, this is grownup talk."

Seeing I didn't move, she scowled and added, "College must have changed you. Now you think you're too grownup to listen to your aunt."

Mom was eager to smooth things over, so she quickly said, "Right, Phoebe, go on and make some tea for your aunt."

Reluctantly, I left the room but stayed close. Aunt Jessica's visits usually meant trouble. The last time she came, she took a bribe from my brotherinlaw's family and tried to convince my sister not to divorce her abusive husband.

The time before that, Aunt Jessica tried to persuade Mom to use my college fund to invest in a health product. I had to flee with my student loan to escape that situation.

So, I wasn't expecting good news this time. Through a small crack in the window that still needed fixing, Aunt Jessica's excited voice came through as she said, "Faith, I'm here with some great news. I found a man for Phoebe!"

Inside, Aunt Jessica was all smiles. "He's a good guy; I checked him out. He's got a nice face and looks presentable.

"He has a good job and makes decent money.

"And he's really helpful, always pitching in when someone in the village needs it.

"He's perfect for your Phoebe."

I couldn't take it anymore and stormed into the room. The door slammed loudly, startling Aunt Jessica.

Mom shot me a disapproving look. I tried to keep my anger in check. "Aunt Jessica, I'm still young, and I'm not in a hurry to get married.

"If he's such a great guy, why not introduce him to Anika? She's the one who really needs it."

Anika was her daughter. She was approaching thirty, about 5'3", and weighed around 160 pounds. She still hadn't found a suitable partner, which had always been a concern for Aunt Jessica.

Aunt Jessica's expression turned serious. "Faith, is this how you teach your children?

"Interrupting when adults are discussing marriage is really disrespectful!"

Feeling embarrassed, Mom tried to step in. "Phoebe, please don't speak to your aunt that way."

Mom was generally kind and treated her three daughters well, but her one flaw was her preoccupation with appearances. Given our family's struggles, she often felt overshadowed by Aunt Jessica's dominant presence.

I shrugged off Mom's hand and replied coldly, "Aunt Jessica, don't try to intimidate Mom.

"My marriage is my decision, and no one's going to interfere!"

Seeing that Mom couldn't stop me, Aunt Jessica was displeased. "Well, I've already made arrangements."

She set the two bottles of cheap liquor on the table. "This is a gift for the matchmaking meeting. I'll bring him over tomorrow."

With that, she turned and left.

Mom picked up the bottles, looking uneasy. "Phoebe, maybe we should at least meet him?"

Seeing my reaction, Mom hesitated and added, "She's your aunt after all.

"Do you really think she'd mean any harm?"

The next day, Aunt Jessica really did show up with someone. To my surprise, it was Dylan from the neighboring village. He looked like a decent guy, but he had an accident years ago while driving a truck that left him with a limp. He'd since switched careers and now ran a shop specializing in funeral supplies and memorial items.

He was indeed a helpful person, always assisting others in the village during funerals.

The most pressing issue was that Dylan's wife had passed away two years ago, leaving him with two young children. Even my mom looked uncomfortable.

Aunt Jessica continued enthusiastically, "Faith, Phoebe's getting older, so we can't be too picky. Just look at the girls in our village who don't go to school; most of them already have kids running around.

"I'd say Dylan's a great guy."

Seeing us both quiet, Aunt Jessica said, "Faith, I'm not trying to be harsh, but Dylan's okay with Phoebe's age and education. That's actually pretty decent."

She gave me a sideways glance as if to say she was sure I wouldn't find anyone better. "Anyway, let's not stand here. We need to give the couple some space."

With that, Aunt Jessica dragged my mom out the door without giving us a chance to protest.

As I looked at Dylan's crooked yellow teeth, I stood up, intending to leave. But Dylan's rough hands grabbed my arm. I turned to see him leering at me with a creepy smile.

"Where are you going, sweetheart?" he asked, his gaze lingering unpleasantly on my clothes.

I pushed him away in disgust. "Who do you think you are calling me 'sweetheart'?"

Dylan's face twisted with anger. "Your aunt Jessica took two thousand bucks from me."

I was stunned. So, Aunt Jessica was willing to sell me off to Dylan for two thousand dollars. Before I could fully process this, Dylan moved closer, wrapping his arm around my waist. The heavy smell of smoke and alcohol hit me.

"Sweetheart, I haven't had any fun in two years.

"Heh heh, you'd better be good to me today."

Despite being worn down by years of booze and smoke, Dylan still had more strength than I could muster. I fought and screamed with all my might, but no one came to my rescue.

Dylan was busy stripping off his clothes, grinning as he said, "Don't waste your energy.

"The circus is in town for a show tonight," he explained. "Everyone's at the performance.

"And once the curtain goes up, who's gonna hear you scream?"

A shiver ran through me. He and Aunt Jessica had this all figured out. Aunt Jessica kept my mom distracted, and he took the opportunity to force himself on me when no one was around.

As Dylan's creepy face got closer, I found a surge of strength I didn't know I had. The window latch binding my hands snapped off with a fierce yank.

Our windows were on the verge of falling apart. The wood mostly decayed from years of neglect. We'd been planning to replace them when my dad came back for the holidays, but that delay ended up saving my life.

The glass crashed onto the bed, sending splinters flying and cutting me all over. Ignoring the pain, I didn't hesitate, kicking Dylan right in the crotch with all my force.

Dylan let out a guttural cry, doubling over in pain.

I jumped off the bed and sprinted for the town square where the show was happening, my bare feet tearing through the rough, icy ground, leaving a trail of blood behind me. But I didn't dare slow down.

Soon, someone spotted me, racing in the freezing cold in just a thin shirt.

"Hey, isn't that Owen's niece, Phoebe?" someone shouted.

"Quick, she looks like she's about to faint," another voice added.

"Get her to the hospital!"

The buzz of voices enveloped me as I finally let myself collapse, relieved that I'd been saved.

When I opened my eyes again, I saw my mom sitting beside me, tears streaming down her face.

Every part of me ached, and my throat felt like it was on fire. After sipping some water, I managed to ask in a raspy voice, "Mom, why are you crying?"

Her tears flowed even more as she replied, "I shouldn't have trusted Jessica and Dylan." She gently touched my face with her calloused hands. "Because of me, you had to go through this."

Aunt Jessica was standing nearby and scoffed. "Faith, you're not being fair."

"This was all for Phoebe's own good," she continued. "Honestly, you shouldn't have sent her to college in the first place. Look at what came of it—she's fragile, and now she dares to hit a man."

"She's the reason Dylan's still in the hospital."

Her eyes were filled with disdain, clearly angry that I hadn't listened to her and that things had escalated so badly. I was about to argue back when I noticed my mom's grip tightening on my hand.

Aunt Jessica didn't seem to notice that she was pushing my mom's limits.

Without warning, there was a loud "smack" as my mom delivered a heavy slap to Aunt Jessica's face. Having worked on the farm for years, my mom's strength was considerable. Aunt Jessica's face swelled up quickly from the impact.

"Get out!" my mom shouted in a hoarse voice, not giving Jessica a chance to respond. "Get out, and if I see you near Phoebe again, I swear I'll tear you apart."

Her face was a mask of fury, like a mother wolf defending her cubs. Aunt Jessica, momentarily stunned by my mom's anger, backed away.

After a few moments, she managed to yell, "How dare you hit me? You'll regret this…" She continued to curse as she retreated, clearly intimidated.

I watched as she spat on the floor before leaving, the spit tinged with a hint of blood.

My injuries were mostly superficial, and the doctor soon cleared me to leave the hospital.

When we arrived home, Mom helped me out of the car. Several elderly women, who had gathered around, gave me disapproving looks.

I frowned, sensing that something was off.

As soon as we walked in, we heard a commotion. Mom opened the door to find Aunt Jessica, along with Uncle Aidan, Uncle Owen, and even Grandma, who was in a wheelchair.

Since coming back from the hospital, Mom had been unusually quiet. She silently let everyone in.

No sooner had they entered than Uncle Aidan started in on Mom. "I hear you hit Jessica?"

I gave a bitter laugh. "Uncle Aidan, maybe you should ask if Aunt Jessica did something to deserve it?"

Uncle Aidan, known for his short temper, raised his hand to hit me. Mom quickly stepped in front of me, glaring at him without flinching.

Grandma intervened, her voice calm but firm. "Aidan, sit down."

Seeing Mom's determined look, Grandma sighed. "It was Jessica's fault."

Aunt Jessica's face flushed with anger, and Mom looked up, clearly taken aback.

Grandma had four children—two sons and two daughters. Mom was the youngest and had always felt neglected, especially after a difficult childbirth. This neglect led to Mom's submissive nature, always deferring to Aunt Jessica and her brothers.

After Mom married and we fell on hard times, Grandma's indifference grew. She rarely spoke up for Mom, which Mom was painfully aware of.

Seeing Grandma's rare kindness almost made Mom cry.

But then Grandma's tone turned harsh. "But now the damage is done. Phoebe and Dylan have slept together; her reputation is ruined. No one will want her now.

"And the whole village knows. I say, let her marry Dylan."

I narrowed my eyes. From the way those old ladies at the village entrance were looking at me, I should have known Aunt Jessica and the others were spreading rumors.

They were trying to use public opinion to force me into submission.

My mom looked stunned, disbelief etched across her face. "Mom, Phoebe is your own granddaughter!"

Grandma frowned, clearly irritated. "What do you want me to do about it? Your sister took $20,000 from Dylan.

"Now he's at your sister's doorstep every day, demanding an explanation."

Aunt Jessica, looking smug as she watched Grandma support her, tilted her head with satisfaction. It was always like this—whenever Mom did something Aunt Jessica didn't like, Aunt Jessica would go running to Grandma to complain. And every time, Grandma would side with Aunt Jessica, using family obligations as leverage.

Aunt Jessica even stole my mother's previous boyfriend through these tactics, and that man was Aunt Jessica's husband now.

"Faith, you should listen to me. I'm going to have Dylan come through with a settlement offer tomorrow," Grandma said with finality.

Seeing Grandma's determined expression, I couldn't help but let out a cold smile. Fortunately, I had already warned my mom in advance while we were at the hospital.

Seeing the cold, unfeeling stares from Grandma, Aidan, and everyone else, my mom was truly disheartened.

She straightened up, her gaze icy. "Mom, are you really set on having Phoebe marry Dylan?"

Grandma nodded assertively. "As far as I'm concerned, Dylan's a decent catch. He even gave your sister $20,000 just for the matchmaker.

"If it all works out, my grandsoninlaw will need to provide me with a beautiful coffin when the time comes. That's your responsibility," Grandma said with a cheerful tone.

Mom didn't say anything; she just scanned the room with a steely look. She walked outside, pushing open the door to find a crowd gathered, eager to watch.

Grandma's face darkened. She nudged Aidan. "Go get your sister back inside. We shouldn't be airing our dirty laundry in public."

I struggled to stand up and followed them outside. Under the sun, Mom pointed at Aidan, who had followed us out, and scolded him, "Want to know why your wife left? Besides your drunken violence, she had someone else.

"You want to know who it is? I'll tell you."

Mom moved closer to Aidan, staring him down. "It's the boss of your favorite sister's husband."

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