Chapter 23

As I left the coffee shop, I couldn't help but notice an old classmate from high school, Selena, standing outside, smoking. I raised an eyebrow in surprise, not expecting her to be a smoker. We were never friends, in fact, she was the girl Raphael had cheated on me with. The irony of the situation didn't escape me as I muttered to myself, "Seems we all keep bumping into each other."

I walked away, not wanting to engage in any conversation with her.

She was the last person I wanted to see right now anyway.Always full of drama

The ride home was quicker than I thought, my mind still reeling from the encounter with Raphael and the deal I had made. As I reached home, I ignored the maid's attempt to talk to me and went straight upstairs to my room.

I'll probably have to address her for that

My phone rang, and I saw it was my mother calling. I answered, and we discussed the matter at hand. "I've got some help, Mom," I said, trying to sound more confident than I felt.

"From who?"she asks suspiciously

"From …an old acquaintance"I reply the word acquaintance leaving a bitter taste in my mouth

Disgusting

Just as we were talking, the maid knocked on my door and informed me that my food was ready. Annoyed by the interruption, I replied, "It's no one, just the maid," dismissing the maid without a second thought. I could sense a fleeting sadness in her eyes, but I brushed it off.

After ending the call,I found myself slightly perplexed by the maid's behavior. As she was about to leave, she turned back and said, "Sarah. My name is Sarah."

I blinked, surprised by her assertiveness. "Oh,Sarah?" I replied,not really knowing how to react to this

"That's my name ma'am please use it"she says

"Um okay"I reply more like a question

She nodded and left the room, leaving me with mixed emotions.

This is quite unexpected…

I take my time in the shower letting the water soak my skin hoping it could wash away this nightmare from memory and reality itself

I look at my reflection instantly noticing I was frown.I try to fix my face

The last thing I need are frown lines

But the frown remains

I turn away from the mirror and for the first time I'm not sure I want to look at myself

It's going to be okay.

I just need the money and I'll eliminate them

All of them.

And this will finally be a bad nightmare and nothing more

As I stepped out of the shower, a sense of calm washed over me. The warm water had been soothing, helping me momentarily forget the chaos that had consumed my life. But as I wrapped a towel around myself and reached for my phone, my tranquility shattered into a million pieces.

The screen lit up, notifying a new text message. My heart raced, and a lump formed in my throat as I read the chilling words: "We know where you are, we will find you, and you will pay."

Fear gripped me like a vice, and I could feel my breath becoming shallow and erratic. The stalkers had found me again, despite the confrontation we had faced not long ago. Panic took over as I frantically tried to make sense of the situation.

I dropped the phone in shock, and it crashed onto the floor, the screen shattering into pieces. The irony of my phone breaking in the midst of this terrifying message didn't escape me. It felt like a cruel twist of fate, leaving me even more vulnerable and disconnected from the outside world.

Trembling, I sank to the floor, feeling the cold tiles against my skin as tears welled up in my eyes. I couldn't escape them; they were relentless, and their threats felt all too real. The sense of safety and security that I had worked so hard to rebuild was now shattered like my broken phone.

My mind raced with possibilities. How had they found me again? Were they watching me right now? Fear gnawed at me, paralyzing me with the thought that they could be lurking in the shadows, just waiting to strike.

I wanted to call for help, to reach out to Raphael or my mother, but my broken phone rendered me helpless. I felt trapped and alone, with no means of communication or protection.

I took deep, shaky breaths, trying to regain control of my emotions. Panic wouldn't help me now; I needed to think clearly and act fast. With my heart pounding in my chest, I gathered my thoughts and made a decision.

I couldn't stay here, vulnerable and exposed. I needed to find a safe place, somewhere they wouldn't expect. Hastily, I grabbed some essentials and threw them into a bag, my mind racing with the possibilities of where to go.

My heart sank at the realization that I had nowhere to run, no place to seek refuge. My stalkers seemed to know my every move, leaving me feeling like a trapped animal.

As I sat there on the cold floor, holding my knees close to my chest, the memories of that fateful day came rushing back with an intensity I had never experienced before. The accident replayed in my mind like a haunting film, each detail etched vividly in my memory.

The little girl, innocent and unaware, suddenly appearing in front of my car. The screeching of tires, the sickening thud as my car collided with her small fragile body. Time seemed to slow down as she flew meters away from the impact, and I felt my heart stop in that moment.

The bus driver's horrified scream pierced the air, shattering the silence of the day. Panic engulfed me, and all I could think about was avoiding the consequences of my actions. I couldn't bear the thought of being caught, of facing the reality of what I had done.

In that moment of panic, I made a split-second decision. I drove as fast as I could, not daring to look back at the devastation I had left behind. The world around me became a blur as I desperately tried to escape the haunting scene.

Cold chills ran down my spine as I recalled the adrenaline coursing through my veins, my heart pounding loudly in my ears. It was a mixture of fear, guilt, and the overwhelming desire to run away from the consequences of my actions.

I was young and foolish back then, thinking I could escape the repercussions of my mistake. But as I sat there on the floor, reliving that day, I couldn't help but feel the weight of my past bearing down on me.

The accident had changed my life forever, leaving me with a burden of guilt that I could never truly escape. No matter how much I tried to bury it in the depths of my mind, it resurfaced when I least expected it, haunting my every move.

I felt a deep sense of remorse for what I had done, for not facing the consequences of my actions that day. The guilt gnawed at me, consuming me from the inside out.

But there was no turning back now. I had made my choices, and they had led me to this point. The only thing I could do was face my present circumstances and try to find a way out of the relentless nightmare that my life had become.