Chapter 16
1244 Words
Serena sped home, her mind still haunted by Alexander's mocking laughter.
It echoed like a sinister melody, each cruel note pounding in her head. She could feel it, almost physically, taunting her every thought.
Her car screeched into the parking garage, the engine still growling as she slammed the door behind her.
She needed a hot shower—desperately. Anything to wash off the lingering scent of him.
As she reached the first step of the stairs, a hesitant voice broke through the stillness behind her.
"Rena…" The voice was weak, filled with uncertainty.
Serena froze, her entire body tensing. But she stubbornly refused to turn around. Her feet moved again, more deliberate now, pushing her forward.
She climbed step after step until she reached the top. Then, she stopped, her back still turned.
"What are you doing here?" she asked coldly. The night cloaked her face, but her voice carried all the contempt she felt.
"Rena, please… forgive me. I know I made mistakes," the woman's voice trembled with guilt.
She tried to take a step forward, but her legs seemed to lock in place, as if they knew they didn't belong.
"Mother?" Serena laughed bitterly, the sound harsh and jagged, as though it scraped her throat raw. "I don't have a mother. My mother died a long time ago."
Her words were edged with a deep, painful bitterness. She clenched her fists at her sides, trembling with barely contained fury.
"Rena…" the woman pleaded, her frail figure swaying like a fragile leaf caught in the cold night wind.
"Don't say my name!" Serena snapped, her voice sharp and vicious, like a wounded animal.
Her face twisted with anger. "You don't deserve to say it."
With that, she bolted for the garage like she was running from a ghost.
Seconds later, her red sports car roared to life and shot out of the lot like a streak of fire.
The woman collapsed onto the cold pavement, her shoulders shaking as silent tears streamed down her face.
Her daughter was still lost to her.
Serena drove like a madwoman, hands trembling as she clutched the steering wheel.
She kept switching gears, pushing the car faster and faster, careening down empty streets, headlights flashing like fiery streaks in the dark.
Her vision blurred with tears, her heart racing wildly, her mind fixated on one thought: Why did she come back?
The memories she'd buried deep—the ugly, shattered pieces of her past—clawed their way back to the surface. She thought she'd moved on.
She thought she was strong. But now, it felt like she was still a fragile mess, a paper tiger—fierce on the outside but hollow inside.
Her thoughts swirled in chaos, lost in a sea of confusion and anger.
She didn't know where she was heading; she only knew she couldn't stop.
Not now. Not ever. Even if the road led straight off a cliff, she would keep going.
Her phone buzzed incessantly in her bag, but she ignored it, her mind too full of the fear and pain from her past.
Her hands tightened on the wheel, her bloodshot eyes fixed on the road ahead, driving like she was trying to outrun her demons.
In his sleep, Ethan jolted awake with a strangled cry, sitting up in bed with a gasp.
His chest heaved as he tried to catch his breath, his body covered in cold sweat.
For a brief moment, he was disoriented, but then relief washed over him as he realized it had only been a nightmare.
Wiping his damp forehead, he lit a cigarette, his mind still replaying the vivid dream. In it, Serena stood before him, covered in blood, her eyes wide with terror and helplessness.
He had tried to reach for her, but she kept slipping further and further away until she was nothing but a distant shadow.
A gnawing sense of dread settled in his chest. He needed to hear her voice, just to know she was alright.
He dialed her number over and over, his brows furrowing deeper with each unanswered ring. No response. Not a word.
The next thing Serena knew, she woke up to a blindingly white room. The stark, pure light hurt her eyes, burning them like needles.
"Rena, you're finally awake." A voice, filled with relief, reached her ears, followed by a sigh of what sounded like pure exhaustion. "You have no idea how much you scared me."
A cool hand grasped hers, but Serena felt too drained to respond. Her entire body ached, every inch of her sore and throbbing with pain. She tried to sit up but found she couldn't move.
"Don't try to move. You were in a car accident. You broke your arm and leg. But... thank God, you're alive," Ethan's voice was still shaky, his fear not yet fully gone.
"Car accident?" Serena murmured, her voice weak. As the memories of the night came flooding back, she let out a soft groan.
"Don't think about it. You have a minor concussion, and the doctor says you need rest. I've already taken care of everything at work. You don't need to worry." Ethan brushed her forehead gently, his voice soothing.
"EJ, thank you," she whispered, the words barely escaping her lips. His kindness, his constant presence—she knew she could never repay him.
Ethan smiled faintly. "There's no need to thank me. Not between us."
"No," Serena agreed softly. "No thanks between us."
"Get some sleep. I'll head to your place and grab a few things. You're going to be in the hospital for a little while." His voice was warm, reassuring.
"Okay," she mumbled, her eyes already drifting shut again. With Ethan around, everything felt safe, just for a moment.
"Rest now." He patted her hand gently before slipping out of the room.
As Ethan walked through the quiet halls, his mind was troubled.
Serena wasn't the kind of person to get into an accident—she was always calm and composed, even in chaos. It was unlike her to act recklessly. Something wasn't right.
When he reached her building, he saw a familiar figure standing outside. His suspicions started to solidify.
Hearing footsteps, the woman turned, a flicker of hope flashing across her face. But as she recognized him, that hope quickly faded.
"Ethan?" she asked, uncertain.
"Ms. Devereaux." His tone was cold, distant.
"Have you seen Serena? I've been waiting for her." Vivienne's face was lined with worry, though there was something strange in her expression, something Ethan couldn't quite place.
"No, I haven't." The lie slipped from Ethan's mouth before he could stop it, and for a moment, he was stunned. Why had he lied?
But deep down, he knew. He still remembered the events from ten years ago like they were yesterday.
Serena's parents had divorced when she was ten. At first, she had lived with her father, but after enduring the endless parade of women he brought home, she finally told him she wanted to live with her mother.
She left. But three months later, she came back—broken and silent. No one knew what had happened during that time.
Serena never spoke of it, but when she returned, everything about her changed. At just fifteen, she started smoking, drinking, and having s*x with boys. Later, she began bringing different men home herself.
That is, until her father kicked her out of the house.
- Writer
