My Perfect Marriage

Chapter34

As darkness falls, Sophia is grateful for the quiet roads that lie ahead, offering an uninterrupted route for her to do as her heart desires with this piece of trash. She contemplates racing it, leaving it with dents and scratches, or even completely destroying it in creative ways. He treats the car delicately, driving it like an elderly person, so she aims to make him cry. She plans to rough it up, show it what a truly exhilarating ride feels like, and then, depending on her mood, decide what fate awaits it. If it comes to it, she promises herself to film its demise and send it to him.

She reaches for the radio, frowning as it bursts to life on the rock station he prefers. Quickly, she changes the frequency, detesting anything that reminds her of Leon, until she settles on a pop station playing a collaboration between singers. Despite her dark mood, the upbeat music helps her relax into the embrace of her leather seat, allowing her to focus on the act of driving.

Sophia taps her fingers on the wheel as her speed increases, reaching the start of an uphill climb toward the peak point. It's one of the longest roads leading to a breathtaking tourist viewpoint atop a small mountain. She develops an urge to go there, to watch the ocean roar and find inner peace amidst the chaos of her life. The ocean has always had a calming effect on her, stilling her mind with its vastness. However, she hasn't visited in quite some time.

Pressing a button, she rolls down both car windows, letting the air rush in to tousle her hair and cool her heated fury. She doesn't mind the cold, even if the temperature is close to winter levels tonight. She simply relishes in breathing clean air as it sweeps by, with her hair swaying untamed against the headrest.

Her focus momentarily diverts from the road as something slides onto the black seat beside her. Shooting a quick glance, she sees the leather jacket that the other woman bought for him. Instantly, her heart jumps into her throat, a piercing reminder that despite the exhilaration she feels, she cannot outrun the pain in her heart. He carries the jacket everywhere, valuing it as a symbol of their love, and this sight stirs bitterness within her.

The inner voice of hatred and pettiness takes hold as she swiftly reaches out with one hand, gripping the jacket tightly and leaving marks with her fingers and nails. Sophia pulls it from the seat and thrusts it out of the window as she maneuvers around a gentle curve. The wind catches the jacket, causing it to inflate as if it has a life of its own. Hovering momentarily, it resembles a pleading figure before being carried over the railing, plummeting to its demise in the water below.

"Goodbye, asshole!" Sophia yells after it, her head straining out of the window. She feels no remorse as she watches something that likely cost the other woman hundreds, if not thousands of dollars, now destined to float around and hopefully be carried out to sea. Relishing in the immature act, she revels in the ability to discard and ruin something that holds significance to him.

Turning up the music volume, disregarding the fact that she is well above the speed limit, Sophia throws caution to the wind as the incline becomes steeper, and the car accelerates. It's a liberating sensation, despite the car occasionally grunting and coughing, and the steering requiring an extra effort. Nonetheless, driving in this sleek speed machine into the darkness feels exhilarating, akin to a thief in the night.

For a brief moment, Sophia is able to escape her troubles and worries. She revels in the feeling of freedom, momentarily breaking free from the burdens that have been weighing her down. If only life could always feel this liberating, letting go of all the shackles and chains that bind her, allowing her to take a deep breath and leave it all behind. In this moment, she feels in control of her surroundings, with her foot on the pedal, focused solely on the road ahead, which lies clear and open to wherever she desires. However, tears well up in her eyes, and she chokes on her emotions.

"I'm not happy," she admits sharply, as though a hidden inner voice can no longer be contained. "I hate my life." The confession stings the back of her throat, the depth of her emotions hitting her hard. She tries to push these thoughts aside, pressing her foot down harder to try and shake off the overwhelming feeling. Swirling emotions churn in her stomach, and she blinks fiercely, attempting to shift her focus away, scolding herself for letting such raw candor slip out so bluntly.

Navigating one curve after another, covering countless miles, Sophia clings tightly to the wheel as the car resists her efforts to keep the wheels aligned. This draws her attention away from her personal troubles, forcing her to concentrate on the car itself. Narrowing her eyes, a sense of doubt begins to tremble within her. Maybe this isn't just how it's supposed to be, perhaps there's a fault with the steering.

The issue becomes more apparent the faster she drives, reaching its peak as she approaches the mountainside's plateau, where the road levels out briefly before descending. Sophia decides to ease up on the car, sensing that something isn't right. As she turns the corner, passing the parking spot where cars would usually gather during the day, she tries to bypass it, but nothing happens.

The car fails to turn, the steering locks, and no matter how much effort she exerts, it refuses to budge. Fear grips her as her stomach lurches into her throat. Acting on impulse, she slams her foot on the brake, desperately attempting to control the uncontrollable forward momentum at a dangerously high speed as she heads towards an open area.

Her heart skips a beat, her lungs freeze, and her mind goes blank as she realizes the horrifying truth. There are no brakes. She isn't slowing down. The railings rapidly approach her with a daunting speed, panic gripping her as she desperately yanks the wheel with all her might, unsure of what else to do. She repeatedly slams the brake in a frantic, impulsive effort, gripping the wheel so tightly that her hands turn white.

But there is no response.

Sophia reaches a point where she feels helpless and devoid of options. She braces herself as the car smashes through the metal barriers at the top of the viewpoint, causing the metal to rip and tear, damaging the front of the car as the barrier gives way. The impact crumples the bonnet and shatters the headlights, plunging her view into a terrifying darkness. The scenery before her abruptly disappears, as if a television screen has been abruptly switched off.

Releasing her grip on the wheel, Sophia lets out a scream of terror and presses her hands against the ceiling, trying to steady herself as the car nosedives with stomach-churning precision off the cliff's edge. It hurtles downward, becoming engulfed by the abyss below. The full moon and the shimmering sea serve as the last glimpses of beauty before her.

During the descent, Sophia experiences a surreal sensation, as though her soul separates from her body and time slows down. Her body seems weightless, held in place only by the seatbelt, as objects around her defy gravity. Her stomach rises and lodges in her throat, but she is too overwhelmed by the loss of sensations to react. It feels as though she is an astronaut on a moon expedition, suspended between moments. Together with the heavy burden of regret, she is swallowed by the darkness, accompanied by the rushing noises below. The wind whispers through the trees, and the night air, though silent, seems to hum with an undercurrent of noise. She becomes consumed by the abyss. In this moment, the radio crackles, attempting to serenade her descent with an upbeat song, offering fleeting moments of respite.

Images of Leon flash through her mind, each one piercing her with pain even in the midst of this calamity. Thoughts of her daughter, her mother, her parents, and the overwhelming guilt and sorrow she would inflict upon them weigh heavily on her. This was never her intent.

In what feels like an instant, the protracted descent comes to a jarring halt as the car plunges nose-first into the inky waters below. An explosion of water ensues, enveloping the windscreen and sides of the vehicle. Sophia's scream echoes as she is thrust forward, her head colliding with the steering wheel with force, momentarily causing her to lose consciousness and detachment from reality. When she regains her senses, icy water seeps into the car, numbing her legs and gradually advancing upward. Disoriented, she struggles to comprehend what is happening, feeling shaken and disconnected from her surroundings.

Gasping for air, Sophia slumps back into her seat, her head coming to rest on the padded cushion and rolling from side to side. She winces at the sharp pain coursing through her face and skull, as warm fluid trickles down her brow. An immediate migraine takes hold, accompanied by swirling vision.