Deceived By Her Billionaire

Chapter 10

Fear paralyzed Cynthia…. She couldn't move… She just stood there, watching the vehicle coming at her at an alarming speed. There was a loud thud as her bag fell from her hand… 'what a waste of life,' she thought as she imagined the vehicle hitting and killing her. She heard the screeching of the tires and closed her eyes… bracing herself for the impact… saying her last prayers… but the impact did not come. She opened one eye, hesitatingly, to check, and to her relief, the shuttle had stopped just inches away from her. Her knees became weak, and she dropped to the ground. Hearing the sound and seeing her fall, a crowd had gathered around her. 

Kyle slammed on the brakes hard… using all his power he pressed on the brake pedal to stop the car… the sudden action caused everyone to push up against their seat belts.

They were all stunned… fear immobilizing them, rendering them speechless…. the only sound was the squealing of the windshield wipers …. 

Sophia, a middle-aged woman, sitting in the passenger seat, broke the silence…. "Did we hit somebody?"

"I don't know…." Kyle replied, trying to suppress his panic.

"Did we kill somebody, aunt Sophia?" Somebody from the backseat asked in horror. 

"I don't know, kids… I hope not…" she replied

"I don't want to go to jail… I have to accomplish many things in life yet …."

"Shut up, will you…. Let's get down first to take a look…." Sophia said.

"I am scared …."

"So am I… but it would not accomplish anything… let's look first…." Sophia reasoned.

With a heavy heart, Sophia and the group walked towards the crowd… the rain had finally slowed down to a drizzle. They sidestepped the people and saw a young girl sitting on the road with her legs tucked beneath her… breathing heavily. "Oh, thank god she is alive," Sophia heaved a sigh of relief…. She crouched beside her and asked, "Are you alright? Are you hurt somewhere?" When she did not respond, Sophia shook her… to get her attention.. Cynthia looked at her blankly… so Sophia asked again, "Are you hurt somewhere, child?" she said, looking pointedly towards the shuttle. Cynthia followed her gaze, and realization dawned… she looked around and became aware of her surroundings and the crowd that had gathered around her. Her body started trembling…wide-eyed, she scanned the crowd… afraid of being caught by those bodyguards again. She tried to get up, but her shaky legs couldn't support her, and she fell back. 

Sophia helped her get up and took her towards the sidewalk to sit. Sophia asked her concernedly if she was alright. Cynthia assured her and the crowd that she was fine and did not need any medical help… trying to send the public away to avoid attracting further attention. As the crowd dispersed, a young boy, who looked about 18 or 19, came forward to introduce himself as Kyle, Sophia's son and the one who was driving the shuttle. "Are you alright? Are you hurt somewhere?"

"I am alright… thank you …."

"Let us take you to a hospital or maybe call for an ambulance… Just to make sure…." Sophia suggested

"No… don't…. I am absolutely fine" she got up to assure them… her body still a bit shaky though. "I was in a hurry to cross the road…." she said with a lump in her throat, remembering why she wanted to rush to the mall… she swallowed a couple of times before continuing…. "and jaywalked… and froze… in… fear ...." tears welled in her eyes… she wiped them with her hand… "I am sorry if I caused you guys any… any harm."

Seeing her swallow her tears…. Sophia hugged her, feeling sorry for the young girl, "It's alright, sweetheart… no harm done. You must have been scared. Shhh… it's ok now… you are safe…" she continued, patting her back.

The tears came back pouring… and she cried her heart out, "I am sorry… I have been under too much stress lately and couldn't control myself."

"It's alright, sweetheart… just let it all out…." Sophia kept hugging her and saying soothing words to calm her down.

Once she had calmed down, Sophia asked, "Do you want us to drop you somewhere or maybe call somebody for you?"

She shook her head. "I don't have anybody," she said sadly… "Don't worry about me… I'm fine now.. you guys carry on, please."

"Are you sure? …."

"I am sure." She nodded her head.

They all bid her goodbye and entered the bus. Just as she stepped on the shuttle, Sophia turned back to look at Cynthia one last time…. to assure herself that the girl was alright. Something in her eyes tugged at Sophia's heart… maybe it was sadness… longing or fear… she was not sure, but she didn't have the heart to leave this girl here… alone.. She motioned her to come forward and, on a whim, asked her to join them… "Come with us… my son and his friends are going to Red Rock Gorge in Burlington for cliff jumping… we will be back here the next day. You see, the kids have just graduated and want to open their wings to fly," she said, rolling her eyes… "Even if I don't like what they are doing… they will still go ahead and do it anyway… I can't stop them, but I can be there for them if they need me."Cynthia nodded her head in understanding. 

Cynthia was indeed surprised…. and tempted by Sophia's offer. This was a god-sent opportunity for her… but she could not leave, at least not yet… she had to make sure that nobody was hurt in the stampede. Just as she turned towards Sophia to refuse, she noticed, in the crossway mirror, a familiar figure scanning the crowd… 'I have to get away….' Cynthia thought… 'it will not do me or anyone any good if I get caught.. It's better to leave now and come back later.'

"But I don't have any money to pay for my share of the expense."

"Don't be silly ... think of it as our apology for scaring you today."

Cynthia knew very well that today's incident was entirely her fault, but these kind people, looking at her condition, were trying to make her feel better rather than blaming her. She will definitely pay them back for their kindness, she vowed.

Cynthia nodded and thanked her for the invitation. They boarded the bus and were on their way to Burlington …