LOVE, LIES AND BETRAYAL

CHAPTER 1 A CRY FOR DEATH The night was cold, dark and quiet, with the rain still falling heavily. Wendy stood alone by the roadside, her figure shrouded in the shadows. The cold rain seeped into her bones, but she didn't flinch. She didn’t know how long she had been walking, only that the ache in her chest wouldn’t let her stop. As she gazed out into the darkness, a faint light appeared in the distance. With a sudden surge of determination, Wendy moved toward the light, her eyes fixed on the source of the light. Her thoughts were consumed by a singular desire to escape the anguish that had driven her to this point. The pain and the scene she had witnessed at home still lingered, haunting her every step. Making a decision, Wendy rushed into the middle of the road, her eyes closed, waiting for the inevitable. She began to count, her voice barely above a whisper. "1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6..." Screech! Suddenly, the sound of screeching tires pierced the air. A car had come to an abrupt halt just inches from Wendy's motionless form. The door slammed open. A man stepped out, his silhouette tall, broad shouldered. His voice sliced through the rain. " Jesus Christ. Are you insane?What are you doing, standing in the middle of the road?" Wendy's eyes fluttered open, her gaze locking onto the stranger. "Am I...am I dead?" she asked, a hint of disappointment in her voice. The man stepped forward, his coat flapping in the wind. His jaw was tight. Rain streamed down his face, darkening his collar. "You nearly got yourself killed “ He snapped. “And me, implicated.” Wendy blinked. “Would that have mattered to anyone?” “What?” “ If I died. Would it have mattered to anyone? Maybe just my mum.” He stared at her, rain dropped from his hair. He ran his hand through his wet hair, clearly trying to compose himself. “Look, I don’t know what is going on with you, but you can’t just throw yourself in front of a car”. "Please...just hit me. No one is here, no one will know. I don't want to live anymore." Steve's expression was unreadable. "Whatever this is, go home. Get some sleep." Wendy's gaze lingered, disappointment etched on her face. Why wouldn't he just end her life? Why wouldn't he just hit her so that she can be happy and leave this wicked world? At least there were no witnesses to hold him accountable. "You’re bleeding. You should go to the hospital and get yourself treated.” he said, gesturing to her scraped knee. Wendy looked down. Red mixed with mud and water. She didn’t even feel it. "Please,” she whispered. “Can you just…. Just hit me?” Steve stepped back,getting irritated. “I don’t know what this is. But you need help. You should go home or maybe call someone.” "I don’t have anyone to call. I just need to die tonight, can't you understand?" Wendy's voice cracked as she pleaded, her tears welling up. "Tomorrow will be even worse, and I don't want to face it, I just want to end it now." As she grasped Steve's large hand, her tears spilled over. For the first time, Steve's stoic expression faltered, and he found himself asking. "Why do you want to die?" Steve's question hung in the air, and for a moment, Wendy was transported back to her father's expression and her mother's sad face. She moved few steps away from Steve, tears falling down her cheeks as memories flooded her mind. Steve watched, intrigued, as Wendy's expression changed. What could drive someone so young to want to end it all? He suddenly remembered he has a meeting by 10 pm and couldn't afford to be late. The rain continued to fall, and Steve's patience wore thin. "Listen, miss, I don't have time for this, I have a meeting in an hour . Please, for your own sake, go home" “Then go” She snapped suddenly, her voice sharper than before. “Drive away. Pretend you never saw me.” For a second, he looked like he might. Steve's gut told him to stay away from her, and as Steve turned to leave, Wendy lunged at him, wrapping her arms around his back tightly. Steve's irritation grew, he hated being accosted by women, especially those with ulterior motives. He tried to pry her hands off, but Wendy held tight. With a surge of adrenaline, Steve forcefully removed her hands, sending Wendy crashing on the floor. THUD! Wendy's butt slammed hard onto the cold ground, leaving her numb and hissing in pain. But as she lay there, something shifted inside her. She realized she didn't want to die anymore she wanted to live and make her father pay for his sins. She shouldn’t be the one to suffer for his sins. With newfound determination, Wendy decided to rethink her plan and live. Steve, still watching her in frustration, finally spoke up, trying to scare her. Who knows, she might be putting on an act…... "Since you want to die so badly, tell me, how do you want to die? I'll help you fulfill your wish" Wendy's face contorted in a mix of emotions as she tried to apologize and explain, but the pain was too much and she couldn't even move her body. She could only sit there and watch him. She has no energy left in her to shout or explain. He saw that she still didn’t move and she sat there, crying profusely, he got more frustrated. Was was wrong with this woman’s brain. What could have gone wrong to make her crave for death? Helpless, he said: “Miss, give me your address, let me drop you home” “I’m an orphan. I don’t have a home” Wendy said, devoid of any emotion. “Is that why you want to die? Because you don’t have a home?” “No.” Tears rolled down Wendy’s cheeks as she remembered what happened that afternoon, her father’s dark eyes, her mother’s face, that sad, disappointed look on her face. “I can drop you at a nearby hotel tonight and we will talk tomorrow.” Steve said as he helped her up and opened the door of the car.