IN MY FATHER-IN-LAW'S BED: HIS TWISTED GAME

ACCIDENT

CHAPTER TWELVE

SUMMER’S POV

The gravel crunched beneath my loafers, a harsh, jagged sound that seemed to mock the silence of the night. I kept my head down, my hand gripping the handle of my duffel bag so tightly that my knuckles ached. I just kept rolling the bag behind me, the rhythmic thud-thud of the wheels against the pavement providing a steady beat to help me keep my mind off Darius.

I couldn't think about the look on his face, the way he’d crumpled the papers, or the pathetic excuses that were still ringing in my ears. If I thought about it, the tears I was fighting so hard to suppress would finally spill, and I refused to leave this place crying.

I reached the expansive car park, a graveyard of memories illuminated by the cold glow of the overhead security lights. Rows of luxury vehicles sat like silent sentinels, but I didn't even dare look at them. I kept my gaze fixed on the ground, refusing to let my eyes wander to the customized Rolls-Royce Ghost in Rose Quartz pink that Darius had surprised me with on our first anniversary.

I remembered the way he had tied a massive white bow on the hood, whispering that a "queen deserved a carriage that matched her radiance." It was a lie wrapped in premium paint and leather.

I bypassed the sleek black SUV he’d bought me after our first major argument—a peace offering I had foolishly accepted as a sign of growth—and kept walking. He had pampered me so much back then, always insisting that I shouldn't touch my own savings or use "old, outdated things" now that I was a Benedict. He wanted me to depend on him for everything, right down to the air I breathed.

Finally, I reached the far corner of the lot, where a modest silver Audi A3 sat. It was the car I had brought with me from my father’s house, a remnant of the life I had lived before the name Benedict became a weight around my neck. Even though I had hardly touched it in years, the house staff kept it meticulously clean, a silver ghost waiting for its owner to return.

I sniffed, the cold air stinging my nose, and fumbled with my luggage. My hands were already starting to tremble as I pulled the car keys from the side pocket of my bag. I tapped the release button for the boot, the mechanical click sounding like a gunshot in the quiet night.

I hoisted the suitcase inside, the weight of my past settling into the trunk, and slammed it shut.

Getting into the driver’s seat felt surreal. The interior still smelled faintly of the vanilla air freshener I’d used years ago—a scent of home, of safety, of the girl I used to be. My hands shook as I gripped the steering wheel, my fingers tracing the worn leather.

I started the engine, the familiar hum a stark contrast to the silent power of the cars I’d grown used to.

As I shifted into gear and began to roll toward the gate, memories of the first time I had entered this estate flashed through my head. I remembered the hope I’d felt, the way I had looked at the mansion and seen a sanctuary. Now, it just looked like a tomb.

I drove past the massive iron gates and hit the open road, the speed increasing as the house faded into the rearview mirror. But the further I got, the more my composure crumbled. My vision began to blur, the streetlights stretching into long, distorted streaks of yellow.

My heart was aching so badly it felt like a physical wound, a jagged tear in my chest that wouldn't stop bleeding.

My breathing became laboured, coming in short, ragged gasps. Every blink brought a new memory—Darius’s laugh, the way he’d looked at the altar, the sound of Sebastian’s voice warning me about the world. It was all too much. The betrayal, the divorce, the fear of what came next—it was suffocating me.

I was so lost in the wreckage of my mind that I didn't see the light at first.

Suddenly, a pair of bright, flashy eyes blinded me, cutting through the darkness like a physical blow. The glare was agonizing, dragging me violently back to the present.

My breath hitched as my pupils frantically adjusted. A massive trailer was barreling toward me, a wall of steel and light that filled my entire windshield.

"No!" I gasped, my voice lost in the roar of the engine.

In a blind panic, I jerked the steering wheel to the right, desperate to avoid the head-on collision. The tires shrieked against the asphalt as I swerved into the soft earth, heading straight for the dense line of trees and plants that bordered the road.

I hit the brake, but the car had lost all control on the damp grass.

The world began to tilt.

The Audi tumbled, the sickening sound of crunching metal and shattering glass filling the cabin. I was tossed around like a rag doll, the seatbelt cutting into my shoulder.

The car rolled one final time, the headlights caught a clear, terrifying vision of three thick trees directly in my path.

My eyes bulged, my heart gave one final, terrified thud against my ribs and then... the world went black.