I felt a stinging pain on my cheek as I slowly opened my eyes to find myself in an ambulance. My hands were tied behind my back, and something was in my mouth that prevented me from speaking.
"Hmmph!" I wriggled my body, trying to process what was happening. After all, wasn’t I dead?!
Wasn’t I dead? Didn’t I die from cancer and overwork? So why am I here?
Several thoughts were going through my mind when a devious laughter entered my ears. "You damn bitch! Who do you think you are? The real heir of the Lancaster family, just because the tag was given to you?"
My head was already dizzy from the pain and the thoughts, but when I heard a traumatizing and familiar tone, my whole body went stiff!
Why was he there? Wait! Above all, why was I here in this ambulance and with this man? Had I come back in time? To the worst moment of my life?
I thought as my memories came rushing to me. I was in the van where I was molested by this man on the day of my eighteenth birthday. The very day when Melissa, my dear stepsister, was enjoying her day, I was sent to a mental hospital just because she convinced everyone that I was a threat to her life.
"Today, I will taste the wild flower and see what it’s like to have fun with an autistic girl!" The man said with drool all over his mouth.
He was right. I was an autistic person, had a problem with my speech, and could barely interact with people around me, but only a few knew that I excelled in everything and Melissa was included in those few people.
But no matter how I was in this situation, I had to get away from here as I didn’t want myself to be traumatized and start a cycle of life where it became hellish every passing day.
I vigorously began to wriggle my wrist as I could feel the ropes against my skin. My breathing grew ragged behind the gag, heart pounding in panic. No! Stay calm! If this is my second chance... I have to save myself.
Thankfully, the knot was sloppy, and I was able to free myself.
I slammed my forehead against the man’s head with all the strength I could gather. "You piece of trash!" As the words came out of my mouth, I was stunned.
What was that? Did I just say that? Me, who could barely talk two words at a time?
"You bitch! How dare you?" he snapped at my actions and lunged toward me with full force, but I ducked skillfully as my body moved instinctively. Now, I was where he had been, and he was in my place.
"Don’t you dare to look down on me," I hissed as a glint of coldness surfaced in my eyes, catching the man off guard and myself.
What? Did I just say that? Someone like me? The words came out of my mouth so smoothly as if I had been saying this whole my life!
I took this opportunity and picked up a pair of trauma shears, which felt heavy in my hands, the tool that they used to threaten me with in my past life?
"Do you think I would let you go just because you overpowered me when I was caught off guard?" the person clicked his tongue and said.
"Stop the ambulance!" I ignored his rant and yelled toward the driver. "If you don’t, I will kill him for sure!"
"Don’t stop!" The man in front of me barked. "She can’t do anything..." but I didn’t wait for him to finish.
I stabbed the shears into his thigh.
"Ahh!" The ambulance filled with the horror of his screams as it jolted to a halt.
I was scared and worried about what would happen to me, but I needed to be brave and leave here. I would never want to go back to that hellhole.
The driver unlocked the door of the ambulance as his eyes grew bigger, seeing the horrific scene in front of him.
"You!" He glared at me and was about to charge, but I shoved him aside and bolted out of the door.
I stumbled out of the ambulance onto the dead-silent highway. The darkness stretched endlessly around me as I couldn’t find a single soul in sight.
Would I even be able to save myself?
I glanced back in panic. The driver had returned to his seat, and the engine roared to life. He was coming after me—I was sure of it.
I ran faster than before as my lungs burned, my legs shaking, and something warm and sticky coated my hands.
"I am not letting you go!" the man screamed from behind.
The ambulance had turned around and was coming right at me faster than I had expected. My heart pounded in my ears.
What should I do? No one is going to save me. Not this time. Only I can.
I forced my body to keep going, even though it still felt heavy and numb from the anesthesia they had pumped into me. Those morons must have thought I wouldn’t wake up. They were wrong.
But my body was on its limit, and I could barely hang on.
My steps faltered, and my vision blurred. I could hear the roar of the ambulance behind me—it was closing in.
Just as I thought that this was the end of my so-called second chance, a blinding light cut through the darkness with a loud screech.
A matte black Maybach came to a halt just a few inches away from me.
I stumbled back in shock. I barely had the time to process everything when the driver’s door opened.
A man stepped out. He was tall and refined like a fine wine, but he seemed as cold as ice.
"If you are so desperate to die," he said with a voice laced with disdain. "Do it somewhere else, don’t drag me into it.
I stood frozen. I didn’t know it I was saved or just stepped into a different kind of hell.