Chapter 3

I'd recorded Louis tampering with my car.

They had sabotaged my vehicle, yet I had to pretend I knew nothing, because they were already out for blood.

If I suddenly stopped driving the car I used for my daily commute, it would raise their suspicions.

Right now, they only suspected I knew something and wanted me dead.

I absolutely couldn't let them see anything was off.

They had many ways to kill me, and I couldn't always avoid them.

Even knowing the car was compromised, I had to tough it out.

I didn't drive that car to work. Instead, I pretended to go on a business trip, heading towards a road with an emergency runaway ramp.

Brake failure was inevitable. I just had to 'discover' it before reaching the ramp and steer the car onto it in time; that was my only chance of surviving the crash.

I'd called a friend beforehand, making an excuse that I wanted to clear my head near that area, and asked him to come along.

His car would be behind mine, which would provide an extra layer of safety.

When Scarlett heard I was driving far away, her eyes lit up.

Then, as if realizing her reaction was inappropriate, she quickly softened her gaze, looking at me with a sad, reluctant expression.

"Let's talk about the divorce when I get back. Take care of yourself."

I said.

She wanted to put on an act, and I was happy to play along.

Scarlett agreed readily. She couldn't see it, but I clearly saw the blatant malice in her eyes.

Her gaze seemed to say:

"You're not coming back."

I forced a smile, then turned and left.

Getting into the car, starting the engine, the moment I backed out of the garage, I was drenched in cold sweat.

But at this point, there was no turning back.

My hands were sweating so much I almost couldn't grip the steering wheel.

I took a few deep breaths, forcing myself to calm down, then drove in my pre-planned direction.

About twenty minutes later, I suddenly noticed a car seemed to be following me.

As it got closer, through the rearview mirror, I saw a familiar face.

It was Scarlett's lover, Louis!

He was right behind me, speeding up, clearly about to ram my car.

He kept tailing me, forcing me to accelerate, otherwise, he'd rear-end me.

I quickly realized, he was doing this on purpose!

This was probably part of their plan.

If he kept following me, forcing me to speed up, my chances of crashing with faulty brakes would increase exponentially.

He was absolutely doing this intentionally.

I gripped the steering wheel, repeatedly telling myself to stay calm, not to fall into their trap.

The runaway ramp wasn't far ahead. If I could just make it there, I'd save my life.

I followed the map, driving towards the ramp, when suddenly, my phone rang.

It was Scarlett.

I was in a state of high tension, and the phone ringing startled me so badly I almost lost my grip on the steering wheel, veering slightly to the left.

Precisely at that moment, the man spotted the runaway ramp!

His expression hardened. He sped up, pulling parallel to my car, blocking me and forcing me further left.

If I veered left, I wouldn't make it onto the ramp.

There was no time to hesitate!

I gritted my teeth and floored the accelerator.

The man clearly hadn't expected my sudden acceleration. After realizing what was happening, he desperately tried to squeeze me further left.

If I'd been a second slower, I wouldn't have made it onto the ramp.

I would have been crushed between that man and the highway barrier by the high-speed impact.

But I made it!

In that critical moment, the man crashed into my car's rear, but because of my speed, he only grazed it.

I managed to stop within the runaway ramp, while he, due to the force of the impact, spun several times before smashing into the barrier.

The ramp's barrier blocked my driver's side door.

My car's front end had also crashed too far into the end barrier, almost completely caving in.

Fortunately, aside from some scrapes, I was mostly unharmed.

Just as I was about to climb out of the car, I suddenly saw in the rearview mirror that the man was actually climbing out of his own car.

And he was carrying a can of liquid, walking straight towards me.

"You're still alive after all that? You've got nine lives, don't you?"

The man sneered, looking at me, still sitting stunned in the driver's seat.

"Too bad. Your survival is getting in our way."

"You're just unlucky to cross me. Today, I'm sending you off."

He said, twisting open the can, ready to pour the liquid over my car.

He was much bigger and stronger than me. Fighting him hand-to-hand, I had virtually no chance.

But if I stayed in the car, I'd die here too!

Just as he grinned menacingly and the liquid began to pour out,

A shout came from nearby.

"Hey! What are you doing! Stop right there!"

It was my friend, Mark, and the other guys.

The moment I heard their voices, I almost burst into tears.

They had driven together. Three or four big men charged out of their car. Louis's expression stiffened.

There was no time to pour the rest of the liquid. He tossed the can aside, then struck a match.

It was then that I smelled a strange odor.

A feeling of utter despair washed over me again.

It was gasoline.

As the flames ignited, and my consciousness faded, I realized.

The liquid he'd poured was gasoline.