Chapter 2
Chapter 2
“Ma’am, this is the outermost point I can take you. If you’re looking to go even further away from the hustle and bustle of the city, I’m afraid that’s not an option.”
The car suddenly screeched to a halt and the taxi driver cast a glance in my direction, looking apologetic. Despite being filled with disappointment, all I could manage was a half-smile in response. I knew that there was nothing I could do at this point, but this knowledge only made it even harder for me to accept the situation.
“It’s okay…”
I reached into my pocket and grabbed my money, carefully placing it in the driver’s hand. Holding my twins tightly against me, I stepped out of the car. It was dark outside and a chill had filled the air.
“Are you certain you’ll be alright on your own, Ma’am? It can’t be easy for one person to manage two children while traveling.”
I glanced back at the driver behind me who seemed worried after I brought down my luggage on the ground. I tried to reassure him with a small smile, nodding my head in an attempt to show that everything was okay.
“I’ll be fine. Thank you.”
The driver gave me a nod before driving off. As the taxi car disappeared from sight, I heaved a sigh before gathering my things and my two young kids with me.
I trudged along to the bus stop, which wasn’t more than a few minutes away from where I stood. I glanced down fondly at my angels, thankful for them sleeping peacefully throughout our travels. It was a small blessing that I was truly grateful for, as it allowed me to focus on getting us to our destination without being disturbed.
I felt a deep sigh of despair as I attempted to carry our numerous bags and my hands started to grow numb from carrying my children. Just as I thought I had managed to sneak away from Damon’s gaze, an ever-looming fear lingered in the back of my mind.
He is undeniably powerful, capable of wielding influence with a mere word or two and easily tracking me down when he chooses.
“There’s nothing to fear, Alex and Emily. I would never allow your father to take you away from me.” I smiled reassuringly as I held the twins close.
I glance down at my wristwatch, the stark glass face illuminated in the darkness of the night. The clock reads three am and I can feel a cool breeze blowing through my hair.
It’s quiet here on this stretch of highway, just me waiting for a bus to pass by.
In that moment, I was taken back to the oppressive events of these past days. The sheer force with which Damon’s mother had tried to get rid of me was unbelievable and almost unbearable.
I had never before been confronted with such intense opposition in my life, and it shook me to my core. It felt like nothing more than a cruel reminder that I didn’t belong in this world – that no matter what I did or how hard I tried, there would always be someone who wouldn’t accept me.
And the thing that utterly shattered my heart was Damon’s lack of action to stand up for me or speak out.
His agreement with his mother, surrendering to her assertions and her point of view, felt like a personal betrayal – of me and what we had. This experience has affected me in a deep way, making me feel so small and worthless in my own skin. It has made it difficult for me to trust anyone again because I now constantly worry about how much they truly value me.
I trusted him, believed that he was the one for me and the person whom I wanted to spend my life with. In my foolishness, I allowed myself to get pregnant despite our unstable relationship, hoping that it would push us towards a long term commitment. But it turns out that all my efforts were in vain.
I was shaken out of my daydreams when Emily suddenly started to cry.
“Shh! Baby, mommy’s here…”
I glanced down and tried to comfort her when I suddenly heard rustles from my right. My heart sank at the sound, and as I slowly turned around, three menacing figures were standing there.
Fear rushed through me as they stared, a lump formed in my throat and my feet seemed stuck to the ground.
“It seems as though we have an intruder on our premises,” the man in the middle said, his voice echoing throughout the area.
Emily’s cries became more desperate and her tears more plentiful when the three men inched closer to me. I desperately clutched my two children in my arms, pleading with my gaze for the strangers to back away. My heart raced with fear as I registered the seriousness of our situation.
“Please, have mercy…” I whispered.
They all let out a chuckle before one of them spoke up jokingly, “Mercy, Mercy! You’re in our spot!” The rest of the group laughed.
“She’s beautiful, I think this one is loaded.”
“Let’s gang up on her!”
I scrambled to my feet, fear overtaking my entire b*dy as they started to converge on me. I was struck by a paralyzing realization that even if I screamed for help, no one would come, the place was still quiet and deserted.
A cold sweat broke out on my forehead as I backed away from them slowly, not knowing what else to do in this uncertain situation.
“Come here!”
“No!”
The man in the middle of the group reached for my hand and took it firmly in his grasp, causing my heart to suddenly start thumping quickly. Alex was still in my arms, clutching him tightly, but I almost drop him due to the sudden surprise.
“Please! Don’t kill us!”
Just when I had convinced myself that our lives were in peril, a light suddenly shone from the highway to our right. My eyes widened as I looked towards the source of the light – someone was coming!
The car came to a stop right in front of us and the man who stepped out of it was nothing short of remarkable. An air of mystery hung around him, intimidating the three men as he gave them a dangerous look.
“Hey! What are you doing to her?!”