Page 39 of Vintage

With the ring and the file securely placed beside me in the passenger seat, I began my drive home. It was half past five in the evening, and as night fell, the town grew quieter and more desolate.

I knew that people tended to gather in certain spots like bars, restaurants, and drive-in movie theaters, or they preferred to stay home. Generally, the streets remained empty unless there was a festival. Yet, the silence felt suffocating.

Taking a deep breath, I made a turn and suddenly had to slam on the brakes.

Something struck the front of my car, but I couldn't see what it was. It happened too quickly for me to catch a glimpse.

I debated whether to get out and investigate or call for help and wait. Ultimately, I decided to step out. Something inside urged me to take the ring and the documents with me, so I followed that instinct.

As I approached the front of the car and looked from the pavement, I was horrified to find nothing there. Not even a creature, yet I was certain I had hit something. The dent in my car's bonnet told a certain story.

A horn sounded in the distance, followed by the blinding glare of headlights reflecting off my face, forcing me to shut my eyes. However, through the slits of my eyelids, I saw the lights growing smaller, and then suddenly, a car was barreling toward me.

"ARHHHH!!"

Chapter Sixteen

Isaw it happen in slow motion.

Amery stepped out of her car, confused—her face, panicked and drenched in terror—walking to observe the car like it was just another ordinary accident.

I can still recall her laughter, the way she would pout and call herself crazy, especially when her car mishaps went unappreciated. To her, she was the ultimate car savant, a passionate enthusiast who understood the machine better than anyone else. That sound was like wind chimes dancing in the breeze. Then, right before my eyes, it unfolded. It was nothing like thememories replaying in my mind, flashing vividly from a mere reflection. This reality was different.

It was worse.

I couldn’t scream; my throat felt numb from the drugs Willow had injected into me before she let me go earlier today. I was under her control, and she had no reason to worry because she was always watching me. No matter where I was or who I was with, she kept her eyes on me. All I could do was present her with what she wanted to see.

It was me, hiding in the shadows, desperately wishing to be with my wife.

The horrified scream left Amery, and I could do nothing.

I yearned to run, or at the very least, walk towards her—anything to be near her—but I found myself frozen in place. It felt as if my feet were stuck to the ground. I was ensnared in this miserable existence of being Amir Rowan. He was completely worthless. I was completely worthless. I had let her down.

I failed her.

She didn’t see it coming. Nor did I. I didn’t even have time to scream, to shout a warning. It all happened so fast.

A car. A dark sedan. Its headlights blinding. The tires screeching, the engine roaring like a beast on the hunt. Then—BAM—the sickening, brutal impact. Her body fell on the ground and the rear of her car crashed into the hood like a ragdoll. She crumpled on the street with a sound that rings in my ears. A crunch. A sickening, wet crunch.

I should’ve screamed, I should’ve run. But my legs were made of stone, my lungs empty. I was pinned behind that corner, hidden in the shadow of the alleyway. I couldn't move. Couldn’t breathe. I just...watched.

Her body, crumpled and twisted at the corner of the road over the pavement. My chest tightened so painfully I thought I might collapse. My pulse thudded in my throat. My stomach churned. She was... she was barely moving. Just lying there, as if the world had swallowed her whole.

No. No. No, not Amery. Not my wife.

I wanted to run to her. To scoop her up, to hold her, to scream at her to get up. But my legs didn’t listen. They stayed rooted to the ground, frozen, like a terrified animal in a cage watching its dead prey. My head felt light, dizzy. I tried to call out her name, but nothing came out. My throat was raw.

Amery's eyes were open, but she wasn’t looking at me. She was staring up at the sky, blinking rapidly like she didn’t know where she was, what had just happened. I couldn’t see, but I knew that stoic look, the confusion in her eyes, the shock, the disbelief. Her lips were parted, like she was trying to say something, but no sound escaped her.

Then Reese.

She came like a storm, and sprinted to Amery’s side. Yet, I couldn’t help feeling miserable.

That bitch Willow made me watch it on purpose, and it was a calculated move to threaten me for escaping last time. She hit me where it hurt the most, using my wife to pull at my leash and remind me that I was nothing but her dog. Just her toy, nothing but her plaything, someone she uses for her own pleasure, fucks him and keeps nearby out of sheer selfishness.

Tears trickled down my cheeks as I observed. She didn’t budge, and with each passing second, my fear deepened.

Reese was there, kneeling next to Amery, her hands shaking as she gently touched Amery’s shoulder. She was frantic, her shoulder strained with panic as she checked Amery’s pulse. She was saying something, words that I couldn’t hear over the ringing in my ears.Please, please be okay,I thought.Please don’t be—

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