You know what? No.
I had a better idea for him, one last act of defiance before I left for good. Slinging into the driver’s seat of my car, I turned the keys in the ignition. A devious smirk spread across my face as ‘You’re a Mean One, Mr.Grinch’ by Tyler, the Creator blastedthrough the speakers. My thighs vibrated in the seat from the bass. Good, he would hear it.
“I know exactly how to handle this. I am undeniably my mother’s daughter,” I spoke to myself as I slid my finger over the volume dial and raised it to the max level.
My boots crunched through the snow as I made my way to the garage. In the corner, there was a neglected tool bench where a sleek, specialty hammer and nails sat, discarded and forgotten. I’d bought it a few years ago, thinking they meant something to him. The tool was expensive and engraved, but I was always given an excuse as to why he wouldn’t use it to help build his stupid fucking birdhouses.
Well, it would be used tonight.
Right fucking now.
The sleek, always polished, expensive car was about to meet its maker. He babied the shit out of this thing, dropping thousands of dollars on parts and unnecessary upgrades, while I had to make a grocery list for him to approve.
I knelt to the ground, placing the nail expertly into the tread of the tire and smashing the head with the hammer. It slipped in smoothly, and I chuckled to myself as I repeated the same process to the other three tires.
Let’s see you drive her around now.
I tucked the hammer in the waistband of my dress pants and rose, smiling wickedly at my handiwork. Taking one of my keys between my middle and ring finger, a sharp, metallic sound pierced my ears as I dragged my key along the brand new finish, heading back to my car. She could deal with him, while he lost his shit trying to figure out where the leak was coming from.
I’m free.
Did it hurt? Yes, but I’d be lying if I said the satisfaction from this small form of revenge didn’t stir something deep within me. It would take time, but I would heal from this.
My foot stepped on the gas, and I took off down the street,my home becoming a speck on the horizon as I made my way toward Marco’s house.
The road was slick with ice as I drove, driving around to avoid the thick patches like the plague. In the heat of things, I fully intended to head to my brother's house, only realizing he was on duty tonight, and the house would probably be locked.
I should probably just call him…Yeah.
I wiped the tears, fishing around my purse while trying to keep my eyes on the road. I made a mental note to put it in the cupholder next time, and not on the floor of the passenger side for better access. My hand closed around it just as the long, drawn-out sound of a car horn blared in my ears. I glanced up to see another car heading straight for me. I’d veered into the wrong lane. Time stilled, and my heart stopped beating. The steering wheel was stuck, and my foot pressed the brake all the way to the floor of my car. Nothing I did helped. The car slid as it lost traction.
A high-pitched scream ripped from my body as the car went off the side of the road. Crunching metal and grinding filled my ears as the car hit the base of the hill, and my head slammed against the steering wheel.
This was it. My karma for a wasted life, for getting revenge instead of leaving and never looking back. Life flashed before my eyes.
It was eerily silent, other than the car creaking as steam rose from the hood, and I took a sharp intake of breath.
Wetness leaked from my forehead and trailed down my face. My ears rang, and it felt like my lungs had been crushed. With a painful exhale, I brought my hand to the side of my head, pulling it back to see the blood coating my fingers.
Shit, it hurts.
Where is my phone?
The engine hissed, and I released a breath when I unhooked the seatbelt with shaking hands. I was a bit dizzy, but other than some superficial damage, I seemed to be fine.
My fingers trembled as I reached for the phone and dialed, hoping Marco could answer. After the day I’d had, I really just needed my big brother.
I silently begged him to pick up. After the three longest rings of my life, he finally picked up, silence on the other end before he spoke.
“Hey, sis. I’m in the middle of doing something. What's up?” He asked. The pen scribbling was prominent as pages of paper turned in the background.
The uncontrollable sob forced its way out of my mouth as the adrenaline wore off, and the weight on my shoulders was too much to bear. The pain was unbearable now, and I needed help.
“Jack’s been cheating. I left tonight. I–I was…I was in an accident. I’m okay, but my car is stuck. Please help.”
“Shit, Lucy. Where are you? What did you hit? Did the airbags go off? Were there any other vehicles?” Concern laced his tone, and I was over here taking short, steady breaths as pain blinded me. It felt like I’d pulled a muscle in my neck, throbbing and pricking. “Are you hurt? Did you hit your head?”
I was silent, the pain becoming too much to bear. My mouth tasted like copper, and I wanted to close my eyes and rest. Between work, coming home to Jack’s cheating, and now the adrenaline drop, I was exhausted. The phone must have slipped from my hand because I couldn’t hear my brother, just a bunch of yelling.
