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The next morning, I drove with one hand, while the other pressed a cold compress against my swollen eye. I had spent the entire night crying. I could barely remember the last time Tsabinu and I fought—let alone him raising his voice at me.
I let my phone buzz unanswered, notifications piling up. I’d lied to Zioh when he called, telling him I was with Andi and that I was fine.
I even refused when he offered to pick me up, claiming I’d already left, because there was no way I could let Tsabinu see that scene, not after everything.
By the time I woke this morning, his room was empty. He was gone. And the silence he left behind told me enough: he was furious this time. Maybe soon, he’d abandon me too…
My chest tightened at the thought, tears pricking my tired eyes again. I wished I’d been better. I pressed harder on the cold compress, focusing on the road ahead until I suddenly slammed the brakes.
My forehead hit the steering wheel with a sharp crack. “Ahh!” I cried out, clutching my head as pain flared. The compress slipped from my grasp, tumbling somewhere onto the floor.
I blinked hard, groaning. A car had shot out ahead of me, swerving to a stop inches from mine. We had avoided a crash by sheer luck.
Gasping for breath, my fingers twitching uncontrollably against the wheel, I squinted through the haze. “Aw… my head…” I groaned, shaking my head and trying to focus as a sharp pain stabbed across my forehead.
My eyes locked on the car before me, studying it carefully. I’d seen that car before. A blue Aston Martin, but… where?
I unbuckled my seatbelt with a low groan, adjusting myself upright. As my hand reached for the door handle,I froze. My entire body stiffened as the door swung open—revealing the very person who had nearly killed me.
“That woman…”
Of course.
I remembered now.
Cindy strode towards me, something in her hand—a brown file. She leaned down by my window, knocking on the glass. And then she smiled… so wide.
“Good morning, Tshabina,” she said with a voice that made my skin prickle. “It’s a beautiful day, isn’t it?”
53
Tshabina
My stiff fingers fumbled with the car door lock, forcing myself out even as my limbs quivered. I wasn’t sure if it was from the pain or the shock, but my knees buckled as they hit the asphalt. My forehead throbbed so hard I had to grip the car door to steady myself.
Cindy stepped back a few paces, still wearing a bright smile like a child handed sweets, but twisted, a smile that sent chills down my spine.
Straightening, I forced myself to meet her eyes. She was taller, so I raised my chin with a stiff motion. But what unsettled me most wasn’t her height; it was the way she stared—notatme, butintome.
Her wide smile never faltered, her fingers combed through her hair, tugging at the ends as though she savored the moment.
I stared at her, wanting to understand what was inside her head. She hadn’t just put me, but also herself, in danger. If we hadn’t hit the brakes at the right moment, we would’ve ended up in the hospital by now.
No excuse in the world justified that.
My heart pounded. Her presence radiated something cold, sinister, and manipulative. Everything about her screamed of malice, and every instinct screamed: get away from her.
My suspicions were confirmed.
Suddenly, her expression shifted. The grotesque grin softened into a pout of regret as her gaze flicked to my forehead. “Oh… I’m so sorry,” she cooed, her voice like the eerie lull of a horror movie. “I didn’t mean that…” she sing-songed, pointing at my aching forehead before her smile returned, gleaming. “I’m just excited.”
I blanked. This woman had nearly killed us both, and yet she looked thrilled, her eyes lighting up at the sight of my pain.
My voice came low and steady, hiding the fury beneath. “Of course you meant it, Cindy,” I said, ignoring the sting in my head as I held her gaze. My voice dropped colder. “What do you want?”
The smile vanished. Her lips flattened into a straight line, and her eyes narrowed as the mask slipped. The devil beneath it finally surfaced.
