Chapter 3

"Hey, sweetheart, how much for your services? Is that what's in your suitcase? Your gear?" The driver sneered, his voice dripping with disgust.

My heart raced, the weight of his words sinking in. The news about taxi victims being targeted in the dead of night flashed in my mind. Just as I was about to calm myself and reassure my family, the car took a sharp turn into a dead-end alley. My hands trembled so much that I could barely hold my phone. I desperately tried pressing the power button to dial emergency services, but the call was immediately dropped. Chris probably thought I was trying to get him back, deliberately trying to intimidate me.

The car slowed, driving deeper into the alley. Panic spiked in my chest. I unbuckled my seatbelt and threw the door open, stumbling out of the car. But as soon as I hit the ground, everything went black. My legs gave way, and I collapsed.

The driver stepped out and loomed over me, his smile twisted. "What's this? Playing hard to get? Or do you like it out here in the open?" he taunted.

Without thinking, I grabbed a stone from the ground and threw it with all my strength. It hit him right between the legs, and he howled in pain, dropping to the ground. I scrambled to my feet, heart pounding as I tried to run.

Finally, my phone call went through. "Maggie, if you're here to make up..." Chris's voice sounded through the receiver.

I cut him off, breathless. "Chris, help me, No. 13, XX Road! Call the police, please, hurry!"

"What? Don't panic! Find somewhere to hide, I'll call the police!" His voice was frantic, but before I could respond, the line went dead.

I dove into a nearby trash bin, my body shaking with fear. The driver's heavy steps echoed in the alley, getting closer. "You think you can hit me and get away with it? Wait till I get my hands on you, bitch!"

I held my breath, praying for help to come. The sound of trash bins opening and closing made my heart skip a beat. Then, I saw him, his eyes burning with fury as he spotted me hiding.

"Found you, bitch!" he growled, grabbing me by the collar and dragging me out of the bin.

I struggled weakly, my body refusing to cooperate, and my mind began to blur. I was losing hope when I heard a flashlight beam cut through the darkness.

"Who's there?" a voice called out.

The driver quickly covered my mouth and tried to drag me back toward the car. I bit him hard, my voice barely above a whisper, but I screamed, "Help! Help!"

A man with a flashlight ran toward us. The driver hesitated, then bolted down the alley, disappearing into the shadows.

I collapsed, my body trembling, as the man approached. He draped his down jacket over my shoulders. "Do you want to call the police?" he asked, his voice calm. "If you'd rather keep this quiet, I can pretend I didn't see anything."

I shook my head, tears blurring my vision. "No, I need to call the police. Even if I wasn't hurt, I can't let him hurt anyone else."

The man nodded and immediately called the authorities. The police arrived in no time. It only then struck me, why hadn't they come when I called Chris earlier? The police station was only five minutes away.

But before I could dwell on it, I spotted Chris walking toward me, half-supporting Sharon, looking like he'd just been through a storm. When he saw me, his face turned red with frustration.

"Where have you been? I've been trying to reach you, and you didn't answer!" he snapped.

"Sharon had a fever in the middle of the night," he continued, clearly annoyed. "I thought you'd be here to help, but you weren't answering your phone. Why are you so selfish?"

My stomach churned, and my heart sank. His words hit me like a freight train. "Chris, why don't you ask me why I'm here? Did you... did you even call the police for me?"

Chris blinked, his confusion evident. "Call the police?"

He slapped his forehead in frustration. "Look at me, I forgot! I'm sorry, but Sharon was sick, and I couldn't leave her..."

My voice wavered, then broke. "Do you know how close I was to being...?" My eyes welled up. "Is Sharon's fever really more important than my life?"

The man who had saved me stood up from the bench, a bitter chuckle escaping his lips. "This is the first time I've seen a man so shameless. You know, if I hadn't stepped in today, your girlfriend might be lying here instead of standing. While she was getting choked out, you were with other women. And now you say you forgot? Your girlfriend's life isn't worth as much as your friend's fever?"

It hit me like a slap to the face. The stranger got it. He understood what mattered, but Chris, Chris couldn't see beyond his own selfishness.

I stood tall, a wave of cold resolve sweeping over me. "Chris, Sharon, this is it. Don't contact me again."

Chris stood there, lost, for the first time looking like he had no idea what to do. "Maggie, I... I thought you were just hiding for a while. I thought I'd call the police after I got Sharon to the hospital. I'm sorry, I really am. I won't forget again. Please, don't break up with me."

But it was too late. I was done.