As it had not cleared up after quite a while, a number of drivers alighted to investigate.
One of those who came back sighed in resignation. “It’s pretty bad up ahead. The youngsters these days are so reckless. There was even a heavily pregnant woman in the car. It was a real close call for her.”
“The Maybach’s driver is in his twenties and doesn’t look like some ordinary spoiled brat. I’d say sloppy driving is what it was. It looks like we might be stuck here for a while,” another chimed in.
With a quick glance at the time, I reckoned that I would not be able to make it to the cemetery when this was resolved.
With little else to do, I got off the car. In the corner of my eye, I spied the vehicle at the heart of the accident. It was a black Maybach.
The number plate struck me as oddly familiar.
An alarm went off in my head when I realized that it belonged to Anthony. My legs gave way beneath me and left me slumped onto the floor.
“Are you alright, Miss?” An onlooking cab driver reached over and helped me up.
He massaged my temples with his thumb and that offered some relief.
I blinked as I looked at him. “Thank you!”
“You’re welcome.” He continued to support me. “Do you have low blood sugar? Do you need me to send you to the hospital?”
Shaking my head, I replied, “I think I’m okay now. Thank you.”
I steadied myself as I trudged forward.
Because the congestion went on for some distance, the accident area was packed with onlookers, which impeded the ambulance’s advancement.
I waded in through the crowd.
Amongst them, I spotted a man in a crisp black suit. He had a solemn look as he stood protectively over the woman next to him. With his cellphone in hand, he appeared to be seeking emergency services.
The ground was saturated with blood from the conceiving woman. There was someone administering aid to her and other medically trained personnel helping to clear out the crowd on site.
My gaze fell upon the heavily pregnant woman’s bloated belly. The trail of crimson extended onto her legs. The sight jolted like a bolt of lightning.
I subconsciously held a hand over my own abdomen which was suddenly hit by spasms, and slowly backed away.
Anthony, who was on the phone, appeared to have seen me. His eyes darkened as he approached.
The color fell from Rylee’s face behind him.
“What are you doing here?”
My abdomen hurt so much that I furrowed. “I was just passing through. Are you alright?”
He shook his head and lifted me into a cradle in his arms when he saw how pallid I was. “Where’s your car?”
“Back there.”
Once inside my car, I managed to recover a little to my own relief.
“Why are you hurting all of a sudden?” he asked.
I could not explain that either. “It started after I saw the pregnant woman just now. I guess it must be a repercussion of what happened the last time.”
After a brief pause, I regarded him. “What are you doing here?”
Rylee came over to us. It had only been a few days since, but she looked visibly sallow and seemed to have lost considerable weight.
Anthony was calm. “I was sending her to the hospital when I lost focus and ran into someone.”
There may be more to this than what he described, as he had always been a cautious driver. It was unlikely that the cause had been a loss of concentration on his part.
I glanced over to Rylee’s pale facade and puffy eyes.
They were filled with hatred and resentment. Did I somehow offend her again lately?
A siren filled the air as the ambulance approached. Anthony ran his fingers through his own hair and swept it behind his ears before he whispered, “Don’t worry about it. Wait for me at home. I’ll be back when this is settled, alright?”
I nodded in acknowledgement.
It was a matter of life and death that he should see to it without delay.
As I watched him depart, Rylee glared at me. “You should have died!”
Those words were as chilling as they were perplexing.
I was seriously baffled as I was certain that I had done nothing recently that might have roused her ire.
Anthony followed in the ambulance when it took the pregnant woman away. The disruption was cleared for traffic to resume.
I had lost half the day and might not have enough time to safely make the return trip from the cemetery before dark. This would be particularly risky, as I would be by myself.
After some deliberation, I thought I might as well drive down to the hospital to see how the conceiving woman was doing.
At the hospital.
It would appear that the woman got out of it unscathed. She had a fright, which made her water broke.
She had been sent into the delivery room by the time I got there. Her family was present as well.
Joseph had taken over Anthony’s duty to communicate with her family. Rylee sustained light injuries and was taken in for observation.
Once that matter was settled, Anthony finally found time to sit down. I regarded him silently for some time. “You’ve always been careful at the wheel. What happened back there?”
There were mixed emotions in his gaze which instilled a sense of foreboding within me.
Indeed, he said, “Rylee was arguing with me in the car!”
The scent of iron and copper which filled my nostrils brought my attention to a soaked patch against his black sleeve.
“Are you hurt?” I asked as I reached out for it.
He intercepted my hand with his. “I’m fine!” There was a profound look in his eyes.
My lips pursed as my long-suppressed emotions surged to the surface. “Do you think neglecting to take care of your wounds somehow makes you manlier? What’s wrong with you?”
He was taken by surprise by my unexpected outburst, and my glare shut down whatever response he had in mind.
I reached over to remove his coat. That was when I noticed a lengthy cut over his arm. The blood had caked over time and the color of his clothing made it hard for anyone to tell that he was injured.
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.
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