Inside the cab on the way home, Sandy couldn't help but think about Selene's reaction.
Worried, She stared at her phone, scrolling through her contacts, hesitating at Selene's number.
Shaking her head, she decided against calling; she needed time.
When they were kids, her family had always learned it was best to give Selene time to process her feelings, and she always ended up talking to them after that was before their father disowned her five years ago.
Sandy exhaled deeply, lowering the car window to feel the cold air against her face. Babysitting Cyrus had its ups and downs, one being that she hadn't had a drink in a while. Dreading tonight's dinner, she knew she needed alcohol in her system.
"Could you turn left at the corner?" she instructed the driver, pointing down the road.
"Of course, ma'am," he replied, turning the car as directed.
"There's a convenience store just down the road,from her"she added.
A smile crept up her lips as she remembered fond memories of that store.
"They sell the best wines in the city at affordable prices, if you know what I mean," she winked at the driver through the rear-view mirror.
For someone whose dad was loaded, Sandy had always felt she had to prove herself and do things financially without his help—even though he doubted her choices.
Driving down the very familiar road, that held several memories. sandy smile quickly faded as a realization dawned on her—this was a place her ex frequented.
Her heart drummed loudly as the driver's voice echoed drawing her from her musings "We're here, ma'am."
Her hands trembled slightly as she opened the door, at the thought. half walking, half running toward the store's entrance. She needed to leave quickly.
Opening the front doors the familiar jingle of the store's doorbell rang in her ears welcoming her.
She waved at Eric, the salesman, and headed to the wine aisle.
Grabbing two bottles of her favorite wine, Sandy's lips curved into a thin smile. She remembered Michael's persistent arguments against her preferred uptown supermarket, labeling it overpriced.
After agreeing to give this place a shot, she had her doubts about the wine prices, fearing they might be fake.
However, after scanning the QR codes on the back of each bottle confirmed their authenticity, this place quickly became their go-to—that was before she knew the kind of person he was.
Sandy quickly made her way to the counter, drawing deep breaths—struggling to block the painful memories threatening to break through. She needed to leave him in the past once and for all.
Outside, she exhaled as relief washed over her when she spotted her cab around the corner.
Just then, the sound of her phone ringing made her jump in fright.
Sandy smiled slightly,her father must be worrying about her seeing as it's just few hours left to the dinner.Fishing the device from her bag, Sandy froze, as her gaze held the bright screen the caller ID flashed: Michael—her ex.
Her heart leaped into her throat, every muscle tensing.
Why was he calling now? Could he have seen her? Shaking her head, not wanting to think negatively, Sandy quickly declined the call, increasing her pace.
She wouldn't let history repeat itself; she would leave this neighborhood and never return, regardless of any attachment she'd grown toward it.
After just few minutes of walking, her shaky lips curved upwards as she could finally see her cab up close; her pulse throbbed in her ears as she ignored the constant buzzing of her phone, putting each determined step in front of the other, stopping quickly as her gaze fell the figure in front of her,blocking her way.
Her eyes widened in disbelief as she stared at the figure in front of her—Micheal—the very person she was trying to avoid. Sandy felt her pulse thrumming in her veins.
How did he find her? How did he know she was here?
She stumbled backwards almost tripping as he began moving towards her, her muscles tense with fear.
Without saying another word, she turned and tried running in the opposite direction, but she was not fast enough.
Michael quickly reached forward with speed, pulling her back.
Sandy felt a pit form in her stomach as her chest heaving as she struggled to breathe, her head spinning with questions.
How did he find me?
"Now that ain't the right way to treat the love of your life," Michael chuckled as he wrapped his arms around Sandy's waist, pulling her close from behind.
She froze.
His familiar scent intoxicated her—how had she ever fallen in love with this jerk?
Leaning in, his lips brushed against her neck, her skin burning with irritation.
"Get off me!" she screamed,using all her strength to push him off, her breath heavy as she gasped for air.
"What is it you want from me?! How did you know I was here?" Sandy demanded, her breath labored.
Tilting her head past him to get a glimpse at her cab nearby, she clutched her bag and the wines she had just bought closer to her chest. She needed to get away from him.
Michael grinned. "After months of searching for you, just when I was about to give up, my beeped phone notifying me that you were in the area," he said, flashing his phone at her.
Blood pounded in Sandy's head, making her feel lightheaded at the thought of Michael tracking her. She had broken up with him last year after his obsessive behavior led him to hit her during an argument.
She left the country for six months, staying with Selene, trying to evade him after lying to her father about attending a writers' conference. Though her father wasn't entirely on board with her traveling, he had let her go after Mariam, his new wife, convinced him.
After returning to the country, Sandy struggled to put the past behind her,between looking after Cyrus and her job she was beginning to move on,only to find out that he had been tracking her!
Sandy inhaled deeply,trying to calm the burst of annoyance rising in her chest.
Her eyes blazing with anger. "You've been tracking me!?"
He chuckled. "After everything, you can't possibly get rid of me that easily."
"After everything!?" she yelled. "We broke up, Michael!"
The sound of His laughter sent a chilling shiver down her spine. "Baby, nobody breaks up with me," he grunted, his nostrils flaring.
Memories of his obsessive behavior over the years that she had being struggling to keep in place flooded her mind, anger coursing through her veins.
How dare he?
"You hit me, Michael!" she sneered.
He had accused her of being with someone else. When she tried to explain that she was visiting her sister, Selene, he didn't believe her and hit her.
Michael's jaw tightened. "I've changed, baby. I went to therapy because of you. We can try again," he said.
Tears welled up in Sandy's eyes as she remembered how she had stayed believing he would change.
Who wouldn't? Her skin heating with disgust as her angry gaze trailed over him.
With his dirty blonde hair, 6 feet athletic build, and chiseled features,any girl would fall for him.
Their first year together had been fantastic. She met him shortly after Selene left the country. With her father distant and Selene unreachable, Sandy had felt lost. Michael had been her saving grace, only to reveal himself as the devil in disguise, obsessing over everything and even preventing her from writing after he had encouraged her to start.
Sandy had tried telling Selene about Michael when they finally got back in contact, only to find out that Selene was pregnant, so she kept shut.
Swallowing past the ball of emotions wedged in her throat, she said, "No!"
Michael's eyes flashed with anger. "No?"
Sandy's stomach knotted with anxiety. This was the first time she was challenging him in their four-year, on-and-off relationship.
Looking back, she didn't know how she would have survived without the time she spent away with Selene and Cyrus.
"I made my self clear that day,i don't want you anymore, Michael. I don't care if you've changed. We're over, and that is final," she said with a shudder of repulsion.
Micheal's forehead frowned in fury, his eyes bloodshot from anger as He forcefully yanked her closer, gripping her wrist tightly scattering the contents of her bag across the pavement
"Stop it—you're hurting me!" Sandy screamed, fighting as his grip tightened.
A film of tears flooded her eyes as she struggled to break free,blood pumping loudly in her ears.
"I…have a new boyfriend. Please let me go!" She lied,hoping he would let her be.
But that only made things worse.
"You bitch," Michael spat as his hand connected with her face, the force sending her crashing to the ground.
Hot tears rolled down her stinging cheeks. "Please let me go," she cried.
"You're mine, bitch! If you think I'm just going to let you dump me for some uptown guy, you're mistaken," he yelled, raising his hand for another blow.
Sandy flinched, her body trembling with fear, using her hands to shield her face.
Waiting for the blow that never came,she looked up to see a stranger grabbing Michael's hand.
"Are you okay?" the he asked, looking back at her,his voice calm, but Sandy could barely focus through the haze of pain and dizziness.
She quickly gathered her scattered belongings,ignoring the broken bottles of wine and fled toward her cab without waiting to know who he was.
Inside, her cheeks burned with pain from the impact of the slap.
Looking up, her eye fell on the driver's gaze through the rear-view mirror, his eyes narrowed with concern. Before he could speak—
Sandy snapped, "Just drive."
Shoving her things into her bag, she didn't need anybody's pity.