I Survived the Crash; Our Love Didn't

My last delivery of the day turns out to be a box of condoms ordered by my ex-husband, Julian Hayes. It's been five years since I last saw him. He's wearing the fuzzy slippers he used to hate, and there's a pink hair tie around his wrist. His knuckles turn white as he grips the doorknob, his voice hoarse with disbelief. "Samantha? You're alive?" I lower my gaze and instinctively adjust my face mask, keeping my voice calm. "Mr. Hayes, your delivery is here." Julian doesn't take the bag. Instead, he stares at me, unable to look away. "If you survived the accident, why didn't you come back to me?" He pauses, his voice trembling slightly as he asks, "Have you been doing okay all these years?" I raise my head and remove my mask. The scars crisscrossing my face are a reminder of how narrowly I escaped death. But they're more than that. They're also a reminder of how that ordeal ripped every trace of love and hatred I once felt for him right out of my heart. Chapter 1 My ex-husband, Julian Hayes, stared at my face, his eyes widening in shock as he took a step back. "How did you—" This time, I was the one staring him down. "Happy with what you see?" He fell silent for a few seconds, then looked away. "After the accident, I kept looking for you. I spent six months trying to find you… I found the car, completely totaled, but there was no sign of you. Everyone said you were dead, but I refused to believe them…" I gave him a bitter, mocking smile. Back then, he'd wanted nothing more than for me to die. Funny how he couldn't bring himself to believe it when he thought I actually had. I shook my head halfheartedly, hoping he would just take his order so I could leave. "As you can see, I'm alive, Mr. Hayes. Now, could you please confirm your delivery?" Just then, a little girl in pink fleece pajamas came running out of the house and threw her arms around Julian's leg. "Daddy, why haven't you come back inside to read me a bedtime story?" Julian's expression softened instantly, his earlier tension melting away. He bent down, scooped her into his arms, and affectionately nuzzled her rosy cheek. "Sorry, sweetheart. Daddy ran into an… old friend. That's why I took so long." "What are you two doing, hanging around in the doorway?" A young woman called out from inside, sounding amused. It was Nina Bennett. The moment she caught sight of me, her smile froze. But she was nothing if not a good actress. Within seconds, she'd slipped right back into her sweet, innocent persona and exclaimed in surprise. "Oh my God! Samantha Reed? Is… Is it really you? You're alive!" Then she smiled at the little girl. "Annie, this is Mommy's big sister. Say hello to Aunt Samantha." My nails dug into my palms. Annie Hayes. I spent three whole days poring over baby-name books to choose that name for the child I never got to meet. And Julian had given it to the daughter he had with Nina. Annie turned and looked straight at me with her big, clear eyes. But when she noticed the crisscrossing scars on the exposed skin above my mask, she buried her face in Julian's shoulder and whimpered. "Mommy lied! She's not my aunt! She's ugly! I don't have an ugly aunt!" Julian's face filled with concern. He quickly cradled her in his arms, rocking her gently. "It's okay, Annie. Don't be scared." Nina stood beside them and gave me a smug little smile that was almost impossible to catch before offering a fake apology. "I'm so sorry, Samantha. She's just a little girl. She doesn't know any better. She didn't mean to hurt your feelings, so please don't take it personally." I nodded, my expression unchanged. When Nina realized she wasn't getting a reaction out of me, her eyes instantly filled with tears. She tugged at Julian's sleeve and said in a wounded voice, "Julian, look at her… Do you think she still blames us?" Chapter 2 Julian stopped comforting Annie and looked at me. "Samantha, things were complicated back then. I had my reasons. If you need anything, anything at all, I'm here to help." I answered without a trace of emotion. "No, thanks. We have nothing to do with each other anymore. As far as I'm concerned, you're just a customer, and I'm your delivery driver." I shoved the delivery bag into Nina's arms and walked away. After all, how many times had I begged Julian for help while I was locked away in prison, being tortured day after day? I'd begged him to save me, to come see me, to at least give me a chance to explain myself. But had he ever shown up? Not once. I'd dragged myself out of that hell and managed to rebuild my life on my own. Why would I still expect anything from the very man who'd put me through hell? I rode my electric scooter a few blocks away and left it charging in the parking lot of an old apartment complex. After taking off my helmet, I pulled my mask back into place and headed home on foot, keeping my head down. But just as I rounded the corner outside the parking lot, I bumped into two people. The paper shopping bag one of them was carrying slipped from their hand, sending hats and scarves tumbling onto the pavement. I quickly lowered my head to apologize. "I'm sorry. I wasn't watching where I was going." "Oh, don't worry, dear," an older woman said with a gentle laugh. "We weren't paying attention either. We're the ones who should be apologizing." An elderly man chimed in, his voice just as warm. "That's right. You're not hurt, are you? It's getting dark, so watch your step, okay?" I froze, then I quickly looked up. Standing right in front of me were my parents, whom I hadn't seen in five years. But they didn't recognize me. Mom bent down to gather the fallen hats and scarves. As she handed them back to me, her gaze lingered briefly on the scar near my eye. She hesitated for a moment, then offered me another gentle smile. "It's cold out. You'd better get home." I took the things from her in a daze, barely aware of what I was doing. My throat tightened so badly that I couldn't get a single word out. They turned and slowly walked away, supporting each other as they went. Five years had taken their toll. The wrinkles around their eyes had deepened, and their hair was noticeably grayer than I remembered. Yet for the first time in my life, I'd heard my parents speak to me with such warmth. There had even been a hint of tenderness in their voices. I couldn't remember how I made it home. For the first time, I found myself truly alone, and the loneliness weighed heavily on me. I peeled off my thin delivery uniform, still cold from the night air, and stepped into the cramped bathroom. The mirror was small, but it was big enough to show the scars covering my body. The car accident had left my face covered in scars. But the small, round scars scattered across my arms and thighs told a different story. They looked like tiny brands burned into my skin. Each one had been made by a cigarette. I'd always loved drawing, ever since I was little. Whenever I picked up a paintbrush, I could lose myself in the colors and forget all my troubles. But Mom was a renowned dancer, and her greatest dream was for me to follow in her footsteps and perform gracefully under the spotlight. Unfortunately, I had no talent for dancing. I was stiff, clumsy, and had absolutely no sense of rhythm. Every time she forced me to stretch my legs and practice my routines, the pain was almost unbearable. My lack of talent became her greatest disappointment. And that was when the punishments began. Sometimes, the lit cigarette between her fingers would somehow end up against my skin. She made it look like an accident, but I knew better. "Maybe that'll teach you! If you can't even stand a little pain, how do you ever succeed in life?" Then one day, I secretly entered a citywide art competition and won first place. My teacher personally brought the award certificate to our house. With neighbors and Mom's colleagues congratulating us, Mom had little choice but to put on a smile. She clearly wasn't happy about it, but for the first time, she gave me something that almost resembled a smile. After that, she enrolled me in private lessons with a professional art instructor. But there was one condition. I had to win first place in every competition I entered. "If this is the path you've chosen, you'd better make something of it. Don't you dare embarrass me!" Those were Mom's exact words. Then, sometime later, Nina became a regular visitor to our house. Chapter 3 Nina was the daughter of a part-time employee at Mom's dance company. Her family struggled financially, so my parents often helped them out. Nina was a gifted dancer. Mom looked at her with the pride and affection she'd never shown me. When I applied to college, my art portfolio earned the highest marks, securing me a spot at the most prestigious art school in the country. It was there that I met Julian, who was studying architecture. We fell in love. After graduation, I married him without a second thought. Our marriage was wonderful at first. But at some point, Julian started mentioning Nina more and more. I started picking fights with him, crying and arguing because I felt like he cared more about Nina than he did about me. But every time, he'd just pull me into his arms with a helpless sigh. "Sam, she's been through so much. Can't we help her?" Then, when I was seven months pregnant, everything changed. I was walking home alone from my studio, my belly heavy with our baby. A car came speeding past me, catching my backpack as it went. The force sent me crashing hard onto the pavement. A sharp, excruciating pain ripped through my abdomen, and I felt a rush of warm liquid spreading beneath me. Panic seized me. I immediately pulled out my phone and called Julian, but he didn't answer. Terrified, I fought through the excruciating pain and dialed 911 with shaking hands. But I still lost my baby. My little Annie. The baby I'd waited seven months to meet, whose name I'd already chosen. I struggled to make my way up to the deserted hospital rooftop and sank into a corner. I stared down at the tiny cars and people far below, wishing I could just jump and end all my suffering. That was when I heard Julian and Nina talking. "Julian, I swear I had no idea my brother would… He didn't mean to hurt Samantha. He was just rushing to the hospital to see me when he clipped her as he drove past…" Julian fell silent for a moment before replying, "She won't find out about any of this. I'll sign the papers agreeing to drop the charges on her behalf." I stormed toward him like a woman possessed and grabbed his arm. "Why?" I demanded hoarsely. "How could you do this to our baby? That was our child!" Before Julian could answer, Mom came rushing over. She had apparently heard what had happened. She slapped me so hard my face stung. Then she pointed at me, her eyes cold with disgust. "You're absolutely useless! You couldn't even keep your baby alive! You're a disgrace to this family!" I collapsed to the floor. Through my tear-filled eyes, I saw Julian standing protectively in front of Nina, who looked ready to burst into tears. Meanwhile, Dad was busy trying to calm Mom down. And in that moment, I realized I hadn't just lost my baby. I'd lost my parents and my husband, too. The sudden chill of the shower water snapped me out of my memories. I quickly turned off the faucet, dried myself with a rough towel, and pulled on my pajamas. Just then, my phone lit up with a text from an unknown number. "Your parents' 50th wedding anniversary party is in three days. I'll come pick you up." I knew it was Julian. I stared at the message for a long, long time before slowly typing out my reply. "Don't bother." I knew Mom and Dad didn't love me. They certainly wouldn't want me showing up and ruining the celebration of their picture-perfect family. Why would I put myself through that humiliation? I thought I'd made myself perfectly clear. But three days later, Julian showed up anyway. He ignored my protests and practically forced me into his car. "Samantha, your parents have missed you so much. They'll be overjoyed to know you're alive." He kept talking as he drove, trying to persuade me. "After they thought you'd died, they were so devastated that their health took a serious turn for the worse. "Nina stayed by their side and took care of them the whole time. I thought having her as a goddaughter might give them some comfort, so I went ahead and arranged it." Chapter 4 I watched the streets blur past the car window and laughed bitterly at the absurdity of it all. Mom and Dad wanted Nina as their goddaughter but didn't want people saying they'd replaced their dead child. So they used me as an excuse to make themselves look better? It was almost laughable. My parents' anniversary party was being held at the fanciest hotel in the city. Everyone was dressed in expensive formalwear, their faces adorned with perfectly practiced smiles. And there I was, wearing faded jeans and an old puffer jacket with fraying cuffs. Julian kept a firm grip on my wrist as he led me straight toward Mom and Dad, who were surrounded by guests. "Mom, Dad, I've got a huge surprise for you!" Julian announced. But Mom's gaze immediately drifted to Nina's belly, her eyes full of affection. "Oh! Is Nina expecting another—" "It's not about Nina!" Julian interrupted, pushing me forward. His voice rose with excitement. "It's Samantha! Mom, it's Sam! She's alive! She's come back!" The entire crowd fell silent. The smiles on their faces vanished like cheap paint stripped away with solvent, leaving behind shock, undisguised disgust, and cold indifference. Mom frowned as though she'd just seen something revolting. "Samantha? What are you doing here? Who invited you?" Dad's face darkened, his eyes filled with disappointment and anger as he snapped under his breath. "What the hell are you doing? Haven't you embarrassed us enough?" The disgust on their faces was so perfectly matched that I actually laughed, though I was sure my smile must have looked more like a grimace. Years ago, Nina's younger brother, Lucas Bennett, entered the same prestigious design competition as me. His entry was identical to mine. But he had the nerve to accuse me of copying him, even producing forged timestamps and fake records of his creative process as evidence. Mom and Dad, who were sitting beside Nina, took one look at his so-called evidence and believed him without question. Mom was the first to rush forward. Right there in front of the judges and reporters, she slapped me hard across the face. "Samantha! I knew you'd never change! You used to steal Nina's dance shoes and dresses when you were little, and now you've stooped to stealing other people's designs! You've humiliated the entire family!" Camera flashes exploded all around me, each one cutting deeper into my humiliation. I fought my way through the crowd with only one thought in mind. Find Julian! He was the only other person who had a key to my studio. All my original sketches, preliminary drafts, and digital working files were all there. He was the only one who could prove my innocence! I rushed frantically to his apartment near the office and let myself in with the spare key he'd given me. The living room was empty. But the bedroom door stood ajar, and I could hear moans coming from inside. My hands trembled as I pushed the door open. The sight that greeted me made my blood boil. Julian and Nina were having sex in the bed we'd share as husband and wife. I charged into the room and slapped Nina with all my strength. Julian shoved me away, wrapped a blanket around Nina's naked body, and pulled her protectively into his arms. "Samantha! What the hell is wrong with you?" Nina sobbed in his chest, but her words came through clearly. "Samantha… I'm sorry… Julian and I really love each other. Please, can't you just let us be together?" I looked Julian in the eye and forced out each word. "Why, Julian? Tell me, why would you do this to me?" Guilt flickered across his eyes, but he quickly looked away. When he spoke, his voice was stiff. "Lucas wants to go to the same art school we did, but his grades aren't good enough. His only way of getting in is to take first place in this competition and qualify for special admission. "Sam, you've already graduated, and you've won plenty of awards. Missing out on one more isn't going to hurt you." Chapter 5 Julian continued, "And I've finally realized I only ever cared for you like a little sister. What I feel for Nina… is real love. Let's get divorced. I'll make sure you're compensated." I burst out laughing, tears streaming down my face. After all those years together, sleeping in the same bed and planning our future together, he claimed he'd only ever seen me as a sister? My gaze drifted to the nightstand, where a small fruit knife lay. Then I looked at Nina, nestled in Julian's arms, her eyes gleaming with smug satisfaction as she openly taunted me with her gaze. A wave of despair swept over me. If I was going down, I wanted to take her with me. I snatched up the knife and lunged at Nina. But Julian reacted instantly, pulling her into his arms and jerking her out of the way. The sharp blade barely caught her arm, leaving only a thin, bloody scratch. Julian was furious. He handed every original sketch and draft from my studio that could prove my innocence over to Lucas. Then he hacked into my account and posted a public confession in my name, admitting that all my designs were stolen and apologizing to everyone for my "immature behavior". He even tore up the original sketches for the matching rings I'd poured my heart and soul into designing for us, which I'd planned to surprise him with on our anniversary. I fell to my knees, clutching his pant leg, begging desperately, with every last shred of my dignity gone. "Julian, I was wrong! I'll apologize to Nina! I'll get on my knees and beg her forgiveness! I'll leave the city, even the country! I don't want anything anymore! Just please, don't destroy my work! I'm begging you!" But he didn't show the slightest hint of sympathy. Instead, he hired the best lawyers and had me sent to prison on charges of assault and defamation. Every single day behind bars was torture. I begged the prison guards to contact Julian for me. I pleaded for him to come see me, so I could explain everything. But he never came. Not even once. When I was finally released, I got into my beat-up car, desperate to get as far away as possible from the city that had taken everything from me. But on my way to the airport, I lost control of the car and plunged straight into the freezing ocean. I thought that was it. At last, my suffering would be over. But fate wouldn't let me die. The waves washed me ashore, and against all odds, I survived. I was left with scars all over my body and a heart that had long since gone numb. … "Godmother, please don't be upset," Nina said sweetly. "It's wonderful that Samantha's alive. "The past is the past. Today is supposed to be a happy occasion. Why don't we have her apologize to you both so we can put all this behind us and be a family again?" Nina's voice pulled me back to the present. A few guests were already discreetly pulling out their phones to record the scene. I looked at the two people who were supposedly my parents and spoke with an eerie calm. "Happy 50th anniversary, Mr. and Mrs. Reed." Then I turned and walked away without looking back. They'd stopped wanting me as their daughter long ago. I was simply giving them what they wanted. "Samantha! Samantha, wait!" Julian called out. He hurried after me, following closely behind as he rambled on. "Samantha, I know nothing I say can change what happened, but I swear… I've spent every single day regretting what I did…" By the time we reached my apartment, he was still talking. I was about to take out my keys when I noticed two fresh, muddy suitcase-wheel tracks on my doormat in the dim hallway light. My heart leaped with joy. I turned to Julian, making it clear that he needed to leave. "Mr. Hayes, my husband's back from his trip. If he sees some strange man following me home, he might get the wrong idea."