A Desperate Night

My heart was telling me that it was my child inside that bag.

At this moment, the writhing pain almost suffocated me.

Once he had gone far, I picked up my phone and ran outside, regardless of how weakened I was after the miscarriage. It didn't even matter that I was bleeding from my lower body.

After I went out, I had no idea which direction I should go in, so I chose to aimlessly run along a path on the farmland outside the door.

All I knew was that I had to be as far away from that devil as possible.

I was panicking. It scared me that Shane would chase after me if he were to find out that I was missing.

I took out my phone, hoping to ask someone for help, but I wasn't sure who to call at this hour. My phone was almost out of power, so I shouldn't tarry any longer. Thus, I chose to call Louise Larson.

After several rings, she finally picked up. On the other end of the line, I could hear my good friend Louise's slightly hoarse voice. I could tell that I had woken her up.

"Eve?"

"Lulu, I… Eek!"

The path along the farmland was narrow, so I accidentally slipped onto a field, and was soon bathing in mud.

Carefully, I got up from the field. I noticed that my shoes were missing and my phone had been powered off. Barefoot, I continued running as fast as my legs could carry me. I could feel the warmth of my blood, running down my thighs, mixing with the mud on my legs.

It felt like forever before I finally got to the main road. When I passed by the restaurant we had lunch at during the daytime, I finally realized that I was in the right direction.

Then, I ran out of the scenic spot and arrived at the road. Soon, I found myself walking along the mountain road. I didn't dare to stop. I kept on walking and walking until I felt my legs go numb.

The winding asphalt road was littered with my footprints, silently narrating the story of my tragic experience.

The summer breeze felt warm, but I felt cold from inside out.

At long last, I stopped in my tracks halfway down the mountain. With a heavy heart, I stared at the endless darkness at the bottom of the mountain, feeling nothing but despair.

I had been married to Shane for two long years, but never did I see through him truly. How blind and stupid I was for believing him!

In just a single, godforsaken

night, I lost everything. If I didn't know any better, I would've jumped down the mountain and ended everything. But then I remembered my mother.

When my father died in a car accident, my mother became comatose. For many painful years, all she had was me. If she were to lose me as well, what would happen to her?

I also thought of a kindhearted person called "Seagull". During the years I went to school, he supported me financially, and always talked to me on WhatsApp. Oftentimes, he would encourage me to go on, and enlighten me through trying times. On my journey to adulthood, he was one of the few persons who showed me kindness and warmth.

If I were to die like this, it would render all his efforts over the years in vain. I hadn't even had the chance to meet him and thank him face to face. Truthfully, I didn't even know his real name.

In this world, all grudges and gratitude must come to an end. Not only did I have a debt of gratitude to pay, I also had to exact revenge upon those who had wronged me.

Why did Shane suddenly become so inhumane? I needed to settle the scores with him, so I chose not to jump.

Many years later, I would still be grateful for choosing to be brave and rational at this moment.

And since I chose to live on, I must live well. I could not just stay at this mountain for all eternity and live like a vengeful ghost. I must find a way to go back to the downtown. I needed to accept and face the dramatic change in my life overnight.

But I couldn't hail a taxi halfway down the mountain in the middle of the night.

There were some cars passing by the scenic spot at midnight. Under the headlights of their cars, I certainly looked disheveled.

But I neglected how I appeared and lowered my dignity by calling their attention. Many of the passing drivers glanced at me with either shock or mockery. Then, they drove away with their speakers blasting rock and roll. Not one car was willing to stop for me.

Perhaps in their eyes, I was a beggar; a refugee. Or maybe even a lunatic, insane and unsightly.

After disappointing myself over and over, I made a risky decision.

I stood at the corner against the mountain wall, waiting for the perfect chance. The second I saw a ray of light again, I rushed to the middle of the road without a second thought.