Filed to story: My Husband Regrets Divorcing Me (Audrey & Cornell)
Audrey could detect the foreign lilt in the distorted voice.
“Cat got your tongue? Or are you just frightened?” the voice prodded her.
With composed intensity, Audrey asked, “Who’s this? Who’s behind this?”
The reply came with a mirthless chuckle, skirting a straight answer.
“The person trying to kill you and I are after the same target. But her way of dealing with you is too pedestrian for my taste. I’ve made some enhancements.”
Audrey pressed on, her tone unyielding, “What do you mean by that?”
The voice drew out its response with unnerving calm. “Think of it as a significant upgrade. There’s enough firepower in this vehicle to turn a skyscraper to dust.”
A surge of panic raced through Audrey. Her gut screamed at her to bring the car to a halt.
The voice in the speakers gave a knowing laugh. “Just a friendly heads-up. The second you leave that seat, boom. It all goes up.”
Audrey, rooted to her spot, yelled, “You’re mad! This is murder! What you’re doing is a crime!”
“A crime? Interesting!” The voice treated her accusation as a joke.
“Do you really think you’ll make it out of this to point the finger at me?”
“Who are you?” Audrey’s voice was sharp with demand.
The caller played coy. “Think of yourself as a failed project of my experiments that I’d like to end you personally.”
Her mind racing, Audrey connected the dots. “You’re the one who tried to kill me five years ago, with the car crash?”
“Sharp as a tack!” the voice doled out mock praise. “Such a pity you will meet your end soon. Such brains in a pretty package.”
Frustration nipped at Audrey. “Katie’s behind this, isn’t she?”
“Last time, yes. She didn’t ring me up this time,” the voice drawled with contempt. “That is why her plan to finish you off seemed so bland.”
At this revelation, Audrey’s mind whirled, unable to fathom Katie’s deep-seated grudge against her, considering their limited exchanges back then.
Katie had seemed innocuous in Audrey’s presence, always a benign presence, yet all the while, she was orchestrating Audrey’s ruin from the shadows.
“Are you affiliated with the Maxwell family?” Audrey pressed.
“Curiosity can be dangerous.” The voice oozed smugness as it continued, “Enjoy your final thirty minutes.”
The call ended sharply, and Audrey’s gaze fixed on the dashboard where a timer ominously began its countdown.
With each tick, her dread mounted.
Torn over whether the threat was real, Audrey hesitated to test its truth.
Suddenly, there was a loud “thud.”
Cecilia had shattered one of the windows, peppering Audrey with glass fragments.
One sliver struck Audrey’s neck, sending a sharp pang through her.
Grasping the steering wheel, Audrey struggled to maintain her composure as Cecilia pounded on the sunroof, desperate to get in.
With limited moves left, Audrey held the wheel firm and pressed on.
Suddenly, Cecilia breached the window, her torso surging into the car.
Her hand latched onto Audrey’s hair as she yelled, “Nowhere to run, huh?”
The sudden yank sent Audrey reeling, and an urgent alarm blared through the cabin.
“Cecilia, let go. There’s a bomb in the car!” Audrey cried out.
Cecilia hesitated, suspicion etched on her face, but her grip didn’t wane. “You’re playing me again!”
Audrey, drenched in perspiration across her neck and brow, insisted, “It’s the truth.”
Struggling for her life, Audrey couldn’t help but feel ensnared by a relentless destiny. Fatigue and desperation took hold. What was her next move? The faces of Janey and the others surfaced in her mind.
Just as hope dwindled, a familiar luxury car appeared, gliding beside Audrey.
Audrey caught the unique license plate in the mirror, and tears flooded her eyes.
Upon spotting the car, Cecilia’s rage boiled over. She threw herself into the backseat and then hurled forward, hands gripping Audrey’s throat as she shrieked, “Perfect, a double death it is!”
“Uh…” Audrey fought to speak, her voice stuck in her throat. One of her hands gripped the steering wheel while the other tugged at the claws coiled around her neck, a frantic struggle.
Yet, Cecilia’s strength was formidable. Audrey’s dual efforts were futile. She couldn’t pry Cecilia’s hands off with just one hand.
Audrey’s complexion morphed from red to a ghastly white and then to a deep shade of purple.
Cornell in the nearby black luxury car caught sight of Audrey’s distress and issued a decisive command. “Hit the car!”
Matteo, surprised, took a moment to process and asked, “Mr. Clement, did I hear you correctly? What did you just say?”
Cornell’s expression was stern, his command crisp. “Drop to seventy miles an hour. Then, speed up and target their car’s rear left.”
Matteo now grasped the urgency, realizing Cornell’s plan. If they didn’t crash into them, the crazy Cecilia could have choked Audrey to death.
Matteo decreased the speed and then accelerated, the car’s engine roaring, drawing Audrey’s attention.
Even amidst her struggle, Audrey accelerated, and the high speed caused Cecilia’s grip to falter slightly.
Audrey swerved sharply, causing Cecilia’s hold to slip.
Though Cecilia’s grip hadn’t fully loosened, it was significantly less tight than before.
In desperation, Audrey rolled down the window, signaling Matteo’s car to halt.
As Matteo was about to make an impact, a stern command from Cornell came. “Stop!”
Cornell’s car halted abruptly, and its speed was drastically reduced.
Cornell sensed the urgency in Audrey’s gestures, hinting at explosives in the vehicle. His heart sank, and he ordered, “Catch up but maintain distance.”
Once Cornell’s car was alongside the SUV Audrey was in, he heard Audrey’s faint utterance, “Explosives!”
Cornell’s guess was spot-on. Crashing into the SUV was clearly not a choice.
With Cecilia still attempting to choke Audrey, Cornell directed, “Close in, but don’t hit them!”
Matteo’s task was to shadow the black SUV closely, avoiding any crashes while staying within arm’s reach. The tension made Matteo’s palms slick with sweat.
Suddenly, a loud “crash” echoed as Cornell employed a window breaker to shatter the SUV’s back window.
The glass exploded into shards, scattering and cutting Cecilia.
Yet, Cecilia appeared unfazed, maintaining her relentless hold on Audrey’s throat.
Seeing Audrey’s face grow increasingly purple, Cornell couldn’t delay any further. He extended his hand to Matteo and said, “Give me the connector.”
Matteo handed over a gadget that looked akin to a USB stick.
Cornell peeked through the window, issuing a command in a deep tone, “When I instruct you to steer right, turn the wheel sharply and make space.”
Matteo was still trying to piece together the plan. In an instant, he observed Cornell leaning out the window, his arm outstretched to clasp the SUV’s window frame.
Matteo’s face turned pale, realizing Cornell’s intentions.
Due to the window’s jagged remnants, Cornell’s hand was bleeding, yet he persisted.
Matteo couldn’t contain his concern and said, “Mr. Clement, you’re risking too much!”
Cornell’s expression was resolute, his focus unwavering. “Turn right!”
Hearing the command, Matteo, with no time for doubt, yanked the wheel to the right, his back soaked in sweat.
Suddenly, a hiss filled the air. The tires wailed, protesting against the asphalt.
Cornell leaned against the car window, stretching his arm into the SUV to snatch Cecilia.
The black SUV kept rolling forward. It couldn’t halt.
Yet, as they raced forward, Cornell had to bend his legs to avoid touching the ground. Otherwise, any small mistake would send him crashing headfirst onto the road, all blood and broken bones!
Audrey was nearly choked to the point of Losing oxygen. Her mind was foggy, yet her hands clung to the steering wheel. She knew she couldn’t afford to let go of the steering wheel.