1- Leaving the Heart Behind

Hope

I put my foot on the accelerator to speed up my car through the empty road. ‘Thunder’ by Imagine Dragons was blaring through the speakers of my Porsche. I had just crossed the borders of Texas and was speeding my way inside the city.

I checked the map on my brand new phone once more to make sure I was going the right way. It showed I would reach my wanted destination in just two more hours.

I could not help but notice the calmness and relaxation that had suddenly covered my heart. This was a feeling that I had not experienced in five years. And right now, I felt like I had just accomplished the biggest task of kindness that had ever been given to me.

Like I had just saved a life.

Mine.

Three days ago, I had left North Carolina and five years of torture behind. And since then, I was on a run, trying to make sure that the army of monsters somehow left me unharmed.

Now you would think why would a girl living in North Carolina, moreover driving a Porsche would try to make herself look like a torture victim so pathetically.

So let us clear the story now. My story.

See, at the age of twenty, where nobody else was even thinking about if they would be getting employment or not, because of my hard work and determination, I was set to score the highest marks in the university.

My parents had gotten killed just a year ago in a car accident, so I was doing my best to live a life that my parents would have been proud of.

They had always said that I was their hope. I was the ray of sunshine that had lit up their lives since the day of my arrival in the world. This is why they had named me the feeling that they had gotten after seeing me for the first time- Hope.

I had a super hot, and rich Italian boyfriend whose family owned a business so large, it was hard to keep the track of their properties.

I was in love with him. He was the man who made me see stars in broad daylight with the love that he showered upon me.

On the day of graduation, he proposed to me for marriage. I was happy on top of the world that day.

I had felt like this was it! This is what the rest of my life is going to look like. This is how much happy I am going to be with this man. My Ethan.

I agreed to marry him. We got married the next month in a beautiful ceremony with his parents and some close relatives present there to congratulate us.

The first three months were heaven. As the fourth one started rolling around, I realized how big of the puddle of mud it was that I had gotten myself stuck into.

Slowly, the people associated in business with my husband, and his parents started coming around our house.

Strange people.

People with guns, and bodyguards, and gangs with hockey sticks and knives tied to them.

And then I realized- I had just fucked up my entire life.