CHAPTER 1 NORTH CAROLINA

CHAPTER 1

NORTH CAROLINA

North Carolina, U.S.A

July 14, 2020

2:47AM

Stormy Day, Temperature 19℃

As soon as the plane landed, I instantly got inside my car and was thankful that I arrived before the storm can ruin my trip back here. I started driving my car which has parked here in the airport as I watch the lightning on the dark sky dancing from one side to another. The weather forecast said this was going to be a big storm unlike any other especially in North Carolina since the eye of the storm is somewhere in between North Carolina and South Carolina and could possibly cause a few landslide and flood in some areas which forced me to come back home early. Some flights heading back here were already cancelled and moved two days after so I was glad I was able to change my flight time.

Big raindrops started hitting my windshield and I cursed instantly as soon as it started to rain a little bit. I flinched when a loud roaring thunder echoes above my car which frightened me since I don’t really like the sound of it especially now that I am driving alone in my car.

After a while, I finally pulled over to the parking lot and was just right on time to reach my apartment with Charles as soon as the rain has started pouring harder. I have been away for a week because of my business trip in Atlanta and now I can’t wait to be back home and surprise my boyfriend. He knew my flight back to North Carolina will be tomorrow so he had no idea that I moved my flight a day early because I wanted to come home early before the storm can hit here. I didn’t want to stay two more days in Atlanta because I no longer had enough money to pay for two more days there. I know Charles is still sleeping now and I can’t wait to surprise him after days of being away from him.

I was completely soaked as soon as I entered the building as I was pulling my luggage with me. My hands were shaking hence the temperature inside the building which almost froze my wet armpits. Since it was a little bit late now, there weren’t much people aside from the attendant by the front desk who is looking at me eagerly as I walk to the elevator.

I got onto the elevator as I watch how the heavy rain is completely covering the entire streets of North Carolina and it looked absolutely scary because of the lightning flashing on the dark night sky. I hated the sharp cracking sound of lightning as well since it could hit something or someone when it flashes. I stare at the sky and it looked really angry as the streets were covered with darkness and heavy rain.

As soon as the elevator reached our floor, I walked to our door and opened our front door carefully not to wake Charles up. I got inside silently and I was instantly stopped when I found a red silk dress over our living room which was not mine since I don’t own clothes like this. I walked to it and picked it up as I leave my luggage next to the couch. I sniffed it and it definitely smelled like a female’s sexy fruity scented perfume which is undeniably not mine. I threw it to the couch as I begin to feel my hands getting a little clammy with negative thoughts filling my head.

Charles couldn’t do it. He would never cheat on me. I thought to myself even though there was already evidence on out living room floor.

I started getting a little nervous as my feet drags me to our bedroom which I could hear a muffled voice of a woman moaning. Someone is in there and it is definitely not just our TV. Another woman is inside our bedroom with Charles.

My heart felt completely shattered as I pace back and forth in front of the door debating if I should go inside or not. I stand here with tears flooding my eyes as I feel my hands shaking in anger and anxiety because I didn’t want to catch them doing something unforgivable inside and I didn’t want to know who it could be because I was not expecting that he could do this to me while I am away.

He’s told me that he will be sleeping early tonight because he has an early business meeting the next day with his clients and I entirely believed that he did fall asleep. He lied to me about t because he had a woman in our home that’s why he told me he was going to the bed early. The woman’s voice was getting a little louder while I hear her screaming Charles’ name as she curses. I inhaled some confidence before grabbing the doorknob and twisting it open.

Charles’ eyes widened when he saw me entering our bedroom.

“Baby.” He says shockingly.

My eyes staring at a naked Charles having sex with another naked woman on top of our bed. She had her ass up while he takes her from behind as he stands by our bed. He paused from penetrating her when he saw me as I stared at the woman who seemed familiar to me, and it his co-worker Nicole that he introduced to me before. My tears instantly flooded my cheeks as I watch him pull his penis out from her. She grabs the blanket and wrapped it around her as he sit on his bed looking at me sorrily. My eyes scanning all over the floor where she left her laced red bra and red thong and Charles’ black Adidas jogging pants that I gave him last month.

Charles grabs his towel which was on the foot of his bed as he approach me, “Baby let me--”

My palm landed straight on his face as I slapped him hard with all the strength I had. “I trusted you!!”

I hit him on his face again and again and he allowed me. “I fucking trusted you Charles!!”

“Baby please just let me explain.”

“Explain?! What the fuck are you going to explain to me when you’re caught in the act?! How could you do this to me right on top of our bed and inside our home?!” I hit his face with my fist and he didn’t dodge. “Have you got no conscience at all?! Why did you cheat on me?! Why Charles?! Why did you have to hurt me like this?!!” I screamed as I kept hitting his face.

“She didn’t mean anything, baby please.”

“Did you just actually say she didn’t mean anything?! Did you see how you were fucking her vagina like that and you tell me Nicole does not mean anything?!” I shouted.

“Baby I’m so sorry.” He reaches his hand out to me. “I didn’t know you were coming over.”

“Charles that does not mean you have the right to fuck your co-worker while I am away!”

He brushes his hand over his hair, “I know. Please, let me talk first. Please listen.”

“How could you do this to me?!” I asked him as I keep hitting on his chest with my fists as I feel my throat hurting now from all the screaming. He tries to hug me but I didn’t want him to deceive me with his warm hugs and empty apologies. “How could you hurt me like this!!?”

I pulled myself away from Charles who keeps trying to hug me as I look over to Nicole who is still sitting on our bed. “You clearly have a very thick face, haven’t you? You knew Charles already had a girlfriend but you still allowed him to fuck your slutty ass.” She didn’t say anything and just glances at me with her head down low while fixing her dishevelled hair behind her ear.

“How long have you been fucking my boyfriend?” I ask her as I wipe my tears away.

Charles holds me, “America please you don’t have to--”

I push his hand away from me. “You shut the fuck up because I am not talking to you, you lying piece of shit!” I pointed at Charles face before looking back at Nicole. “How long!!”

She glances at Charles.

“How long have you been fucking my boyfriend?!” I screamed again.

“For five months now.” She answers.

Her answer made my knees weak and my eyesight spin as I laugh humourlessly while my tears were unstoppable. I shake my head sideways not wanting to believe this because they have been fucking behind my back for five freaking months. I feel like my entire body was possessed by a demon because I wanted to kill Charles and this woman whom he is having an affair. I feel my ears and cheeks getting warmer because this anger raging inside me seems t keep growing as my heart was pounding terribly fast while my hands were utterly cold as it keeps trembling. I have never been this angry.

“America, I didn’t--”

“Please Charles.” I cut him off as I cry in front of him while he looks at me with sorry eyes. “Don’t try to explain because…. because this is already too much for me right now…” I cried against my fists over my eyes before wiping my tears off my cheeks. “I trusted you…..” I choked a sob.

“I’m sorry.” He tells me.

“If you really loved me, you will never invite another girl over our home and have sex with her while I am away thinking of you.” I press my trembling lips as I clench my fists harder.  

“America…”

“If you….” I breathe heavily as I try to choke another sob. “If you really loved me, you’ll be contented. You won’t find another woman to have sex with and hide it from me for five long months Charles.”

“I’m so sorry.”

“Charles FIVE MONTHS!!” I push my hair off my face not wanting to believe that he would cheat on me for this long. “That long! You were having another affair with someone else while I was so damn serious with you!!” I sobbed louder.

He approaches me as he holds my arm but I push him off me. “Baby please.”

“We’re done.” I say firmly.

“Baby please you know I love you.”

“This is not love Charles! This is greed! You want two of us and if you can’t put this relationship that we have as your priority then I’m sorry but I don’t want to put you as my priority in my life too.”

I look over to Nicole, “You can now fuck him as much as you want.”

“America, we’re really sorry.” Nicole tells me.

“We?” I mocked as I raised my eyebrow at her. “There’s no you and Charles because you’re not the girlfriend. You’re nothing but a complete side chick, a booty call and you’ll always only be second.”

I headed out of our bedroom while he chases me quickly. I didn’t want to stay here any longer even though this is our house. I didn’t know why he was still chasing me because right now I can’t really face him after what I just saw inside there and I don’t want to see him because I am too mad at him. I won’t know what I’ll do if I’ll see his face longer so I should leave this place and find another place to stay. I grabbed my luggage and pulled it out of his apartment without looking back at my cheating ex-boyfriend. He chases me across the hallways, pulling me back while stopping me from leaving.

“Can we talk before you decide things please?” He blocks me, panting.

“You are gutsy asking for us to still talk when we clearly have no things left to say.”

“America, Nicole did not mean anything to me. She was just someone I fuck with.”

“That’s it?” I mocked.

He nods. “Yes baby that’s it.”

I shake my head sideways staring at the man I loved more than I can love myself. “We’re done, Charles.” I tell him again sternly. “And you cannot change that.”

He holds my hand.

“Don’t you fucking call me ever again because I will never forgive you.” I pulled my hand away as I walked towards the elevator. I hopped inside as I watch him standing there with nothing but his towel on and was barefoot.

He chases me and presses the button outside which causes the elevator not to close, “There’s a storm outside, America. Please stay for the night. I can ask Nicole to leave so we can talk in peace. Please.”

“Go tell Nicole to stay with for the rest of your life, maybe she’ll allow you to fuck her in the ass. Enjoy!” He releases the button as I quickly pressed the closed button inside. As soon as it closed, I cried by myself as I covered my face with my hands ignoring the CCTV camera that is here during the entire elevator ride until I reached to ground floor.

The elevator door opens and I quickly dragged my luggage with me until I reached outside the building. I ran towards my car as the rain was hitting on top of my head which hurt a little as I let it soak me completely. The wind was blowing hard causing me to shiver as I popped open the trunk of my car and placed my luggage over as I continued crying while walking towards the driver’s seat. I shut the door and felt shivering with cold as I leaned over my stirring wheel and kept crying while images of Charles fucking Nicole from behind kept appearing in the back of my head. My heart was hurting in the most terrible way I can explain and I don’t think I will be able to heal from this kind of pain and betrayal when we have been together for four years.

I don’t know where I should go.

I think for a while and wondered where I can stay for the night. I started my engine and decided to drive myself to my mom’s house which was an hour drive from Charles’ place. The rain was still pouring hard over my windshield as I kept my wipers on. There was so much rain that makes it terribly hard for me to see things clearly along the road as I drive and the darkness was also making it harder for me. I made sure that I kept my headlights on, in case there’s another car in front of me and I made sure that I was driving carefully on the right lane.

As I kept crying, my foot suddenly stopped abruptly hard on the brake pulling me forward when I saw a ten-wheeler truck lying on the middle of this dark road under this heavy rain. I took a glimpse from my rear-view mirror and saw a speeding car right behind me. I flashed the lights on the back of my car to signal the other driver but I don’t think he was slowing his speed. My foot never left the brake but my car was not stopping since the road was very slippery causing me to move forward. Finally my car begins to stop from moving a few meters away from the ten-wheeler truck but I was thrown out of my car’s windshield when the car from behind me, hit the back of my vehicle with such a strong impact. I was seeing my own life flash before me as I was flying from the inside of my car out to the cold street and I knew I was going to die right here at this very moment.

I laid on the cold road as the rain kept hitting my entire back. I can taste blood coming out from my mouth and felt my entire body hurt from crashing the hard ground. I was unable to move with my blurry vision before I lost my conscious.

“They are still alive!”

I hear a voice which made me open my eyes. As I look around, I found myself inside my car which had a broken windshield and wondered what happened to me. I see a lot of people in uniform and a few policemen carrying someone else’s body on a stretcher.

I headed out of my car and frantically looked around me, seeing a truck lying on its side in the middle of this road, another vehicle hitting the back of my car and a few medics who came to rescue. I see a few men struggling in helping the truck’s driver get out from the driver’s seat and I saw some medics who carried the injured family of four from the other car who hit me. I approached their family and felt sorry for being involved in this kind of horrible accident at this situation. The two kids were unconscious while the mother had a bruise on her forehead. They were all unconscious as they were being taken out of the car but the father was the one who was badly injured and was also unconscious.

“I’m so sorry.” I said to him while he was being taken out of the car by two men in uniform.  

I stared at my watch and it was already 3:10AM.

“Excuse me.” I chased the medic.

He was walking too fast so I tried catching up with him. “Excuse me sir?” I kept chasing the man but he seems not to hear me. I jogged to his side as he walks towards my car. “Sir? Hello?”

No answer.

“Sir?” I called out. “Sir I need some medical attention too. I was the driver driving this red SUV who was hit by the other vehicle.” I say to him but he does not seem to see me.

What the hell is going on?

The man called out to another man who was kneeling a few inches away before my car. “What about that one James?” He asked, completely ignoring me.

“This one is still alive too but terribly needs to be brought to the hospital.”

I moved my eyes to the man named James who was kneeling next to a body lying on the ground. I was totally surprised when I found myself lying on the road which was completely unconscious.

“That… That’s me.” I was breathless as I stand here frozen in shock.

My lifeless-like body was placed over another stretcher with the help of two medics and as soon as they carried it towards the other ambulance, passing in front of me, my tears literally flooded my face when I saw my own self looking almost dead.

Why am I seeing myself?

What is going on?

Am I dead?