BAD NIGHT

CARDY'S POV

In the dimly lit hotel room, tensions simmered between Elliot and me. As we stood face to face, I couldn't help but feel exasperated by his constant attempts to inflate his ego. "Stop making it seem like we had something serious going on in the bathroom," I snapped, trying to quell his delusions of seduction.

Defending myself vigorously, I hoped to puncture through his self-absorbed demeanor, although truth be told, I never cared for any of it. The night stretched on endlessly, and I found myself drowning in regret for even coming to this hotel. My mind should have been focused on rescuing my father from the clutches of those vile kidnappers.

"Are you just going to stand there like a robot?" Elliot's voice carried a hint of concern, but it felt more like the desperate plea of someone wanting something from me. I refused to succumb to his heartless nature and decided to stand my ground rather than share a bed with him.

"Why don't you mind your own business and leave me be?" I retorted, frustration dripping from my words. He chuckled dismissively, his arrogance only intensifying the irritation I felt.

"Mind my business? Perhaps I should have and let them embarrass you earlier," Elliot's attempt at raising his voice was swiftly silenced by me.

"Don't forget that we're in a hotel, not within the confines of your own home," I warned him, closing the gap between us with determined steps. The stale air between us crackled with tension, and I refused to let his heartless remarks go unanswered.

"Yes! You should have allowed them to embarrass me. But guess what? They were still going to call you because I am your fucking wife," I said to him and our eyes locked to each other. 

"Bitch!"

In that moment, I felt an unexpected surge of empowerment. The weariness of the long night seemed to fade away as I confronted Elliot head-on, refusing to be belittled or controlled by his selfish desires.

Little did I know that this confrontation would mark the beginning of a fascinating and unexpected twist in our lives. As the night progressed, we found ourselves engaged in a verbal tug-of-war, each determined to assert our own principles and values.

In the midst of our clash, I began to unravel the complex layers of Elliot's personality. Behind the facade of arrogance, I discovered glimpses of vulnerability and insecurity.

As he turned his back against me and I sat on the floor trying to process my next step the next morning but nothing was coming to my mind either than going to ask the police if they found any trace yet. 

In the eerie stillness of the midnight hour, the clock struck twelve, and my mind couldn't help but wrestle with a perplexing question: was it the time that had gone awry, or was the entire world pulsating with an unsettling rhythm? Fidgeting with Elliot's phone, I pondered my current predicament.

Regret gnawed at me, as I couldn't shake the feeling that I should have been cozily asleep in the comfort of my own home, instead of subjecting myself to this unsettling experience.

As exhaustion weighed down on me, my eyelids drooped, but a fierce determination kept them from closing shut. However, the irresistible power of slumber began to seize control, luring me into its tranquil embrace. Just as I was about to surrender to the realm of dreams, Elliot's voice pierced through the fog of sleep.

"We can't share the same bed, but the turmoil you're experiencing right now, you brought it upon yourself," he declared, shattering the drowsy haze that threatened to engulf me completely. Suddenly, my eyes flew open wide.

His words were far from gentle; they bore the coldness of a harsh truth. Elliot had never been one to extend kindness or care to anyone, least of all to me. I couldn't afford to appear vulnerable in front of him, for fear that he would exploit any sign of weakness to his advantage.

Summoning whatever strength remained within me, I mustered a faint response, "I never asked for your pity. Just focus on your own sleep." His indifference had become painfully familiar.

Internally, I blamed not him, but my own father for my current plight. It was his actions that had led me to this cold, hard floor, grappling with sleepless torment.

The world outside remained silent, and I found solace in the darkness that enveloped me. The weight of my own choices, mixed with the burden of my father's past deeds, threatened to drown me in regret. But as the night wore on, a newfound resolve began to simmer within.

While the world lay dormant, I resolved to rise above my circumstances. I refused to be defined by the trials that had befallen me, determined to carve a path of my own making. No longer would I let the actions of others dictate my fate; I would chart my own course, guided by the lessons learned from the cold, unforgiving night.

As the first rays of dawn stretched across the horizon, I emerged from that long, restless night with a sense of clarity. The world might be on a pulse, and time might not always be kind, but within me lay the strength to face whatever challenges came my way. And so, as the morning light bathed the world in warmth, I stepped forward into a new day, ready to embrace the future with newfound resilience and unwavering determination.

"Are you already dressed to leave?" Elliot asked me but I didn't reply to him because it was too early to start talking about things that didn't matter. 

I stepped out of the hotel and drove straight to the police station to find out what they had found. 

As I got there, they told me that their team was still searching and gathering information. 

That didn't move me at all because it seemed like they couldn't do the job and my dad might be dead wherever they took him to because the kidnappers hadn't called to request for any money. 

"I don't even have hope for you people anymore," I said to the police and they tried to calm me down but I never listened.

I picked up my phone from the table immediately and left the station.