Part 9: Cliff of Despair
BEEEEEP
Long, blaring horns echoed back and forth, cleaving the silence of the night. The roar of the massive truck's engine grew closer and closer.
I was still standing motionless in the middle of the deserted highway, my eyes squeezed tightly shut.
An overwhelming fear crept through every nerve in my body, making me tremble violently. But it was already too late to retreat. The massive vehicle was drawing closer by the second.
I steeled myself and surrendered to my fate, holding on to a single hope—that my soul could break free from this shell and return to my original body.
I braced myself for the brutal impact that would shatter my bones.
However, in the critical seconds before the collision, I felt someone's hand touch my body. The person roughly wrapped an arm around my waist and forcibly pulled me backward.
SCREECH! WHOOSH!
The massive truck sped past where I had been standing, leaving behind a powerful gust of wind that battered my face. My body staggered, but a strong arm caught me before I could fall.
I opened my eyes, breathing hard, and found myself at the side of the road, trapped tightly in a man's embrace.
"ARE YOU INSANE?!"
The furious roar exploded right above my ear, making me flinch. I looked up at the man holding me. He was panting heavily, the veins in his neck taut.
That man... Damian Desmond.
Why was he here? Had he followed me?
"If you want to die, pick somewhere deserted! Don't make trouble for other people in a crowded place!" he shouted again, his face filled with rage.
I glared at him, refusing to be yelled at over and over. I tried to push against his chest and break free, but his grip around my waist felt even firmer, locking me in place.
"Stay out of this! Let me go right now!" I yelled as I struggled.
"If I let you go, are you going to run into the middle of the road again?" Damian shot back, his gaze piercing.
"That's none of your business!"
"It is my business when my car is about to drive along this road!" Damian shouted, unwilling to back down.
I struggled even harder, hitting his arm in an attempt to make him release me. But instead of letting go, Damian tightened his embrace until my face was pushed against his broad chest.
"Is this why you're dressed so strangely today?" Damian whispered. "Aster, a cheap girl like you wouldn't show up at a bar in a thick jacket and long pants without a reason."
My blood boiled instantly. "Who are you calling cheap?!"
"Is this why you want to end your life?" Damian pressed on, ignoring my anger. "Have you finally become ashamed of all your cheap behavior?"
Those harsh words stopped my struggling. I fell silent in his arms. A strange, awkward feeling swept through my mind.
Maybe... Damian was right. Aster, the owner of this body, really was a bad girl who liked flirting with men. It wasn't surprising that, in the future, she would grow into a mistress who destroyed my marriage to Leo.
Judging from the harsh, cold tone of his voice, it was obvious that Damian harbored a deep hatred for Aster.
"I don't want to hear your nonsense. Mind your own business!" I replied just as coldly, staring straight into his eyes.
Damian curved his lips into a crooked smile. "You want to end your life, don't you? I'll help you find a suitable place."
Before I could process his words, Damian suddenly scooped me up and forcibly carried me in his arms. I shrieked and struggled to escape, but he moved incredibly fast. Without giving me a chance to get away, he tossed me into the car seat.
"Where are you taking me?!" I shouted, pounding on the window.
Damian said nothing. He ignored all my questions, pressed down on the gas pedal, and sped through the darkness of the night.
We drove for quite a while. The view of the high-rise buildings gradually gave way to tall, deserted trees. There were no streetlights, only dense forest surrounding the road.
Eventually, Damian stopped the car in an open area.
When the door opened and the cold wind pierced my skin, I realized he had brought me to the edge of a high seaside cliff. Far below, enormous waves crashed against the rocks with a terrifying, thunderous roar.
"A lonely, dark place like this is perfect for you," Damian said as he leaned against the hood of the car, staring at me coldly. "If you jump from up here, your body will be torn apart by the sharp coral rocks below, and what's left of you will sink to the bottom of the sea."
Cliff... rocks... sinking...
Those words suddenly triggered a dark memory in my mind. The image of the night Leo pushed me into the abyss began spinning through my memories.
The cold, the panic, and the fear I felt as my body plunged through the air and crashed downward squeezed my chest. I felt short of breath just remembering it.
My body suddenly lost control. I collapsed weakly onto the ground, clutching my chest as I struggled to regulate my ragged breathing.
"What? Don't dare to jump?" Damian taunted. "You're already scared of this?"
My head felt dizzy and spun round and round. My hands and feet trembled violently, followed by cold sweat dampening my temples.
Yet my gaze remained fixed on the dark cliff. This was a golden opportunity. If I managed to jump off this cliff, I might be able to end this suffering and return to my original body.
I had to be brave.
With the last of my strength, I began crawling, forcing myself toward the edge of the cliff.
"You really want to jump?" Damian asked. His tone had changed slightly. "Stop pretending. Just admit that you're scared!"
I squeezed my eyes shut, too afraid to look at the darkness below the cliff. With ragged breaths and my chest pounding, I gathered every ounce of determination I had.
I moved my body forward, then leaped into the darkness.
"ASTERRR!"