Chapter The accident
(SOFIA'S POV)
I arrived at "Elegance," a popular unisex fashion clothing shop patronized only by the rich. Being a regular caller, I was treated well as I walked to the female section to shop for new arrivals.
"Welcome back, Sofia, "Jenna, the sales manager said, approaching me with a smile.
"Hi, Jenna. Just browsing new arrivals," I replied, scanning the racks.
"We have some lovely pieces from the latest collections," she said, leading me to the designer section.
After selecting a few dresses and trying them on, I made my final choices. At the checkout counter, Jenna summed up my purchases.
"Total comes to $10,000," she announced.
I handed over my black card, and she withdrew the amount. Afterward, I pulled out wads of bills from my purse and handed them to her. "Here, for being a nice girl."
"Thank you. Bye," she called out.
I nodded and walked out, bearing the shopping bags. Getting into the Bentley, I felt a thrill, and I suddenly craved speed.
It gave me a surge of adrenaline to be behind the wheels of such a powerful car. Besides, I didn't get to drive it all the time; it was my first time precisely, as Jared had been really selfish with the car since he got it, considering how expensive it was.
I began speeding, loving the way the cool breeze blew my hair in the car. Soon, I got lost in the moment, and before I realized it, a pedestrian was in front of me. In an attempt to avoid hitting the person, I swerved to the left, bumping into an oncoming car in the other lane. "No!" I exclaimed, scared and shocked.
The Bentley's front bumper was squeezed, and the sound of shattering glass rented the air.
My heart did a summersault in my chest.
What had I done?
I quickly alighted from the car to assess the damage done. The bumper was badly damaged, and the front headlight was broken with shattered glasses littering the floor.
My heart sank at the magnanimity of
the damage as I thought of Jared's
reaction. He had strictly warned me not to drive the car without his knowledge. In his words, "It's a masculine car that needs a lot of
expertise to drive."
I intended to just flaunt the car since it was newly acquired and expensive and return it without his notice, but I guess that was not going to be possible because he would definitely find out I took the car out.
The sound of a door opening jolted me to reality and I looked up. A lady emerged from the car I had just hit. She looked authoritative in her leather pants, jacket, ankle boots, a muffler, and large glasses.
Her face was obscured, hidden by
the large dark shades she had on,
but I refused to be intimidated. I straightened up, bracing myself for a confrontation because I was never going to take the blame for the accident.
"This is all your fault!" I accused, the moment the lady got to me. "If you hadn't stopped suddenly, this wouldn't have happened."
The woman was equally angry as I was, or even more. "No, you were driving recklessly. I see how you almost hit that pedestrian. You're lucky stopped in time; otherwise, you'd be facing more than just a
damaged bumper."
I took a step forward, and my defense heightened. "That's not true. I had the right way. You're just trying to cover up your mistake."
"I'm not the one who was speeding. You're fortunate no one was seriously hurt."
I tried to retaliate, but the lady's companion, who I didn't realize was in the car, called out to her. She glared at me before storming off to answer her companion
I stood at the spot, my chest heaving in anger as I watched them talk. Almost immediately, the lady returned, casting a condescending look.
"You're lucky my friend thinks you're not worth spending our precious time on, so I'll let you go."
I felt insulted and embarrassed, but something about the lady made me pause in my barrage of insults. As I looked at her properly, I felt a sudden spark of recognition. "Have I seen you somewhere before?" I asked, against my wish, my voice softening slightly.
The lady smiled coldly, her chin shooting up. "It's best if you forgot. I will take it that today is my bad luck day. We will never see each other again."
With that, she turned and returned to her car. I watched, stunned, as they drove away. Unlike me, who never gave up on a fight easily, I surprisingly didn't want to argue further.
As the car disappeared into the distance, I tried to get a glimpse of the other woman. But it was no use. She remained mysterious, hidden behind the tinted car windows.
I sighed and tore my gaze away as I walked back to the Bentley, taking out my phone. I dialed Jared's number, waiting for him to pick up.