The Light I Buried for You Was My Biggest Mistake Chapter 02
I tore my gaze away from Derek, licked my dry, cracked lips, and spoke directly to the phone camera.
My voice was hoarse, but steady. “Had enough fun? Then come pick me up.”
The chat froze for a second, then exploded.
[Is she insane?]
[Still talking tough after all this?]
Derek laughed, a mean, impatient laugh.
He let go of Sophie and leaned out of the car, sizing me up. “Still mouthing off? Let’s see how long that lasts.”
He looked at his security. “Get the dogs from the back of the car. Mrs. Foster walks too slowly. Give her some motivation.”
Sophie gasped dramatically. “Derek, don’t! You’ll scare her.”
He smiled at her gently. “Relax. They’re on leashes. They won’t kill her.”
The doors opened, and two Belgian Malinois lunged toward me.
My blood turned to ice. I was severely allergic to dogs.
As a kid, I was chased for blocks. Derek knew this. After we married, he replaced all the leather furniture to avoid dog hair. Now he was setting them on me himself.
The two Belgian Malinois lunged toward me. I didn’t have time to think; I just ran.
The asphalt was like a red-hot skillet under the blazing sun.
I barely made it fifty feet before my shoes flew off and the heat blistered the soles of my feet.
Behind me, the excited barking of the dogs grew louder and louder.
[Whoa, she’s fast!]
[Olympic speed!]
[Mrs. Foster’s been hiding her talents.]
[Funnier than the dogs!]
[The rich stay fit, I guess.]
The comments were scrolling too fast for me to read, but I could imagine the look on Derek Foster’s face as he watched them roll in.
Derek’s smirk faded as he watched the chat. Sophie leaned on his shoulder. “Derek, she’s so fast.”
He just stared at me, squinting.
I’d run nearly a mile. The blisters on my feet had burst, and every step felt like walking on broken glass. The dogs slowed, their handlers pulling back on the chains.
Sophie leaned from the window. “Lauren, just apologize! He won’t be mad!”
I ignored her. Her voice turned pitiful again. “I’m just a poor girl. Walking is nothing new to me. Don’t hurt yourself for pride.”
Her voice trembled and her eyes were red, but it was all an act.
Derek pulled her back, stroking her hair. “You’re too good. You take everything on yourself.”
Suddenly, the road was covered in loose gravel. Sharp stones cut my feet, and the dogs caught the scent of blood and went berserk. Their handlers struggled to hold them back.
I staggered forward, the gravel grinding into the open wounds on my feet. Every step felt like stepping on crushed glass.
The blood kept flowing, and the footprints I left behind grew darker with every step.
The chat turned meaner.
[Taking bets! I say she makes another two miles.]
[A hundred yards, max.]
[One mile.]
[Three. She’s got guts.]
The comments started placing bets. Someone started a betting pool on how far I’d make it.
The numbers kept climbing, and online viewers flooded in.
Derek watched the wagers roll in on his phone screen, the corner of his mouth curling up slightly. He was enjoying this. He turned to look at me, and there was no warmth in his gaze at all. “I want the whole country to see what happens when you cross Sophie.”
Sophie leaned out of the car window and looked me up and down. Her voice still had that syrupy sweetness that made my skin crawl.
“Lauren, stop being stubborn. Just apologize. Get on your knees. It’s not that hard, I’m nobody.”
I said, “No.”
Her fake smile flickered for a second, then came back. She looked at Derek, her eyes watering again. “Derek, she still won’t forgive me.”
My vision was blurring. Not from tears.
I was losing too much blood, and my body had reached its limit.
