The morning sun blazed brightly in a clear sky. Mila squinted toward the sun, its brilliance almost overwhelming. She paused, feeling momentarily displaced, as if caught in a different world. After a brief standstill, she shook off the feeling and got into her car.
The hospital was only a forty-minute drive from the courthouse, and she left early to ensure she wouldn’t be late.
Before starting the car, she checked her phone. The time read: 7:32 AM.
Approximately three hours until the court hearing.
Meanwhile, at Montgomery Estate in Crimson Gardens, Lysander stepped out of his home, looking every bit the part of nobility in his tailored black suit. As he made his way to the car, he noticed that Leonard was not driving today. Another car pulled up alongside, and Leonard rolled down his window, nodding to Lysander before both vehicles set off, one following the other.
In the trailing car, Leonard pulled out his phone, speaking with a chill in his voice, It’s time.
……
Mila was familiar with the route to the courthouse, having traveled it frequently for submitting evidence and handling legal paperwork. Not ten minutes into her drive, she crossed a narrow stone bridge.
Once past the bridge, it was all highway from there.
Despite the tension of the day, Mila felt surprisingly optimistic. She drove steadily onto the bridge, but halfway across, an unexpected event startled her. Another car approached from the opposite direction, out of control and speeding toward her.
Instinctively, she swerved to avoid a collision, but the sudden maneuver caused her car to lurch violently. A loud crash echoed in her ears as a vehicle behind her failed to react in time and clipped her car.
Mila’s vehicle was pushed sideways, and the oncoming car struck her as well, both crashing together and sliding toward the edge of the bridge. The vehicle trailing behind braked hard to avoid the chaos but ended up colliding due to inertia.
In a blink, four to five cars were caught in a pile-up, boxing Mila’s car in tightly.
The irate man, blinded by rage, ignored the plea and continued to hammer on the window, yelling, Open this window! Get out here so we can settle this! Do you have any idea what you’ve done to my car? It’s worth a fortune! Can you even afford to pay for the damage?
The cursing pierced through the car, a cacophony of insults and threats.
Though Mila had regained her senses, she wisely chose not to lower the window. Confronting an irate madman was not on her agenda. Instead, she called the police.
After explaining the situation, the officers advised her to stay put until help arrived.
Outside, the shouting continued unabated. Some drivers joined in the yelling, while others tried to restrain the furious man.
Soon, several traffic officers arrived. While some calmed the crowd, others worked to clear a path so that the cars stuck behind could move through.