Chapter 3

Venus woke up with pain gnawing through every muscle, cold seeping into her bones. The hard driveway pressed against her back, rough and unyielding.

She tried to move. Her limbs rebelled, every joint is in pain. Her head throbbed, her shoulder burned, and her ribs ached as if they had been shattered. She blinked, the pale morning light harsh against her swollen eyes.

Pain shot through her as she tried to sit up. Her fingers dug into the rough concrete, nails scraping. Her breath came in short, ragged bursts. Her body felt like it belonged to someone else, stiff and broken.

A wave of memory crashed over her. Annalise’s scream. Leo’s disbelief. Alexander’s small, trembling voice.

Tears pricked and spilled. Her body shivered violently, she hugged her hands around herself, every nerve raw, every heartbeat hammering in her ears.

A soft creak from the door made her freeze. Her head turned slowly toward the house. The front door opened. Leo and Annalise were in the doorway.

Annalise’s sharp mocking smile was there, arms crossed, the kind of look that made her stomach knot.

Leo’s gaze was cold, a quiet storm simmering behind his eyes. He stepped forward.

“Venus, you can come inside now,” he said, calm but firm.

She shook her head fiercely, hugging herself more tightly. “No… I… I’m fine,” her voice hoarse from crying and screaming the night before.

Annalise’s laugh cut through the air. “Sleeping on the driveway, bruised… and you still act all strong and mighty? How pathetic.”

Venus couldn’t answer. Words felt useless. Every syllable would have been swallowed by shame, by the aching in her chest, by the hot sting of humiliation that wouldn’t go away.

A small, bright, innocent voice pierced the tension

“Aunty”

Alexander ran toward her, small legs moving fast, eyes wide, face full of relief and fear. Before she could even speak, he threw himself into her arms. His tiny hands gripped her clothes, his breath hot and shaky against her neck.

“Aunty… are you okay?” he whispered.

Venus wrapped her arms around him instinctively, holding him tight and not letting go. She pressed her cheek into his hair, inhaling the warmth she hadn’t realized she’d been missing.

“I… I’m okay, baby. I’m okay,” she said, her voice shaking so badly she thought she might break.

The purity of his trust, his love, melted something deep inside her. She held him tighter.

She looked up at Leo and Annalise standing in the doorway.

Leo’s gaze softened slightly, caught between anger and concern, while Annalise’s smirk faltered at the sight of her son clinging to Venus.

Annalise’s voice came faintly from behind him. “See? He’s running to her. I don't know what she did to my son.

Venus ignored her. Alexander’s small, warm presence was her anchor. She finally let herself breathe. Let herself feel the tiny warmth in the freezing morning.

“I… I’ll go inside,” she murmured, forcing a fragile smile.

Alexander’s tiny arms hugged her even tighter, and a faint smile broke through his tears. “Come on, Aunty. Let’s go inside.”

She stood slowly, legs weak, muscles in pain. She carried him, reaching the sitting room. She tucked him under a blanket, brushing hair from his face.

“Stay here, baby. I’ll be back soon,” she whispered, pressing her lips to his forehead. His trusting eyes followed her, and she wanted to fold into him and never leave.

She went straight to her room, shut the door and collapsed onto the bed, her body heavy and sore. Pain radiated from her shoulder, ribs, back, every inch of her.

The humiliation of being thrown out, of Leo believing Annalise, it all pressed down like a weight she couldn’t lift.

Tears slipped down her cheeks. She pressed her hands to her face, rocking slightly. She tried to breathe through it, to focus, but everything was a raw, throbbing ache. Betrayal, heartbreak, anger, they all ran together in a storm inside her.

She made a decision to leave. This was no longer her home. Not while Annalise could poison everything, not while Leo could believe lies without question.

But Alexander… the thought of him alone tore at her chest. She clenched her fists, burying the ache deep. She couldn’t take him. He had to be safe.

By mid-morning, she was packed. Clothes, wallet, keys, a few personal things.

She looked at the sitting room. Leo and Annalise sat on the couch. Alexander was already sleeping under the blanket. She walked up to him, kissed his hands. “Be safe, baby, be good. I’ll be back,” she whispered. She looked at Leo, then walked away.

The engine roared to life. The road was empty and cold. Her hands gripped the wheel so tightly her fingers ached.

Every detail of last night raced through her mind, the slap, the screams, Alexander’s sobs, Annalise’s laughter, Leo’s disbelief. She cried freely, tears flooded her eyes, hot and unstoppable, mixing with the cold air rushing through the open window.

She drove faster, reckless, numb. She didn’t care about speed, didn’t care about herself. The pain in her chest, the ache in her body, the burning in her head she wanted it all to disappear, wanted to run until the world stopped.

Suddenly, a truck came from the opposite lane to her lane, swerving uncontrollably.

She didn’t see the truck until it was almost too late. Her body froze, heart pounding violently.

Her hands jerked the wheel fiercely. “No! No! No!” she screamed, lungs burning.

Tires screeched against the asphalt. Metal twisted with a deafening crunch! Glass exploded around her, raining like shards of ice. Her hands flailed, arms slashed by the splinters.

The car spun violently. The world tilted. Pain ripped through her ribs, her shoulder, her head. She slammed against the steering wheel, air leaving her lungs in a strangled gasp.

The truck loomed, monstrous and unstoppable.

Crack! The side of her car crushed inward. Screeeeech! The tires slid, grinding against the road. Shatter! The windshield exploded into thousands of jagged diamonds.

Her body was flung against the seatbelt, the wheel, the door. Limbs tangled. She tried to breathe. Tried to move but she couldn't.

The truck collided fully with her car, and everything hit her at once.