The Parking Lot Monster

The Parking Lot Monster 

MARCUS pulled into the parking lot of Lunaris Tech Innovation, the towering glass building gleaming in the late morning sun. As always, he parked without care or consideration— slanted, sloppy, and directly across two lines. It was his trademark. His little rebellion. His show of dominance in a world that didn't actually revolve around him.

He sat there for a moment, engine humming, staring blankly at the building where his wife worked. A slow, self-satisfied smirk crawled across his face. The world might not bow to him, but Elena would. She always had. And today, she damn sure would again.

Marcus finally shut off the engine and pushed his door open. The harsh morning breeze swept in, ruffling his hair and chilling the sweat on his neck. He stepped out, let the door slam behind him, and stood there squinting at the sunlight as if offended by it.

Then he turned toward the back seat.

His steps were heavy, sluggish, the kind of gait that belonged to a man who believed he had all the time in the world. He opened the rear car door and reached for the brown paper grocery bag— only to shove it aside so he could grab what he really wanted.

One of the liquor bottles.

His eyes gleamed with impatience.

He had finished the entire loaf of sourdough during the drive, crumbs still clung to the corners of his mouth, some falling onto his wrinkled shirt as he leaned forward. His stomach churned with the mix of bread and leftover anger, and now he needed something stronger to wash it down.

He tore at the seal with his teeth, twisted the cap off, and brought the bottle to his lips.

No hesitation. No shame. Just need.

He began gulping the liquor, long and greedy swallows burning down his throat, eyes fluttering with relief as the familiar warmth rushed into his veins.

He didn’t even bother to check who might be watching.

He didn’t care.

And he kept drinking.

He stood rooted in place, staring lovingly at what remained of the liquor swirling inside the bottle in his hand. The sunlight made the amber liquid gleam, and he admired it almost romantically, letting out a sigh of satisfaction. He lifted it slightly, as though giving a toast to himself.

Then—

“Honey.”

A voice broke through the parking lot, soft yet shaken.

Marcus snapped his head toward it.

Elena.

She was rushing toward him, with her eyes wide, breath uneven, hair slightly disheveled from running. Before Marcus could process the shock, she threw her arms around him in a quick, desperate hug. His body stiffened, completely unprepared for her sudden affection. He didn’t hug back. He didn’t even move.

When she pulled away from him, her hand brushed against the bottle in his grip.

The bottle slipped.

Time seemed to slow as it fell, tilting, spinning… then—

CRASH.

Glass shattered across the asphalt, liquor spreading like a small amber river.

Both of them stared down at it, frozen.

Marcus’s expression twisted into something dark and irritated.

“Hey… hey!” he snapped, half disbelief, half fury. “Why aren’t you at work?”

He was supposed to be the one catching her off guard, dragging her out of the building, lecturing her, showing her who was in charge. Instead, she had blindsided him, running out like she had been waiting for him.

“Let’s just go home, please,” she said quickly, voice trembling. “I will explain everything, okay?”

She reached for the car door, but before she could pull it open, Marcus seized her wrist. His grip was brutal, his fingers digging deep. She winced and gasped at the pain, turning toward him with tears forming.

He let go only after he saw her flinch.

“You what?” he barked. “Did I allow you to quit?”

Her lips parted, trembling, searching for words.

“How do you expect me to react?” Marcus demanded, his voice rising. “Go back to the mall? Buy another bottle of champagne to polish my beer?”

Her heart hammered against her ribs.

“No. Let’s just get out of here,” she pleaded. “I will explain everything when we get home. Please, Marcus… I’m begging you.”

But that only seemed to fuel his rage.

“No,” he snapped. “We are not going anywhere. We are going to stay here and celebrate another mistake of yours, you queen of stupid decisions!”

Her eyes squeezed shut. Pain washed over her face, emotional, mental, everything all at once.

“Darling, you just don’t understand,” she whispered, voice cracking. “I quit because… my boss is a real monster.”

“Shut up!” Marcus roared. “Your boss is a monster?”

She swallowed and nodded gently.

“No,” he hissed, stepping closer. “I’m gonna remind you who you should really… really be afraid of.”

Her breath caught as he shoved past her, heading for the back seat of the car. She watched helplessly as he grabbed the grocery bag, tore it open with unnecessary force, and dumped everything onto the asphalt. Vegetables rolled away, potatoes scattered, the loaf of bread hit the ground with a sad thud.

She gasped softly. “Marcus—”

He turned to her with disgust.

“What are you standing there for? Bend down and pick them up.”

Her stomach revolted. Her entire body shook.

Not here. Not outside. Not in broad daylight.

She hesitated, just one second.

“Now! NOW!” he barked.

Her whole body jolted.

“Okay… okay,” she whispered and quickly crouched to gather the items.

But the moment she bent forward, Marcus grabbed the hairpin that held her hair in place and yanked it out with a violent force.

Her hair spilled down her back in loose waves.

She froze, confused, breath trapped somewhere between fear and disbelief.

Then he opened the car door, gathered her hair in a fist, and slammed the door shut on it, pinning her in place. Her head jerked back from the force, scalp screaming.

A choking sound escaped her throat, panic rising like a storm inside her.

The pain was sharp, blinding, humiliating. Her scalp throbbed. Her eyes filled with tears she couldn’t blink away. Her lungs shook with each rapid, terrified breath.

She couldn’t move. Couldn’t stand. Couldn’t fight.

Marcus towered over her, a sickening satisfaction spreading across his features.

“Please… please, Marcus,” she begged through trembling lips. “Don’t make a scene. I swear, I will explain everything to you.”

He smirked, proud of himself, inflated with power.

“Don’t worry,” he said almost casually. “I will finish with you quickly. And when I’m done teaching you a lesson? You will crawl back to your boss and beg him to give you your job back.”

She panted, panic clawing at her chest. She knew what was coming next— she had felt it before. And that knowledge made her chest tighten, her body tense, her blood turn cold.

Marcus rolled up his sleeve, lifted his hand—

He was about to strike.

But then—

A stronger hand grabbed his wrist mid-air.

And everything stopped.

“And the boss is already here,” a voice said, it was silky, calm… deadly.

Elena’s eyes widened. She craned her neck upward despite the pain.

Eamon.

Her blood turned to ice.

Before Marcus could understand what was happening, Eamon’s grip tightened around his neck.

Marcus’s feet lifted off the ground.

And in one swift motion— too fast for a human eye—

Eamon flung him across the parking lot.

Marcus soared through the air and slammed against the concrete wall.