Anniversary day
Hey diary
I've tried to meet up with Elena, but she keeps ignoring my text messages. I think I should go meet her in person and tell her everything before it's too late.
Vivian stared at the final sentence she had written, her fingers tightening around the pen until her knuckles turned white.
A tear slipped down her cheek and landed on the page, smudging the ink slightly.
She quickly shut the diary and lifted her head at the sound of heavy snoring behind her.
On the couch across the room, Derrick lay sprawled like a dead weight, one arm hanging over the edge, an empty whiskey bottle tipped beside his hand.
His chest rose and fell in deep, drunken breaths.
For a long moment, she didn't move, then her gaze slowly dropped to her body.
Purple bruises wrapped around her wrist like ugly bracelets and fading finger marks circled her neck.
Her split lip still stung every time she breathed too hard,she reached up and lightly touched the sore skin near her collarbone, immediately flinching as pain shot through her.
Three hours ago, Derrick had shoved her into the wall hard enough to crack a picture frame,all because she refused to send him the last money in her account.
"Don't piss me off tonight, Viv," he slurred, eyes bloodshot with rage.
"You think I'm joking? Send the damn money."
When she said no, he hit her, just like usual continuously until she finally sent him the money.
It's been two years of surviving this nightmare, two years of lies, apologize and promises she knew meant nothing.
She swallowed hard and wiped at her face with shaking fingers.
Tonight wasn't about her anymore,If she couldn't save herself, then at least she could save someone else.
She opened her wardrobe and shoved the diary beneath folded sweaters where Derrick would never think to look.
After that, she pulled out a long dark dress with full sleeves and slipped it on. The fabric covered most of the bruises.
Then she wrapped a scarf around her neck to hide the rest,she tiptoed towards the door and paused near the kitchen counter, staring at the half-empty vodka bottle.
Her hand moved before her brain caught up and she grabbed it and took a long gulp.
The alcohol burned down her throat, making her eyes water.
Maybe she needed the burn.
Maybe she needed something stronger than fear.
Her hands trembled as she grabbed her car keys.
She needed to get to Elena, to tell her everything and warn her before it was too late.
Vivian knew exactly what Sophia her best friend was capable of and that knowledge dragged her mind back to the conversation that had changed everything.
No more waiting.
She had already waited too long.
She moved toward the apartment door, each step careful, controlled and terrified.
Halfway there, the floor creaked and her heart stopped.
Derrick shifted on the couch and she froze.
Please don't wake up.
She begged silently as she held her breath watching him with wide eyes.
He scratched his chest, turned over and resumed snoring.
She opened the door, slipped outside and shut it silently behind her.
Cold Manhattan air hit her face and she breathed down in relief.
She ran to her car,started the engine and pulled into the street.
Her hands tightened around the steering wheel as the city blurred past in streaks of gold and white.
Her chest felt too tight, every breath scraping her lungs.
" I'll make sure she doesn't make it out of that anniversary hall "
Sophia's words kept replaying in her head as she sped towards the anniversary venue.
She needed to get to Elena, her phone lay on the passenger seat, screen still lit with the unanswered messages she had sent to Elena all week.
With No reply.
"Just hold on, Elena," she whispered, tears clouding her vision.
"Please... just hold on."
The radio crackled.
A calm female reporter's voice filled the car.
"Breaking news tonight. Rescue divers are still searching the Hudson River after a shocking incident at a high-profile anniversary gala in Manhattan."
Vivian barely listened at first, she changed lane and pressed harder on the accelerator.
The reporter continued.
"According to eye witnesses, Elena hale , wife of Marcus Hale, CEO of Windsor company, fell from a private terrace into the Hudson River approximately two hours ago."
Everything stopped for Vivian ,as she tried to process what she just heard.
She froze.
Elena ?
Tears filled her eyes and rolled down her face.
"No..."
Her voice came out thin and broken.
Still finding it hard to believe but the reporter kept talking.
"Emergency responders remain on scene. Search efforts are ongoing, but authorities say chances of survival continue to decrease as time passes."
"No."
Vivian's fingers dug into the steering wheel until her knuckles turned white.
"No, no, no..."
Not Elena
The woman she had been trying to save and she failed.
Her vision blurred and a horrible realization slammed into her chest.
What if she died ?
"Oh no"
A sob tore from Vivian's throat.
"I'm too late."
Tears streamed down her bruised face.
Her body shook violently.
"No Elena, please..."
Headlights flashed ahead too bright and too close.
Vivian looked up and a truck was right in front of her.
Its horn blasted through the night.
BAAAARRRRRRNNNNN!
Her eyes widened.
"Oh my God"
She jerked the steering wheel too fast making her tires screamed and her car spun violently.
Metal shrieked with a loud sound, followed by glass exploding .
The world flipped.
Once.
Twice then the crash where the car scraped the road and hit the bridge side .
Then everything went black.