Chapter 3

"He faked the video to slander her! What a scumbag! That's messed up!"

"I knew something was fishy. No way a nice girl would do that. He totally set her up!"

"He must be jealous she drives a Bentley, so he tried to ruin her reputation! What a creep!"

Dylan turned white as a sheet.

He stammered, unable to get words out.

I walked up to him, voice dripping with disdain.

"So I wasn't drugged after all. Just slandered with a deepfake video."

"Dylan, you really can't stand seeing others succeed? You can't get promoted, so you assume every successful woman slept her way up? See someone with a nice car and you turn green with envy?"

"Your small-mindedness is sad and laughable."

The crowd started pointing and whispering about Dylan.

Dylan's eyes turned dark with hatred as he glared at me.

"Iris!"

"You just wait!"

Remembering the pregnant woman in the car, I didn't waste another second.

"Dylan, your Volkswagen can't outrun my Bentley, can it?"

"If you want your wife to be okay, move out of my way!"

He scoffed.

"Someone like you doesn't deserve to say my wife's name."

I ignored him and got back in the car.

The engine roared to life as I started it.

In the rearview mirror, I saw Dylan frozen, eyes blazing with anger.

My heart skipped a beat. I worried he might do something desperate.

I was about to tell Pearl to hold on.

But before I could speak, I heard screeching brakes and a crash behind me.

BANG!

A massive jolt hit the back of the car, sending it lurching forward.

My forehead nearly hit the steering wheel. From the back seat, Pearl cried out, clutching her stomach tighter.

I looked back. Dylan's car was smashed into my Bentley's rear bumper.

His bumper was totaled.

He was slumped over his steering wheel, eyes bloodshot, glaring at me like a rabid animal.

"Iris! How dare you show off your fancy car! How dare you flaunt your money!"

"I'll teach you a lesson for crossing me!"

Another crash. He rammed me again.

The car shot forward half a meter. My forehead slammed into the steering wheel. Everything went black.

From the back seat came Pearl's scream of agony.

"Ahh! My belly, my baby..."

"It hurts so bad..."

Ignoring my throbbing head, I spun around.

Pearl was curled up in the back seat. Her white dress was soaked in blood.

"The baby... my baby... please be okay..."

Cold sweat broke out across my forehead.

I fumbled for my phone to call 911.

Then someone started kicking my car door.

Dylan stormed out of his car, face contorted with rage.

"Iris! You can't even drive?!"

"Typical woman driver!"

"You caused this crash! You're paying for my car!"

"Or I'll make sure you get fired!"

I laughed in disbelief.

"Dylan, you've got some nerve twisting this around."

He kept ranting, demanding I get out of the car.

But the situation was critical.

I just needed the ambulance to hurry.

Pearl's breathing was getting weaker.

The blood stain on the seat kept spreading.

Looking at Dylan's smug face, I ground my teeth.

"Dylan, shut up. Someone in this car is dying."

"Dying? What's that to me?"

Dylan sneered and kicked the door again.

"Quit making excuses! You're just avoiding the bill!"

"You drive a Bentley and act so high and mighty? Pay up!"

"Or you'll be sorry!"

He kept rambling, spewing the same insults.

I bit my lip and tried one last time, as calmly as possible.

"Dylan, the person in this car is your wife!"

"She's in critical condition because of you!"

"Dylan, you bastard! You'll regret this!"

That made him even angrier.

"You bitch, how dare you drag my wife into this? You want to die?"

"Fine! I'll grant your wish!"

He grabbed the door handle, trying to yank it open.

But the second he saw who was in the back seat, his face went ghostly white...

He froze like he'd been struck by lightning, lips trembling.

"Honey? Why... why are you here?"

"How did you end up in this car?"