Her Regret Came Too Late Chapter 10

Her Regret Came Too Late Chapter 10

For two days, things felt peaceful again. No interruptions. No Dillan or Victoria.

I was walking back from the supermarket with a bag of groceries in my hand.

My mind was already on tomorrow-what model to teach the children, whether Callie would finally finish her bridge, whether I should buy more glue.

I turned onto a quiet side street. It was a shortcut back to my apartment.

Then I heard it.

An engine. Loud. Getting closer.

I turned my head.

A heavy motorcycle shot out from a side alley. It was moving fast. The engine screamed like an animal in pain. The rider’s body was hunched forward, leaning into the speed.

I recognized that posture.

Dillan loved motorcycles. He used to brag about them at family dinners. He said riding made him feel alive.

The bike didn’t slow down. It came straight at me.

My brain went blank. My feet felt nailed to the ground. I wanted to move. Every part of my body was screaming at me to move. But I couldn’t. My legs wouldn’t obey.

The seconds stretched. The headlights grew brighter. The engine grew louder.

I could see Dillan’s helmet now. I couldn’t see his face, but I knew he was smiling.

This was it, I thought. This was how I died. For real this time.

The bike was no more than six feet away.

Then something hit me from the side. Someone slammed into my shoulder, pushing me sideways.

I stumbled and fell to the ground. The grocery bag flew out of my hand.

I looked up.

It was Victoria who saved my life.

She had pushed me out of the way. But she couldn’t get out herself. The motorcycle’s side mirror caught her shoulder-I heard the thud of metal hitting flesh-and she spun. Her body twisted in the air.

Then she hit the ground hard. Her forehead struck the edge of the curb.

Blood poured out of her forehead immediately. It ran down her face, into her eyes. The gray coat she was wearing turned dark around the collar.

The motorcycle-its target missed-swerved wildly. It crashed into a plane tree at the side of the road.

Dillan flew over the handlebars. He landed on the ground with a heavy thud and immediately started

screaming. His leg was bent at a strange angle.

I sat on the cold sidewalk and stared at Victoria.

She was on her hands and knees. Blood dripped from her face onto the concrete. But she was trying to get up.

Behind her, a car screeched to a stop. Doors opened. Victoria’s assistant and two bodyguards ran out. They grabbed Dillan and pinned him to the ground. He was still screaming from pain.

“Victoria!” he shrieked, struggling against the men holding him down. “You’re protecting him? After everything? You promised me! You said you would help me take the Clark family! You lied to me! You lied!”

Victoria didn’t look at him or wipe the blood off her face.

She just got to her feet-slowly, shakily-and walked toward me. Her knees wobbled. I thought she might fall again. But she didn’t.

She stopped in front of me. Then she crouched down, so we were at eye level.

Her face was a mask of blood. Her eyes were red and swollen. But her voice was steady.

“I won’t let him come near you again,” she said. “I won’t let him hurt you. Ever again.”

I looked at her.

This woman had lied to me for three years. She had missed my last birthday to accompany another man in a hospital.

But she was now kneeling in front of me with blood pouring down her face, making promises she had no right to make.

I felt nothing.

Standing up slowly, I brushed the dirt and gravel off my clothes. Then I bent down and picked up the scattered groceries.

After that, I finally looked at her.

“Leave,” I said. “I don’t want to see you again.”

Her face crumbled. The blood made it worse-made her look like a mask that was falling apart.

“Lambert, please,” she begged. “Please let me stay. Let me be near you. I can’t live without you. I know I don’t deserve it, but please let me make it up to you. Let me spend the rest of my life paying for what I did.”

–

“We can’t go back, Victoria,” I said quietly.

“I know. I know we can’t. But we can go forward. Together. Please.”

I shook my head. “If you really want to make things right, there’s only one thing you can do for me.”

“Anything. I’ll do anything.”

“Leave me alone. Stay far away from me. Don’t come back. Don’t call. Don’t send messages. Just… let me live my life. Without you in it.”