The rock slammed into the hood again.
Metal screamed.
The car lurched downward another few inches, the tree root bending with a wet cracking sound that made my lungs seize.
Above us, Mark’s flashlight beam jittered across the darkness.
“Sarah!” he shouted, voice breaking into fake desperation again. “Please answer me!”
Another stone hit.
The car swayed violently.
My heart pounded so hard I thought I would black out.
Beside me, my mother’s fingers dug painfully into my wrist.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered.
Her voice wasn’t just weak.
It was shattered.
“This is my fault.”
Part 3: The Truth About Mark
My head snapped toward her.
“What do you mean?” I whispered urgently.
Rain dripped through the shattered windshield onto her face. Blood ran down her temple, mixing with tears.
“I introduced you to him,” she said.
The words landed slowly.
“He wasn’t supposed to be like this,” she continued, voice trembling. “He worked for the investment firm I consulted for years ago. Charming. Ambitious. Everyone trusted him.”
Above us — another rock.
THUD.
The windshield cracked further.
The car dropped another inch.
My stomach lurched into my throat.
“But two months ago…” she continued, gasping slightly with pain, “I found something.”
Part 4: The Discovery
Her breathing grew shallow.
“He’s drowning in debt,” she said. “Millions. Bad investments. Gambling losses. Lawsuits he hid from you.”
My mind raced.
“No… that can’t—”
“He took life insurance policies on you,” she interrupted.
The words froze the air.
Multiple.
Policies.
My blood ran cold.
“How much?” I whispered.
Her eyes filled with horror.
“Ten million dollars.”
Part 5: The Real Target
Lightning flashed across the sky, illuminating the cliff for a split second.
I saw Mark’s silhouette above us.
Standing near the edge.
Holding another rock.
Watching.
Waiting.
“He married you for money,” my mother whispered. “But when your company stock dropped last quarter… you became more valuable dead than alive.”
The realization hit me like a physical blow.
I wasn’t his wife.
I was an insurance payout.
Part 6: Why It Was Her Fault
“I should have told you,” she choked. “The moment I found out. But I didn’t have proof yet. I thought I could fix it quietly. I thought I could protect you.”
Her grip tightened.
“I convinced you to go on this trip tonight,” she continued. “I insisted you drive because I didn’t trust him with you alone. I thought being with you would keep you safe.”
Another rock hit the trunk.
The car jolted violently.
The root groaned louder.
“But he planned for both of us,” she whispered. “He wanted witnesses gone.”
Part 7: The Moment of Realization
Above us, Mark’s voice called again — perfectly panicked.
“Oh my God! Please hang on! Help is coming!”
Sirens echoed faintly in the distance.
He had already called emergency services.
Creating his alibi.
Perfect husband.
Tragic accident.
My chest filled with rage.
He thought we were already dead.
Or about to be.
Part 8: Survival Instinct
The gasoline smell was getting stronger.
The car shifted again.
We didn’t have much time.
I forced my mind to focus.
“Mom,” I whispered urgently, “listen to me.”
She looked at me.
“If the root breaks… we jump.”
Her eyes widened.
“That’s three hundred feet—”
“There’s a ledge behind us,” I said. “I saw it when lightning flashed. About fifteen feet down. If we stay in the car, we die. If we jump… we might live.”
Another crack sounded from the root.
Time was gone.
Part 9: Above the Cliff
Footsteps.
Voices.
Real ones this time.
Police.
Rescue.
Mark’s voice instantly shifted louder, more dramatic.
“They went over right here! My wife and her mother!”
Perfect performance.
But he didn’t know one thing.
We were still alive.
And we had heard everything.
Final Line
My mother squeezed my hand one last time.
“If we survive,” she whispered, voice shaking with guilt and fury, “I swear to you… he will never touch you again.”
Above us, Mark sobbed like a grieving husband.
Below us, death waited.
And between them…
we had one chance.