Lily stared at the shattered remnants of her once-pristine world, disbelief and anguish warring in her heart. The cruel irony of fate had dealt her a blow more devastating than any physical injury—on the very day of Alex's engagement, she found herself broken and bleeding, hit by none other than his own car.
As she lay on the cold, unforgiving pavement, Lily's mind reeled. "Is this some cosmic joke?" she wondered, pain and bitterness lacing her thoughts. "A twisted punishment for my unspoken longing?"
"Understood, Ms. Johnson," David's gruff voice cut through the haze of her thoughts. His rough hands grabbed Lily, yanking her to her feet with a callous jerk. "How much money do you want, huh? Just take it and scram!"
White-hot agony seared through Lily's battered body at the sudden movement. "Let go of me, you brute!" she cried out, her voice raw with pain and fury. "How dare you manhandle me like this!"
