Winter had arrived with a quiet majesty, blanketing the city in a sea of white.
The soft pellets of snow fell steadily, glittering under the glow of the streetlights.
Hua Jing hummed along to a cheerful tune on the radio as her car glided down the nearly empty streets.
Outside, her face beamed from the city's largest billboard, a testament to her unparalleled stardom.
Today was the happiest day of her life.
She adjusted her scarf and glanced at herself in the rearview mirror. Her crimson lipstick was flawless, and her black dress hugged her figure perfectly.
She had chosen it specifically for tonight—a symbol of elegance and triumph. Tonight, she would stand on the stage of the Blue Hotel, under a shower of applause, as she received the Lifetime Achievement Award.
This wasn't just an award; it was the pinnacle of her career. The culmination of years of hard work, sacrifice, and an unwavering passion for her craft.
It would cement her place as the queen of the entertainment industry.
As she drove through the empty streets, her hands gently tapped the steering wheel in rhythm with the music.
The roads were clear, and her heart felt as light as the snowflakes swirling outside. Everything was perfect.
She chuckled softly, her joy spilling over. She thought about the lifetime contract she would sign tonight with Blue Entertainment.
A contract that would elevate her even further, making her a legend.
The car's heater hummed softly, enveloping her in a cocoon of warmth. She glanced outside at the twinkling lights of the city she had grown to love. This city had witnessed her rise, her struggles, her triumphs. And tonight, it would witness her greatest moment.
Her phone buzzed in the cupholder. She glanced at it briefly—it was a message from her assistant, wishing her luck. She smiled, feeling grateful for the people who had supported her journey.
But then, it happened.
A faint jolt shook the car, and the steering wheel felt strangely stiff. Hua Jing frowned and pressed the brake pedal. Nothing.
Her heart skipped a beat. She pressed it again, harder this time. Still nothing.
The car didn't slow down.
Panic began to claw at her chest as the realization dawned. The brakes weren't working.
"No," she whispered, her voice trembling.
She gripped the steering wheel tightly, her knuckles turning white. The car began to pick up speed as it descended a gentle slope. Desperately, she pumped the brake pedal, but the car remained unresponsive.
Her breathing quickened, and her vision blurred slightly as fear took hold. Her mind raced. What could she do? How could she stop this?
"Stay calm," she told herself, her voice shaky. She reached for the handbrake and yanked it hard. For a moment, she thought it might work, but the car only screeched and skidded, barely slowing down.
Ahead, the road curved sharply to the left. Beyond it, an intersection loomed, and she could see the headlights of an oncoming car.
"No, no, no!" Hua Jing cried out, frantically trying to regain control.
The music on the radio continued to play, a cruel reminder of the joy she had felt just moments ago. Her heart pounded in her chest as the oncoming car grew closer, its headlights blinding her.
In those final moments, everything seemed to slow down.
Hua Jing yanked the wheel to the side, but it was too late. The two cars collided with a deafening crash.
Her body lurched forward, the seatbelt cutting into her torso as the airbag deployed with explosive force. The impact sent her car spinning before it came to a violent halt against a lamppost.
Pain exploded through her body. Her head slammed against the window, shattering the glass. A warm, sticky sensation trickled down her forehead, and her vision blurred.
The world around her was chaos. She could hear the distant sound of car alarms and the panicked voices of onlookers. But those sounds grew fainter, as if someone were turning down the volume on her life.
She tried to move, but her body refused to obey. Her limbs felt heavy, as if they were no longer hers. The sharp pain in her chest made it difficult to breathe, each gasp feeling like fire in her lungs.
Blood oozed from a gash on her head, pooling on the shattered remains of the dashboard. Her once-pristine dress was torn and stained, the symbol of her triumph now a cruel mockery of her fate.
Through the cracked windshield, she could see the snowfall continuing, indifferent to her plight. It was beautiful, she thought absently, in a detached kind of way.
Her vision began to dim, the edges fading into darkness. Memories flickered before her eyes like scenes from a movie.
She saw herself as a young girl, standing on the stage for the first time, her heart pounding with nervous excitement. She saw the countless sleepless nights spent perfecting her craft, the rejections that had once shattered her, and the victories that had built her back up.
She saw the faces of those who had supported her—her parents, her friends, her fans. And she saw the stage at the Blue Hotel, the one she would never reach.
A tear slid down her cheek, mingling with the blood.
Her consciousness began to slip away, the pain giving way to a strange, peaceful numbness. The memories grew fainter, like a reel running out of film.
In the haziness, she thought she saw the figure of someone. He was running towards her but she could not help but notice that his steps were wobbly.
He looked familiar but her eyes were quickly shutting.
The man seemed to yell but she did not catch anything. All she felt was the throbbing pain.
In a split second, she could not see anything anymore but there was a faint voice by her ears, "Hua Jing..."
The voice called out softly yet still desperately.
"Don't close your eyes...Hua Jing don't you dare close your eyes!"
Hua Jing could not help it. Her eyes felt heavy. She truly wanted to see who it was.
The person was desperately holding her. She could feel something wet drop on her cheeks and the last thing she registered was his frantic voice once more,
"HUA JING!"
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HELLO, AUTHOR HERE. MY BOOK IS PARTICIPATING IN A CONTEST. PLEASE ADD IT TO YOUR LIBRARY TO HELP GET TO NO.1!
HAPPY READING!
B