Chapter 3

My hands went cold hearing the voice that was coming towards me. I didn't want to do this. Not with someone that rich. If an argument started, and it seemed like it certainly would, there could only be two outcomes. Either I'll have to pay for the damage I did or I'll end up behind the bars.

The former option was very unlikely to happen because dad would prefer to kill me than lend me that kind of money and I would never be able to afford to repair this car with my little salary. So, prison it was.

I turned around to face my death and there he was. A man dressed in a perfectly tailored black suit. With dark hair, green eyes and a chiselled jawline. His green eyes narrowed, as he analysed his car, still walking towards me.

The man stopped almost a foot away from me. His eyes moved from his car to me. The intense stare made my heart race in my chest. He was furious.

Obviously!

Hundreds of ideas to escape the situation passed through my head at that instant, each one of them ending with me in a worse situation than the last one. So, I opened my mouth to apologize but no words came out. Clearing my throat, I tried to look confident.

"I'm really sorry" I started. If I apologize to him nicely and explain why I can't pay for the damage, he may let me go. I could even give him my salary for this month and a bit more from my savings. My experience with rich people was telling me it wasn't going to work. But there was no harm in trying.

"I was parking and-" I continued only to be snubbed by him.

"Why were you even driving when you don't know how to use that thing?" He looked at my car distastefully. His tone was normal and calm but something in his eyes told me, dared me, to defy him.

I turned to look back at his car. Why did it have to be a Bugatti? Why couldn't it be something cheaper? Hell, why did I have to crash? I mentally slapped myself for blaming the car when it was clearly my mistake.

"I'm sorry for being so careless… sir" I added the last word as I didn't want to offend him. At least not more than he already was. I've seen dad talk to people around him and he expected basically everyone to address him as 'sir'. It made him feel important. And this man towering over me was definitely someone important. He had that aura of authority surrounding him.

"And I'm assuming you repeating the word 'sorry' would repair my car?" He looked at me as if I was a naughty kid who had made a mistake. This frustrated me because this was the way my dad treated me. A careless, stupid kid.

Closing my eyes, I tried to calm myself. It would be a really bad time to get angry. "I was in a hurry. That is no excuse for damaging your car, I know that but-" and he snubbed me again.

"Then you shall also know that I'm being very nice here by not calling the cops on you. On second thoughts, I think I should," one side of his lip lifted in a smirk. In a better situation, I would have admired the curl of his lips but, right now all I wanted was to remove that smirk off his face.

"No, please. Not the cops" I pleaded with gritted teeth. Just then something caught my eye. Worrying about his car, I totally forgot about mine. The bumper was damaged. The left light was gone and the rest was filled with scratches.

Dad will kill me for this! What am I gonna say to him?

"Ah! Now you see it" the car owner said. His smirk changed into a dry smile.

"Look at this. My car is damaged as-" and again. He cut me off again!

"Your car and my car have a huge difference, my dear. You hit my car with yours so it's only fair that yours is damaged as well" he said as a matter of fact.

Agreed. To be honest, he was right. He had all the right to blame me but, if only he just listened to me he would know that I was genuinely sorry and was willing to pay as much as I could. "I know it. I have been apologizing for-"

I closed my eyes and clenched my fists, struggling for control. All my patience was slipping off. Only because this man won't let me speak.

"I repeat. Will you apologizing, repair my car?" He asked in a honeyed voice.

I took a deep breath and spoke, "No. It won't". The words came out louder than I intended to. This made the man's eyebrow rose in amusement.

Another deep breath and I continued, "I don't have that kind of money". If I was allowed to speak more, I was about to offer him my savings that weren't much but they were better than nothing. However, I wasn't allowed. Apparently, this man was a terrible listener.

"Right. You want me to accept your apology and let you go?" he watched me intently, waiting for my reply.

This was my chance. Maybe if I start explaining, he would listen but, my anger took the better of me. "Exactly" I concurred. I looked him straight into his eyes.

"And why will I do that?" He inquired.

"Because you're rich. If you can afford this car then you can afford to repair it" I said with a straight face.

I was talking no sense. As soon as the words left my mouth, I realized what utter rubbish I was saying. What logic was that?

"I don't pay for other's mistakes," he stated.

My phone buzzed just then. I took out the phone from my bag while the man stared at me. It was Juliea calling me. She probably wanted to know why I wasn't back with the jewellery yet. I ignored it and put my phone back. I better get going soon.

"I'm really sorry Mr… Whatever, I have to go. I can't pay for your car right now. I don't have that kind of money. Please try to understand" I begged. His brows furrowed as he contemplated my next move. When I turned to get to my car he stopped me with his words.

"Oh, no-no. You're not getting away that easily" he moved so that he was blocking my way to my car.

I opened my mouth to explain, however my phone rang again at the moment. This time it wasn't her. It was my dad. My hands trembled as I debated whether to answer the phone or not. Deciding otherwise, I ignored the car owner in front of me and walked around to get to my car.

Instead of stopping me with his words, he grabbed my upper arm and pulled me back. My thoughts were cloudy. Without thinking, I pulled the bundle of cash that Juliea gave me for Lahaina's jewellery and threw it at his face. Literally.

"Have this and get it repaired yourself" I snapped.

Not waiting for a reaction, I turned on my heels, got in my car and left.

Driving a couple kilometres, I came to a stop. My hands were shaking, my heart was beating faster than ever and my breath was erratic. I was hyperventilating. Putting my head on the steering wheel, I tried to calm myself.

What have I done? I damaged someone's car, got in an argument with him and literally threw the money at his face only because he wanted me to pay for my mistake? Damn, I even forgot about the jewellery. Not to mention the condition of dad's car. If today dad kills me for this, it will be definitely well deserved. I've never hated myself more than I do right now.

Once my nerves calmed a little, I drove back to the place I called home. Juliea and Lahaina were sitting in the small front yard garden. I got out of the car. Lahaina looked at my hands and when she saw they were empty, she walked past me to look in the car.

"You didn't answer the call," Juliea said with an evil glint in her eyes. I sighed. I had no strength left in me to deal with them.

"I'm sorry" I almost whispered.

"Your dad was worried for you," she said, treading inside. Yeah, right.

I went in to find my furious father sitting on one of the chairs near the fireplace. He got up from his place as he saw me enter.

"Why didn't you answer my phone, Caro?" He inquired. His eyes dared me to say anything other than the truth.

"I'm sorry, dad," I spoke.

A stinging pain spread across my face as he slapped me. It had been an open-handed smack that almost threw me off balance. I placed my palm over my cheek as it burned with pain.

"She didn't bring the jewellery and the car looks like it met with an accident. I wonder who did that?" Lahaina chimed, coming inside to enjoy the drama.

Dad's eyes snapped back to me. If there was something that scared me more than my father was this version of my father.

He moved closer and caught me by my hair, pulling it back to make me look into his eyes. I felt a few hair break at the scalp and a little sob left my mouth.

"Ask her about the money, James," commented my stepmother.

He just pulled my hair tighter and I squeezed my eyes shut as the pain increased. "I don't have it," I admitted.

"Of course you don't have it, you little slut" his other hand made its way around my neck. He squeezed it till I was gasping for air. Once he felt content, he reduced the pressure but didn't move his hand. I coughed as hot tears rolled down my eyes.

“I expect nothing better from you, after all you take after your mother. She was the same. Good thing she never returned for you. Why would she, huh?” he said looking straight in my eyes. There was nothing except hatred in them, never had been more.

"Get back to your room now. I'll make sure you never get your hands on my money or cars again. And don't dare to show me your filthy face because if you do, I may kill you" he threatened. Finally letting go of my hair and neck, he turned around and walked out of the house.