Chapter 438: Darling, Don’t Look Back

At this moment, my heart seemed to stop beating. Was Harlan really dead?

Although I had clashed with him before, I trusted Carter’s character, and I believed the friends he chose couldn’t be bad people. Regardless of whether Zoey and he would end up together, I didn’t want him to die here.

After that deafening crash, a ringing filled my ears, and everything around me seemed to fade away, as if the world had been muffled. I didn’t know what lay ahead. With two lives still in my hands, I couldn’t afford to stop. All I could do was push the accelerator and keep running.

Harlan had said there were three more intersections. Just hold on. There was no turning back; all I could do was move forward.

It felt like I was back on that bitterly cold, snowy night, holding my wound, blood draining quickly, my life ticking away. Silas’s heavy footsteps echoed behind me. I stumbled, one foot in front of the other, walking along the water’s edge. The cold river splashed against my dress, while snowflakes settled into my hair. My pristine white wedding dress was stained with glaring red.

I wanted to escape, truly. But I couldn’t! A voice in my head kept warning me, “Chloe, hurry, faster!” I slammed my foot on the gas, pounding my thigh with all my strength. “Dead leg! Come on, push harder!”

Zoey held her phone, her voice trembling slightly as she spoke, “Har… Harlan? Are you still there?” “Harlan, say something.” “If you’re dead, we won’t even need to divorce; it’ll be a one-way trip to widowhood.” “I should’ve asked what kind of tombstone you like. I never thought you’d die before me. If that happens, all your assets will be mine.”

A man’s furious yell came through, “You b*tch! Stop dreaming! You’re mine in life and in death! Divorce? Not in this lifetime!”

Zoey’s eyes suddenly lit up. “Hey, you’re still alive?” “Janice, do you believe in light?”

As his words fell, I observed, through the rearview mirror, a black Cullinan emerge from the swirling dust. Its once glossy, luxurious surface was now smeared with dirt and battle scars, as though it had been through a war. He’s fine, and I breathed a sigh of relief. If a life were lost because of our family’s issues, what could I use to make up for it?

Harlan’s voice, filled with restrained pride, came through, “Did you see that? Isn’t your husband handsome?”

Zoey was kneeling on the seat, her hands resting on the leather cushion, peering out through the glass. “Crazy, huh? The right headlight and bumper are wrecked. Do you have any idea how much the repair costs are?” “Janice, don’t look at the car. Look at me.”

Even over the call, I could almost feel the frustration radiating off of Harlan. As I expected, Zoey was about to make some snarky comment. But then, unexpectedly, her tone shifted. She suddenly became serious. “Harlan, you’re handsome, really. You’re the fiercest man I’ve ever met.”

There was a ten-second silence on the line, and while I couldn’t exactly track his thought process, I could almost feel Harlan’s lips curling up into a grin. He lowered his voice deliberately, “Don’t be scared, Darling. Two more intersections. I’m here, always.” Zoey gripped the phone tightly. At this moment, I understood the weight of Harlan’s words better than anyone else.

But then, Whitney, ever the rational one, spoke up sharply, “Bad news. Another car’s catching up.” As soon as she finished speaking, Harlan suddenly slowed down. Before anyone could react, he steered toward the side of the road and slammed straight into another car. Bang! The wedding car was sent flying, and Harlan’s right headlight was completely shattered. Zoey’s voice was noticeably unsteady, unlike the calmness at the beginning. “Are you out of your mind?” Harlan didn’t answer because there was still the car. One car, then another. He crashed again and again. The hummer was destroyed, the headlights broken, and the doors deformed.

That Cullinan had turned into a heap of scrap metal. The only thing slightly better was his cockpit. Zoey panicked. “Harlan, stop! You’re going to die.” If he made one mistake, he would die, become crippled, or get injured. But he didn’t care about anything, saving us again and again. He didn’t say anything more, and I could tell he had been hurt, afraid Zoey would find out. That battered car knocked down another wedding car.

His voice came through the phone, “There’s one more intersection.” “Janice, if I make it back safely, promise me you won’t bring up the divorce again, okay?” “Harlan, what are you doing?” “P–promise me…. “Okay, no divorce. We won’t divorce. Just be okay. Don’t die.” “Don’t worry, I’m tough. The Grim Reaper won’t take me.”

I could clearly feel the Cullinan slowing down, and an uneasy feeling began to spread in my heart. “Harlan, what’s wrong?” “Darling, keep going forward. Don’t look back.”