The Year I Stopped Being His novel Chapter 44

It had been a gloomy, overcast day just like in her memories. Her mother was smiling, waving at her, and then—an out-of-control blue truck roared out of the pouring rain like a hideous beast...

"Mommy?"

Archie's innocent voice snapped Sloane back to reality.

Garrison immediately noticed something was wrong. Sloane's face had gone ghostly pale, and she had unconsciously taken a half-step back, her spine brushing lightly against his arm.

"What's wrong? Are you feeling sick?"

Garrison frowned slightly, his voice dropping to a concerned murmur.

"No," Sloane breathed, taking a deep inhale to steady her erratic heartbeat, forcing the color back into her face.

Right at that moment, Quinn's sickeningly sweet voice chimed in. She walked over to Archie and affectionately patted his head. "Do you really like the big truck, Archie? Do you want to play with Mommy? Let's have Mommy be... hmm, a little car, and you can drive the big truck to chase her! Just like in the movies—bang! Bang! Bang! Wouldn't that be fun?"

Her tone was purely coaxing, yet her eyes swept deliberately over Sloane's paper-white face.

"Yeah! Mommy, play with me!"

Archie was instantly captivated by the idea. He held the truck up high, looking at Sloane with sheer excitement. "Mommy, you be the little car, and I'm gonna crash into you! Bang! Bang! Bang!"

Bang! Bang! Bang!

The words from her own child felt like a sledgehammer slamming relentlessly into Sloane's chest. The gruesome image of her mother, covered in blood and collapsing right in front of her, flashed vividly before her eyes.

The relatives standing around found the 'mother-son game' endearing, laughing along. Someone even cheered, "Drive faster, Archie!"

"Mommy doesn't like this game."

"Oh my, what's going on?" Quinn rushed forward, her face a mask of 'deep concern.' She reached out as if to pull Archie away, but intentionally wedged herself directly between Sloane and Archie, blocking Sloane's view. In the process, she 'accidentally' shoved Sloane. "Sloane, don't scare him. Just let go, we can talk this out..."

Sloane felt like she was on the absolute brink of a breakdown. Her mind was screaming with piercing noise, flooded with gory imagery and the haunting, despairing look in her mother's eyes right before she died.

"Don't touch me!"

The moment Quinn bumped into her, Sloane's arm swung out on pure instinct, desperate to shove away whatever obstacle was in front of her.

"Ah!"

The very next second, Quinn let out a dramatic shriek, acting as if she had been struck with massive force. She completely lost her balance, stumbling sideways before her forehead slammed squarely into the sharp corner of the heavy coffee table.

Quinn collapsed onto the floor, clutching her forehead. Slowly, a stark, terrifying stream of blood began to seep through her fingers...