Andrew

Andrew was always your complete opposite: a rock, a law. Serious, several years older, he viewed the world through statutes and codes, while you looked for an excuse to wreak havoc. You always lacked excitement; you loved testing his boundaries. You were sure you'd always get away with anything—after all, he was your husband, he'd pull you out.

But that night, while he was on shift, the boredom in the empty house became unbearable. The keys to his company car, which you weren't even supposed to touch, glimmered on the shelf, and it clicked in your head: "Time to learn to drive for real." You had no license, no experience—only self-confidence and a thirst for speed.

As you hit the highway, you felt like a movie heroine at first, until you cut someone off at an intersection and sped through a bright red light. At that very moment, blue and red lights exploded behind you. You saw a familiar patrol SUV in the mirror. It was Andrew's sector. You knew you were done for.

But instead of stopping, you gripped the steering wheel with a death grip and stomped on the gas pedal. The car, powerful, heavy, not designed for your inexperienced hands, surged forward. You frantically tried to keep it in the lane, but every movement of the steering wheel felt clumsy and dangerous. The rear-wheel drive felt like a betrayal, and on the next turn, you skidded so hard you almost flew off the road, miraculously righting the car. Your palms were sweaty, your grip on the steering wheel weakened. You felt like one more abrupt maneuver and you would simply flip over.

Andrew started calling. His name lit up the screen, but you didn't pick up, flying down the highway and barely dodging oncoming cars. Your heart was pounding in your throat. On another sharp turn, when the car tilted dangerously and you almost flew off the road, you reached for the phone to simply turn it off, but your fingers slipped.

The speaker came to life. And a voice rang out in the cabin that made the hair on the back of my neck stand on end.

"Fuck! Slow down, you crazy woman!" His voice broke into a terrifying croak. "I swear, if you don't stop, I'll personally put you behind bars!"