Chapter 18 Maxwell had originally planned to torment Nancy for two or three years - drag her through hell - and then kill her . After that , he'd end his own life , chasing after Zoey in death . But for all his careful calculations , there was one thing he never saw coming . Nancy ran . She bolted like her life depended on it , sprinting down the road as if some monster was clawing at her heels . A white car sped past . Without thinking , she flung herself into the street , throwing her body in front of it . The tires screeched . The driver slammed the brakes and jumped out , cursing . But before he could fully unleash his anger , she dropped to her knees , grabbed hold of his leg , and pleaded tearfully . " Please ... please help me ! Someone's trying to kill me ! Please save me ! " The driver's face twisted from fury to fear the second he got a good look at her - bloodied , bruised , barely human . For a moment , he thought she'd escaped from a mental hospital . " Get off me ! Get off me ! " But she clung tighter , desperation strangling her voice . Her forehead hit the pavement again and again , skin splitting open . " I'm begging you . Save me . Please ... someone's going to kill me . I swear I'm not lying ! " The driver tried to shake her off , but she gripped his pant leg like a drowning person clinging to driftwood . Then , like a shadow from nowhere , Maxwell appeared . A smile , gentle yet suffocating , stretched across his face . His tone was apologetic , even tinged with embarrassment , like a polite guest explaining an awkward misunderstanding . " I'm so sorry , " he said softly , " my girlfriend ... she's not well . She's been having these ... episodes . " He gave a light chuckle . " Ever since we got together , she's convinced I'm trying to hurt her . " The second Nancy heard his voice , her eyes widened in pure terror . Her arms shot up , hugging herself as though trying to shield her entire body from him . " No ... no ... no ! " The driver , flustered and unsure , glanced between them . Seeing Maxwell's sad , helpless expression , his anger dissolved into awkward sympathy . " Ah ... I see . Yeah , well ... maybe don't let her wander around like this . Scared the hell out of me ... Anyway ... You're a good guy , man . A guy like you ... karma's gonna reward you . " The driver turned away , climbed back into his car without sparing Nancy so much as another glance . She scrambled after him , pounding on the window, sobbing until her voice broke . " No , no ! Don't leave me ! He's going to kill me ! Please help me ! Please ! " But the engine roared back to life . The car sped off , disappearing from view . Even after it vanished , she was still screaming . " Help ... somebody help me ... " Maxwell stood there , watching the taillights fade , before letting his lips curl into something dark and twisted . His voice , when it came , was low - like it was crawling up from the bottom of hell . 1/2 Chapter 18 +25 BONUS " What makes you think ... you deserve to be saved ? " Panic surged again . Nancy pushed herself up and stumbled forward , scrambling desperately . Her foot caught on something . She crashed to the ground , knees scraping hard against asphalt , flesh splitting open . But there was no time to care about pain . She clawed at the ground , dragging herself forward until her body jerked back . Maxwell's shoe pinned the fabric of her dress to the ground . Terrified , she twisted around , eyes wide , hands trembling . Her voice cracked . " I'm sorry ... I'm sorry ... I swear I know I was wrong ... I never should've gotten between you two . I was the other woman . I was ... disgusting . Filthy . I know that now . Please ... I'm begging you ... let me go ... " She sobbed through every word , voice shaking as her head dropped to the pavement , forehead slamming into the bloodied ground over and over . In seconds , the concrete beneath her was stained red . " Let you go ? " Maxwell crouched down , his face twisting with something feral . " If I let you go ... who's going to get revenge for Zoey ? " That was when something inside her snapped . Her gaze went blank . She stared up at him . " If I'm guilty ... then so are you . " Her voice rose to a scream . " Didn't you chase after me again and again ? You're the lunatic , Maxwell . You're the most deranged one here . No wonder Zoey left you . " That last sentence hit him like a knife straight to the spine . He let out a low , manic laugh , the veins in his neck bulging , jaw clenching so tight it looked painful . " Of course I'm crazy . " His eyes were wild now , unblinking . " That's why I'm giving you the honor of being my wife . And you ... you're coming to hell with me . " Behind him , two bodyguards moved in without a word , grabbing Nancy like she was nothing but a sack of garbage . They dragged her back toward the villa . Nancy didn't fight . Her eyes dropped , locking onto the shattered pieces of her phone lying abandoned on the roadside . A bitter smile pulled at her lips . " Go to hell with you ? No. I'll crush you . I'll make sure you die with nothing left . Not even a grave to rot in . Just wait ... I'll get my revenge ... " she muttered .