THE FORGOTTEN HEIRESS

Kathleen was not doing any better either. She had been driving around aimlessly since she left Shawn.

Her heart was heavy, and her eyes filled with the tears she refused to shed in public. As she drove, her mind was consumed by thoughts of Shawn’s accusations, the mockery in his eyes, and the way he had thought so low of her dignity.

Each accusation felt like a dagger going through her heart, and the tears streamed down her cheeks as she tried to make sense of what just happened.

She yearned for the solace of the open road, where she could confront her pain and try to mend her wounded heart.

She didn’t know when she got out of the busy city streets onto the outskirts of the city

The car’s engine hummed beneath her, the road stretching out endlessly before her.

Kathleen drove with a determination to burn off the steam, her grip on the steering wheel tight, her knuckles white.

She had no idea where she was headed, only that she needed the open road to clear her thoughts and mend her broken heart.

Memories of their happier times replayed in her mind, and she couldn’t help but feel a deep sense of betrayal, the same as the one that had held her in bondage for so many years.

Her thoughts oscillated between anger, sadness, and confusion, and her vision blurred with tears that refused to stop.

The miles passed by as Kathleen continued to drive, her emotions swirling like a tempest within her.

Her ears were dead to everything around her. Even the sound of her phone ringing beside her couldn’t penetrate her thoughts.

From afar, she saw a woman flagging her car down but she didn’t stop but drove past at a high speed. It was from her side mirror that she saw the disappearing image of a mother and her two children.

The sight of the little family jolted her back to reality as she recalled her own children and she braked abruptly but it was too late.

The impact with the iron rod which seemed to have appeared from nowhere was sudden and her car spun out of control.

She reflexively ducked her head and by a sheer stroke of luck was able to avoid the rod which had smashed her windscreen and was looming dangerously in front of her.

In those agonizing moments, Kathleen’s heartbreak transformed into fear and desperation as the world around her became a chaotic blur of shattered glass and twisted metal.

The accident left her car damaged and immobile on the side of the highway, and Kathleen, though physically unharmed, was left emotionally shattered by both the accident and the weight of Shawn’s accusations that led her down this unfortunate path.

Not long after, a siren wailed in the distance, announced the inevitable interrogations that she was about to face with the traffic police.

She carefully crawled out of the wreck that was just a few moments ago still a luxurious car and waited by the side of the road for their arrival.

Two traffic police officers arrived at the scene in their marked patrol car. They put on their reflective vests and approached Kathleen who still looked visibly shaken.

"Good afternoon, Ma’am. Are you alright?" One of them asked authoritatively but a note of concern could still be detected in his voice.

Kathleen nodded slowly, as her eyes darted between the first officer and the one seriously taking note.

After he was done writing down his assessment of the damaged rod, he took in Kathleen’s appearance.

"Were you the only one in the car?" He asked.

"Yes, I was alone."

"That’s good to hear," he said and they both went to where the car was parked.

As they inspected the accident scene, they noticed a special identity card in her wallet that caused their eyebrows to rise. It bore the logo of Wyatt Corporations.

They exchanged a surprised glance, and it became clear that they have recognized her as someone of great importance.

"It says here Dr Janice Wyatt, doesn’t that make her the new President of Wyatt Corporations?" Officer Rodriguez whispered to his colleague.

With a nod, officer Smith’s eyes darted in Kathleen’s direction. "Yes, it is. This changes things, Officer Rodriguez."

Understanding the significance of who she was, they approached Kathleen again with a greater level of respect.

"I am Officer Smith and my colleague is officer Rodriguez," he briefly introduced. "It is a surprise that nothing happened to you with such damage done to the car. Can you tell us what happened?"

Kathleen took in a deep breath, her voice shaky.

"I... I don’t know exactly. I was driving, lost in thought, and then there was this rod, and... I couldn’t stop in time.

"Alright, Ma’am, we understand that your time is valuable, and we’ll do our best to expedite the process. However, we still need to complete our report. Can you please provide us with your insurance and registration information?"

"I have to get my handbag, it is somewhere in the car," she informed the officer.

"We will help you get it," Officer Rodriguez offered before Kathleen could take the first step towards her car.

"Thanks," mumbled Kathleen after he returned with her handbag which was still intact.

Kathleen, appreciating their understanding and professionalism, rummaged through her bag and handed over the required documents.

"We’ll check your information and conduct a brief investigation. Just hold on for a moment."

Kathleen nodded. "Thank you, officers. I appreciate your understanding," she said, feeling a kind of relief at the same time, apprehension as she watched the officers meticulously collect evidence and assess the scene.

Traffic cones were placed a few meters away from the scene to redirect traffic, since it was a major road.

The officers proceed to gather the necessary information and complete their report, while ensuring Kathleen was comfortable throughout the process.

As they were busy with their thing, Kathleen’s felt disappointed with herself behavior when her mind went to the cause of the accident.

She wouldn’t relieve she almost lost her life because she couldn’t keep her emotions under check.