The Abandoned Gas Station

During the holiday weekend road trip, Mark insisted on stopping at the abandoned rest stop. He said the car was stuffy and he needed some fresh air. He promised he’d be right back. I waited alone in the car for a full twenty minutes. A gnawing unease made it impossible to just sit there, so I finally got out to find him. When I reached the derelict gas station, the scene before me struck me like a bolt of lightning—Mark and Katina were locked in a passionate kiss. Katina was nestled in his arms, her voice a seductive purr. "Isn't this thrilling? Your wife is waiting in the car, and you're out here doing this with me." Mark let out a low chuckle, his tone indulgent. "You little minx. Keep it down, you don't want to make my wife angry." I froze around the corner, my mind flashing back to when he was trying to win me over. I’d told him then that I despised cheaters more than anything in the world because my own father had ruined my mother’s life that way. He had looked me in the eye and said with the utmost seriousness, "Audrey, I would never do that to you. If I ever do... I'm yours to command." Now, he had betrayed me after all. And everything I had ever given him—it was time to take it all back. 1 I answered a phone call, then turned and walked back to the car. "Audrey!" Mark called out from behind me. I didn't stop. Katina's voice followed, laced with tears. "Audrey… I'm so sorry… It's all my fault…" I pulled open the driver's side door. "Audrey." Mark caught up, blocking my way. "Give me the keys," I said, my voice trembling. "My grandmother is dying. I have to go see her one last time." "I'll have someone take care of things with your grandma," he said after a pause. "The best specialists. They can be there tonight." I stared at him. Katina had followed, her eyes red as she whispered, "Audrey, please don't blame Mark… It was me… I seduced him…" Her voice broke, and she hunched her shoulders, looking like a frightened rabbit. Mark glanced at her, then back at me. "Look at her," he said, his eyes filled with a pained tenderness for her. "She's a wreck. What more do you want from her?" Katina kept her head down, her shoulders shaking as tears splattered on the pavement. I suddenly remembered her first day at the office. She had stood timidly at my door, holding a bubble tea. "For you, Audrey." I never drank it. Mark said he did, and that she was a sweet kid. Later, I took pity on her, a girl who had clawed her way out of a small town all by herself. It wasn't easy. I helped her with everything, at work and in her personal life. When I couldn't help, I asked Mark to. And just like that, they helped each other right into the same bed. "Mark," I said, turning to face him. "My grandmother raised me. She's in the ICU right now, and I need to see her one last time." "You know how much she means to me, Mark." My voice was shaking uncontrollably. He didn't say anything. My phone vibrated again. A text from my mom: Grandma is fading. Where are you? I gripped the phone, my knuckles turning white. Mark saw it. He was silent for a moment, then reached out and gently wiped a tear from the corner of my eye. "Don't cry," he whispered, his thumb resting on my cheek for a second. "Grandma will be fine. Trust me." "Just let her apologize," he said. "She feels terrible. All you have to do is nod. Then I'll give you the keys." Katina sniffled beside him, nodding. "Audrey… please accept my apology… I'll never be able to live with myself if you don't…" My grandmother was waiting for me. "Fine," I said. Katina immediately started, "Audrey, I'm so sorry, it's all my—" "That's enough," I cut her off, my eyes fixed on Mark. "The keys." Mark handed them to me. "Drive safe. I'll stay with Katina for a couple of days, and then I'll come find you." I ignored him, got in the car, and slammed the door. I put the key in the ignition and turned. The engine roared to life. The car didn't move. I tried again. The wheels were stuck fast. I got out and saw a large, dark puddle spreading on the ground beneath the car. Someone had punctured the gas tank. Mark walked over and glanced under the chassis, frowning. Katina bit her lip, her voice a tiny whisper. "Audrey… I did it. I just wanted a little more time with Mark… I'm sorry…" Mark reached out and tucked a stray piece of my hair behind my ear. "Don't be angry," he said. "I'll have someone come fix it later." "You wait in the car," he said, turning to put his arm around Katina. "I'll see if I can find some tools." Katina leaned into his embrace and glanced back at me. Tears still stained her cheeks, but the corner of her mouth twitched into a faint smirk. The sight of them walking away together, his arm around her, was like a knife in my eyes. Just then, my phone buzzed. It was a text from my mom: [Honey, Grandma keeps calling your name. Please hurry.] I stared at the words, my hand clenching around the phone. Then, I pulled the diamond ring from my finger. 2 I had to see my grandmother. I searched the entire rest stop. There were no other cars. No other people. No tools. The cell signal was spotty at best. I finally found a place with a decent connection and called for roadside assistance. But the nearest tow truck wouldn't be able to get here until morning. A section of the highway had collapsed. I hung up just as Mark walked over. "Audrey, let's just wait until morning," he said. "Look, you've scraped your arm. Come on, don't make me worry." I ignored him. A moment later, my phone lit up. It was my grandmother. I answered immediately. "Grandma." "Audrey..." Her voice was so weak. "When will you be here?" "I'm on my way, Grandma. I'll be there soon." "Oh, honey, I miss you. When you were little, you used to love curling up in my lap and having me tell you stories…" "Grandma, save your strength—" "I'm afraid I'm running out of time," she said with a soft laugh. "When your grandpa passed, I never got to say a final goodbye. Audrey, you have to live a good life." Tears streamed down my face. "Audrey, that boy, Mark. Is he good to you?" I didn't answer. "Audrey." Mark came up behind me. "Let me use your phone," he said. "Katina's is dead, and she needs to send a work email." I clutched the phone tighter and turned my back to him. "I'm on a call. My grandmother—" "I know," he said, stepping in front of me. "Just for a minute. She'll give it right back." "No." Mark's brow furrowed. From the phone, I could hear my grandmother's faint voice: "Audrey? Honey, are you still there?" "Audrey," his voice dropped, "this client is crucial for Katina. It determines whether she gets a permanent position." "I said no." Katina had appeared at some point, standing behind Mark, her eyes red. "Audrey… please… just for a second… it's really urgent…" Her voice trembled, and fresh tears welled up. "I won't be long… I'm begging you…" Mark saw her tears, and when he looked back at me, his expression had hardened. "Give it to me." He held out his hand. I hid the phone behind my back. "Mark, my grandmother is in the ICU—" He didn't let me finish. He grabbed my wrist and pried my fingers open. He was so much stronger than me. I held on, my nails digging into my own palm. "Mark!" He yanked it free. He turned and handed the phone to Katina. She took it, tears still on her face, and immediately started typing. I stood there, frozen. My grandmother's last word, "Audrey?", echoed in my ear. I wanted to snatch it back. Mark blocked me, his face clouded with anger. "It's one minute. Can't you wait?" I looked into his eyes. The same eyes that used to look at me with so much love. Now, there was nothing there. Katina finished and handed the phone back. I looked down. The screen showed her social media profile. She had just posted a new picture. It was a photo of her and Mark at the gas station. His arm was around her waist, and her head was resting on his shoulder. The caption read: [Happy holiday weekend! So happy to be out with my man] I stared at the words. Posted from my phone. A picture of her with my husband. During my grandmother's last phone call. I looked up at Mark. He glanced at the screen and said dismissively, "She's just messing around. Why are you making such a big deal out of it?" Messing around. I looked back at my phone. The call with my grandmother had been disconnected. I tried to call back. Her phone was off. I stood there, shaking. Mark came over. "What's wrong?" I didn't look at him. "The call with my grandmother dropped." "Her battery probably died—" Mark was silent for a few seconds. "I'll figure something out first thing in the morning," he said. "Don't panic." Don't panic. My grandmother could be dying. She could already be— And he was telling me not to panic. I lifted my head and looked straight at him. "Mark." "Yeah?" I held his gaze. "Let's get a divorce." 3 Mark's expression finally changed. "What did you just say?" "A divorce. We'll file as soon as we get back." He stared at me for a few long seconds. "Audrey—I..." "Ahh—!" Katina's shriek cut him off. She was crouched by a bench, clutching her leg, her face pale. "A snake! There's a snake!" she cried, her voice trembling. "It bit me…" Mark glanced at me. Then he turned and ran to her. He knelt down, examining the wound on her calf. Katina grabbed his arm, sobbing hysterically. "Mark, am I going to die…?" "No, you're not." Mark ripped a strip of fabric from the bottom of his shirt and tied it tightly above the bite. Just then, we heard the sound of an engine in the distance. Help had arrived. A tow truck pulled up, and the driver hopped out. "You the ones who called for a tow?" Mark stood up and pointed at Katina. "She's been bitten by a snake. We need to get her to a hospital, now." The driver looked at Katina's leg, then at me. "There's only room for two in the cab. You can ride on the flatbed, but it ain't safe." Mark didn't hesitate. He pulled open the passenger door and helped Katina inside. Then he looked back at me. "Audrey, you wait here. I'll take her to the hospital, then I'll call a car for you." "How long will I have to wait?" I asked. "It won't be long." It won't be long. Again. He got in the truck and closed the door without a moment's hesitation. I watched, paralyzed, as Mark drove away with another woman. And he left me here. I stood alone at the rest stop. No car. No signal. No water. No food. Mark never looked back. He wasn't coming back for me. I knew it. Not because he didn't care anymore, but because he was so sure that I would wait for him. Just like every other time he'd told me to wait, and I had. I rummaged through my bag in the trunk and took stock. Wallet, ID, one credit card. It was enough. I started walking along the highway. I didn't know how far it was to the next town, or how long it would take. The blisters on my feet had already burst, and every step was agony, but I didn't stop. 4 After about an hour of walking, headlights appeared behind me. A trucker pulled over. "Hey there, what's a young lady like you doing out here all alone?" "My car broke down. Could you give me a ride? Just to the next town with a train station." "Hop in." In town, I bought a ticket for the earliest train. Once on board, I borrowed a power bank and turned on my phone. Dozens of messages flooded in. Not a single one was from Mark. I dialed my lawyer's number directly. "Mr. Harris, I need you to draw up divorce papers." "I want him to walk away with nothing." There was a pause on the other end. "Leave him with nothing? That's going to be difficult, unless there's proof of gross misconduct—" "He had an affair. I have proof. Also, that major client his company has, Vertex Corp? I was the one who brought them in. Their contract is up for renewal next month, and I've already spoken with them. They won't be renewing." "...Understood. I'll draft the agreement immediately." After hanging up, I called my assistant. "Sophie, book me a flight out of the country for this afternoon. Anywhere. The sooner, the better." "Ms. Vance, are you alright?" "I'm fine," I said. It was two days before Mark finally had his assistant contact me. "Ben, I need you to get in touch with Audrey for me. Her phone's off. Tell her I'm at the hospital, Katina is still in critical condition, and I can't leave. Tell her to wait for me at the rest stop, I'll send someone for her later." Ben hesitated. "Mr. Arnold, Ms. Vance… she's already back." "What?" "Sir, we've… we've received a divorce agreement from her lawyer. And… a notice of contract termination from Vertex Corp." Mark's mind went completely blank. He stood frozen, all the strength draining from his body. He didn't move for a long time. "Mr. Arnold? Sir, are you still there?"

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