Chapter 4
Lonnie started to organize the evacuation.
Meanwhile, Jodie and Vernon cursed me while heading home.
I followed behind them, ready to take them away.
However, the second they stepped inside, they locked me out.
I was stunned.
“Jodie, Vernon, what are you doing? Get your valuables and come with me!”
Jodie cursed angrily, “You disgraceful bitch! You lie to us and want to fool the entire town? You won’t stop till you completely ruin our reputation, right?
“Piss off! We don’t wanna see you! Scram!”
It seemed they wouldn’t leave no matter what.
There were less than thirty minutes before the flood discharge, and time was pressing. After pondering, I called Antonio.
It took ages for him to pick up. I said quickly, “Antonio, the flood is coming, but Jodie and Vernon just wouldn’t leave. Talk to them so that they’ll leave with me.”
Yvonne chuckled.
I was stunned for a second before asking her, suppressing my anger,
“Where’s Antonio? Put him on the phone.”
Amused, she said, “Grace, you broke up with him already, right? What’s this about?
“Drop the act, OK? It seems you’ve been too addicted to it.
“You know what? Antonio is taking a bath, and I’m about to join him…”
I interrupted her, “Yvonne, I don’t have time for this.
“Put Antonio on the phone. Now!”
A few seconds later, Antonio’s voice came through.
“Grace. Yvonne was just joking. We aren’t taking a bath together.”
I said coldly, “I don’t give a damn. Call Jodie and Vernon and ask them to come with me. I mean it. The flood may be here in any minute.”
He was stunned for a few seconds before snapping, “You’re fucking crazy, Grace. You lied to me, and now you’ve gone all the way to my folks just to lie to them?
“Just leave them alone, OK? Stop bothering them. If you keep this up, I’m serious. I’m gonna leave you for good.”
I reminded him, “Have you forgotten? We broke up already. Antonio, I’m not lying. I’m telling the truth! Call them! Tell them to evacuate!”
He sneered, “Come on, Grace.
“You went all this trouble just to get me back, right?
“I hate to break this to you, but I won’t get back before the trip is over.
“And don’t bother worrying about my parents.”
In the next second, he hung up the phone.
I called him again, and the mechanical voice told me he was on another
call.
I tried again, and the result remained the same.
He blocked my number.
After another several seconds, Yvonne sent me a photo of her and Antonio hugging intimately in front of a mirror.
Then she texted me. “See? Antonio loves me more.
“You’re just his baby–making machine.”
I put my phone away and said to Jodie and Vernon on the other side of the door, “The flood discharge will happen within twenty minutes. We’re only a few kilometers from the reservoir. The flood will arrive in less than
dozens of minutes.
“Leave with me now, or you’re gonna die here.”
Just as I finished, one of them tossed a shoe out of the yard and hit my head accurately.
I felt dizzy from the impact and then looked down, only to see the shoe, which was so familiar–I sent this pair of shoes to Jodie.
She shrieked angrily, “Get lost!
“Antonio is so unlucky marrying you, you crazy bitch!
“You’re the only one who’s gonna die!”
I couldn’t talk sense into them no matter what; fine.
I gave up and got into my car.
Then I left together with the others.
Behind me, the sky over Stone Cliff was already dark with clouds.
The heavy rainstorm was around the corner.
Soon, the flood would attack.
I stepped on the gas pedal hard, trying to outrun the disaster. Suddenly, a wave of dizziness overwhelmed me.
