âWhatever happens in the future, never lose hope.
Remember, you have me and Austin.
We are men, and itâs our duty to protect you for a lifetime!â
Nicole was silent for a moment.
Since moving to this small mountain village, she hadnât thought about death anymore.
She saw every new day as a gift of hope and often prayed for more time to spend with Austin and Roscoeâ¦
She couldnât even think about what might happen if she werenât around.
The mere idea ripped at her heart, filling her with fear and sorrow, making her cling to life even more desperately and dread the thought of death.
She understood why Roscoe would pray occasionally.
Sometimes, the only thing one could do was pray for divine mercy.
Nicole whispered, âI promise you, no matter what, Iâll keep going.
â
Roscoe was finally relieved.
His main concern had always been Nicoleâs mental state, fearing that any unexpected event might break her spirit.
Nicoleâs cheek rested against his shoulder, feeling his warmth Like a small sun.
She spoke.
âPlease promise me to take care of yourself.
Donât be reckless, and learn when to bow your head, okay?â
Remembering past experiences caused her heart to tremble.
A kind soul Like Roscoe shouldnât be destroyed by his own stubbornness.
âI promise.
Weâll both make the most of our lives, watch Austin grow, see him get married and have kids.
â
âGood.
â
The snow-covered landscape stretched endlessly ahead, and a crack formed in the otherwise clear sky above.
Yet, those wrapped in warmth and joy noticed none of this, unaware of the impending shift in the weather.
In the town, a black SUV sat parked by the roadside, shuddering continuously, occasionally emitting sounds like a woman in pain.
After some time, the carâs shaking finally stopped.
A fat, unkempt man opened the door, frowning deeply.
âNow, get out.
â
âSir, you promised to buy me a necklaceâ¦â The woman, wearing a restaurant uniform, was likely a waitress.
The man threw a handful of hundred-dollar bills at the womanâs face, cursing, âGet lost! With your looks, count yourself lucky I didnât vomit on you.
And a necklace? I see you as nothing more than a living necklace, you skinny wretchâ¦â
The waitress wasnât going to accept this quietly.
She felt nearly abused to death, and this little amount of money was the manâs dismissive gesture.
âSir, how can you do this? You promised me a necklace, and thatâs why I got into your car.
Youâre not keeping your wordâ¦â
âSlap!â The man slapped the waitress, knocking her to the ground.
âDonât beg favors from me, you disgusting woman! Now, get lost!â
However, the waitress wasnât one to back down.
She began to cry loudly.
âI might as well let the passersby judge whether youâd mistreated me.
Iâm not afraid.
Anyway, Iâve got nothing to lose.
If you donât give me the necklace, I wonât let you off the hook!â
The old man, Deniz, had made out with plenty of women on his journey.
He hadnât anticipated such a spirited response from this waitress.