Left at the Service Area

At the end of December, traffic on the highway was backed up for miles, and my blind date and I started arguing over which road to take. "I told you women can't drive. The left side is obviously closer, but you insist on listening to the GPS!" While I went to the restroom, he actually drove my car away. I was left alone at an abandoned service area in twenty-two-below-zero weather and nearly froze to death. The first thing I did when I woke up was grab the police officer's hand and cry. "Officer, I’ve been robbed! There were three cases of Macallan and ten gold bars in the car!" Chapter 1 With New Year's approaching, Derek Caldwell was the blind date my aunt had set me up with. When she heard he had not managed to buy a ticket home, my mother insisted that I give him a ride. The moment Derek got into my car, his eyes darted around the interior. His face wore the smug look of someone who had already decided he was superior. "You bought this car on a loan, didn't you? I know how girls like you choose cars. You only care if it looks nice. You never think about value for money. "In the future, don't buy such expensive cars." He stunned me right out of the gate. What did the car I bought have to do with him? Still, I did not want him to misunderstand, so I explained. "I paid for it in full. I also have no plans to sell it, so I raised the budget a little." I thought that would finally shut him up. Instead, the words "paid in full" set him off like I had stepped on a land mine. "See? You women really don't understand anything. Paying in full is even worse! "The market is in a downturn right now. Paying in full means you still lose money!" He chewed gum as he spoke, flecks of spit flying through the air. "Buying a house or a car is a major decision. There has to be a man in the family for things like that!" The moment he finished speaking, anger shot straight into my eyes. Where had this rude piece of trash come from? "Mr. Caldwell, since you are a man, why don't you have a car of your own? "This is my car. Am I supposed to listen to you about it?" Derek looked completely matter-of-fact. "My car was borrowed by someone else. Besides, I don't even care for this one. "Once we get married, your car will be my car. That means what you're spending now is money that will belong to me in the future. Of course I have a right to manage it." "So by that logic, your things will be mine in the future too?" "Absolutely not!" Derek crossed his legs, his mouth greasy from the snacks he had been eating. "When you marry into my family, what's yours is mine, and what's mine belongs to the Caldwells." Looking at him, I was so disgusted I could not even eat. Fine. Let me bleed you a little. "Oh no. We're out of gas. Looks like we can't leave today." Derek immediately panicked. "What do you mean, out of gas? Then fill it up!" I slowly took a sip of water. "But I don't have any money. I have to use my company's fuel vouchers. We can leave tomorrow." My mom had said his family had some kind of big year-end family gathering today. If he did not make it back today, he would miss out on the money. So I wanted to see just how anxious he really was. I turned the car around. Derek grabbed the steering wheel at once. "No! I have to get home today. Can't you just not use the vouchers?" "I don't have money. I spent it all paying for the car in full. Didn't you say the economy is bad? Times are hard for me too." My words choked him for a long moment before he finally gritted his teeth. "Then I'll lend it to you." That was exactly what I had been waiting for. I drove straight to a gas station. "Fill it all the way up, please. I've got a big boss in the car. He's very generous, so don't hold back." The young woman at the pump immediately showered Derek with attention. "Wow, boss, you're amazing. "What kind of big business do you do?" Derek was practically floating from the praise. "Oh, just a little of this and that. I do all right." Ten minutes later, she came back with the bill. "Sir, the tank is full. Will you be paying by card or mobile wallet?" Derek stared at the thousand-plus total and froze. By then, I had vanished. Chapter 2 More than a dozen cars were lined up behind us, honking so loudly the sound shook the air. The gas station attendant looked at him awkwardly. "Are you waiting for that lady to come pay?" The people behind us could not take it anymore. "Buddy! You're going home for New Year's and still need a woman to pay for your gas? Hurry up. We're all waiting." "Exactly. It's not even that much!" Sweat rolled down Derek's cheeks. In the end, his pride trapped him. He had no choice but to pay. The moment he entered his PIN, I appeared at just the right time and looked at him in delighted surprise. "Wow, Mr. Caldwell, you really are generous. No wonder you're a big boss. Thank you." Derek could not say a word. He forced out a dry, "You're welcome." The attendant and I exchanged a look before I got back in the car. Derek was quiet for a long while after that. "About that money..." I immediately made a sharp turn, jolting him sideways. A traffic officer suddenly appeared and waved me down. "Sorry, ma'am. The road on the left has traffic controls and restrictions in place. I suggest you take the highway on the right." I looked at the long line of cars ahead and estimated the time. The road on the right would take a little longer, but once we left the freeway, the surface roads would still be faster overall. "All right." I was just about to take the right-hand ramp when Derek's face darkened. "Why is it restricted? Aren't you wasting ordinary people's time? What are traffic cops even for?" "I don't care. I have to take the left side today, or I'll file a complaint against you." The officer probably had never met someone this stubborn before. "Sir, you may file a complaint if you like. The road is restricted because of snow. Why would I lie to you? "I understand that you want to get home, but if you take the freeway and then the surface roads after the exit, it won't be slow." Derek was left speechless by the officer, so he turned to me instead. "Miss Hancock, what do you think? Taking the left side would save us two or three hours." He thought I would definitely stand on his side. Instead, I turned the wheel and drove straight onto the highway on the right. "Hey! What are you doing?" Derek practically bounced out of the passenger seat. "Are you stupid? Listening to that cop is how they trick people out of money. Girls like you have no real-world experience at all!" I could not bear it anymore. "The traffic officer already said that road is closed. If you're so determined, why don't you get out and walk? "You're a grown man. Can you stop nagging?" Derek's pride took a hit, so he tried to save face. "You think I wanted to sit in your car? Your aunt begged me to meet you! "I don't even think you're good enough for me." I pressed the window button. Cold wind rushed in, and he shrank back. "If I'm not good enough for you, then don't sit in my car. "Mr. Caldwell, get out right now, and I'll respect you as a man." His expression turned awkward at once, though he still forced an explanation. "You women are such trouble." I shot back, "Were you not born from a woman? Or is your mother not a woman?" Derek gritted his teeth. He looked like he wanted to explode, but he could not refute me. He shut his mouth in resentment. "A real man doesn't argue with women." Staying in the same car with him was suffocating. "There's a service area up ahead. Let's stop for supplies and a restroom break." I could not wait to get out of the car. Only after I stepped out did I realize that aside from the restrooms, all the shops were locked. "What kind of place did you find?" Derek looked impatient. "No food, nothing to buy. This place is useless except for the bathroom." I rolled my eyes in secret. In this weather, having a place to stop at all was already a blessing. I quickly used the restroom so I could breathe and stretch my legs. Chapter 3 I did not expect my stomach to suddenly cramp. My face went pale, and the cold seeped into my whole body. "Are you done yet? Why are you taking so long?" Derek kept urging me. After a while, his voice disappeared. Something was wrong. When I came out of the restroom, my car was gone. There was nothing outside but endless white snow. Derek had driven off in my car. I could not help cursing out loud before shrinking back into the restroom from the cold. "What kind of person does that?" I hurriedly called Derek. He ignored more than a dozen calls before his voice finally came through. "Derek Caldwell! Drive the car back right now. I haven't gotten in!" His voice was full of impatience. "Whose fault is it that you were so slow? My time is more valuable than yours. Consider this your punishment." I exploded with rage. "Who do you think you are? Punishment? Have some shame. Drive the car back now, or I'm calling the police." Derek sounded like a man who could not understand human speech. "Don't play hard to get with me. I don't buy that. This is all your fault anyway. You listened to the traffic cop and wasted my time. "Don't worry, you won't freeze to death. This is your test before you become my girlfriend." He hung up with a slam. I felt like I had been forced to swallow something vile. My head buzzed with anger. Where did this overconfident idiot come from? A test? I wanted to smash a hammer into his skull. I was about to call again when, in the distance, the signal tower collapsed under the weight of the snow. The snow burst outward, startling birds into the air. I watched my signal drop to zero, and my heart sank. "Damn it. Why is it so cold?" My hands and feet were like blocks of ice. Only the restroom offered even a little shelter from the wind. But out on the northern snowfields, in twenty-two-below-zero weather, I was wearing only a thin down jacket. I could not hold out for long. I tried dialing emergency services, but it was useless. All I could do was hope that some passing car would appear. Unfortunately, from daylight until dark, I did not see a single vehicle. It seemed no one came to this abandoned service area anymore. The heavy snow quickly covered my footprints. I had no choice but to keep jumping in place to maintain body heat. But the cold pierced into my bones from every direction. I was so frozen I was about to pass out. "Quick, check over there. Can the signal tower be repaired?" Voices drifted into my ears. My eyes flew open. Someone was here. With the last of my strength, I pounded on the glass, trying to attract the rescue crew's attention. My dry throat tore as I shouted, "Help!" At last, my movement drew someone over. "My God! Miss, why are you here alone?" The moment I saw the police officer approach, I finally let myself faint. When I woke again, I was in the reception room of the local police station. A female officer immediately brought me a cup of water. "Miss, you're finally awake. "Why were you out there alone? If our team hadn't gone to check the signal tower today, you would have been in real danger." I quickly drank a few mouthfuls of hot water and looked at her gratefully. "Thank you, officer." "Don't mention it. It's what we're supposed to do." The female officer looked at me with concern. "Did something happen to you?" I picked up my phone and realized that during the hours I had been missing, Derek had completely forgotten about me. If the police had not rescued me, I really would have died there. Goose bumps crawled over my whole body. My disgust for Derek reached its peak. Especially because he had driven away in my car. Then an idea turned in my head. "Officer, I was robbed. "My car was stolen. There were also three cases of Macallan and ten gold bars in it."