Chapter 36

• As darkness falls, Sophia is grateful for the quiet roads that lie ahead, offering an uninterrupted route for her to do as her heart desires with this piece of trash. She contemplates racing it, leaving it with dents and scratches, or even completely destroying it in creative ways. He treats the car delicately, driving it like an elderly person, so she aims to make him cry. She plans to rough it up, show it what a truly exhilarating ride feels like, and then, depending on her mood, decide what fate awaits it. If it comes to it, she promises herself to film its demise and send it to him.
• She reaches for the radio, frowning as it bursts to life on the rock station he prefers. Quickly, she changes the frequency, detesting anything that reminds her of Leon, until she settles on a pop station playing a collaboration between singers. Despite her dark mood, the upbeat music helps her relax into the embrace of her leather seat, allowing her to focus on the act of driving.
• Sophia taps her fingers on the wheel as her speed increases, reaching the start of an uphill climb toward the peak point. It's one of the longest roads leading to a breathtaking tourist viewpoint atop a small mountain. She develops an urge to go there, to watch the ocean roar and find inner peace amidst the chaos of her life. The ocean has always had a calming effect on her, stilling her mind with its vastness. However, she hasn't visited in quite some time.