His Destructive, Toxic Love

Eliza stepped out of the restroom at the rest stop, only to find her travel

companions had vanished. The car was gone too. She instinctively reached for her phone to call them, but realized she'd left it behind in the car. The rain was coming down in sheets, and the place was nearly deserted.

Stranded and unable to reach anyone, she tried to find someone who might lend her a phone but had no luck. Feeling stuck, she had no choice but to wait.

After what seemed like forever, a cleaning lady appeared. Spotting her, Eliza felt a wave of relief and hurried over. "Excuse me, ma'am, could I borrow your phone for just a minute?"

The cleaning lady eyed her suspiciously and shook her head without a word. Realizing she might have been misunderstood, Eliza quickly added, "I just need to make a quick call. I promise I'll stay right here."

"Sorry, honey, I don't have a phone. Maybe try someone else," the cleaning lady replied, still not budging.

Eliza was out of options. Besides this cleaning lady, there was no one else around. "Please, ma'am, I just need to call a friend to pick me up. It's pouring rain, and I can't just wait here indefinitely. It'll be quick, I promise. I'll even pay for the call."

She reached into her pocket, hoping to offer some money, but came up empty. The cleaning lady, noticing this, seemed disappointed.

Eliza gave an awkward smile, "I don't have cash on me, but when my friend arrives, I can have them pay you back. How about that?"

"Are you kidding me? Move along," the cleaning lady replied, heading back to her cleaning duties.

Eliza just stood there, a bit dumbfounded. It was just a phone call. Her best hope now was that her colleagues would notice she was missing and come back for her. So, she waited.

The rain didn't let up, and she found herself in the empty lounge, staring blankly at a large TV screen until she dozed off.

"Miss, we're closing up soon. Why are you still here?" A staff member in uniform gently woke her up.

Eliza rubbed her eyes, still groggy, "I'm sorry, but I can't leave. I left my phone in the car and can't reach anyone..."

The staff member, understanding her predicament, promptly handed over her phone. "It's still raining, and there's a landslide ahead. We're closing the area for the night. You should call someone to pick you up quickly."

vel

"Thank you so much," Eliza said, taking the phone and dialing her colleagues. But after several

unanswered calls, she was baffled. Had everyone just disappeared?noveldrama

Feeling embarrassed, she smiled sheepishly at the staff member, "I couldn't get through to anyone. Mind if I try one more call?"

"Go ahead, that's fine," the staff member reassured her.

Eliza tried calling Casper, but still no luck. She was genuinely at a loss. What was up with everyone?

"No one's answering," she said,

unsure of what to do next. The staff

member seemed stumped as well. If worse came to worst, they

considered calling the police to get her safely out of there.

Just then, a taxi rolled into the service area, and Eliza's heart lifted with hope. She quickly returned the phone and dashed outside.

The taxi didn't have any passengers; it was just there to fuel up. “Hey, can I get a lift?" Eliza asked eagerly.

The driver, surprised to find a passenger at the rest stop, nodded, "Sure, hop in."

"Thank you," Eliza sighed with relief, giving the driver her destination, "I'd really appreciate it."