"Elly, are you okay?"
Helen Melendy burped tipsily, her hazy eyes looking at the seemingly sober Elly Campbell across from her and asked.
Elly’s voice was faint, but because she had drunk quite a bit, it was also somewhat hoarse.
Helen Melendy tightened the collar of her coat and said to Elly, "I’m so cold, let’s go back."
Elly obediently nodded like a child in agreement.
After paying the bill, the two called a designated driver, and halfway through the journey, they were startled by a loud "bang" that alarmed everyone inside the car, including the driver.
The front right tire had somehow punctured on something sharp and burst, causing the car to lose control and hit the roadside barrier.
The two sitting in the backseat, who were not wearing seatbelts, had their heads harshly slammed against the car window. Helen Melendy was relatively lucky, as she was sitting next to a large, soft pillow which cushioned her impact, but Elly was less fortunate. Her forehead struck the glass and got a big gash, blood spurting from the wound instantly.
The designated driver, a young girl, was bewildered by the situation and began crying while apologizing.
Helen, quite drunk, only let out an exclamation when she saw the blood on Elly’s forehead, "Elly, you’re bleeding!!"
By then, someone had already called the police, and the designated driver girl had come to her senses and hurriedly helped Elly out of the car to wait for help.
Elly, on the other hand, stood quietly at the side, holding her head, remaining silent all the while, only watching the crowd that started gathering around with disconnected eyes and a frown of discomfort.
"What are they looking at us for?"
Helen tilted her head, her stance unsteady, "I don’t know, maybe they think we’re particularly good-looking?"
The designated driver waiting for help beside them: "..."
Despite knowing the two were not sober, the girl kindly answered their question, "Your tire burst, we are waiting for help."
No sooner had she spoken than Elly, who had been standing quietly aside, suddenly brightened. "Don’t worry, I can change the tire."
With that, she took off her coat, rolled up her sleeves, opened the car’s trunk, and began expertly taking out the spare tire.
The spectator crowd: "..."
"Miss, you are injured, you should wait here, the police will be here soon."
A well-intentioned person advised, but Elly ignored them, squatting beside the tire and quietly started changing it.
She wasn’t crying or making a scene, quietly going about it as if she wasn’t drunk, but her abnormal behavior was obviously more intoxicated than Helen.
"What happened up ahead?"
Harry Hall frowned, looking at the crowded scene in front and said in a low voice.
Adam Jones, who was sitting in the passenger seat, also frowned, irritated as he opened the door and stepped out of the car.
He was irritated all day and had gone out for a drink with Harry, only to end up stuck in traffic halfway there.
"Elly, have you finished changing it?"
Before he got close to the crowd, he heard a familiar female voice coming from within, and Adam’s steps halted. Then, a trace of unease crossed his heart.
He quickened his pace, instinctively pushing through into the crowd.
Suddenly, the horrendously distressing and shocking scene was laid bare before his eyes in an instant.