“In This Life, She’S Not Rushing Love” Episode-3

-INSIDE THE ANCESTRAL LONG MANSION-

Everyone was seated comfortably on the plush couches that lined the vast, elegantly decorated living room. At the center, on the largest couch, sat Nicole’s grandparents—radiant with joy as they marked their 75th wedding anniversary. All branches of the extended family had gathered, their voices blending in cheerful conversation and warm laughter, the room alive with love and celebration.

But away from the chatter, Nicole quietly excused herself and slipped back into her room. A dull ache pulsed behind her temples—she wasn’t feeling well.

Nicole Long[FL]

(Lying back against her pillows, her thoughts drifted)

That man from four years ago. The memory—of how he had crashed into her, all because of her own mistake—still sent a faint, unwelcome shiver down her spine.

Nicole Long[FL]

(closed her eyes)

Nicole Long[FL]

(taking a nap)

As Nicole lay on her bed, eyes closed, drifting to sleepiness the muffled hum of the chatter faded behind her closed door. Her breathing slowed, but her mind—her mind had already slipped away.

The air in her room shifted. She could feel it.

Nicole Long[FL]

(open her eyes)

Suddenly, it was no longer the soft warmth of her bed she felt beneath her, but the biting wind of a winter night. The laughter of her family was replaced by the silent road of the city highway. Her heart thudded against her ribs.

Nicole Long[FL]

(felt an uneasy feeling in her heart)

Nicole Long[FL]

Where is this place?

The memory came back with startling clarity, not as a thought but as a scene—vivid, sharp-edged, relentless. She stood at the edge of a busy intersection, her breath forming pale clouds in the air. Her scarf fluttered in the wind, the wind hitting her face like a blade.

Nicole Long[FL]

(fumbling for her phone)

Then— A sudden screech of tires. A blur of silver. The roar of an engine far too close.

Nicole Long[FL]

(raised her head in a start)

Time slowed. She saw the car. Saw it swerving. Saw the panic in the man’s eyes behind the wheel. Their eyes met—just for a split second—but in that single moment, a strange, electric awareness passed between them. And then— IMPACT.

A Sickening crunch. The jolt of the world tilting. Her body thrown, weightless, then slammed against the cold pavement. Gasps from bystanders. Someone shouted for help

Nicole Long[FL]

(gasped in horror)

Seeing her own body—motionless, drenched in blood, crumpled inside that wrecked car—struck her with a force so visceral it felt like her insides had been punched through. Her breath caught, nausea surged, and for a moment, it felt like she could cough up blood. As she took one trembling step closer to the girl in the car—herself—something yanked her back.

Nicole Long[FL]

(opened eyes with a jolt and heavy breathing)

The scene faded. Her room returned. But her heart- still racing, chest tight as though she had lived it all over again. She could feel the gravel under her palms. She could hear his voice.

Someone

S...save p...lease....

Nicole Long[FL]

(chest heaving) Who?

Nicole Long[FL]

(hold her head in pain)

Nicole Long[FL]

Who to save?ah