“SHIT!” He cursed. That’s twice in less than 5 minutes, she mused. Lisa thought men were supposed to watch their language in front of women. Clearly he must have missed that lesson when he was in school.
                          
“Rules and regulations exist for a reason, you know,” she said quietly.
                          
He turned to look at her and Lisa saw a flash of anger across his face. She leaned back on her chair, moving as further away from him as possible. But he merely closed his eyes and breathed deeply.
                          
“Don’t talk to me right now,” he said as he slowly opened his eyes, “but just stay in the car while I handle this.” Then he opened the door and walked out towards the back of the car.
                          
 Lisa unbuckled her seat belt and turned around to get a better view of the impending drama. The driver, who rammed their car, was standing in front of her own car with both hands on her hips. Despite the sunglasses she was sporting, visible frown was clear on her face as she watched him walking over towards her.
                          
That was the incident that triggered so many of their arguments until today. The first of many was later that day. The very same day the accident occurred. Memories of that fight remained vivid in her mind until now.
                          
He was sending her home. It was night time, hours after the accident. Against her instincts, she needed some answers from him. Her curiosity overtook her desire to keep things simple and pleasant between them.
                          
“Why did she smile at you?” Lisa asked. Whether he was caught off guard, or pretending to be blur about whom she was referring to, she was not certain.
                          
“Huh? Who are you talking about?” He asked, instead.
                          
“The girl from the accident earlier, remember? She seemed angry but when you spoke to her, she laughed. I even saw her smile as you left,” Lisa explained. It was dark in the car so she could not see his expression. But it took him almost a minute to reply.
                          
“I can’t remember what that was about. Wasn’t important,” he said. His brief answers and quick dismissals on almost any topic she prodded became one too many for her. She could not let this one go.
                          
“Why are you always dismissing everything I asked,” Lisa asked, unable to hide the accusatory tone in her voice. She felt the car speeding faster but his eyes were fixed on the road.
                          
“What the hell are you talking about? Where is this coming from? Are you getting your period or something?” He retorted.
                          
“Don’t answer my questions with more questions! You are always so evasive!” she shouted. Her breathing was in short and quick rhythm now. The dissatisfactions she felt throughout knowing him were bursting at the seams. He pulled the car up to the side of the road and brought it to a halt.
                          
“Okay, fine. What do you want to know?” He asked.
                          
“I want to know what you said to that girl earlier!” Lisa demanded.
                          
“I don’t remember. It must have been some stupid joke. For all I know, she’s stupid and everything was just funny to her. It wasn’t intentional, I assure you.” Finality set in his tone.
                          
“It sure as hell didn’t look that way from where I was watching,” she continued, “unless you’re lying to me.”
                          
That was a big blow for him. He finally turned his head and looked at her before shouting, “HOW DARE YOU CALL ME A LIAR! You weren’t out there, I WAS! So you have no right to accuse me! Did you hear something?” He emphasized the word ‘hear’.
                          
“No but–” She remembered the way that girl laughed, which piqued her interest. Something was not quite right. No, something did not feel right. He interrupted her before she could answer further.
                          
“You know, I think you’re just looking for a reason to argue with me,” he said, returning the accusation. Astonished that he flipped the situation, she grabbed the door handle and opened the door.
                          
The cool air hit her face as she stepped out of the door. Even the air is mocking me, she thought. Then she slammed the door and started walking away from the car. It took less than five steps before he came running out towards her.
                          
“Are you crazy? Come back inside,” he pleaded. Not desperate enough, she thought. Then she wondered if he would do absolutely anything to win her heart. She decided to test his limits.
                          
“Get lost. I know how to find my way home,” she said testily. Lisa expected him to persuade her to get back into the car but was rudely surprised when he made no such attempt. She continued walking with her head in the air, carrying her dignity with every step.
                          
A few minutes later, she heard the sound of his car slowly approaching. Relieved that he made the right decision, she tried her best to look nonchalant despite the strong pounding in her heart. She continued walking and looking straight ahead. The sound of the car window rolling down made her head turn slightly. Then she saw him and their eyes met for the briefest moment. She saw anger in those eyes but before she could look away, he shouted, “Have it your way, bitch!”
                          
Then the car sped away, leaving her alone by the roadside.