Chapter 1

Rosalie's POV

"You're fired!" my boss bellowed, and all I could think about was escaping the chaos in my mind. Blood streamed from his head, a sight that sent chills down my spine.

Yet, what truly terrified me was the realization that I was the one responsible for it.

A smirk crept onto my face as I masked my true feelings with a facade of confidence. I was aware that he could have pressed charges against me, but I knew he wouldn’t dare; he had just attempted to make an inappropriate advance toward me.

"Good, because I’m done with your fucking job!" I shouted as I stormed out of his office. I could feel my colleagues' gazes on me, but I didn’t care; I just wanted to get out of the building. A bruise on the side of my lip throbbed from the slap I had received for refusing to comply with him.

I should have seen the signs all along; I could have known this was coming. There were times when I caught him looking at me inappropriately, and he often made sexual advances. At the time, I brushed it off as nothing to worry about, but now it all makes sense.

I got into my car and decided to drive home as quickly as possible. I cried for a few minutes before grabbing my phone to call my best friend. If I hadn’t grabbed that picture frame and hit him over the head with it, he probably would have gotten his way with me.

"Athena..." I whispered my best friend's name softly as soon as she picked up the phone. She must have been surprised to hear from me at this hour; I never called her at this time.

"Hey, Rose..." Athena replied cheerfully, but her tone shifted to concern when she sensed my somber mood.

"Rose, what’s wrong? Are you okay?" she asked, worry evident in her voice.

"My... He..." I stammered, tears spilling as I struggled to find the words.

"What? My what? He? Is it your boss?" Athena asked, her voice filled with concern. Without saying a word, my loud sob provided her with the answer.

"Rose, what did he do to you? Please tell me it’s not what I think!"

"He tried to take advantage of me," I replied, my voice trembling.

"That bastard! Where are you, Rose?" Athena demanded, fury evident in her tone.

"I'm at the office," I said.

"What! What are you still doing in the office? Get out of there right now! What if that jerk tries to come after you?" Athena exclaimed.

"I'm not in the office; I'm outside," I replied, and I could hear her exhale in relief.

"That's good."

"Athena, can you come pick me up? I can't drive; I'm too upset and sad," I said, my voice flat.

"Don't worry, Rose. I'll be there in no time," Athena assured me before hanging up. I set my phone down on the seat beside me.

I rested my head against the glass window, waiting patiently for Athena.

Athena had been my best friend since high school, the only one supporting me while my mother battled illness and my younger brother needed care in his school. Without the money for my mother’s medicine, her life was at risk. They were all I had left.

A few minutes later, Athena pulled up in a taxi and knocked on my car window.

I unlocked the door, and she climbed in.

"Did he do this to you too?" Athena asked, examining my cheeks. I nodded slowly in response.

"What?..." Athena gasped, her eyes widening as she moved toward the door. I quickly grabbed her arm.

"Where are you going?" I asked urgency in my voice.

"What do you think? I'm going to teach that bastard a lesson," she replied, her anger palpable.

"Please don’t go," I pleaded, holding onto her hand. She looked at me in shock.

"What? Rose, that jerk hurt you! I can't just let that slide. You should have fought back; you're too soft," Athena said, her voice low.

"I did fight back. I hit him with a picture frame, and he almost bled to death," I replied, and that made Athena smile.

"That's great! I was worried you hadn't done anything. I might just have to go and take care of him myself. That creep and you shouldn't work here again; I know what he's capable of," Athena said.

"I've already quit," I replied, and Athena smiled again. She knew him well since my boss was one of her male friends, and she had been the one to help me land the job.

"Please, just let me out of here. I'm already unemployed, and all I can do now is reflect on my life. I can't live like this; that job was my everything..." I said, tears streaming down my face.

"If I don’t have a job, how will my mother manage? What will Carter eat?" The weight of those thoughts brought fresh tears to my eyes.

Athena gently stroked my hair. "No one is going to die. Let’s just go; everything will be fine."

I nodded slowly, and we switched seats so she could drive.

Throughout the ride, I felt moody despite Athena's attempts to lift my spirits. Nothing she said could break through my sadness; I just couldn’t muster a smile or shift my mood.

When we pulled up in front of my house, I was lost in thought until Athena snapped her fingers in front of my face.

"Rose, what are you thinking? I told you everything will be fine. That jerk can’t just ruin your mood like this," Athena said. I offered her a faint smile to mask my sadness, but she saw right through it.

"That smile isn’t real. Come on, let’s go inside," she said, gently pulling me from the car.

Even though Athena had her own job as a waitress at a nightclub, she still came to help me. I glanced at the time and realized it was already 7:30 PM.

I can’t sleep; the thought of being unemployed haunts me every time I try to close my eyes.

"My shift starts soon," Athena said as she walked over to the mirror to touch up her makeup. I sighed and picked up my phone, scrolling through job listings in search of something suitable. After a few minutes of searching, I still hadn’t found what I was looking for.

I tossed my phone onto the bed and began to sob once more, prompting Athena to turn toward me.

"Why are you crying again, Rose? You know what? You're coming with me," she said, and I looked up at her.

"I can't go with you. I don't want to interrupt your work or make you worry," I replied, even though I desperately needed to get outside to clear my head. The club seemed like the perfect escape; the loud music would drown out my thoughts.

"You won't be interrupting me at all. In fact, you'll be helping me put some obnoxious people in their place. You'll be my guardian angel tonight," Athena said, and I couldn't help but chuckle.

"Alright, I’ll follow you to clear my head," I said, and Athena nodded with a smile.

"Let’s go; I don’t want to be late," she replied, finishing up her makeup. I got up from the bed, grabbed my phone and a small bag, and headed out with her.

____

We arrived at the club right at 8 o'clock. I found a seat and settled in, letting Athena take care of her work, and I didn't want to disturb her.

I began scrolling through my phone as the loud music pulsed in the dimly lit club, and suddenly, I felt an urgency to pee.

I stood up, still focused on my phone, and made my way to the restroom, unaware that I had entered the men's restroom.

As soon as I stepped inside, I started to relieve myself, but just as I was about to pull up my panties, the door swung open, and someone walked in.

My phone slipped from my hand in shock and embarrassment—it wasn’t just anyone; it was a man, and he had seen everything.

He didn’t take his eyes off me as I hurriedly pulled on my panties and jeans.

"Are you out of your mind? How dare you enter the women's restroom and keep staring at me while I’m naked? Don’t you have any decency?" I shouted at him, my voice echoing.

"Are you blind?" he retorted, and I glared at him.

"You're the one who's blind, for goodness sake. You just walked into the women's restroom!" I shot back, furious.

"This is the men's restroom and—"

"Even so, you should have looked away when you saw me jerk! Now my phone is broken, and you still expect an apology? Well, you’re not getting one!" I shouted angrily as I picked my phone up from the floor. I noticed the surprised look on his face, but I didn’t care.

As I walked past him, I made sure to step on his foot and then bumped into him with my shoulder and he didn’t even flinch.

I returned to my seat and attempted to turn my phone back on, but it wouldn’t respond—the screen was shattered.

"Can today get any worse? Now I have to buy a new phone," I sighed, sinking back into the chair.

I opened my eyes again to find the figure who had seen me naked earlier in front of me. The club's dim lighting hid his face, but I could feel my hatred for him rising, my blood boiling with anger.