Chapter 2

VIVIAN

I glanced at my car,parked in the driveway,and for a moment,the temptation to flee in the familiar comfort of its embrace was almost overwhelming but my pride repelled against the idea,I wouldn't use anything my father had given me. Not now,not after what he said.

I knew my father said that statement thinking I'd change my mind but no,I'm never going back

With a heavy heart, I hailed a cab and gave the driver my best friend Vera's address. I had nowhere else to go, no one else to turn to. Vera had always been my rock, my confidante. She would understand. She would take me in and help me pick up the pieces of my shattered life.

As the cab stopped in front of Vera's apartment building, I paid the driver and got out. I trudged up the stairs, feeling like I was walking to my own execution. My legs felt heavy, my feet dragging on the ground as I approached her door and knocked,there was no answer

I frowned, confusion gnawing at the edges of my mind.

She couldn't have gone anywhere,this is 11pm and she'd be at home.

I called her number but it went straight to voicemail.

My anxiety grew. Where was Vera? I needed her now more than ever.

I remembered that I had a spare key to her apartment -a precaution we had taken in case of emergency

 Without hesitation,I retrieved the key from my pocket and let myself in

"Vera" I called out

Silence.

With a sense of foreboding,I made my way upstairs to her bedroom.

I heard sounds coming from the bedroom as I strode towards the door. It occurred to me that Vera had company. I was about to turn and head for the guest room when I saw something that made me stop in my tracks - a cufflink.

 It looked so familiar; I reached for it on the floor, and my guess was ascertained.

 It was the same cufflink I got for my boyfriend, Alex, weeks back for our anniversary.

"Maybe it's just the same cufflink, might not be your boyfriend's"

A voice in my head said, but my doubts grew higher and won as I reached Vera's door and pushed it open.

The sight before me stole the breath from my lungs. There, on Vera's bed, lay my best friend with my boyfriend, Alex.

 Vera's eyes widened in shock, her face pale as she scrambled to disentangle herself from Alex's embrace.

Alex's expression was a mix of guilt and shame, his eyes darting between me and Vera as if searching for an escape route.

My mind reeled as I took in the scene. My best friend, my confidante, was betraying me in the worst possible way.

I felt like I'd been punched in the gut. I couldn't breathe. I couldn't think. All I could do was stare at the two people I thought I knew, the two people I trusted most in the world.

"Vivian, please—" Vera started, her voice trembling, but I cut her off.

"Don't. Just don't," I spat, my anger boiling over. "How could you, Vera? How could you betray me like this?"

Vera's face crumpled, and she tried to call out my name, but I didn't let her finish. I turned and ran, slamming the door behind me. I didn't stop until I was back on the street, gasping for air.

Tears fell like rain as I walked away from Vera's apartment, away from the only home I had left. I was alone, truly alone, for the first time in my life. I had no one to turn to, no one to trust. I was completely and utterly alone.

As I stormed out of Vera's apartment,  I hailed a cab, my eyes blurring with tears as I gave the driver the address of the nearest club. I needed to escape, to drown out the pain and anger.

The music was loud and pulsating when I arrived, the strobing lights disorienting.

 I booked the entire VIP section, wanting to be alone with my thoughts.

The bartender came over, and I ordered a whiskey on the rocks, downing it in one gulp. I kept ordering, kept drinking, trying to drown out the sorrow that threatened to consume me.

The betrayal was too much to bear. First, my father had disowned me, then my best friend and boyfriend had betrayed me in the worst possible way. I felt like I'd been punched in the gut repeatedly, unable to catch my breath.

As I sat there, nursing my drink, a stranger appeared before me.

Through the haze of alcohol, I looked up at him, taking in his chiseled features and piercing green eyes. He was tall, with broad shoulders and a strong jawline, his dark hair perfectly messy. He looked like a model, not someone you'd find in a club.

"Leave me alone"

I slurred, waving my hand dismissively.

"I've booked the entire place."

"You're not exactly in a state to be booking anything, sweetheart. And besides, I own this place."

I glared at him, my vision doubling.

 "So what if you own it?At least you're not taking this away from me."

 I gestured to the alcohol, my hand swaying unsteadily. My eyes narrowed, trying to focus on his face, but it was a blur.

He sat down beside me, his broad shoulders and imposing frame making me feel small and vulnerable.

He gently took the glass from my hand, and I protested, trying to reach for it.

"Hey, that's mine! Give it back!" I slurred, my words running together.

 "My father disowned me today, I'm not the daughter he wants... And then my best friend cheated on me with my boyfriend, so you're in no position to take the alcohol from me. Now give it back! I'm all alone... no one wants me... I'm not good enough..."

My voice cracked, and I started sobbing uncontrollably but he only listened, his expression unchanging.

I kept blabbering, the words pouring out of me like a torrent.

"I thought Vera was my best friend... but she's just like everyone else... they all use me... my father, my friend...my boyfriend... no one cares about me... I'm just a disappointment... a failure..."

I reached for the glass again, but the stranger held it out of reach. I tried to stand up, but my legs wobbled, and I fell back onto the table, my head spinning.

As I lay there, my vision began to blur, and my thoughts grew foggy. I mumbled incoherently, my words trailing off into silence. The stranger's face was the last thing I saw before everything went black.