Chapter 3

Vivian shot up and slapped Emma across the face.

“A devil slut? You’re just jealous that Matt would rather be with someone like me!”

“And you’re just a horrible bitch that can’t get a man of your own. What is this, like the fourth boyfriend you’ve stolen? Get a fucking life!” 

Vivian looked almost hurt. She lashed out and pulled Emma’s hair. She’d had enough. The anger that she had buried all day wouldn’t be suppressed any longer. Emboldened by the drink, she launched back at Vivian and they blew up into an all-out cat fight. They scratched, slapped, and pulled at each other. Emma was having an out of body experience. She wanted Vivian to hurt the way she was hurting. She went in for another slap, but Matt jumped in between them.

“Stop!” he called out. “Just stop!”

The girls backed away from each other. Fury still boiled in Emma’s blood. She wanted to yanked that wench’s hair out strand by strand. But her wrath for Matt was on another level. At the end of the day, this was his doing. Vivian may have seduced him, but nothing would have happened between them if he hadn’t wanted it.

“Get away from me!” Emma swatted him away.

“You need to apologize to Vivian,” Matt said to her.

“Excuse me?”

“What you said was cruel and uncalled for. I understand we betrayed you, but you need to act mature about this. I won’t let you treat Vivian this way. Apologize.”

Emma stared at him in astonishment. She felt as though she was seeing him for the first time. The tender memories of their time together were now tainted with new memories. He wasn’t the hero in her story. He wasn’t the handsome prince that would whisk her away from her horrible life. No one was going to do that. No one was coming to save her. She had to save herself.

In that moment, she felt disgust and pity for them. But as angry as she was, she was shattered. Her heart was so broken. Tears prickled her eyes and a lump formed in her throat.

“You want an apology for Vivian? Okay. Here it is,” she said and looked at Vivian. “I’m sorry you have such low self-esteem that you can only go after taken men. I’m sorry that you’ll never have any real friends because, I’m sorry, no one will ever want to be your friend.” Emma said with true sincerity.

“What has gotten into you?” Matt asked. “That’s not an apology! Do it properly!” He commanded. He looked at her with cold eyes, and it hurt her. But she couldn’t show him anymore pain. She had to end this and get out of there. 

“I am not your obedient little girlfriend. I dumped you. Like 10 minutes ago, remember?”

“That is not what happened here!” Vivian yelled. 

“I wish you both the best.” Emma ignored Vivian’s outburst. “Go fuck yourselves!” 

Matt and Vivian stared at her in stunned silence. Emma was such a meek, quiet girl. Not this fierce and fiery woman in front of them. More than anything, Vivian was angry. This was not the way it was supposed to happen. Emma should have been begging for them not to do this to her. She should have cried for Matt not to leave her. Vivian needed to see the chaos she caused in Emma’s life. It was what she thrived off of, and now she wouldn’t get her fix. But at least she would have the satisfaction of seeing sad, soaked Emma making a scene in her favorite place. She’d never be able to come back. And Emma knew that.

Emma ran out of Tremaine’s. She ran through the heavy rain until she felt she was far to break down. The adrenaline and alcohol mixed in her system. She was dizzy with emotions and the day’s events rocked her. Lights, rain and tears blurred her vision and every sensation she’d held down was released.

Emma had been sold by her step mother, deceived by her roommate, and betrayed by her boyfriend. There was nowhere for her to go. Her childhood home was a den of neglect and abuse. But she couldn’t let Jane sell it. Before her mother passed, Emma had promised to cherish their home and the beautiful memories it once held. She promised to care for her father. She promised to protect the family and that’s her love to her mother.

She couldn’t return to her dorm. There was no doubt in her mind that Vivian locked her out. Sabrina was at her parent’s home for the weekend, so she couldn’t go to her. She was stranded in the storm. Her problems could be solved by one word. Money. Money to save her home. Money to save herself.

In her rage, she told Jane she would get that money on her own. 

“What was I thinking?” she cried out. “Where am I going to get that money?” Emma wandered in the street, buzzed from the alcohol and the onslaught of emotion. 

Was there someone out there who would help her? How was she supposed to get her hands on $50,000? 

The lid she had placed on her torment popped, and she allowed herself to feel her anguish. Not just for the day, but for the years of abuse she had endured. Emma never allowed herself to break down. She never wanted to be anyone’s burden. The desire to lose control overwhelmed her, but she had to press on. She wandered in the streets for what felt like hours. 

“I’m going to get sick,” she sniffled. “Maybe I should hitch a ride,” But where she would go, she had no idea. 

Emma stood on the side of the road and tried to flag down a car. No one stopped for her. Some cars splashed her with water as they passed. There wasn’t any way she could get anymore wet. Every inch of wet was saturated with rain. Emma shivered as the water chilled her bones. The problems were mounting upon her. It seemed there was no end the turmoil in her life. But at that moment, all she wanted was a hot shower and some kindness. She kept trying to stop someone, but no one did. In a moment of desperation, she jumped in the street into oncoming traffic. 

A car came at her, the headlights brighter and brighter as they came closer. Emma didn’t back down. If this is how she went, so be it. She didn’t care. Maybe this would be better. She closed her eyes and threw her hands out and welcomed oblivion. 

The car skid to a stop.  Emma opened her eyes and saw a shiny, black sports car. The rain seemed unable to touch to it. It was the most luxurious car she’d ever seen. Before Emma could move, the driver rolled down his window and shouted at her from the inside.

“What the hell are you doing?!” It was a man’s voice. Emma went around to the door. From what little she could see of him, he looked handsome and had an air of wealth. 

“I’m sorry. Can I trouble you for a ride?”

The man looked her up and down and scoffed. 

“I’m not looking for any company.” He rolled the window up and peeled away. 

Emma was left in the street, rain pouring all around her. Everything she had held back that day exploded from within her. She collapsed on the ground and sobbed in the street. Her stepmother sold her. Her boyfriend cheated on her. Her roommate betrayed her. She was going to lose her house. Her father was falling deeper and deeper into his addiction. And she had to somehow come up with $50,000. 

Every fiber in her soul was frayed. 

When he went out for a drive that night, he hadn’t expected to almost kill someone. But there she was. Standing in the middle of the street, drenched in the rain. He was convinced it was a sex worker down on her luck. He drove away from her, but stopped when he saw her fall in the street. 

Something about the situation tugged at his heartstrings.

“Either I’m the biggest idiot on Earth,” he said to himself. “Or she’s the best actress on Earth. Ugh. I’m so going to regret this.” He reversed toward her. She seemed genuinely surprised to see him return. He got out of the car and held an umbrella over her.

“Get in.”

Emma looked at him and blinked her eyes. W…what?

Was this the universe providing her a sign? He looked expensive. A plan began to form in her mind. She ran into the car, and the man looked disgusted. 

“Where am I taking you?”

“Um…,” Emma hadn’t planned that far ahead. There wasn’t anywhere she could go, not right now. “I don’t know. There isn’t anywhere I want to go right now.” 

The man stared at her. Emma stared back at him, and thought again about how expensive he looked. He had money and wasn’t afraid of showing it off. Perhaps she could use that to her advantage. The thought repulsed her as soon as it came to her. But her shattered mind wasn’t capable of thinking past the moment. And in that moment, there was only one thing she needed. One thing that would solve her issues. 

Money. Emma knew she would hate herself for this, but…

“Um… Are you rich?”