Chapter Three

Aria was stunned when Nico wrapped his hand around her throat and pushed her against the wall. His voice, once filled with love, was now laced with venom. “I didn’t end us, you did,” he hissed. “You couldn’t keep your legs closed. If all you wanted was someone to fuck, I would have done that. But you were going to Jackson, right? Let me do it instead. Why go somewhere else when I’m right here?”

He shoved her roughly onto the bed and climbed on top of her, his once gentle kisses now aggressive as he forced his lips onto her neck. Aria struggled beneath him, her hands pinned above her head. “Nico, no! Stop! Why are you doing this? Let me go!” she screamed, tears streaming down her face.

“Did you ask him to let you go while he was fucking you?” Nico growled, his hands roaming over her body despite her desperate pleas. “No, no, no, please stop!” she sobbed, trying with all her strength to push him off. Her voice cracked with fear and desperation, but suddenly, he froze. A flicker of something – perhaps guilt – crossed his face. He shoved himself off her and cursed loudly, running a hand down his face in frustration.

“Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!” he muttered, pacing the room while Aria curled into a fetal position, trembling. The man standing before her was unrecognizable. This wasn’t her Nico. The one who was always sweet, kind, and patient. This man was a stranger. Cold. Cruel. Dangerous.

Nico turned to her one last time, his face twisted with disgust. “Don’t ever show me your face again,” he spat before storming out of the room, and slamming the door behind him. Aria scrambled up and quickly locked the door, terrified he might return. She collapsed against the wall, her body shaking uncontrollably as she sobbed. Eventually, exhaustion claimed her, and she drifted off into a restless sleep, still curled up on the floor.

When Aria woke, she was in the same position as the night before, her body aching from the uncomfortable sleep. The events of the previous night replayed in her mind, the pain and betrayal hitting her all over again. How could Nico believe those fake photos over her word? And worse, how could he try to force himself on her like that?

She forced herself to get ready for work, but every step felt like a struggle. After dressing, she tried calling Nico multiple times, but each attempt went straight to voicemail. Defeated, she left a voicemail, her voice filled with hurt and confusion. “Nico, I don’t know what happened last night, but I promise you nothing was true. We can talk about it tonight. I love you.”

Leaving her room, Aria walked into the living room where Natalie and Rachel were having breakfast, laughing as though nothing had happened. She could feel their smug satisfaction. Without acknowledging them, she headed for the door, but Natalie’s voice stopped her.

“How did it go last night?” Natalie asked, chuckling cruelly. “I didn’t expect you to be such a conniving little slut.”

Rachel added coldly, “This is just the beginning of the torture you’re going to endure. You really shouldn’t have gone after something that wasn’t yours.”

Aria stared at them, her heart heavy with exhaustion and defeat. “Why are you like this? I didn’t do anything to you. I didn’t even ask to be brought here,” she said quietly, but her words were met with mocking laughter.

At work, Aria’s best friend Bella greeted her with a smile and two coffees in hand, but her smile quickly faded when she saw the look on Aria’s face. “What happened?” Bella asked, concerned.

Aria broke down, telling Bella everything, from Nico’s cold behavior to the horrible events of the previous night. By the time she finished, Bella looked furious. “How could he do that to you? Doesn’t he know how much you love him?”

“I don’t know what to do anymore,” Aria whispered, burying her face in her hands.

Their conversation was interrupted when Rose, the assistant manager, barged into the coffee room, her arms crossed and her tone dripping with disdain. “Aria, Bella! We don’t pay you to gossip here,” she snapped, not even waiting for an explanation before continuing. “And Aria, that presentation you submitted two days ago? It was garbage. This is not the standard of our company. If you can’t even handle something so basic, you might want to reconsider your place here.”

Aria blinked, still reeling from the emotional turmoil of the past 24 hours. “But... I thought the General Manager approved it?” she asked, confused.

Rose scoffed, her eyes narrowing. “It wasn’t approved. I don’t know what kind of delusional world you’re living in, but if you want to keep your job, it’s time you snapped out of it.”

Bella, ever the fighter, jumped in. “We weren’t gossiping. We were getting coffee, and we still have time before the meeting.”

But Rose ignored Bella’s defense, snapping, “Be in the conference room in ten minutes,” before marching out, not bothering to wait for a response.

Aria sighed in frustration. Even at work, nothing seemed to be going right. As they walked toward the conference room, they couldn’t help but notice a commotion rippling through the office. People were whispering, talking excitedly, but Aria was too mentally drained to care.

During lunch, Aria sat in the cafeteria, pushing her food around on her plate. She couldn’t eat. Her thoughts were consumed by Nico and the way he had treated her. Bella sat beside her, trying to keep the conversation light, but then something on the television caught both of their attention.