ALICIA
I was still wiping spilled beer off my jeans when my phone buzzed. The name flashing on the screen made my stomach clench.
Diana.
I almost ignored it, but something told me to pick up. The moment I answered, her slurred voice slipped through the line.
“Come pick me up… Shelton Hotel… I had a little too much to drink.”
I sighed. “I’m not your damn driver, Diana.”
Her reply came fast. “Don’t you want your mother’s gold bracelet back?”
My heart stopped.
That bracelet was the only thing of my mother’s I had left. I’d searched for it for months, accused Diana of taking it but she lied. She’d sworn she knew nothing, called me crazy, and said I was making baseless accusations. She basically gaslit me into silence. And now…
“You had it all along?” I whispered.
She laughed. “Are you coming or not?”
I didn’t even bother changing out of my bar uniform. I didn’t take off my name badge. I just grabbed my bag and left.
I didn’t care if I looked like a waitress walking into a palace. That bracelet was mine. It was the only thing left of my mother, and I wasn’t letting go of it this time.
The Shelton Hotel was glowing with wealth and laughter when I arrived. Crystal chandeliers. Red carpets. Girls in satin gowns giggling with men in tailored suits. The kind of party I’d never be invited to.
I slipped through the crowd like a shadow, eyes scanning for Diana. When I found her, she was lounging with her rich friends, drink in hand, smirking like she owned the place.
I didn’t even waste words. “Where’s the bracelet?”
She lifted her glass, swirling the red liquid. “Have a drink first.”
“I’m driving you, remember?” I muttered.
She smiled sweetly. “Then forget the bracelet.”
I clenched my fists. “You said I could have it.”
“And you can. Just one drink.”
I hesitated. Just one. Then I’d get the bracelet and leave.
I took the glass and downed it in one go. The burn hit my throat. Heat rushed through my chest. And my mind… my mind started slipping.
“Where… is my bracelet?” I asked, swaying slightly.
Diana laughed. “You’re so easy, Alicia.”
Her friends burst out laughing. She pulled the bracelet out of her purse and dangled it like a toy. “Come take it.”
I reached for it, but my hand missed. My vision blurred. My knees buckled. My skin burned. My thoughts twisted. I opened my mouth, but nothing came out. Just a shaky breath. Something was wrong. Deeply, horribly wrong.
“What… did you… do to me?” I finally managed.
“Enjoy your night,” she whispered, before turning to someone behind me.
“Take her away.”
Rough hands grabbed my arms. Two men. Strangers. Dragging me out of the hall like I was nothing.
And as the lights faded, all I could hear was Diana’s laughter echoing behind me. I tried to pull away, but my arms wouldn’t respond. My voice stuck in my throat. People kept laughing in the background, like I was invisible.
I tried to fight them. I kicked, screamed, begged—but I was no match for the two men dragging me through the hallway like luggage.
They pushed me into a hotel room and slammed the door shut behind us.
“Let’s make this easy,” one of them growled, yanking at my arm.
Panic exploded in my chest. One guy stepped into the bathroom. The other reached for my waist. I squirmed, shoved, twisted.
By some miracle, I broke free and slammed into the guy coming out of the bedroom. He stumbled. That was all I needed.
I ran.
The hallway spun around me. My legs felt like they were tied to bricks, but I kept moving, heart pounding like a war drum.
Doors. So many closed doors. Then I saw one that was open.
I bolted inside and slammed it shut behind me, flipping the lock just as heavy footsteps echoed down the corridor.
Breathing hard, I turned around.
There was a man sitting on the bed.
Dark suit, loosened tie, confusion on his face. His jacket was draped over the chair, and his shirt was half open. He looked up sharply.
“Who are you?” he asked, voice low, hoarse.
I backed away, dizzy, flushed, aching all over. The drug was still in my system, making my skin feel too tight and my thoughts too loud.
He stared at me as the minutes ticked by, then finally stood up. His gaze was tired and hazy, his pupils dilated like mine.
He stepped closer. “I… I’ve been drugged,” he said quietly. “I need… Look, I don’t want to force you. Just tell me…. do you want this? I’ll compensate you. I just… need this….”
His voice broke at the end. I didn’t answer.
I didn’t trust my mouth to say anything.
I didn’t trust my brain to think straight.
But my body moved.
I kissed him.
And just like that, we fell into something hot, desperate, and messy. The kind of night that doesn’t feel real until the guilt hits in the morning. And by that, I mean…. we had sex.
When I opened my eyes, the sun was slicing through the curtains. He was still asleep beside me.
I gasped and shot upright. My head throbbed. My dress was wrinkled, my badge still clipped to it, and shame burned hot in my throat as I stared at the hickeys on my naked body.
I quickly got dressed, grabbed my bag, and slung it across my body just as I stumbled out of the room.
I had lost my virginity. To a stranger. In a hotel room.
But at least it wasn’t those two creeps.
And somehow, that twisted fact made me feel slightly less broken.
But Diana…?
Diana was going to pay.
I got home with trembling legs and fire in my chest. The door creaked open, and there she was — Diana — curled on the couch, face pale, eyes red from crying.
Patricia, her mother, was pacing like a madwoman.
The moment she saw me, she rushed over and gripped my hands. “Thank God you’re here.”
She reached into her purse and handed me something. I looked down.
My mother’s bracelet.
I barely had time to react before she said, “Diana hit someone with her car last night. The girl’s in the hospital. The police are on their way.”
I scoffed. “Re….a…l…l ..y?”
Patricia’s grip tightened. “I need you to tell the cops that you were the one who ran that girl over last night.”
My heart stopped. “What??”
