Chapter 5: A Ride Home.

(Aliana’s POV)

I clutched the jacket tighter around myself as I walked toward the parking lot, refusing to let what had just happened break me. No. This was not the time to cry over something I had already grown used to.

My steps were unsteady in my heels, and my breath shook in the cold night air, but I kept moving. I just needed to get home. At least I could change out of this wet dress before I caught a cold.

But when I reached the parking lot, reality hit me.

I hadn’t come with my car.

For a moment, I had forgotten that my driver had called in sick earlier that day, and I had taken a cab here instead.

“This seriously can’t be happening…” I muttered under my breath.

I quickly pulled out my phone and called Delvin.

I didn’t even know what I was expecting. Maybe he hadn’t driven far yet. Maybe, just maybe, he would turn back and give me a ride home.

It was always difficult to find a cab in this quiet, remote part of the campus, and at this hour, the chances were even slimmer.

His phone rang, but no answer. I called again. Still nothing.

My chest tightened painfully. What had I expected? That he would care enough to answer while he was busy taking care of his precious Belicia?

The pain settled deep inside me, but I refused to let it show. I forced myself to stay calm and tried to book a ride.

Just as I feared, none were available. I refreshed the app and tried again, but it was still the same.

I stood near the gate, hoping an empty taxi would pass by, even though I knew the chances were very low.

Cars drove past me without stopping. Some people gave me pitying looks. Others stared with quiet mockery, as if I was an unwanted child left behind.

Just then, a car stopped in front of me. The window slowly rolled down, and I finally saw who was sitting inside.

A man, probably in his early thirties. I had never seen him around the university before. Maybe he was a guest at the event.

“It seems you need a ride,” he said calmly. “Hop in. I can drop you off.”

I swallowed hard. Even though I needed the ride, I couldn’t just get into a stranger’s car.

“It’s really fine. I can just get a cab. You don’t have to worry,” I said politely, declining.

“How so? Haven’t you been standing here for a while? There’s clearly no cab around,” he said, glancing around the empty street.

He knew I had been standing here?

Had he been watching me from somewhere? Was he mocking me like the others? But if he found my situation amusing, why would he offer to help?

“It’s not safe standing out here alone. Besides, you look like you’re freezing. You could catch a cold,” he insisted.

I couldn’t deny that he was right. It wasn’t safe to walk down the street alone, trying to find a cab.

But… still…

“It’s just a ride. You don’t have to worry about anything else,” he added, giving me a small grin, almost as if he could read my thoughts.

I hesitated for a moment, my fingers tightening around the jacket. No taxi was coming, and I had no idea how long it would take for one to come by.

It was just a ride. Nothing more.

I took a deep breath and nodded gently, agreeing.

The moment I got in and fastened my seatbelt, the car pulled away.

The ride was quiet and tense. Neither of us spoke. He didn’t ask any questions, except where I lived.

Minutes later, we arrived at my gate. I unclasped my seatbelt and turned to thank him.

“Thank you so much for the ride,” I said, offering a warm, polite smile.

“It’s really nothing. I’m glad I could help,” he replied.

I stepped out and waved at him until he pulled away. I had barely set foot inside the compound when a voice thundered, his steps quick and heavy as he approached me.

“Who the hell was that!!” Delvin demanded, his voice cold and loud, shaking the entire area.

I flinched, completely startled by his sudden outburst. My heart jumped as I blinked again and again, shocked to see him standing there.

He stared at the car as it disappeared toward the end of the street, his jaw clenched, his face dark with fury.

Then he turned back to me, his eyes sharp. “I asked, who the hell was that?”

“I… I don’t know… he just…” I started, trying to explain, though I didn’t understand why he was acting like this.

But Delvin didn’t let me finish.

“What do you mean you don’t know him? You just got out of his car!” he spat through gritted teeth, his face darkening even more.

But I wasn’t lying. I didn’t know the man. I hadn’t even asked him his name.

“So this is what you’ve been doing, Aliana?” he hissed. “You’ve been cheating on me, haven’t you?”

"What? No..." I forced out, my throat dry.

“Stop pretending, Aliana!” he barked, grabbing my wrists.

My breath caught as I tried to pull my hands free. “I… I don’t know what you’re talking about."

“Liar!!” he shouted, as if the thought of me lying personally offended him. “You lie all the time!”

He tightened his grip on my wrists, and I could almost feel his nails digging into my skin. I whimpered in pain, tears welling up in my eyes.

“Your hands… you’re hurting me, Delvin,” I whispered weakly.

He ignored me, as usual.

"Answer me!!" he thundered, his voice loud enough to shake the walls like an earthquake.

“I don’t know that man, Delvin! He only gave me a ride home!” I cried, my voice shaking.

I was truly confused. Did he think I was cheating? I had no other man in my life. I never had one. He was my first and the only man I had ever been with.

But Delvin didn’t listen. He never did. He tightened his grip even more and began dragging me like a criminal toward the house. With every step, sharp pain shot through my injured ankle.