THE MORNING AFTER

A loud ringing sound pierced through my sleep.

I stirred uncomfortably, my head pounding as though someone had been hitting it with a hammer all night. Another sound followed—a knock, or at least something that sounded like one.

My eyes snapped open.

For a few seconds, I didn't move.

Bright sunlight filtered through the curtains, flooding the unfamiliar room with warmth. I blinked repeatedly, trying to adjust my blurry vision.

My head ached terribly.

I slowly lifted my head from the pillow and winced in pain as dizziness washed over me.

"What the hell?" I murmured.

My phone was ringing.

I turned toward the sound and saw it lying on a table beside the bed. But before I could reach for it, something else caught my attention.

The room.

I froze.

This wasn't my room.

I sat upright immediately, looking around in confusion. The walls were unfamiliar. The furniture was expensive and elegant, and everything around me looked nothing like the small, comfortable room I was used to.

My heart began to race.

Where am I?

Then something hit me.

I slowly looked down.

My eyes widened.

My breath caught in my throat.

I was naked beneath the duvet.

My jaw dropped.

"No... no, no, no."

I quickly pulled the duvet closer to my body, my hands shaking.

"What happened?"

Fragments of the previous night suddenly flashed through my mind.

The party.

The music.

The drinks.

Lisa.

Laughing.

Dancing.

A pair of blue eyes.

My heart stopped.

"Oh, my God."

I pressed a hand against my forehead.

"What did I do?"

Then I heard it.

A soft snore.

I froze again.

Someone else was in the room.

My eyes slowly moved toward the other side of the bed.

For a brief second, I hoped it was Lisa.

"Lisa?" I whispered.

There was no response.

My heartbeat grew louder.

I gathered every ounce of courage I had and slowly leaned forward.

The moment I saw the person beside me, my entire body stiffened.

It wasn't Lisa.

I jumped back in fright, covering my mouth before a scream could escape.

A man.

There was a man lying beside me.

He was sleeping peacefully, completely unaware of the storm raging inside my head.

"Who is he?" I whispered.

My hands trembled beneath the duvet.

"And why am I here with him?"

My eyes wandered around the room, desperately searching for answers that weren't there.

Then my phone began ringing again.

I nearly screamed.

Quickly, I reached across the bed, grabbed my phone from the table and looked at the screen.

Lisa.

Of course.

I answered immediately.

"Hello?"

"Jane!" Lisa's voice came through the phone. "Where are you?"

I closed my eyes.

"I don't know," I muttered.

There was silence.

Then Lisa's voice became louder.

"What do you mean you don't know, Jane? Are you dumb?"

"Please stop it, Lisa!" I snapped. "Only if you hadn't brought me to that place, I wouldn't be in this mess!"

Before she could respond, I ended the call.

I stared angrily at my phone.

"You silly thing," I muttered to myself. "I don't even know if you're becoming one of my enemies or if you're still my friend."

I sat quietly on the edge of the bed.

Then, despite everything, my eyes wandered back toward the stranger.

He was still sleeping.

So peacefully.

Like nothing in the world could possibly bother him.

I narrowed my eyes.

"Sleeping beauty," I muttered with a weak, mocking smile.

Just then, he moved.

My eyes widened.

Oh, no.

I panicked.

Before I could think, I quickly slipped off the bed and crouched beside it, holding my breath.

My heart hammered against my chest.

Don't wake up.

Please don't wake up.

I remained there for a few seconds.

Nothing happened.

Slowly, I lifted my head.

He was still asleep.

I let out a shaky breath.

I needed to leave.

Immediately.

I couldn't stay there until he woke up and started asking questions.

Questions I didn't even know the answers to.

I stood up quietly and gathered my clothes from where they had been scattered. My face burned with embarrassment as I picked them up.

Then I hurried into the bathroom.

The moment I locked the door behind me, I leaned against it and closed my eyes.

"What have you done, Jane?"

I looked at myself in the mirror.

My hair was a complete mess, and my face looked pale.

I barely recognized the woman staring back at me.

I quickly began dressing.

But then another thought entered my mind.

I froze.

Did I actually spend the night with a complete stranger?

My eyes widened.

"And without protection?"

I stared at my reflection.

"No."

I shook my head.

"This cannot be happening."

I pointed at the mirror as though the reflection standing before me had personally betrayed me.

"I wouldn't even allow my own boyfriend to get that close to me easily!"

My voice rose in disbelief.

"And now I spent the whole night with a complete stranger?"

I covered my face with both hands.

"What is wrong with me?"

My phone started ringing again.

I sighed heavily.

Lisa.

Again.

"This crazy girl," I muttered.

I answered the call.

"Hello, Lisa. Why are you calling me nonstop? How may I help you?"

I couldn't hide the impatience in my voice.

"Jane, your mum came looking for you not quite long ago."

My eyes widened.

"What?"

"I told her you went job hunting."

For a moment, I was speechless.

Then my anger returned.

"Wait. You fool! What do you mean by job hunting?"

"Jane—"

"Oh, my goodness!" I continued. "Are you trying to ruin me completely?"

"What do you mean?" Lisa asked sluggishly. "Are you planning to be jobless forever?"

"No, I'm not!"

"Then what's the problem?"

"Do you offer job opportunities?" I asked sarcastically. "Do you own a company I can apply to? Can you offer me a salary?"

"Calm down, baby girl," Lisa said.

I sighed.

"I've got good news for you."

My expression immediately changed.

"What news?"

"The Blackwood has a vacancy for a secretary. I heard they're hiring. Maybe you should apply."

My entire body went still.

"What?"

"The Blackwood," she repeated.

My eyes widened.

"Are you serious?"

"Yes."

"You mean The Blackwood?"

"Yes, baby girl."

"The biggest organization in Mexico?"

I could hear the excitement and sincerity in Lisa's voice.

"Yes!"

For the first time that morning, something other than fear filled my heart.

Hope.

A smile slowly appeared on my face.

"Okay," I said quickly. "I'm on my way. Please help me get a dress ready. I'm coming to your house."

"Okay, my love."

The call ended.

I stared at my phone for several seconds.

Then I smiled.

Could this be a miracle?

All my life, I had dreamed of working for The Blackwood.

It was one of the biggest and most successful organizations in the country. Everyone knew about them. Their employees earned good salaries, and getting a job there wasn't easy.

You needed connections.

Experience.

Luck.

Or perhaps a miracle.

Maybe this was mine.

The excitement bubbling inside me made me temporarily forget where I was and what had happened the previous night.

A job.

At The Blackwood.

This could change everything.

My smile widened.

Maybe my life wasn't completely falling apart after all.

I finished getting dressed and took one final look at myself in the mirror.

My appearance wasn't perfect, but it would have to do for now.

I needed to get to Lisa's house.

Quietly, I unlocked the bathroom door.

I slowly stepped outside.

My eyes immediately moved toward the bed.

The stranger was still sleeping.

Thank God.

I tiptoed across the room and picked up my bag.

Every movement felt dangerous.

What if he woke up?

What would I say?

Good morning, sir. Sorry for whatever happened last night. I have absolutely no idea what I'm doing here.

I shook my head.

No.

I definitely wasn't staying to find out.

I walked toward the door.

My fingers slowly wrapped around the handle.

I opened it as quietly as possible.

The hallway outside was silent.

I stepped out.

Then carefully closed the door behind me.

The moment it shut, I released the breath I had been holding.

"Thank God," I whispered.

I turned around, ready to leave.

And screamed.

A man was standing beside the door.

He stood there silently, dressed neatly like a guard.

My heart almost jumped out of my chest.

"Oh, my God!"

I stumbled backward.

The man didn't move.

He simply stared at me.

Fear crawled through my body.

Who was he?

Why was he standing outside the stranger's room?

And most importantly...

Was he going to let me leave?

My fingers tightened around my bag.

Suddenly, the excitement about The Blackhood disappeared.

The memory of the mysterious man sleeping inside that room came rushing back.

I looked at the guard.

Then at the closed door.

Something told me that escaping from this place wasn't going to be as easy as I had imagined.

And for the first time that morning, I began to wonder exactly who the man inside that room really was.