Chapter two

Margot's POV

“ Hello.” Nicole's sleepy voice indicated that my friend was finally done partying.

“ Where are you?” I snapped at her as the rage rose in my chest. My tone was harsh, filled with disappointment.

“ At home. Where else could I be at this time? What is your problem?” Nicole asked angrily.

“ What is my problem? You left me alone!” My voice raised, and I had to remind myself I was in the taxi.

This night out was Nicole's idea. She was the one nagging me to join her. This type of entertainment is not my cup of tea.

“ I did not. You left with some guy.” Nicole yawned loudly.

“ We had a deal. We will go out together and be back together.” I reminded her of our agreement. That was my only condition before I agreed to this idea.

“ I am not your babysitter,” Nicole replied coldly. “ You are a grown-up woman. I don't have to hold your hand all the time.”

Those words took me aback. Nicole was usually friendly and bubbly, not distant like this. I may have pushed it too far.

“ Something bad could happen,” I said, much calmer. It was not fair to take my frustration out on my friend. She had every right to be angry with me.

“ Did something happen?” Nicole asked with a sudden interest. “ Tell me everything.”

“ Nothing happened,” I lied smoothly. There was no way I would mention this night to anyone else except Sam. I felt bad; there were no secrets between Nicole and I- until now. But, now, the situation was too serious.

“ So, where were you all this time?” Nicole asked quickly.

“ I was walking outside, trying to sober up. Then, I looked for you.” This was another lie, but Nicole deserved it. Anger built back in my chest. I would have never done anything like that to her.

We were friends for years, and I thought we could count on each other. Apparently, I was wrong.

“ So nothing happened. Stop overreacting. I will call you in the morning.” Nicole hung up, and I threw my phone into my purse, gritting my teeth. So, this is how far our friendship goes.

Sometimes, I wondered how we became friends.

Nicole was the only one of Sam's friends who did not look down at me. The rest did not even try to accept me because of my background. I had no wealthy parents who paid for my education. I worked hard for all I had. Something that made me proud looked like a bad joke in their eyes. Only Sam seemed to see more in me. He was the one always to support me. No wonder I fell for him so quickly. Sam…

I closed my eyes and rested my forehead against the taxi window.

Twenty minutes later, I reached my apartment. When the door closed behind me, I felt much better. I took a deep breath, pushing the memory of the last night away.

Memory.

‘ Why could I not remember anything?’ I sat on the sofa, thinking deeply about last night. That seemed unnatural, as I had never experienced anything like this. Besides, I could swear I did not drink that much that night. That makes no sense. There had to be more behind that.

‘ You drugged me?’ The question I asked Nathan popped into my head. He denied it, but I doubted he was honest. Why would he? It is not like her ever being honest in his life.

I sat straight on the sofa. He lied! I was sure of that. How else would I end up alone with him in some crappy hotel? He used me to harm the man I loved. To break him.

I had to tell Sam before Nathan did it. He would see through his actions and stand by my side as always.

I glanced at the clock. It was almost 6 AM. Sam would be in his office at 9 AM. I could visit him at lunchtime and tell him about everything.

With that thought, I took a shower to wash off the dirt from last night. After that, I decided to get some sleep. My dreams were filled with icy blue eyes staring at me and a burst of cold laughter mocking my despair. I woke up with a muffled scream.

It was almost time. I dressed myself and fixed my hair. My chest tightened from fear, but I mustered to keep moving. My car was parked in front of my apartment, but I decided to call a taxi. Who knew what drugs Nathan gave me? It could be too risky to drive myself.

In the taxi, I tried to think about how to tell Sam about the last night. Nothing seemed good enough.

‘ You did nothing wrong. You are the victim here,’ I scolded myself when the thought of cheating crossed my mind again.

I would never do that. Sam and I have been happy for the last five years. He is the man of my life, and I have no desire to change that.

I took a deep breath before entering my company building. Here goes nothing.

“ Good morning, Miss Roberts. We were not expecting you here today,” Rebecca greeted me at the front desk.

She was right. It was my day off. I should be cleaning my apartment in my comfy sweatpants and preparing dinner for my fiancee. This was our tradition.

“ I came to see Sam,” I mumbled quietly and rushed to my boyfriend's office.

Hale & Roberts Tech was our baby. We built this company right after graduation. I worked on new projects while Sam was busy finding new markets and customers—a perfect deal. He was always good with people, while I preferred to stay behind. He had this charisma that I was always lacking.

“ Hello Martha, is Sam there?” I asked his assistant. She was a young girl who had worked for us for over a year. Martha started as an apprentice, but now she helps Sam when he is overloaded with work.

“ Yes, Miss Roberts, but I think he is busy now,” she replied, standing up quickly. I glanced at the girl, as she seemed nervous. That was something new.

“ Is there a meeting inside?” I asked, surprised. We were usually holding meetings together.

“ No, but Mr Hale told me not to disturb him unless it is important,” Marta said, fidgeting. Of course, she was trying to follow her boss's orders.

“ Well, it is important. Sam wouldn't mind, don't worry,” I replied and grabbed the door knob.

“ I said not …” Sam stopped talking when his eyes landed on me, but I looked at the woman before him.

Vikki Reed. What the hell was she doing here? And why were they standing so close to each other?

“ Is it the wrong time to visit?” I asked, furrowing my brows. For some strange reason, I felt unwelcome here.

“ Of course not. Please come in,” Vikki made an inviting gesture and flashed me her pearly white smile. My blood boiled. The audacity!