CHAPTER 4

“He is a total jerk. Trust me,” Clarissa said as she poured some wine into my cup. She always brought a bottle whenever she came to visit. Somehow, she had made it her personal mission to keep my glass full whenever I was having a bad day.

“Don’t say that...” I responded, taking a sip of the bittersweet wine. The taste lingered on my tongue as I stared down at the glass in my hands. “I’m trying to be honest with you, but you never listen to me or take any of my advice,” she added, settling down beside me.

I sighed. “...Maybe he just needs some time to get used to us again,” I said quietly. “I mean, I was the one who broke us apart. Remember?” Clarissa gave me a look. “You ended things with Jason because you claimed he cheated on you. So why do you want him back?”

I lowered my eyes. “I thought he did.” My voice was barely above a whisper. “I overreacted, didn’t I?” I buried my face in my palms, letting out a frustrated groan. Clarissa sighed beside me before reaching over and gently patting my back. “It’s okay. Look...” I lifted my head. She gave me a small smile.

“There is this party happening tonight. I got invited, and I was asked to bring a friend.” She paused dramatically. “So you’re tagging along.” I blinked at her. “What?”

“You heard me.”

“Clarissa, I don’t want to go to any parties,” I said, rolling my eyes. “I’m trying to fix my marriage.”

“That marriage isn’t going anywhere tonight, and staring at your phone every five minutes to see if Jason has texted you isn’t exactly fixing it either.” I frowned, “I don’t feel like dressing up.”

“I didn’t ask if you felt like it.” She said as she stood up and grabbed my hands. “Clarissa..” i said resisting her pull “Come on.” She said pulling me up harder toward my bedroom.

By 8:30 p.m., Clarissa and I were dressed and ready. She had somehow convinced me to wear a short white dress that hugged my figure. It was far more revealing than anything I would normally choose, my breasts were exposed, but the strap on the dress covered my nipples, which made it manageable, but I kept tugging nervously at the fabric.

“I hate this,” I complained, looking at myself in the mirror. Clarissa stood behind me, fixing her hair. “You look gorgeous.” I shot her a look through the mirror. ““Relax. You look amazing.” She added. Clarissa drove us to the party, she spoke tirelessly about how wealthy guys were going to attend, and the closer we got, the more nervous I became. The mansion came into view at the end of a long, beautifully lit driveway. Cars were parked everywhere, music spilling through the open windows and vibrating faintly through the night air.

The moment we entered the mansion, I could feel people’s eyes following us. The place was packed. “This place is huge,looks more like a celebrity’s house .” I said as we walked toward the staircase leading to the terrace which overlooked the entire backyard, clusters of heads bobbing in conversation, people lounging comfortably in white cabanas adorned with soft cushions and string lights, while others sat casually by the sparkling poolside, laughing and chatting . Some swimming, their splashes creating ripples that caught the glow of the underwater lights.

“You need to try this drink,” Clarissa exclaimed as she approached me with a wide smile, holding out a tall glass filled with a colorful punch. “Someone said it’s a mix of all different drinks blended into one big batch, kind of like a surprise in every sip.” “Looks good,” I replied enthusiastically, reaching out to grab the glass from her hands. Without hesitation, I took a generous gulp, savoring the sweet, fruity flavors that danced across my tongue. The alcohol hit smoothly at first, but I could already tell it packed a stronger punch than it let on.

“Whoa, easy there, Mallory,” she said quickly, her eyes widening with a mix of amusement and concern as she gently pulled the glass out of my grasp. “Remember, we made a bet , you’re the one driving us back to the condo later tonight. I can’t have you getting too carried away.” I laughed lightly, the warmth from the drink already spreading through my chest. “You told me to let loose and enjoy myself tonight,” I responded, raising an eyebrow at her playfully. “Now you’re pulling the responsible card?”

She placed the glasses carefully on the edge of the table nearby, “I do want you to have fun,” she said, laughing warmly, “but crashing my car definitely wasn’t part of the deal. We need you in one piece, okay?” I grinned, feeling the buzz starting to settle in. Glancing down over the terrace railing again, I spotted a guy sitting alone in one of the cabanas,

looking somewhat out of place. “He looks like Marcus...” I said, pointing him out with a mischievous laugh. Marcus was Clarissa’s ex-boyfriend, and the resemblance was uncanny enough to make the comment irresistible.

“Oh God, that’s actually him!!” She responded, her voice suddenly laced with panic as she leaned forward to get a better look. Her eyes widened in disbelief. “Really?” I asked, squinting and trying to steady my eyesight, which was already beginning to blur slightly from the drink’s effects. The colorful lights around the pool seemed a little brighter and more dizzying now.

Clarissa grabbed my hand. “... okay,...Don’t disappear on me... I’ll be back,” she said hurriedly, her tone shifting as she turned on her heels and dashed toward the stairs leading down to the

party area. I pick out my phone to call Jason one last time for the night as I watched her go , I needed to tell him how badly he had hurt me today. Clarissas footsteps , were so quick and determined. Deep down, I knew fully well she was heading straight to speak to him. Marcus, the ex who still seemed to linger in the corners of her mind. Which is funny to me because she always advised that I forget Jason .

A small voice in my head whispered that I should probably stop her, call her back, or at least warn her not to dive headfirst into whatever emotional rollercoaster awaited.