Emma froze. No. I must be hearing things. She peeked around the corner and the last bit of hope in her life fizzled away. Matt was in the doorway of her room, with his hands all over her roommate Vivian. Vivian looked up at him and ran her fingers through his hair. Their clothes were disheveled. It didn’t take much imagination to figure what they’d been up to.
“It’s me or her, Matt,” Vivian cooed as she traced circles on Matt’s chest. “It’s me or Emma.”
“It’s you, Viv,” Matt answered. “You’re the one I want to be with.”
Emma’s heart shattered and dripped into the hallway along with the rain water she was soaked in. She choked back a sob, but the sound escaped. Vivian’s head snapped in the direction of the noise. She had the decency to look shocked for a bit, but then she giggled.
“It seems we have an audience. Who’s there? Maybe we’ll give you a show.”
A cascade of emotions bombarded Emma. Betrayal, anger, sadness, denial. More than anything, she wanted to run as far as she could from there. This can’t be happening. I must have heard wrong, she thought. That’s it. It’s some kind of misunderstanding. She took a deep breath and rounded the corner. Vivian’s smug look fell from her face, and Matt went pale.
“Emma,” Matt gasped. “I—”
“Oh dear,” Vivian said, recovering from her momentary shock and still gripping onto Matt. “It seems we’ve been caught. I suppose it’s for the best. It’s about time we aired this all out.” Vivian smiled at Emma with a wicked glint in her eye. Emma knew what she looked like: a sad, wet, and broken woman. And she knew what joy Vivian must have felt at that. Vivian Stone had a reputation around campus. Boys loved her, and girls hated her. She was known for stealing boyfriends and breaking up relationships. Emma thought being her roommate could have protected her. But all it did was provide her an easy target. Matt was handsome, intelligent, rich and taken. Everything Vivian wanted. Emma was sure Matt would be immune to Vivian’s ways. She was certain his love for her would keep him safe from Vivian. Apparently, he didn’t love her enough. Or maybe I’m not enough.
“Let’s go in your room so we can talk,” Matt tried to soothe Emma. He disentangled himself from Vivian and motioned for Emma to come close. Emma took a step, but Vivian jumped in.
“We should go to Tremaine’s,” she suggested. “We can talk over some drinks. Doesn’t that sound like a great idea?”
Another stab. Tremaine’s was a popular local bar. It was where Matt and Emma had met and had their first date. Vivian knew that. Not only did she love stealing people’s boyfriends, she loved to humiliate her victims as much as possible. It was a sport to her. She was just as evil as Jane.
“I don’t think that’s a good—” Matt started to say.
“That’s fine,” Emma interrupted. There was no spirit in her voice. She was a shell. But she refused to let Vivian see how broken she felt. Or let Matt know how much he’d hurt her. “A drink sounds great.” She tried to hide the tremble in her voice behind a smile. Emma refused to show them any weakness.
“That’s settled then. Let me just freshen up and grab us a couple of umbrellas, okay?” Vivian kissed Matt before darting into their room. Emma felt yet another stab. Matt started at her. His eyes looked around at everything but her face. The walls closed in around her. All Emma wanted to do was to submit to her emotions. But she couldn’t let herself feel anything. Not now.
“Emma, listen—” Matt tried to say.
“We’ll talk at the bar, all right?” Emma answered through clenched teeth. Her fists were balled up at her sides and small tremors quaked through her body. Matt said nothing else. The tension mounted between them. It was a palpable entity waiting in that hallway. After the longest few minutes of Emma’s life, Vivian emerged with a face full of makeup, perfectly coifed curls, and a small umbrella. Emma noticed she didn’t grab two.
“Shall we?” Matt and Vivian strode past Emma and she followed behind them. Night had fallen and the storm was still raging. Rumbles of thunder rolled in the air and flashes of lightning tore through the sky.
How fitting, Emma thought.
They approached Matt’s car. It was a sleek silver sedan. He always made sure it was in a covered parking spot. It was a high school graduation gift from his parents and he kept it in pristine condition. Emma thought of the heated leather seats inside and walked around to the front passenger’s side as she’d done so many times.
“Oh, Emma no,” Vivian sneered. “That’s my spot.”
“You can ride in the back,” Matt offered, and went to open the door for her.
“But, Matt,” Vivian pouted. “She’s all wet. She’ll ruin the inside of your car. We can let that happen.”
This was another shot at humiliation. Vivian wanted Emma to try and fight for her spot. It was part of the game for her. She got off on causing heartache and emotional turmoil. Emma refused to give her the satisfaction.
“You two go in the car. I’ll meet you there.”
“Em…,” Matt reached out for her. Emma backed away. She couldn’t bear to be touched by him.
“I’ll meet you there,” she repeated and ran off in the direction of the bar. Her heart thrashed against her ribs as she ran. She longed to release her emotions, to let herself feel them.
But she couldn’t. She took advantage of being away from them and did her best to collect herself. Don’t cry. Don’t cry. Don’t cry. It was her mantra as she ran. She did her best to try and not notice as Matt’s car passed her. She tried not to see how Vivian threw her head back in laughter as they watched her run in the storm. She would lie to herself and say it didn’t sting. She stayed numb to the pain.
Don’t cry. Don’t feel.
Her legs and lungs were on fire with exertion when she reached Tremaine’s. Not a month ago, she was nestled in Matt’s lap celebrating their anniversary. He’d tenderly kissed her and promised that they would always be together. He gushed about his plans for their future. And now he’d all but erased her from his life. It was then she decided she’d return the favor.
She walked into the bar and the pang of nostalgia was hard to fight off. She loved Tremaine’s. It was decorated as a 1920’s speakeasy. There were often local artists or musicians performing there. Its cozy atmosphere was also perfect for studying. She’d spent so many amazing evenings there.
After this is done, she promised herself, I’ll never set foot in here again.
Matt and Vivian were seated at her favorite table. Emma took a deep breath and approached them.
They sat next to each other, leaving the space across from them empty for her. There was a drink waiting.
“I ordered a sangria for you. I know it’s your favorite,” Matt said. Emma stared at him. She figured she’d need the liquid courage, so downed the drink in one breath. Emma felt an instant buzz. Good, she thought. Matt and Vivian were surprised but quickly regained their composure.
“Listen, Matt,” Emma said after she finished. “I don’t have the energy for this. If you want to break up with me so you can keep screwing around with Vivian, that’s fine. Consider us broken up.”
Vivian was clearly upset by Emma’s strong will. She wanted Emma to break. She wanted to see the hurt she had caused her.
“We didn’t mean for this to happen or to hurt you,” Vivian lied. “You just worked so many hours and Matt got lonely. I kept him company one night. One thing led to another and we…”
“You slept with her?” Emma seethed.
“We’re in love, Emma,” Matt added. “Deep, passionate and true love. I’m sorry if this is too much for you.”
“I said, I don’t care,” she looked over at Vivian. “You want him? You can have him.” Vivian was becoming more and more irritated.
“This is your fault you know,” she said in another attempt to tear Emma down. “If you hadn’t been such a shitty girlfriend, this would never have happened. I mean, look at you. All you do is work, and study. You never try and look good for him. You’re such a prude. It’s no wonder he got bored of you.” A wicked glint flashed in Vivian’s eyes. There was one more thing she could try to break Emma. “Maybe you should have learned a thing or two from that loose friend of yours, Sabrina. She certainly knows her way around campus if you know what I mean.” She threw her back and laughed.
Emma stood, grabbed Vivian’s drink and threw it in her face.
“How dare you? I was hoping to keep our friendship intact, but I can see that’s impossible!” Vivian jumped up.
“First of all, we were never friends, you back-stabbing skank! Second of all, you keep Sabrina’s name out of your mouth. Say what you want about me, but I will not let you sit there and talk shit about my friends.”
“You’re just jealous I got your man!”
“You. Can. Have. Him,” Emma repeated. By then, the entire bar was watching them. And Emma found she didn’t care. She turned to leave, but Matt grabbed her. “Don’t touch me!”
“You think you can just leave like this?” He yelled at her. “We tried to have a civilized conversation with you and this is how you act?”
“You cheated on me! So now I’m breaking up with you. Happy?” she yelled back. “I’ve released you so you can be with your precious bitch. Congratulations. I hope you and that devil slut have a great life!”
Vivian shot up and slapped Emma across the face.“A devil slut? You’re just jealous that Matt would rather be with someone like me!”“And you’re just a horrible bitch that can’t get a man of your own. What is this, like the fourth boyfriend you’ve stolen? Get a fucking life!” Vivian looked almost hurt. She lashed out and pulled Emma’s hair. She’d had enough. The anger that she had buried all day wouldn’t be suppressed any longer. Emboldened by the drink, she launched back at Vivian and they blew up into an all-out cat fight. They scratched, slapped, and pulled at each other. Emma was having an out of body experience. She wanted Vivian to hurt the way she was hurting. She went in for another slap, but Matt jumped in between them.“Stop!” he called out. “Just stop!”The girls backed away from each other. Fury still boiled in Emma’s blood. She wanted to yanked that wench’s hair out strand by strand. But her wrath for Matt was on another level. At the end of the day, this was his doing.
The stranger looked her and raised an eyebrow. Emma figured he thought she was a sex worker. And that factored into her plan. Maybe this rich man could provide her the money she needed. At least he’s hot, she thought. If she was going to be sold, it may as well be under her own terms.“Okay. I see where this is going. Fine.” He didn’t speak after that. Emma reveled in the warmth inside the car, but also cringed at the mess she was making in it. The dirty rain water would stain the glossy leather seats. But he didn’t seem to notice.They pulled up to a fancy five-star hotel. The lobby was glamorous. Her wet shoes sloshed on the polished marble floors. Mirrored ceilings assaulted her with own reflection. Emma realized her suspicion was right. He thought she was a sex worker, and there were expectations with that. She followed him to the front desk. A classy worker at the desk greeted him with familiar enthusiasm.“Good evening, Mr. Stewart. Housekeeping has been to your room. You’ll
Emma longed to submit herself to the throes of passion, to let this man erase the memories of the worst day of her life. “I’m not Grace,” she whispered with what little power she had left. The spell was broken. Something inside him shattered as he pushed himself off this imposter. This common whore. Not his Grace.“No. You aren’t.” Emma thought he would be angry, but she was surprised to see a tragic sadness in his eyes. He was in pain. Just as she was. “But I can be her. I can be Grace for you, if that’s what you’d like,” Emma said. She tried not to feel any sympathy for him. This is a business deal, she thought. Just a business deal. Will scoffed and sat up, trying to put as much distance between them without getting off the bed. How could he mistake this hooker for his Grace? Now that she was cleaned up, it was clear she was beautiful. And under other circumstances, he’d had every intention of finishing what they started. But not like this.“Of course, you could. I’m sure you’
Will’s eyes went wide. His eyebrows shot into his hairline. They stared at each other for a few seconds. Emma knew exactly that it was a steep price for just one night. But she had no choice.“Why not? This night has been strange enough,” Will said. He got up from the bed, still very naked. He laughed as Emma looked away.Emma felt her face flush. Rough fingers gripped her chin, and Will pulled her face so that she was looking up at him. The danger is his eyes was back. A violent storm raged in them, and Emma found herself wishing she’d been caught in that storm rather than the one she ran through yesterday. “So, Emma,” he inched closer to her face. “Did you enjoy yourself last night?” he smirked, hot breath hitting her ear.Emma wanted to slap the smug smile off of his face.“I don’t understand why that matters,” she managed to whisper. As much as she hated it, her body responded to his in a way she couldn’t control. “Did you enjoy yourself last night?” He ignored her question.“Y.
“What could possibly be taking them so long?” Will asked. He paced back and forth in the salon. Jason had picked a striking Yves Saint Laurent suit. This is why Will came here. Jason was the absolute best stylist in the city, and he was discreet. He supposed he’s presented him with quite a task this time. Emma wasn’t ugly, he’d seen all of her last night. But she wasn’t his usual type at all. She didn’t stand out. *Probably because she doesn’t want to,* Will laughed to himself.“Ahem!” Jason announced with fanfare. “I present the Lady Emma Skye Wells!” He pulled back the curtain and revealed the new and approved Emma. Will stood up at the sight of her. Her once matted, disheveled hair was swept into a sophisticated low bun. Her ruined clothes were replaced with a chic skirt suit. The skirt hugged her curves. The emerald hue against the olive tones of her skin made her glow. Will was enchanted her with her. “She is dressed in an exquisite viridian Givenchy skirt suit that has been
Emma walked until she couldn’t see the hotel anymore. What had she done? The last 24 hours had been the most bizarre of her life. She slept with a man for money. How could she do something like that?“You’ve got to get over this,” she said to herself. “You’ve got to move on.”A reflection from a store window caught her attention. It was a beautiful, elegant woman dressed in luxury brand clothes. But she carried an old bag stuffed with old clothes. Emma decided she had to change out of those clothes. That elegant woman was someone else. Someone she didn’t want to be. She ran into a store and into their restroom. Emma ripped the clothes from her body. They were another reminder of what she’d done and she just wanted this day to go away. Jason had done her a favor and had her clothes washed. After she changed, Emma washed the makeup off and removed her jewelry. She released her hair from the tight bun, and threw it up in a messy ponytail. “There,” she said as she smiled at her reflecti
Matt and Vivian were viciously making out.“Of course, they’re here right now,” Sabrina said with disgust.“Come on, guys. Let’s get out of here,” Emma turned to leave, but Jess and Sabrina stopped her. “Excuse me,” Jess called. “You are in my booth. Get the fuck out. Unless you want to continue to give us a live show.”Matt and Vivian stopped and tried to gather themselves.“Excuse me,” Vivian mocked. “This is a private moment.”“Not in my reserved VIP booth, it’s not.”Their argument was started to gain the attention of the people around them. Emma wanted to hide, but Jess and Sabrina had no plans of backing down.“Get your cheating ass out of our booth,” Sabrina threatened. “We were here first,” Vivian taunted.“Oh, I’m sorry. Were you busy?” Sabrina ridiculed her. “Busy getting it on with my girl’s sloppy ass seconds? What does he taste like?”“Probably like last week’s nasty leftovers,” Jess answered. “Everyone knows Vivian is only interested in everyone’s trash. She’s not good
“An accident?” Emma’s lungs deflated and she felt her heart clunk to a stop. “Get to the hospital now!” Jane repeated, and hung up the phone. The next few moments were a blur. Emma almost dashed out the door, but realized she was still in her club clothes and slept in make-up. She shed off last night’s armor and threw on an old t-shirt and pair of sweatpants. She was a whirlwind of anxiety and panic as she tore through her room, and then out of the door. “Please go faster,” she urged the cab driver. Feverish hands wiped the make-up off her face with an old make-up wipe at the bottom of her purse. She may look like a mess, but at least she didn’t look like last night’s mess. The hospital seemed like it was light years away. No matter how fast she implored the driver to go, she never seemed to get close enough. After what seemed like an eternity, Emma leapt from the car and flew into the hospital’s ER. Jane and Anna were sitting in the waiting room. Before she could approach them, Ja