A Wrecking Life 2.0

It had only been a few minutes since Aria was taken away, but it felt like hours. I was still sitting in the chair, frozen and completely numb. My mind tried to piece together how everything had spiraled so fast.

From bad to better to worse than ever. Just like that.

And the worst part? I had seen it coming. I knew something was off from the start. Yet here I was motionless, stuck in a fog of guilt and confusion.

At some point, the lawyer Mr. Ronald, apparently had said something about meeting at the station tomorrow. I didn’t even register it. He left the room, and now I was alone.

Alone… with him.

Mr. Billionaire.

He sat back in his chair, arms folded across his chest, relaxing like he had just finished a casual business meeting. There was this amused look on his face, like the whole situation was a joke to him. Like none of this my tears, Aria’s arrest, our broken lives meant anything.

I glared at him, stomach twisted with anger and disgust.

“Are you happy now?” I asked, voice cold.

He looked at me and grinned.

“Are you always this dumb?” he said with a mocking tone. “Who wouldn’t be happy after getting someone arrested for scamming their family? Although… no. I’m not happy. But she deserves it. For what she did.”

He leaned forward slightly, eyes narrowing.

“And you… you should be with her right now.”

I blinked. “So why am I still here?”

His smirk deepened.

“Watch your tongue,” he warned. “You wouldn’t want me to make you cry again. You had so much guts a few minutes ago, I almost thought something was off with you. Maybe not right in the head? Because you cried all the way here like a child.”

I gasped. The words hit hard.

The audacity.

The way he said it so smug, so proud of himself. It made my skin crawl. He was the kind of man who took pleasure in breaking people down just to feel more powerful.

Arrogant. Cruel. And far too good looking for someone that evil.

That smirk on his face… God, how I wished I could slap it clean off.

“Young women these days,” he said with a shake of his head, his voice laced with contempt, “always defensive ,always playing the victim, even when they know they’re wrong. Look around you. You do know how sensitive the world is right now, don’t you? How dangerous it is to defend someone who could be seen as a potential groomer?”

He paused, his eyes narrowing. “An aspiring lawyer, and this is the hill you choose to die on? What a disappointment.”

His words landed with the sharpness of a slap. I froze.

Because whether I liked it or not , he was partially right.

Aria had no business continuing anything with that boy after learning his real age. A nine year gap was no joke. It looked bad, it was bad, and even I, through all my loyalty, couldn’t deny that.

But I lifted my chin. I wasn’t done. Not by a long shot.

“I’m not blind to the truth,” I said calmly, then added,much more firmer, “Yes, Aria should have backed off when she found out. She didn’t. That’s on her. But don’t stand there and act like your nephew was some helpless little boy being led astray. He’s eighteen. Legally an adult. And he had intentions. He knew what he was doing.”

His jaw twitched. I pressed on.

“You’re painting my sister as a predator while completely ignoring the bigger picture. Your own nephew used your identity to manipulate women online. Right under your nose. And you want to talk about disappointment? Try looking in the mirror.”

His brows shot up, but I didn’t flinch. My voice didn’t shake.

“You and your family were too blind to see the signs. Too busy flaunting wealth to notice your spoiled little prince was out there playing dangerous games. Who knows how many girls he’s done this to? Or how many he’ll keep doing it to? But no, of course it’s easier to blame the poor woman who took the bait.”

I stepped closer to his desk.

“Yes,we were desperate. And yes, we made mistakes. But what would you do if someone kept handing you gifts on a silver platter, no strings attached? Are we fools for taking them, or are you fools for raising a boy who knew exactly how to manipulate his way into a woman’s life?”

I stopped, breathing heavy but steady. I’d said it. All of it.

And he scared me, his presence, his voice, those eyes that looked like they could cut glass. But somehow, even as my heart raced and my hands trembled, I didn’t back down.

That surprised me more than anything.

His expression changed the moment I finished speaking.

Gone was the smirk. The arrogance faded into something colder, controlled, but dangerous.

He stood.

And just like that, he was right in front of me.

His massive frame towered over mine, swallowing all the space between us. I felt like a hobbit. And no, I’m not short. I’m 5’1”, thank you very much but next to him, I could’ve been a toddler.

I gulped, unable to look up at him. My body went tense like it was bracing for impact.

Then came the words.

Low. Measured. Piercing.

“You have 24 hours to evacuate the house you and your sister paid for with my money,” he said, his voice deadly calm. “If you want to relive today or worse then stay. See what happens.”

A chill ran through me.

What a horrible, awful man.

And yet God help me he sounded incredibly sexy when he spoke.

His English was perfect. Crisp, polished. The kind of fluency that came from either living in the UK for years or taking school way too seriously. Either way, he carried the kind of British accent that sounded straight out of a luxury fragrance commercial. But underneath that, there was something else, a distinct edge to his tone. Norwegian.

I’d heard it when he barked orders at his guards earlier in a language I couldn’t understand. Norse, probably. Or whatever version of it his homeland spoke.

And that’s what made it worse. That I was standing here, drooling actually drooling over a man who had just threatened to throw me out of my house and sent my sister to jail like it was nothing.

Arrogant. Rude. Vicious.

And yet… terrifyingly attractive.

What is wrong with me?

“Get out,” he uttered.

The moment those two words left his mouth, I found myself standing. No hesitation. Just… obedience. Like my body was moving before my brain could catch up.

I flinched just a little and walked straight to the door, not daring to look back. I didn’t even know where I was going. I just pressed the button for the ground floor when I got into the elevator and waited.

As soon as the doors closed, I let out the breath I didn’t know I was holding. I leaned back against the wall and slowly slid down to the floor, hugging my knees, eyes burning.

And then… I cried.

Because that’s what I do when I’m overwhelmed. When I feel helpless. When everything comes crashing down too fast and I have no one and nowhere to go.

By the time the elevator hit the ground floor, I was glad I was alone. I probably looked like a total wreck. My hair was a tangled mess, my eyes red and puffy, my entire soul in shambles.

I didn’t even think. I just ran out of the building, not caring who saw me. Not even sure where I was going. I hadn’t brought my phone, not even my purse. No cash. No ID. No lifeline. Just me and my stupid jeans and a shirt I barely remembered putting on this morning.

The sky had already started to darken. The street was quiet except for the occasional car passing by. I kept my head low, letting my hair fall into my face to hide the damage.

I didn’t even notice when the car pulled up in front of me.

It was him the red haired guard from earlier. The same one who had practically dragged me out of my house like I was some criminal.

He honked once. I didn’t look.

“Woman, it’s late,” he said in the thickest Norse accent I’ve ever heard. “Hop in. Let me drive you off to your destination.”

His tone was different now less hostile. Maybe even… soft. Like he felt bad for me. Or maybe he just didn’t want to be responsible if something happened to me out here alone.

I stood there for a moment, unsure. But the truth was, I had no other option. Nowhere to go. No one to call.

So I walked over and got into the passenger seat in silence.

And for the first time today… I felt completely, utterly defeated.

We stayed in silence for a while. Just the hum of the car and the occasional bump in the road.

Then I broke it.

“Could you… maybe take me to the station? To see my sister?” I asked, my voice low, almost a whisper. A plea.

He let out a long sigh and glanced at me, then back at the road.

“I could,” he said, “but I’m not even supposed to be giving you a ride right now. It’s getting dark. Why don’t you head home, get some rest? You can go to the station first thing tomorrow.”

I didn’t argue. I didn’t even respond. I just turned my face to the window and stared at the blurry city lights.

After a beat, he spoke again.

“You know… the boss. He can be tough. What happened it’s serious. But if you talked to him, maybe he’d listen. Maybe he’d help.”

Still, I said nothing.

I didn’t have the energy to believe in maybes anymore.

The drive felt shorter than before. Or maybe I was too lost in my own head to notice the time passing.

When we pulled up in front of my building, I reached for the door handle, ready to disappear into the night. But then

“Hey,” he called out.

I turned back. He was holding something out.

His card.

“In case you need a ride tomorrow,” he said. “To see your sister.”

I stared at it for a second. At him. Trying to figure out why he was suddenly being… kind. Gentle, even. Was it pity? Guilt? Or just human decency showing through the uniform?

I took the card and gave a quiet, tired “Thank you.”

He nodded once.

And I turned, walked inside, and shut the door behind me.

My chest ached. My heart was exhausted. My mind refused to settle.

I was alone again.

But at least for tonight… I was safe.