Chapter 1

Emma Pov

My hands trembled as I held the pile of bills in front of me. The stack of overdue notices and invoices seemed to grow taller with each passing day. I had been struggling to make ends meet for months, working part-time jobs while trying to keep up with my studies. But it felt like every time I paid off one bill, another one arrived in the mail.

My heart sank as I realized that my financial situation was spiralling out of control. I had tried to manage it on my own, cutting back on unnecessary expenses and cancelling my subscription services. But no matter how hard I worked or how many corners I cut, it felt like the hole I was in only grew larger.

I knew I had to do something drastic, something I never thought I would consider. My friend Maria, who worked at a hotel clubhouse, had once told me about the lavish parties where influential people gathered. She suggested that if I could enter their good books, they might be willing to help me out financially.

Overwhelmed by the circumstances I found myself in, desperation clouded my judgment. I dug through my purse and found my phone. I reluctantly dialled Maria's number, hoping she could assist me.

Maria was thrilled when I told her I was ready to take the offer she had presented. She blabbered a lot of things, but my mind was preoccupied with the guilt of what I was about to do and the present situation I found myself in.

She informed me that she would book a room for me so I could get dressed and mingle with the people at the club. Although hesitant, I agreed to her plan, understanding that this might be my chance to seek financial assistance from someone with connections. It wasn't the path I wanted to take, but desperation left me with limited options.

When I arrived at the hotel, Maria was waiting for me at the front desk. She handed me a key to my room and assured me that everything would be alright. I managed to give her a small smile, appreciating her support.

She instructed me to change into the clothes she had laid out on the bed after freshening up. According to her, she had provided everything I needed to get ready for the event. I nodded, taking note of her instructions, and made my way to the room, following the directions on my room card.

The room offered a comforting and cosy atmosphere, providing a momentary escape from the worries that had consumed me for weeks. I decided to take a shower and then examined the clothes Maria had prepared. They were indeed revealing, as I had expected.

I cautiously put on the clothes and headed towards the venue, bracing myself for the unknown. As soon as I entered, I was immediately engulfed by a sea of noise, the scent of alcohol lingering in the air. The atmosphere was filled with pulsating beats and a mass of dancing bodies, their laughter and chatter echoing around me. For someone like me, who preferred the comfort of solitude, the overwhelming energy felt suffocating.

Anxious, I searched the crowd for Maria, hoping to find solace and guidance in her familiar face. However, as time passed, doubts began to creep into my mind. I questioned whether she would even show up, and with each passing moment, my insecurities and feelings of helplessness grew.

Amidst the chaos, I attempted to make myself invisible. But it proved impossible, as men approached me, trying to engage me in drinking or hanging out with them. I politely refused their advances, trying to maintain my composure in this unfamiliar and overwhelming environment.

I dialled Maria's number, but it didn't go through. Anger started to well up within me as I wondered why she was absent. My frustration grew as I spotted her in the arms of a man, their bodies intertwined as he showered her with random kisses on her neck and shoulders. They walked towards me, Maria laughing wildly.

She sat down next to me, attempting to engage in conversation, but my anger prevented any words from escaping my lips. I felt even more aggravated by the presence of the man she had brought along. Well, I should have expected such behaviour at this kind of party. Maria apologized for arriving late, and I accepted her apology with a forced smile.

Although we both knew why she had brought me there, I didn't understand her plan at that moment. I couldn't find support or a way out of my predicament in such a wild place. I doubted whether I could even pretend to fit in. Maria, however, managed to calm me down and explained that the party was just a party, and we were expecting someone later that night. She didn't provide me with any details or even a vague description of this person. I placed my trust in her, desperate to escape my current situation.

In an attempt to further liven up the night, Maria discreetly ordered a round of shots from the bar. Caught up in the excitement, I gladly accepted the drink without questioning its contents. Unbeknownst to me, Maria had asked the bartender to make mine slightly stronger than usual. As the shots were consumed one by one, I could feel warmth spreading through my body. At the time, I dismissed it as the adrenaline of the night, revelling in the music and laughter.

However, as the hours passed, my surroundings began to blur. The lights became hazy, the sounds distorted, and my movements sluggish. I realized something was wrong; the strong drink was taking hold of me. Maria, recognizing the situation, quickly guided me to a quieter corner of the club. Her face displayed concern, but it quickly transformed into mocking laughter.

Feeling bewildered and confused, I struggled to grasp the situation. I had never experienced being drunk before. My anger was apparent to Maria, who swiftly apologized, acknowledging how intoxicated I appeared. We both laughed, though I couldn't shake the thought that we hadn't yet met the person we had come all this way for. In my current state, I knew I wouldn't make a presentable impression. I voiced my concerns to Maria, and as if she had read my mind, she assured me it was alright. She would meet him on my behalf and ensure he did something about my situation.

"But that wasn't part of the plan. How would he agree to anything when we haven't even met?" I asked, uncertain about this new development.

She hesitated for a moment before responding, "Trust me."

I was taken aback by her answer, but she reassured me not to worry and claimed to be in control. She insisted I needed rest and escorted me back to my hotel room. As I lay down, countless thoughts flooded my mind, suspicion growing towards Maria. I wondered why she seemed so composed while I was left feeling disoriented. She sat on the edge of the bed, smiling at me as she mentioned she would return to the party. She assured me she would bring good news when she saw me the next day. I smiled back, watching her exit through the door. I hoped her words would ring true.

Struggling with my sluggish body and blurred vision, my mind raced with thoughts. After some time contemplating, I decided to surrender to sleep. However, as I closed my eyes and began drifting off, a sudden sense of someone else's presence filled the room.

The man climbed onto the bed, his hands exploring my body and his lips kissing my neck. Fear and confusion rushed through me as I attempted to resist, but my weakened state rendered me powerless. I endured a mix of pleasure and pain, overwhelmed by the experience.

Afterwards, the man left without a word, leaving me alone and bewildered in the room. I lay there, feeling violated and vulnerable, questioning how I had ended up in such a situation. It all happened so quickly, tears welling up in my eyes as the mystery of the unfolding events consumed me. I had been brought here against my will, forced to engage in unwanted intimacy, yet I was too weak to fight back. I drifted off into sleep almost immediately.

In the morning, I waited to see Maria, my mind haunted by the incident. Lost in my thoughts, I heard a knock on the door—it was her. She apologized for not checking on me later that night, but I remained silent. Concern filled her expression as she lowered her face toward me, attempting to hold my hands, but I pulled away swiftly.

"Is that why you brought me here?" I asked.

"You were desperate for money to clear your debts..." she replied, but I interrupted her.

"I never wanted to be used like this, not like this."

"Well, it's not the first time you've been with a man..."

"At least I knew the man I slept with, I wanted it."

"You shouldn't be talking to me like that, I was trying to help."

"I didn't even know the face of the man who had sex with me."

She shouldn't have revealed this to me. She had mentioned that he was a wealthy young man named Ethan, the son of an influential and affluent family in the city. It was supposed to console me, but it did nothing to ease the betrayal and violation I felt. As she uttered those words, she handed me an envelope containing a significant amount of cash. However, I wasn't sure if it would be enough to alleviate my mounting debt.

Feeling betrayed and violated, I left the room and the hotel, making my way back home, ignoring Maria's pleas for me to come back. I vowed never to continue my friendship with her. She had shattered my trust, and I had no desire to encounter Ethan again in the future.

As the months passed, overdue notices and calls from creditors flooded in. Just as I had anticipated, the money provided by Ethan wasn't enough to resolve my debts. The weight of my financial obligations suffocated me, and anxiety infiltrated every aspect of my life. Sleepless nights became the norm as I lay awake, consumed by worries about how to make ends meet.

Sitting in my cramped apartment, I stared at a disarray of unpaid bills scattered across my kitchen table. Anxiety gnawed at my insides as I desperately tried to devise a plan to cope with my financial struggles. The past few months had been an ongoing battle, with reduced work hours and unforeseen expenses piling up. As I sifted through the bills, a wave of nausea swept over me, causing me to clutch my stomach.

Confusion and panic surged through me as I realized that my period was late. As someone who had always been regular, this sudden change alarmed me greatly. My thoughts raced, considering the possibilities. The recent incident at the club with Ethan came to mind, and I couldn't ignore the fact that he had raped me. I hadn't been cautious, and now I feared the consequences of my momentary lapse in judgment.

Fear and uncertainty consumed me as I hurried to the pharmacy to purchase a pregnancy test kit. The minutes that followed felt like an eternity as I anxiously waited for the results. Finally, the small digital screen blinked, two lines staring back at me, confirming my worst fears. I was pregnant.