I stared at the clock as the second hand clicked systematically. It was past noon and I still sat in my nightwear, eyes red and swollen, and my hair an absolute mess. Most of the day had rushed past in a blur and I didn't really care. All I wanted to do was avoid the outside wall and crawl into a hole. My eyes fell on Kathy who sat in the dining with me, fiddling with a salt sprinkler. I could tell she was lost in her thoughts which were most likely on how to digest everything I had told her some minutes ago.The air between us had been awkward since I explained my ordeal of the day before with her. She didn't know how to feel and was utterly disappointed with Elliott. She continued to console me and give me advice on what to do next and then we both had a couple of glasses of alcohol.I told her I was going to skip work that day and she immediately called her boss and lied about feeling ill and having to go to the hospital. Then she just stayed with me, comforting me every time I bu

"Are you alright?" Derek's voice called out pulling me out of my thoughts. I turned to him sharply and blinked he turned to me with a worried gaze. Chapter 104 "Yeah, I'm good. Why do you ask?" I asked feigning oblivion. "You seemed lost for a second like something is bothering you," he said as his grip tightened on the steering wheel. He looked straight ahead before looking at me again, the worry in his eyes unhinged. "I'm fine," I said, giving him an assuring smile. I was actually fine in fact and I was determined to have a wonderful night with him, my mind had just drifted off as I sat in the car doing nothing. The car pulled up in front of a fancy restaurant and I turned to Derek giving him a teasing look. "Well, you really went over the top with this one," I said and he gave me a wary smile. "There's something I have to tell you, Zora," he said, his time serious. I turned to him with a raised eyebrow and he cleared his throat nervously. "See the thing is, my friends actual

Chapter 106I stood in shock as Derek stood at the end of the door smiling nervously. "Can I come in?" He asked. I still stood at the door stuck between letting him in or addressing him there. I wasn't sure if I was ready to talk to him or if I even had anything to say to himBut I knew slamming the door in his face as I did with Elliott was going too far. The atmosphere became thick as we stood there in awkward silence while I still struggled to make up my mind and then Kathy's words came running through my memory about me being more open-minded and giving him a chance.I wasn't sure about giving him a chance. I honestly couldn't see a future where he and I were anything more than just friends and I wondered if that future still existed.I decided however to have an 'open mind'. I sighed and stepped away from the door.He smiled in relief as he walked in and I closed the door then I led him to the living room and offered him a seat. He smiled in appreciation and then he sat. "Do yo

Chapter 108. Bright lights, white tiles, steady beeping of EKG machines, distorted noises, empty hallways, screaming. My feet sprinted through the hallways of the hospital in a frenzy, I pushed through the scanty amount of people loitering and ducked moving carts and shelves. My vision blurred by all the tears welling in them, my heart pounding against my chest threatening to tear through my skin, and my throat sore from the screaming.After I'd heard the news and stood still for a while, the news suddenly came rushing back in and I grabbed my hair and yelled in so much pain as I fell to the floor. Elliot caught me and tried to console me but I couldn't see past the pain.I slammed my palms on the counter as I finally reached the reception. "My dad! I need to see my dad!" I yelled. The lady at the counter didn't seem moved by my outburst and it made no sense to me.Why was everyone else so calm when it hurt so much?Why was life so unfair to me?My hands slowly balled into fists as

Chapter 110."Oh for fucks sake! I've just about had enough of this fucking bullshit," I groaned as I walked beside Kathy. She hushed me silently and we continued walking.I pushed through the crowd with my eyes hidden behind thick dark shades and my head ducked under a scarf and stealthily tried to avoid the reporters and cameras as I struggled to make my way into the hospital.That kind of attention was the last thing I needed especially at a time like this, I had made the news once again but this time it was more absurd. The news headline read 'BOYFRIEND DRAMA TURNS DEADLY'. I felt my blood boil at the folly of it all. "I swear if I find the reporter behind this I'm going to toss them off a bridge," I said angrily. "Shh, you'll draw attention to yourself, let's get past the lobby first," Kathy said as she led me past the small crowd of reporters that he'd snuck into the hospital.It annoyed me how persistent and mindless the reporters were. Anyone with a small sense of empathy wo