Chapter 3

There was no way I was going to answer his calls, not when I already felt like my life was crumbling. I switched off my phone, deciding I had enough screen time for the night. I closed my eyes and let sleep take over.

---

The relentless beeping of my alarm clock sliced through my sleep like a knife, dragging me out of a dream and into the cold reality of morning.

I groaned, burying my face deeper into the pillows, hoping for just five more minutes of peace. The bed felt too comfortable, pulling me back in with a soft, warm embrace, as if whispering, "Just stay a little longer."

But suddenly, reality hit me, and I sat up with a jolt. 'Crap!' I was already ten minutes late for work. I cursed myself—and the bed—for being so inviting and leapt out, trying to piece myself together as fast as possible.

I threw on my blazer, slipped into my heels, and grabbed my bag, running a hand over my hair in a desperate attempt to look half-decent as I rushed out the door. The commute was a blur of red lights, impatient glances at the clock, and a few muttered prayers. Somehow, I made it to the office, slightly out of breath and already dreading the day ahead.

The second I stepped into the building's lobby, Lucy, one of my coworkers, spotted me and practically sprinted over. "Diane! Mr. Hargrove is asking for you!"

I felt a knot twist in my stomach. 'Great. Just what I need today.' I thought.

Mr. Hargrove's reputation preceded him. He was notorious for his foul temper and tirades, and this wasn't the kind of morning I wanted to face him. But there was no way out of it. With a resigned sigh, I nodded and dragged myself to his office.

Mr. Hargrove was the kind of boss you tried to avoid. Short, balding, with an air of smug superiority, he looked at everyone like we were just cogs in his well-oiled machine. As I knocked on his door, I couldn't help but silently curse the universe for putting me through this today. After what felt like an eternity, a gruff "Come in!" finally came from the other side.

I walked in, only to find him hunched over his phone, completely ignoring me. I forced a polite smile, even though irritation was bubbling up inside me. "Good morning, Mr. Hargrove," I said, though he didn't even glance up.

He was playing a game. He didn't even bother to hide that from me.

Minutes ticked by, my heels starting to dig painfully into my feet as I stood there waiting. By the time he finally looked up, my patience was wearing thin.

"Ah, Ms. Wrenford," he drawled, his eyes sliding over me in a way that made my skin crawl. "I see you finally made it in." His voice was dripping with condescension, like he was just waiting for me to grovel.

I clenched my jaw, keeping my voice as steady as I could. "Is there a reason you called me here?" I wanted to make this encounter as short as it can be.

He leaned back in his chair, that smug expression never leaving his face. "The Boss received some rather... interesting news about you." He opened a folder and slid a few photos across the desk toward me. My heart dropped as I glanced down. There were pictures of me moving out of my apartment and checking into a hotel.

"Care to explain?" he asked, voice oozing with accusation.

I looked hard at the photos, stunned. They were blurry and completely out of context, showing nothing more than me hauling my stuff out of my old apartment. I had no idea how he'd even gotten these. "These don't give away anything that should be considered as bad," I managed to say. "Why would moving out of my apartment be a problem?"

He scoffed, waving his hand like I was being ridiculous. "Don't play dumb. I know your type—a home-wrecker who has no problem shacking up with someone else's fiancé."

I felt my blood boil. *Home-wrecker?* I opened my mouth to defend myself, but he cut me off.

"Here's the deal," he continued, leaning forward with a smirk. "If you want me to put in a good word with the Boss, you'll... entertain me tonight."

My stomach turned. "Excuse me?"

He leaned back, grinning. "You heard me. Give me what I want, and I'll make sure this little mess doesn't ruin your career."

I stared at him, trying to process what I was hearing. This was... unbelievable. "You think I'd actually stoop that low?" I shot back, my voice filled with disgust. "I didn't do anything wrong, and you have no power over me."

His face darkened, anger flashing in his eyes. "Get out!" he snarled. "And don't come crawling back when you realize your little career here is over!"

My face flushed with rage, but I kept my cool as I turned to leave. Under my breath, I muttered, "You're a disgusting old man." Not sure if he heard it, but at that point, I didn't care.

Once I was outside his office, I took a few deep breaths, trying to calm down. I was furious—not just at him, but at this entire, twisted situation. I wasn't about to let some creep like him ruin my life without a fight. Determined, I headed for the office of my boss, figuring maybe I could clear my name. But before I could even get close, I heard a familiar, high-pitched voice that made my blood run cold.

Veronica, once again. What was she doing in my work place?

Without thinking, I pushed open the door, too angry to care about the consequences. Inside, both Veronica and the Boss's assistant turned to look at me, eyes wide with surprise.

"What do you think you're doing?" the assistant snapped, but I ignored him. I only had eyes for Veronica.

"Veronica!" I said, pointing an accusing finger at her. "You're the reason I'm getting a hard time here, aren't you?" Seeing her made me a 100 percent sure she was behind all this.

I don't know why it didn't cross my mind before. Of course it had to be her, who else could it be if it wasn't the real homewrecker?

She gave me a smirk, unfazed. "Oh, sweetie, I'm just doing what has to be done. You shouldn't have tried stepping on my toes."

"Stepping on your toes?" I practically spat. "What did I ever do to you?"

The assistant rolled his eyes. "Miss Diane, you need to leave. This behavior is completely unprofessional."

*Unprofessional?* I thought, incredulous. I wasn't the one spreading rumors and lies. But I was so done with their games. "You think this is funny? You've been lying about me, I'm about to loose my job." I glared at Veronica. "I'm not the home-wrecker here. You are!"

Veronica let out a cold, condescending laugh that grated on my nerves. "Oh, please. No one cares, Diane. This is about power. You're just... collateral damage. You should be grateful I haven't leaked this juicy piece of information to the media, you ungrateful little bitch"

If she had leaked her lie to the media, then my reputation would be destroyed completely and there was nothing I would be able to do about it, Unless... I used the influence of my family, which was something I had vowed never to do.

I felt my face flush with anger as their laughter echoed in the room. I'd come here looking for help, only to be humiliated. With one last glare, I turned and stormed out, my mind reeling. It all clicked into place. Veronica had been sabotaging me all along. I was always given a hard time here, I'd tried to keep my head down and just work, but for what?

Leaving the building, a wave of exhaustion and defeat washed over me. I didn't want to stay in a place that made me feel so small. I hurried to the parking lot, reaching into my bag for my keys, trying to hold back the tears threatening to spill over. But as I fumbled for my keys, I realized something wasn't right. The parking lot was strangely quiet, no one else around.

Before I could react, a cloth covered my mouth and nose, and I felt a strong arm pulling me back. I struggled, kicking and thrashing, panic surging through me, but everything started to go dark. My thoughts grew fuzzy, and as my vision blurred, I realized how far things had spiraled out of control.

---

Diane's heart pounded in the fading moments of consciousness. She'd gone from confronting the people who'd tormented her to facing a nightmare she couldn't understand. Where were they taking her? Why? Her last memory was the cold asphalt beneath her heels, and then... nothing.

---