Chapter 6 Amiss

Nick clenched his jaw, feeling a mix of anger and frustration bubble within him. His eyes narrowed as he confronted Rachel, his voice low and intense. "What did you call me?"

She looked back at him, her expression unyielding. "I called you an ass," she repeated, her tone laced with defiance. "You come over here, spout cheesy lines, and then insult me because I called you out on your behavior. Classy move, really."

Nick's fists tightened at his sides as he struggled to control his temper. He took a deep breath, attempting to regain his composure. "Listen, I'm not gonna exchange words with you because your obviously drunk. But if you dare utter another insult, then..."

Rachel's interruption cut him off, a mischievous smirk on her face. "What will you do?" she interjected, raising an eyebrow boldly.

At that moment, Nick realized it was futile to continue trying to reason with her. After all, she was just a complete stranger and not his problem.

Deciding to ignore her, Nick simply turned and walked away, determined not to let some stranger ruin his entire night.

Rachel sank back onto her seat and resumed drinking.

"Men can be so infuriating," she muttered to the bartender, who chuckled at her remark, amused by her tipsy state.

******

The next morning..

Rachel awoke to sunlight peeking through her window, her head throbbing as she struggled to recall the events of the previous night.

"How did I even make it home?" she wondered, realizing she had consumed far too much alcohol.

Yawning and stretching, she stumbled her way to the bathroom, hoping to ease her discomfort.

As she approached the sink, she splashed water on her face, attempting to wash away the remnants of her memory from last night.

The recollection of the annoying stranger she had encountered resurfaced in her mind, albeit hazy due to her intoxicated state. Nonetheless, their conversation remained clear.

"Ass," she muttered under her breath.

Returning to her room, Rachel flopped onto her bed. Here she was, wasting thoughts on a complete stranger who had annoyed her the previous night, when she had more pressing matters to deal with.

Like her deceitful, cheating boyfriend.

Or the fact that she was still betrothed.

She groaned in frustration.

The mere thought of it made her headache intensify.

Just then, her mother walked in.

"Good, you're awake. I hope you had a good time last night, because you need to get ready for tonight."

"Ready for what?" Rachel responded, her confusion seeping into her voice.

"Ready to meet your future husband and in-laws," Maria replied excitedly.

"What!?" Rachel retorted angrily.

"You heard me," Maria replied, her voice laced with frustration.

"Mom, please. I can't handle this anymore. Why can't you and Dad understand? How could you even put me in such a situation?" Rachel exclaimed, her exasperation palpable.

As the words escaped Rachel's lips, she noticed a flicker of deep sadness on her mother's face. It wasn't merely sadness; it seemed more like a profound sense of helplessness. Maria quickly masked her emotions, unwilling to reveal her true feelings.

"Rachel, everything is..." Maria began, her voice trailing off.

"Is something wrong, Mom?" Rachel interjected, concern evident in her voice. Something didn't feel right.

"No, of course not. Everything is just fine. You don't need to worry about anything. Just get ready for tonight," Maria replied, forcing a smile before leaving Rachel alone with her troubling thoughts.

Rachel slumped back onto her bed. Something was definitely amiss. Her mother was clearly hiding something, and Rachel couldn't shake off the feeling that she needed to uncover the truth.

"Ugh... I hate my life," she muttered, the weight of her frustrations pressing down on her.

Just then, her phone buzzed, signaling a new message from her friend Derby.

"Hey, want to meet up for lunch this afternoon? You'll never guess who just got back," the message read.

Rachel contemplated the idea of having lunch with her friend. The prospect of getting out of the house, even for a short while, was tempting. Plus, she was curious to know who Derby was referring to.

"There's only one way to find out," Rachel thought, a glimmer of hope shining through her inner turmoil.