Chapter 2 Rejection

I woke up the next morning with a pounding headache and a wave of nausea. Looking around the unfamiliar room, panic surged as I pieced together the hazy memories of last night. Ethan's advances and my inability to resist due to my drunken state replayed in my mind.

Sitting up in bed, clutching the sheets around me, I noticed my clothes strewn across the floor. Ethan was nowhere to be seen. A sense of violation and shame overwhelmed me, and tears welled up in my eyes.

My phone buzzed on the nightstand. It was a text from Cassie.

"Emma, my parents are stable now. I'm sorry I had to leave you. Are you okay?"

I quickly typed a response, trying to keep my emotions in check. "I'm okay, Cassie. Just a bit shaken. I'll talk to you later."

As I put my phone down, the door to the suite opened. Ethan walked in, looking freshly showered and casual.

"Good morning," he said with a smirk, as if nothing unusual had happened.

I glared at him, my anger boiling over. "What happened last night?"

He raised an eyebrow. "You don't remember? We had a good time."

"A good time?" I repeated, incredulous. "I was drunk and vulnerable, and you took advantage of me."

Ethan shrugged. "You didn't seem to mind at the time. Besides, it was just a one-night thing. No need to get all worked up."

His callous attitude only fueled my rage. "You think you can just use people and discard them like they're nothing?"

Ethan's expression hardened. "Watch your tone, Emma. You came with me willingly."

I grabbed my clothes off the floor, my hands shaking. "This isn't over, Ethan. You can't treat people this way."

He laughed coldly. "We'll see about that."

I dressed as quickly as I could and stormed out of the suite, my mind reeling. I needed to get away from him and figure out what to do next. As I exited the club, the morning sun was just starting to rise. I hailed a taxi and gave the driver Cassie's address, my heart heavy with shame, anger, and confusion.

When I arrived at Cassie's apartment, she opened the door, her face filled with concern. "Emma, what happened?"

I broke down, the tears finally spilling over. "Cassie, I... I think I made a terrible mistake."

She pulled me into a comforting hug. "It's okay, Emma. We'll figure it out together."

---

I spent the next few days at Cassie's place, trying to come to terms with what had happened. I couldn't shake the feeling of betrayal and that my life was spiraling out of control. My mind kept replaying the events of that night, and I felt sick every time I thought about it.

While Cassie was out running errands, I received an unexpected visitor. It was Tamela, my stepmother. She barged into Cassie's apartment, her face a mask of fury.

"Emma, what have you done?" she demanded, her voice dripping with disdain.

I stared at her, bewildered. "What are you talking about?"

She thrust a tabloid newspaper at me, the headline screaming about my drunken night with Ethan Allen. There were photos of us entering the club, leaving together, and even one of me looking disheveled the next morning.

My stomach churned. "How did they get these?"

Tamela sneered. "Do you have any idea what you've done to this family's reputation? This is a scandal!"

I felt a wave of panic. "I didn't ask for this. It just happened."

"Well, it better unhappen," she snapped. "Ethan Allen is a powerful man, and he won't let this slide. You need to fix this, Emma."

I was at a loss for words. How was I supposed to fix something that was already so broken? But I knew one thing-I needed to confront Ethan and demand he take responsibility for his actions.

---

The next day, I went to Meadow Textile Ltd., Ethan's company. I managed to get past the receptionist and made my way to his office. When I burst in, Ethan looked up, clearly surprised to see me.

"Emma, what are you doing here?" he asked, his tone wary.

I threw the tabloid on his desk. "Explain this, Ethan. How did these pictures get out?"

He glanced at the newspaper, then back at me. "I have no idea. I didn't leak them."

"Well, someone did," I shot back. "And now my life is a mess because of you."

Ethan leaned back in his chair, his expression unreadable. "Look, Emma, I didn't mean for this to happen. But it's done now. What do you want me to do about it?"

I took a deep breath, trying to steady my voice. "You need to take responsibility. This isn't just about a one-night stand. There's more at stake here."

He studied me for a moment, then nodded slowly. "Fine. I'll see what I can do to control the damage. But you need to understand something, Emma. This changes nothing between us. You're still nothing to me."

His words stung, but I held my ground. "I don't care about us, Ethan. I care about making things right."

As I left his office, I felt a small sense of relief. It wasn't much, but it was a start. I knew the road ahead would be difficult, but I was determined to take control of my life and not let Ethan or anyone else dictate my fate.

---

Two weeks later, a series of articles began circulating, painting a very different picture of Ethan Allen. Anonymous sources revealed his history of exploiting women, and the media frenzy turned against him. The tide had shifted, and public opinion was no longer in his favor. Ethan's reputation was in tatters, and Meadow Textile Ltd. faced severe backlash.