Chapter 3 Waves of Chaos

Rachael clutched the phone tightly, her ears ringing as Ethan's familiar voice settled over her like a ghost from the past. She hadn't heard him in years, and yet, the sound brought with it a flood of emotions. Nostalgia, anger, longing, and disbelief. She could barely believe it was real.

"Is this a bad time?" Ethan's voice was calm, even a little playful, but she could sense the uncertainty beneath his words.

Rachael blinked, shaking herself out of her daze. "I-uh, no. No, it's fine," she stammered, hating the way her voice quivered. "I'm just... worked up. It's been a long day."

There was a pause on the other end of the line before Ethan spoke again. "I figured. I saw... the video." His tone shifted slightly, laced with concern.

Rachael groaned inwardly, feeling the weight of humiliation settle back onto her shoulders. "Oh, great. So now you're calling to laugh at me too?" she snapped, her defensive walls going up.

"No, Rachael. That's not why I called," he said softly. "I... just got back from California a few days ago. And when I got here, I started thinking about everything, high school, the old days. I guess I got nostalgic and thought about you."

The words hung in the air between them, heavier than either of them had expected. Rachael's heart skipped a beat, but she forced herself to stay guarded. She didn't want to fall into the trap of believing this was anything more than a casual check-in.

"Nostalgia, huh?" she said with a forced laugh. "Well, the city's changed a lot since you left. Don't expect it to feel the same."

"That's exactly why I'm calling," Ethan replied. "I thought maybe you could take me around tomorrow. Show me how much it's changed."

Rachael's breath hitched. Her first instinct was to say yes, but she stopped herself. She couldn't let him think she'd been waiting all these years for his return, no matter how much her heart screamed otherwise. "I... I can't. I'm busy with work," she lied.

"Oh." His disappointment was palpable, and it tugged at something deep inside her. "Well, I hope to see you around, then."

Before she could change her mind, Rachael mumbled a quick goodbye and hung up. The moment the call ended, regret washed over her like a tidal wave.

"You idiot," she muttered to herself, pacing her tiny apartment. "What the hell is wrong with you?"

She grabbed her phone and texted her friends, spilling the details of the conversation.

"What does he take you for?" one of them replied almost immediately. "He thinks he can just waltz back into your life and pretend nothing happened?"

Rachael sighed. Maybe they were right. Maybe it was better to keep her distance. But no matter how much she tried to convince herself, she couldn't shake the image of Ethan's face, the way he used to smile at her, the way he'd made her feel like she was the only girl in the world.

She tossed her phone onto the couch and sank into bed, her thoughts swirling. The notifications on her phone continued to buzz relentlessly, reminding her of the viral video that had turned her into the office's latest scandal. Sleep didn't come easily that night.

The next morning, Rachael groaned as her alarm blared. She reached out to silence it, wishing she could stay in bed forever. "I wish I would just die," she muttered, burying her face in the pillow.

But she couldn't avoid the world forever. With a deep sigh, she forced herself out of bed, dragging her feet through her morning routine. Her phone buzzed with more notifications, but she ignored them, not ready to face the avalanche of comments and messages.

As she headed out the door, her day took a turn for the worse. Her car sputtered and died in the middle of the road, leaving her stranded and fuming. "Of course," she muttered, slamming the door shut and parking it on the side.

She grabbed her bag and started walking toward the nearest bus stop, her mood souring with each step. Just when she thought it couldn't get worse, a speeding car drove past her, splashing mud all over her clothes.

"Are you kidding me?!" she shouted, whipping out her phone to snap a picture of the license plate. The car didn't even slow down, and Rachael felt her anger bubbling over. "Worst day ever, and it's not even noon."

By the time she arrived at work, she was a mess, mud-streaked and miserable. She rushed to the restroom, grabbing handfuls of toilet paper to clean herself up. Her reflection in the mirror looked just as defeated as she felt.

At her desk, the stares and whispers from her coworkers were unbearable. Rachael kept her head down, trying to focus on her work, but Claudia made sure to remind her of the viral video at every opportunity.

"You're famous now," Claudia said with a smug grin. "Not the kind of fame I'd want, but hey, at least people know your name."

Rachael clenched her fists under the desk, biting back a retort. She wouldn't give Claudia the satisfaction of seeing her lose her temper.

Later in the day, she was called into HR. The meeting was as dreadful as she'd expected. The HR manager's tone was cold as they warned her about the company's reputation and how easily interns could be replaced. Rachael nodded along, swallowing the lump in her throat.

By the time the workday ended, she was emotionally drained. She wandered into the old company lobby beside the parking lot, clutching a bottle of alcohol she'd stashed in her bag. She sat down on a bench, unscrewed the cap, and took a long sip, feeling the burn in her throat.

As the hours passed and the alcohol took hold, her thoughts grew hazy. Rachael stumbled out into the parking lot, the bottle of alcohol still in her hand. Her vision swam, and every step felt heavier than the last. She staggered toward what she thought was her car, fumbling with the handle before swinging the door open.

The scene that greeted her was enough to snap her out of her drunken haze, for a moment, at least.

Two people were in the backseat of the car, their half-naked sweaty bodies entwined in a sensual position. The woman screamed, scrambling to cover herself with what looked like a designer jacket, while the man leaned back casually, his expression calm but his eyes narrowing on Rachael.

"What the actual hell?!" the woman shrieked, climbing out of the car. Rachael blinked, trying to process what she was seeing.

"I um," she muttered, squinting at the two figures. The woman's face was unmistakable, Ashley, the supermodel. It wasn't until Rachael saw her that she realized the man was Deevin Blackwood

"This isn't mine?" Rachael mumbled, scratching her head as she tried to piece together her mistake. Before she could say anything else, she turned and threw up on the driver's seat.

"You disgusting bitch!" Ashley screamed, storming toward her. Her manicured fingers gripped Rachael by the collar, yanking her upright. "Do you know how much this fucking car costs?! Who the hell do you think you are?!"

"I... I didn't..." Rachael tried to explain, but the words slurred together as she blinked blearily at Ashley.

"Look at me when I'm talking to you!" Ashley shrieked, slapping Rachael across the face. The sound echoed through the parking lot, and Rachael stumbled back, clutching her cheek.

"You've got a lot of nerve," Ashley continued, her voice dripping with venom. She spun to face Deevin, still seated in the back, watching the scene unfold with an unreadable expression, his arms crossed.

He didn't intervene as Ashley continued to yell and demand an apology.

"Are you just going to sit there and let this trash disrespect us?"

Deevin's face was unfazed, but there was a flicker of something, amusement, maybe, in his eyes.

"Security !," Ashley shriked

"You're making a scene," Deevin said finally, his tone icy.

"A scene?!" Ashley scoffed, turning back to Rachael. "No, this isn't a scene yet." She grabbed a fistful of Rachael's hair, dragging her forward. "You're going to pay for this. You're going to get on your knees and beg me for forgiveness."

"Let go of me!" Rachael slurred, flailing weakly against Ashley's grip. She still had the bottle of alcohol in her hand, and in a moment of drunken desperation, she raised it, aiming to swing it at Ashley's head.

Before she could follow through, a strong hand shot out and grabbed her wrist, twisting it until the bottle clattered to the ground.

"I think that's Enough for one night," Deevin said, his voice sharp and commanding.

Rachael winced, looking up at him with wide eyes. "You're hurting me," she whispered, her voice trembling.

Deevin ignored her, forcing her down to her knees. "If you can't control yourself, Then don't drink." he said coldly.

Ashley smirked, crossing her arms.

Rachael's vision blurred with tears of humiliation as she looked around, realizing that several people had gathered to watch the chaos unfold. Some had their phones out, recording the entire ordeal.

"you're going to regret ever crossing me" Ashley hissed, leaning down to meet Rachael's gaze.

"I'm getting Bored."

Deevin said abruptly, straightening up and releasing his grip on Rachael's shoulders.

Ashley spun toward him, her face twisted in disbelief. "Are you kidding me?!"

"She's drunk,"

Deevin replied, his tone dismissive.

"You're not getting anything out of her tonight."

"But my car-"

"I'll drop you off. It'll get cleaned by tomorrow," he said, cutting her off. Without waiting for a response, he turned and walked toward another car parked nearby.

Ashley fumed, pointing a manicured finger at Rachael. "You're going to pay for this," she spat before stomping off to follow Deevin.

Rachael was left on the ground, her knees scraping against the asphalt, her head spinning from the alcohol and the sheer chaos of what had just happened. The security guards approached her, their expressions cold and disdainful.

"Get up," one of them said, nudging her with his foot.

Rachael tried to push herself up, but her limbs felt like lead. She barely registered the guards hurling insults at her as they walked away, leaving her alone in the dimly lit parking lot.

As she sat there, slumped and defeated, a pair of shoes appeared in her blurred line of vision. A warm hand reached out, pulling her to her feet.

"I've got you," a familiar voice said softly.

Rachael blinked, struggling to focus. "Ethan?" she whispered, her voice cracking.

"its okay," he said, steadying her as she swayed. "Let's get you out of here."

Rachael let out a choked laugh, the absurdity of the night finally catching up to her. "You always show up at the worst times," she muttered.