Another slight trigger warning in this chapter, you've been warned, guys. <3
The door to Marilyn's office banged shut, causing Marilyn to look up in alarm to realise that it was only Vanessa. Truly, she was the only one who could pull such a stunt and get away with it, no one else would ever dare. She opened her mouth to ask what her friend was doing at her office so early in the day but halted when she saw the look on Vanessa's face. Standing up worriedly, she asked. "What's wrong, Ness? Is everything okay?"
Vanessa raised a hand signaling for a moment as she inhaled deeply to slow down her rapid breaths. But she realised Marilyn was getting more anxious so she whispered in between breaths. "Nick....Nicholas is he… here, Lyn."
Marilyn's eyes widened in fear, her heart palpitating very fast in her chest. "Here as in here in the firm?"
Vanessa shook her head. "No. Here as in he's back in the country."
Marilyn started to tremble. "You're lying Ness...right? Please tell me it's some joke, like maybe its April fool's. It's first April right?" Reaching out for the calendar on the desk, a glance told her it was March 26th, and that's when her heart literally stopped.
"How can I joke about something like this Marilyn? This is a serious matter." Ness stated in perplexity, realising in the process that her friend seemed to have spaced out.
FLASHBACK
Marilyn sat at the bar downing shot after shot. She couldn't believe she had allowed Vanessa to bring her to a club. After her heartbreak during her university days, she had vowed not to let men in anymore, and she had done very well so far. But Ness had had enough....plus she had been talking nonstop about one of her clients who was so hot and Marilyn couldn't believe that that was why her best friend had pulled her here, only to abandon her in the process. Though a little upset, Marilyn understood the situation. The fact that she had sworn off men didn't mean her beautiful best friend couldn't get some when she needed.
Her butt began to hurt from sitting for so long and she decided to hit the dance floor for a while.
"Hey pretty, can I have this dance?" One drunk man had muttered as he stumbled into her.
Marilyn giggled. "What is this? Prom? And no thank you. I'm not interested."
The man grinned, showing deep yellow teeth and Marilyn couldn't help but cringe.
" I see you have a smart mouth...I wonder what else it can do. I like a woman who's hard to get and trust me, I'll have you soon." With that he disappeared into the crowd. Marilyn breathed a sigh of relief. Such a creep. She'd actually had enough and wanted to go home now but she had to find Ness first.
After a long search, she found her friend in one of the lounges seated with one very handsome man. Before she could utter a word, Vanessa spoke up, "Hey Mike. Uhm, I've really got to get going. I have to get my friend Marilyn home."
Marilyn was shaking her head frantically, but no one was paying her any heed.
"I could drop you guys off. You know?" Mike stated, giving Ness his full attention causing her to shyly tuck her hair behind her ear.
"I wouldn't want to impose. Really, we can manage."
Marilyn had honestly had enough of the cheesiness. "Guys!! I'm not ready to go home just yet." She lied. She wasn't going to be the one to ruin such a perfect night for her friend.
"And you can leave without me, Ness. I'll be fine. In fact I would have called, but it was too loud in here. Have fun guys. And it was nice meeting you, Mike."
"Lyn, wait," Ness called out worriedly, standing up to chase after her friend who was already walking off. "But you're drunk, I can't leave you here alone. Don't do this."
Marilyn rolled her eyes. "Pshh...I'm not that drunk, mum. Plus, I'll call an uber when I'm ready to leave. There's really nothing to be worried about."
Vanessa sighed deeply, torn between wanting to keep her friend safe and staying on her date. "Well alright. But call me in case of anything you hear me?"
Marilyn grinned widely and mock saluted, causing Mike and Ness to break out in laughter, and then with that she left. She headed towards the bathroom lost in thought, needing to take a pee before she headed home. Ness and Mike looked so cute. You could really tell they like each other. Marilyn almost even missed men because of their cuteness but pshh, who was she kidding? That was a locked, and extra bolted area. She and men were done. D-O-N-E. Done.
She stumbled slightly and let out a giggle.
She must have drunk more than she usually did to have stumbled and find that funny.
"Well, well, well. Who do we have here?" A voice called out causing her to break out in a sweat. It was the creepy man she had met on the dance floor earlier. Marilyn looked around nervously. It was quiet... the only sign of people were quite a distance away. She prepared herself to shout for help but he quickly read her actions. "Ah, ah, ah... no babe. I wouldn't do that if I were you." He drew her close and pressed what she felt might be a knife at her side. "All I wanted was to teach you a good time. Why you gotta make things so hard?" He breathed into her ear and she almost gagged. His breath was horrible and she was going to be raped if a miracle didn't happen.
The man pushed her to a wall nearby and trapped her curvy body with his. Running his lips across her neck, he breathed her in. "Mm. You smell so nice."
Tears were running down Marilyn's face at that point. She should have just kept her pee instead and just gone home. She couldn't shout for help and she was too weak and drunk with both fear and alcohol to put up a fight so she settled for the next best thing.
Plead.
"I'll give you whatever you ask for, please don't do this. I'm pretty sure you're a good person and it's just the alcohol making you behave like this." She reasoned. The man let out a laugh
"Oh I'm a bad man honey, and I'm going to do really bad things to you." He said as he licked his way down her neck towards her cleavage.
Realising that pleading wouldn't get her anywhere, she threatened him next; her voice hoarse with fear and tears.
"You're going to regret ever laying your hand on me, you savage, twisted brute." She cried out but the man was too engrossed in his ministrations to pay her any heed.
Her body relaxed in defeat and the evil man took that as enough consent and relaxed his stance too, and that's when she struck. With a quick prayer to God for help, Marilyn kneed him in the groin as hard as she could and took off running.
"YOU BITCH!!! JUST LET ME GET YOU! I'D KILL YOU WITH MY BARE HANDS!!" he roared in pain.
"HELP!! SOMEONE PLEASE HELP ME!" Marilyn screamed as she ran, the corridor-like area was all of a suddenly empty, she could have sworn there were people around, though far away. Now there was no one. She risked a glance behind her, the creep was quickly gaining in on her and her heart almost shredded to pieces with despair. There was no saying what he would do when he caught up with her and she wasn't going to let that happen too. She bumped into someone all of a sudden causing her to come to a halt. Grasping his hands in a plea, she managed to breath out, " P-please help...h...he wants t-to rape me."
Turning to face the creep as he approached, Marilyn relaxed as the man pushed her behind him.
"I believe the lady said to leave her alone." He called out causing the creep to halt in his tracks. The creep laughed, "Oh boss, don't mind my silly wife. She goes berserk when she's drunk."
Marilyn's hands squeezed her savior's biceps as she screamed. "YOU RAPIST!! Please I don't know him from anywhere, don't believe him. Please don't leave me here with him." She cried.
The man's gaze never left the creep. "Even if she were to be your wife, I wouldn't let her leave with you. I'd suggest you leave while you can." He uttered menacingly.
The creep stared back. "I'll have you know I'm armed, and I won't hesitate to hurt you. Just let go of her and be on your merry way." He quipped.
Marilyn did not know how it happened. Perhaps the alcohol had weakened her senses more than she thought; for by the time she realised, the creep was on the floor knocked out and her savior stood gallantly wielding the other's pocket knife.
Marilyn threw herself in his arms both out of relief and gratitude, she really felt warm and cozy and safe in his arms. But then silly her had to go ruin the moment by puking all over the man. In shame she burst into tears.
"Oh my God, I'm so sorry, I-"
"Hey, it's alright, just come wait for me at the entrance of the male restroom while I go freshen up." He assured her.
They stood outside now; she a little sober, and he more freshened up. It turned out she had lost her phone in the chase but luckily, she knew Ness's number off head and Nicholas Carver, her savior had his phone on him. Vanessa had been so upset over the phone, and had promised to be at the club in fifteen minutes.
Marilyn had assured Nicholas that he could leave her and she'd be fine but he'd have none of it.
"I can't leave a vulnerable, drunk, pretty woman out here all by herself. My conscience wouldn't even allow me." He argued and Marilyn only sighed and nodded in appreciation. Normally, she'd go all feminist on his ass but the encounter had shaken her up a bit. More like a lot and she was thankful for the company.
The duo were mostly silent but just when the conversation started to pick up, Vanessa arrived in an uber.
She flew into her poor friend's arms and squeezed her in a hug. "I'm so glad you're alright. If anything ha.... wait. Did he touch you? Cos if he did I swear I would hunt his stupid ass down and kill him with my bare hands." She spewed out. Nicholas calmed her down assuring her that he dealt with the creep and Vanessa thanked him from the depths of her heart. Without him she could only imagine what would have happened to her friend.
"Come on. Let's get you out of here." Ness whispered to her friend but it seemed she was lost in the gaze of her savior.
Oh, wow.
"Thank you very much, Nicholas." Marilyn voiced out. "And it was nice meeting you. You really are a good man."
Nicholas threw her a grin that warmed her heart and almost made her forget today's ordeal. Almost.
"The pleasure is mine, Marilyn." He said, and then he was gone.
During the drive home, Vanessa didn't say a word. She assumed that her friend needed the silence however, Marilyn's mind was not on what had happened but on the handsome man she had met as a result. She pictured his fair skin, curly hair and bright smile and for a moment she felt a pang of regret. She forgot to take his contact and now she'd never see him again.
Weeks flew by after the incident. Marilyn went to the mall to pick up a few things and happened to bump into Nicholas in the process. She decided to not let a second chance pass her by and invited him out for lunch where they talked and laughed for hours. They saw each other consecutively after that and eventually started dating. She had been so much in love and felt like he was the one so she gave him her virginity and then just like that, he disappeared from her life.
Just vanished into thin air.
His landlord said he had moved out, his phone was disconnected. No one knew where he was.
This second heartbreak had been worse, but thankfully, Ness had been there to see her through it. She was just beginning to recover when another bombshell broke her. She discovered that she was going to have a child.
END OF FLASHBACK.
When Marilyn snapped out of her thoughts, she was in her seat with Vanessa staring worriedly at her.
"How did you know he's back?" She asked.
Vanessa shifted uncomfortably in her seat. The news she carried was grave. She feared it would shatter her friend even more. She could remember what happened almost fifteen years ago, when they had finally gotten word from a friend that Nicholas Carver had abruptly left the country.
The news had helped her friend Marilyn recover, as it gave her closure and all. But unfortunately, she kept to her word this time and steered clear of men and Ness was afraid that might be because she still harbored feelings for her child's father.
The thing was, Ness had been awarded a contract to plan Nicholas's wedding ceremony and she didn't know if it was a good idea to tell her friend or not.