Chapter 1

Hazel’s POV

“You’re fired!” I heard my boss roar and all that I had in mind was running away. The blood gushing out of the side of his head was terrifying and what was more terrifying was the fact that I’d done that.

I smirked as I hid my fear under a fake bravado, he could decide to press charges but I knew he wouldn’t, he had just tried to touch me inappropriately so pressing any charges wouldn’t really end well for him.

“Good, because I fucking QUIT!” I yelled as I made my way out of his office, I could feel the eyes of my colleague following me but I didn’t care, I had bruises at the side of my lips from the slap I’d received from him for not cooperating.

I should’ve seen the signs, I should’ve known something like this was bound to happen, I noticed him staring at me sexually and many times he would pass sexual advances to me, I didn’t think it was something to be worried about and that was where I got it all wrong.

I walked to my car and decide to drive back home as fast as I could, I’d cried for some minutes before picking up my phone to call my best friend. If I hadn’t taken that vase and broken it on his head then he would most likely have gotten his way with me.

“Alesha?” I cried into the phone as I called my best friend, she’d picked up on the third ring and I knew she was probably surprised as I never call around that time.

“What’s the matter, girl?” Her cheery voice came from over the phone and it went gloomy immediately she heard my sob, “Hazel? Are you okay?” She asked again and I shook my head.

“He... he.” I stammered, I was unable to even complete a sentence because I was shook and still terrified from all that had happened back there.

“Who? He? Your boss?” She asked and I nodded as though she could see me, I was unable to speak, “don’t tell me he tried to?” She added and she got her answers when I sobbed loudly.

“That son of a bitch! Where are you?” She asked again, I could tell she was worried about me, about my well-being.

“At the office—“

“Girl, what the hell are you still doing at the office, why are you not home already? Why are you still there?” She cuts in, stopping me mid-sentence.

“I’m not in there, I’m outside,” I sniffed, “could you come here? I can’t drive.” I finished and I heard a beeping sound.

I knew she’d hung up because she was right on her way to me, I placed my head on the steering as I waited for my best friend to arrive.

Alesha was more than a best friend, she was the only family I had except for my little brother, known her since high school and she’d been more supportive than any one in my life had ever been.

I heard a slight tap on my car window and I lifted my gaze to see my best friend already outside, I opened up and had asked her to come in.

“Did he do this to you?” She asked as she examined my cheek, my arm and my eyes and I only nodded affirmatively.

“Yeah, he tried to kiss me and—“

“That bastard!” She yelled as she tried to get the door to open up but I stopped her.

“Alesha! Alesha! Hold on—“

“Don’t tell me to hold on girl, that mother fucker did this to you and you just want him to go scot-free? I taught you better than this, girl.” She yelled at me as she tried to open the door again.

“He’s not going scot-free, I hit a flower vase on his head and he’s probably bleeding to death already.” I screamed at the top of my lung to stop my best friend and I saw a proud smile form on her lips.

“Now, that’s it—“ she said as she gestured that we exchanged seats so she could take the driver’s side.

“But what if he decides to press charges? I could go to jail.” I pointed out, allowing my fear show as I spoke and she only shook her head.

“He wouldn’t dare that. You have bruises on you to prove you only did that to protect yourself, it was self-defense and I know that son of a bitch too much to know he wouldn’t want to do anything that could get him in another trouble.” She added and I was relieved.

She was right, she knew him and she was the one who’d also helped me get a job there, my boss was one of her multiple man friends so getting a job for me in his company came easy to her.

They broke up and he started showing interests in me, I would occasionally brush him off but my best friend’s also usually warned me to be careful, I never thought he was going to act on his perverted feelings.

“Let’s just go.” I sighed as I closed my eyes and it wasn’t long before Alesha pulled into the street.

She’d tried her best to cheer me up but I couldn’t help but get lost in my thought, I needed the job, I had lots of bills to pay and my little brother would probably die if I don’t pay the hospital their monthly due.

I didn’t know when the tears tickled down my face until my friend cleared her throat, I hurriedly tried to clean it off but she placed her palm on my laps and I just lost it.

“I can’t be unemployed,” I cried, “I just can’t, there’s a lot of things I need to do, bills I need to pay, Callum could die if I can’t pay the hospital to keep his oxygen on.” I added as I did little to hide what I was going through.

She understood everything and she knew I couldn’t possibly be without job as I needed it just as much as I need air to breathe. Callum is the only blood related family I had and I wasn’t ready to let go of him, not yet.

“Callum isn’t dying, nobody is dying. We’ll get through this, we’ll find our way around. You have me.” She assured and I nodded as she pulled into our building.

“Now smile and be the pretty girl you are, you’ll be fine. Trust me.” She added and I dried my tears as we both stepped out of the car to get to our apartment.

Alesha wouldn’t leave me to myself and anytime I was lost in thought, she would occasionally try to pull me out of it, she didn’t want to let me out of her sight even when she needed to get to work.

I picked up my phone to check the time and it was 7:35pm, I sighed as I rubbed my eyes, I knew it would be difficult for me to get my sleep but I also wouldn’t want to stay awake and let the thoughts of things I need to get done drive me crazy.

“My shift starts in 25 minutes.” Alesha announced as she dabbed her lipstick on. She works as a waitress in one of the biggest club in the city, she tells me about how strict her boss was but she’d never really set her eyes on him, he operates like a ghost according to her.

She sighed when I didn’t say anything, I was lost in my phone as I scrolled through different sites trying to get a hold of a Vacancy advert. I scrolled through LinkedIn and I got nothing.

“Why can’t there be an opening at one of these goddamn companies or shops or—“ my voice drifted off as I sighed, “I’m tired of scrolling and getting nothing.” I added as I threw my phone on the couch.

“There would be no scrolling and searching for job, I told you we got this,” Alesha said, “you know what, you’re following me to work today and I don’t wanna hear whatever it is you have to say.” She added as she pulled me out of the couch.

“But, I would be disturbing, I don’t want you to worry—“

“You would do the same for me, now go get dressed. I really can use a familiar face as those idiots at the club makes me want to go insane, you’ll be like my guardian angel.” She said with a bright smile and I couldn’t say no.

I needed to leave the house just as much as she wants me to and the club would be the best place to be, I wouldn’t have to get lost in thought as the music would be too loud for that to happen.

I got dressed and grabbed my purse and phone as we both got out of the house, Alesha drove and soon we were already at the club, she ushered me to where I could sit before she started her shift.

She would check up on me every time to make sure I was okay and I couldn’t stop being appreciative, the club was getting busy and I knew she would have less time, I scrolled through my phone for a while and soon I decided to go to the toilet as I was really pressed.

I finished and I heard a ding on my phone, it was a notification from my favorite job hunting site, I was too engrossed going through my phone when I bumped into something.

Except, it wasn’t something, it was someone.

“Are you blind?” I heard the figure ask but I was less concerned about him, I picked up my phone as I tried to get it turned on but nothing worked.

“You just bumped into me and—“

“You know what, jerk. You just fucking bumped into me and now my phone is broken, I can’t get it on because of you and if you want an apology from me, well you’re not going to get it!” I yelled out in anger and I could tell even he was surprised at my outburst.

I walked past him and I made sure to hit him as I did and not only that, I stepped on him and made sure it hurts but he didn’t flinch.

I got back to my seat to work on my phone but nothing I tried worked, it wasn’t coming on.

“Great! Now I need to get a new phone.” I sighed to myself as I leaned back to rest on the space provided for me.

I opened my eyes to see the figure I’d bumped into, his face wasn’t really clear in the club light but I could feel my hatred for him and my blood boiled in anger.