Chapter 5: Cast Out And Hunted
1425 Words
Dinah stared at Ethan Blackwell, her heart hammering in her chest. The man who had ruined her life stood before her, exuding confidence and power. She wanted to scream, to demand why he had done it, but she knew better than to make a scene in his club.
Jessica, sensing the tension, placed a hand on Dinah’s arm. “Let’s go,” she whispered.
Dinah tore her gaze away from Ethan and followed Jessica out of the Black Orchid.
Once they were outside, she finally let her anger loose. “That was him, Jess! That’s the man who—”
“I know,” Jessica cut in. “But we need to think before we act. If Ethan was involved, it wasn’t just some random setup. There’s something bigger at play here.”
Dinah took a deep breath, trying to steady herself. “I need to find out why.”
---
The next morning, Dinah walked into her family’s house, only to be met with the icy glare of her father. Her sister, Camilla, stood beside him, arms crossed and a smug smile on her face.
“You disgust me,” her father spat.
Dinah’s heart sank. “What?”
Camilla scoffed. “Don’t play dumb, Dinah. I told Dad the truth—that you’ve been sleeping around for money, that you have no shame.”
Dinah’s eyes widened in horror. “That’s a lie! You know what really happened!”
Her father slammed his fist on the table. “Enough! I don’t want to hear your pathetic excuses. You have embarrassed this family for the last time. Pack your things and get out.”
Tears burned Dinah’s eyes. “Dad, please—”
“NOW!” he roared.
Camilla smirked as Dinah turned and ran up to her room, throwing her things into a bag with shaky hands. She had known her sister hated her, but this? This was cruel beyond words.
Minutes later, she was outside, standing on the cold pavement with nothing but her bag and broken heart.
She pulled out her phone and dialed Jessica.
“Jess… I need a place to stay.”
---
Jessica welcomed Dinah into her small apartment, letting her take the spare room.
“You can stay as long as you need,” Jessica assured her.
Dinah sat on the bed, wrapping her arms around herself. “I don’t understand why she hates me so much.”
Jessica sighed. “Camilla has always been jealous of you, Dinah. She finally found a way to destroy you.”
Dinah clenched her fists. “I won’t let her win.”
But Camilla wasn’t done with her yet.
---
A few nights later, Dinah woke to the sound of shattering glass.
Her pulse spiked as she bolted upright. “Jessica?”
Jessica rushed into the room, her face pale. “Someone threw a brick through the window.”
Dinah’s blood ran cold. She ran to the living room and saw the broken glass on the floor. A note was tied to the brick.
“Leave town, w***e. Or next time, it won’t be just a warning.”
Jessica picked up the note, her hands trembling. “This is Camilla’s doing.”
Dinah swallowed hard. “She’s trying to scare me.”
Jessica looked at her with determination. “Then we fight back.”
---
Meanwhile, across the city, Kendrick Davis sat in his office, seething.
The memory of that night haunted him—waking up in a strange room, his head pounding, only to realize he had been drugged. He didn’t remember anything about the woman in his bed, but something about the situation felt… off.
He needed answers.
His best friend, Adrian, leaned against the desk. “So you’re sure someone set you up?”
Kendrick exhaled sharply. “Positive. And I want to know who the hell did it.”
Adrian smirked. “I’ve already got men looking into it. We’ll find the bastard responsible.”
Hours later, Adrian burst into Kendrick’s office, a triumphant look on his face.
We found him.”
Kendrick sat up. “Who?”
Adrian tossed a file onto the desk. “Ethan Blackwell.”
Kendrick’s jaw tightened. He had heard the name before—Ethan was dangerous, powerful, and untouchable.
But Kendrick didn’t care.
“No one messes with me and gets away with it,” he growled. “Gather the men. We’re paying Ethan a visit.”
---
As Dinah sat in Jessica’s apartment that night, she felt a strange sense of unease.
Something was coming.
And she wasn’t sure if she was ready for it.
The night was eerily silent. Too silent.
Dinah sat on the couch, staring at the broken glass scattered across the floor. The note tied to the brick lay beside her, its message burning into her mind.
“Leave town, w***e. Or next time, it won’t be just a warning.”
Jessica paced the living room, arms folded tightly across her chest. “We need to call the police.”
Dinah scoffed. “And say what? That my sister is sending people to harass me? They’ll laugh in my face.”
Jessica opened her mouth to argue, but a sudden noise outside made them both freeze.
Tires screeched. A car door slammed.
Jessica peered through the blinds. “There are three cars outside. They’ve been there for a while, but I thought maybe it was just some guys hanging around.”
Dinah’s stomach twisted with unease. “What if they’re here for me?”
Before Jessica could respond, loud bangs sounded against the front door.
Bang. Bang. Bang.
Dinah’s breath hitched. “Jess…”
Jessica grabbed a knife from the kitchen. “Don’t open it.”
Another loud bang. Then a voice.
“Open the damn door, Dinah. We just want to talk.”
Dinah’s heart pounded. She recognized that voice. Uriel. He was one of Debbie's closest friends, a guy who had always looked at her like she was nothing more than a plaything.
Jessica shook her head. “We are not opening that door.”
The banging turned into aggressive pounding, rattling the hinges.
“You think you can just hide? Debbie warned you.”
Dinah felt her blood turn cold. “They’re going to break in.”
Suddenly, another sound cut through the chaos. A car engine roared, tires screeched—then the unmistakable crack of something hitting metal.
“What the—”
The pounding stopped. Muffled voices and shuffling feet followed.
Jessica peeked through the window. “Someone just rammed into their car.”
Dinah ran to look.
A familiar figure emerged from the driver’s seat of a black sedan. Brandon.
Her breath caught.
Brandon Hayes.
Her high school classmate. The guy who had always sat in the back of the room, stealing glances at her when he thought no one was looking. The guy who had always been too nervous to say much but had always been around when she needed help.
Brandon’s face was hard, his eyes cold as he walked toward the men standing in front of the house.
“Get lost,” he growled.
Uriel stepped forward, sneering. “Who the hell are you?”
Brandon didn’t flinch. “You’ve got five seconds to get back in your cars and drive away before I call the cops.”
The men exchanged glances. They hadn’t expected a fight.
Brandon reached into his jacket, pulling out a gun. He didn’t aim it, just held it loosely in his hand—but themessage was clear.
The men hesitated.
“s**t,” one of them muttered.
“Debbie isn’t going to like this,” Uriel said, glaring at Dinah. “But fine. We’re leaving.”
One by one, they climbed into their cars. Engines roared to life, and within moments, they sped off into the night.
Jessica let out a long breath of relief. “Holy shit.”
Dinah turned to Brandon, her heart still racing. “How did you—”
Brandon gave her a lopsided smile. “I was driving by when I saw those cars parked outside. Something didn’t feel right, so I waited. Then when I saw them get out, I knew they were up to no good.”
Jessica grinned. “Well, thank God you did.”
Brandon finally looked at Dinah, his expression softening. “Are you okay?”
She nodded slowly, but the truth was—she wasn’t.
Because Debbie wasn’t going to stop.
And next time, she might not be so lucky.
- Writer
