Chapter Four: Just One Night
1408 Words
The room was still hazy with the faint scent of sweat, alcohol, and perfume when I slipped back into my dress. My heels clicked softly against the floor as I zipped it up and reached for my bag. Liam was leaning against the couch, shirt half-open, watching me with an expression that was too… hopeful.
“So,” he said, his tone lighter than his eyes. “When do I get to see you again?”
I laughed softly, shaking my head. “You don’t.”
His brow furrowed. “What do you mean?”
I slung my bag over my shoulder, flashing him a smile that didn’t quite reach my eyes. “It was fun, Liam. But that’s all it was. Fun. One night, nothing more, nothing less.”
He sat up straighter, disbelief cutting across his face. “Seriously? That’s it?”
“Yeah,” I said simply, adjusting my hair in the mirror. “Look, I don’t do relationships. I don’t do clingy. I don’t do morning-after texts or breakfast dates. I’ve had… let’s just say, more than a few nights like this. And that’s all it’ll ever be.”
His disappointment was plain, his jaw tightening as if he wanted to argue but couldn’t find the words. “You make it sound so empty.”
I shrugged, turning toward the door. “Better empty than complicated.”
And with that, I walked out.
***
The second I stepped back onto the dance floor, the thumping bass wrapped around me again, drowning out the echoes of music. Neon lights strobed over my friends—Liza and Yannie were already in the middle of the crowd, drinks raised high, laughing like the night would never end.
“There you are!” Liza squealed when she spotted me. “We thought you disappeared!”
“Had to… take care of something,” I said with a sly smirk. Their giggles told me they caught on instantly.
We jumped into the music, bodies moving, drinks spilling, voices hoarse from shouting over the DJ.
One moment I was laughing with Yannie, the next—bam!—someone crashed into me hard, sending my drink flying all over my dress. Cold liquid dripped down my skin, staining the fabric, and I spun around in shock.
A girl I didn’t recognize glared at me, her face twisted with disdain. “Watch where you’re going, princess.”
My jaw dropped. “Excuse me? You bumped into me.”
She rolled her eyes. “Sure. Keep telling yourself that.”
Heat flared in my chest, anger bubbling up fast. I shoved her shoulder, not too hard, but enough to make a point. “Say that again.”
The crowd around us sensed the tension instantly, forming a loose circle. Phones shot up like weapons, their cameras flashing.
The girl shoved me back. “I said, watch yourself.”
That was it. My patience snapped. I lunged forward, grabbing a fistful of her hair as she clawed at my arm. We stumbled into the bar, bottles rattling, people screaming and cheering like it was entertainment. Someone’s hand tried to pull me back, but I kicked against it, too consumed by the rush of fury.
“Sab, stop!” Yannie’s voice broke through the chaos, panicked and urgent. She and Liza managed to wedge themselves between us, dragging me back with all their strength. My chest heaved, hair sticking to my face, drink still dripping down my ruined dress.
“Let me go!” I shouted, trying to shake free.
“Enough!” Liza hissed in my ear. “Do you even realize what you’re doing? People are recording this!”
Her words finally cut through, and I glanced around. Sure enough, half the bar had their phones up, capturing every second. My stomach dropped.
If those pictures got out… if my father saw them…
Yannie gripped my wrist tightly, eyes wide with fear. “We need to get you out of here. Now.”
They half-dragged, half-pushed me through the crowded bar until the night air hit my face. By the time we reached the parking lot, the adrenaline was wearing off, leaving only a gnawing frustration in its place.
I let out a sharp sigh, tossing my hair back. “She started it, okay! Bitch.”
Yannie shot me a look, still out of breath. “That’s not the point, Sabrina.”
“Okay? But you have to calm down and let it go,” Liza jumped in, her tone sharper than usual. “You can’t cause trouble like that. Those videos might be posted online!”
I scoffed, crossing my arms, leaning against the car. “Whatever. I don’t think they’ll post it.”
Liza spun to face me fully, her voice rising. “Yeah? And how sure are you, huh? Everyone had their phones up. Everyone. What do you think they were doing—taking pictures for fun? No, Sab. They’re going to upload that, and when they do—”
“—my dad will find out,” I finished for her, rolling my eyes though the words twisted something tight in my chest.
“Yes!” Yannie cut in, her voice sharp with panic. “You don’t get it. This isn’t just some messy night out. You’re not just some random girl in a club fight—you’re you. And everyone knows who your father is.”
Her words stung more than I wanted to admit. The truth of it pressed heavy against me. I tried to mask it with another shrug. “So what? It’s just a fight. People fight all the time.”
Yannie groaned, rubbing her temples. “Not people like you. You’re supposed to be untouchable. Perfect. Heiress to everything.”
“Oh my god, I hate hearing that.” My voice rose, sharp and cutting. “I am me. Tonight. Not a f*****g heir. Not some perfect porcelain doll my dad wants to parade around at his boring business dinners.”
“Sabrina—” Liza started, but I cut her off, my words tumbling out faster than I could stop them.
“You know what? Screw ‘perfect.’ Screw being untouchable. I want to be messy. I want to be loud. I want to do whatever the hell I feel like without worrying about who’s watching or what they’ll whisper to Daddy when he gets back from his trips.”
The car was silent except for the hum of the engine and my ragged breathing. Yannie’s eyes flicked to mine in the rearview mirror, wide and worried. “Sab… this isn’t you talking. This is the alcohol.”
“No, this is me,” I shot back, leaning forward between the seats. “This is the real me, not the polished little girl everyone expects. And if I want to get drunk, kiss strangers, or throw punches at some b***h who spills a drink on me, then guess what? I will.”
“Until it blows up in your face,” Liza muttered, gripping the steering wheel tighter.
“Let it blow,” I said, tossing my hair defiantly. “Maybe then people will finally stop pretending I’m this flawless princess.”
Yannie turned in her seat, her expression desperate. “Sab, we’re your friends. We’re not trying to cage you—we’re trying to protect you. You’re spiraling, and you don’t even see it.”
Her voice cracked just slightly, and for a second, guilt prickled in my chest. But I shoved it down, plastering on a wild grin instead. “You don’t get it, do you? I like the spiral. It means I’m alive.”
Liza’s jaw clenched. “Alive? Or reckless?”
“Both,” I said, laughing a little too loudly. The sound bounced around the car, hollow even to my ears. “I’d rather be reckless than invisible.”
Silence followed, thick and heavy. I leaned back in my seat again, pulling out my phone. Notifications were already lighting up my screen, buzzing one after another. Maybe it was texts. Maybe it was the videos. I didn’t check. Not yet.
Instead, I snapped a quick selfie, pouty lips and smudged eyeliner, the city lights blurring behind me through the window. I posted it to my story with one word: Unstoppable.
Yannie groaned. Liza shook her head. But I just grinned at my reflection in the glass.
***
- Writer
