Chapter 2
1137 Words
Lexi’s POV
Tears blurred my vision as I clutched myself tighter, rocking slightly as if my own body could promise me safety.
It felt surreal, One moment i was a bride to be. The next, I was homeless, unwanted, and hiding.
A knock broke through my thoughts. Soft at first. Then louder, more insistent.
My breath caught in my throat.
When I finally opened it, the hotel manager stood there, his polite smile strained, his eyes avoiding mine.
“Miss Sinclair… I’m afraid we have a situation.”
A cold knot tightened in my stomach. “What do you mean?”
He shifted uncomfortably, clearing his throat. “We’ve had several… calls. Guests are beginning to complain about the noises from the paparazzi outside.” His voice lowered, almost apologetic. “Given the circumstances, we believe it would be best for everyone, if you checked out immediately.”
My chest hollowed. “You’re asking me to leave?”
“You’ll be fully refunded, of course,” he rushed to add, his eyes flicking anywhere but my face. “But the hotel has a reputation to maintain. I’m sure you understand.”
Understand? My entire life had just collapsed, and now even a hotel room wasn’t allowed to me. I bit the inside of my cheek, forcing back the tears threatening to rise again.
“Right,” I whispered. My voice didn’t sound like my own. “I understand.”
The manager gave a stiff nod, relief flashing in his eyes, before stepping back. “We’ll have someone help with your bags.”
I nodded. I actually did understand. Ever since my father’s fall, people had changed overnight. Their loyalty was as fragile as glass, shattering the moment it no longer benefitted them.
I clicked the door shut and sank against it, the weight of humiliation pressing me down. First Ethan, then my father, now the world. Everywhere I turned, another door was closing.
I crawled to my suitcase, dragged it onto the bed, and shoved everything inside. Clothes, toiletries, the little i could find. Zipping it shut, I threw on a black hoodie and pants, hiding myself as best I could.
The wheels of my suitcase echoed through the lobby, every whisper and muffled laugh prickling against my skin. Maybe they weren’t all about me, but it didn’t matter. To me, they were. I kept my head down as I made my way to the counter. The cashier slid my refund across with an awkward smile. I snatched it quickly, praying no one would recognize me.
But the moment the glass doors slid open, I knew I wasn’t that lucky.
Flashes exploded in my face, blinding me. The roar of voices hit next.
“Lexi, is it true Ethan Cooper left you at the altar?”
“Did your father really disown you?”
The questions cut like knives. My hood did little to shield me. Hands shot out with phones, cameras, microphones. My shame was no longer private, it was on display for the world.
I hugged my suitcase closer, fighting the trembling in my legs as I pushed through the swarm. Their words chased me, echoing in my skull long after I broke free.
By the time I reached my car, I was shaking. I loaded the suitcase into the trunk with clumsy hands, slid into the driver’s seat, and gripped the steering wheel until my knuckles turned white.
For a long moment, I just sat there, staring at the city lights blurring against the windshield.
I had no plan. No home. Nowhere to go. But staying wasn’t an option.
My father’s scandal had frozen my cards. My money was gone. All I had left was my car, a suitcase, and the baby growing inside me.
So I started the car and drove.
After a while of driving aimlessly, my phone buzzed on the passenger seat. It was Ava, my best friend.
My throat tightened. For a second, I almost didn’t pick up, terrified she would reject me too.
But i picked up the call anyway.
“Hey,” her voice came, soft but full of concern. “I’m so sorry, Lex.”
I exhaled sharply, gripping the wheel a little tighter.
“My parents… they’ve warned me not to talk to you,” Ava continued. “They wouldn’t even let me leave the house in case I wanted to meet up. All they care about is some stupid family image…”
Her voice trailed off, heavy with sympathy. I stayed quiet, understanding everything she didn’t say.
Finally, I spoke. “It’s fine, Ava. Thank you.”
“Where are you now?” she asked.
“Driving,” I replied.
“Did you leave the hotel?”
“Yes… I was asked to leave.”
Ava hissed. “Are they crazy? Why would they do that?”
“No, it’s fine. On the bright side, I got refunded,” I joked, trying to lighten the tension.
But Ava’s voice was sharp. “So… where are you going?”
“I… don’t know,” I admitted.
“What do you mean you don’t know?”
“Apparently my father disowned me, so I have nowhere to go,” I muttered, the words tasting bitter.
“What?!” Ava screamed. I could practically feel her face heating up through the phone.
“Lexi… listen,” she said, her voice softening. “You can stay with Mrs. Thompson tonight. You remember her, right? My nanny when I was little?”
I paused, memories of warm afternoons and quiet comfort flooding back. “Yeah… I remember her.”
“Good. Just go there, okay? She’ll take care of you for the night. Tomorrow, we figure out the rest.”
“Alright,” I whispered, feeling a small weight lift from my chest. “I’ll go.”
“I’ll text you the address. Just go straight there.”
I nodded, even though she couldn’t see me.
I ended the call and glanced at the screen as Ava’s text came through. I copied the address into the GPS and turned onto the main road.
The city lights faded the farther I drove, replaced by long stretches of empty streets.
My stomach growled, sharp and hollow. I hadn’t eaten since morning, and every muscle in my body ached with fatigue.
The outskirts grew darker, streetlamps few and far between.
As if things couldn’t get any worse, rain began to fall, first a drizzle, then a downpour blurring my windshield despite the wipers thrashing back and forth.
I could barely see what was ahead, but I kept going.
Suddenly, blinding headlights rushed straight at me.
I jerked the wheel, but it was too late. My car slammed into the other with a deafening crash.
My head hit the windshield.
Then…
I blacked out.
- Writer
