Done With My Ex, Moving To The Next

Chapter 17: A Stranger I Know

Chapter 17: A Stranger I know

I moved out of Dylan's house, on the same day my Father disowned me on live channels to the entire world.

That night, I disappeared from the world, the internet, and the media.

I had managed to walk into the house after struggling my way to bypass the reporters who were all arrayed outside the house, waiting for me.

Waiting for a stupidly embarrassing interview that involved poking their stupid recorders into one's mouth, forcefully.

I wiped a tear as I walked into the room but Dylan was on the bed. Waiting.

I could perceive his motive in the atmosphere.

“What are you doing here?" My self-restraint failed me like I hadn't managed to go through all that s**t without breaking down. I should have ignored him and gone ahead with packing.

He said nothing but his gaze said more than he could have ever said with his mouth. At once, I knew who was behind it. Taylor.

“Dear wifey” Someone called from behind. I could feel the roughness embedded in his tone and my mind could only think of one person—Taylor.

I turned to see him, dragging his feet in an uncalculated motion as he walked towards me. One hand tucked in his pocket, the other adjusting his glasses as he walked towards me.

When he had closed the distance between us, just to intimidate me, he failed. Instead, I gathered a good amount of the salty saliva that had gathered in my mouth and spat it on him.

Unfortunately, it landed on the lens of his glasses.

I didn't want to say anything.

At that moment, saying anything would have only made it look like I was bluffing.

I chewed my tongue, blinking severely “You won, right?"

He seemed unaffected as he cleaned my saliva off his lenses.

He sighed. "You know I've always won" He folded his handkerchief and ended with a smile.

“I always will" He said with a frown. I could see the evil in his amber eyes, looming around its habitat.

He was nothing but evil and dark.

****

One month was all it took. Just one month.

I watched my name fly across blogs, waiting for the moment the people would eventually forget about me but that day never seemed to come.

As each day disappeared into the night, my name continued to trend on pages and feeds. New fake stories written up by my Father.

I turned my phone's screen light off as I picked the last item into the cart.

I'd just received Valerie's call, telling me to hurry back home before Dylan and Taylor's fans would find me and bully me like they almost did, about two weeks ago.

I was shopping at a convenience store.

I decided to take the face mask off my face.

I released a sigh, my eyes closed as I wiped the sweat off my face with my hand towel.

I walked towards the attendant, pushing my cart but I'd foolishly forgotten there were people and it was a freaking convenience store! Not even a luxury store!

I heard some ladies behind me burst out in laughter as I took a few steps but I clenched my jaw, hoping I wouldn't turn. I didn't want to—I shouldn't have.

My heart raced as my pulse pumped irrationally.

Don't do it, Stella. Don't. Don't. Ignore the—

I couldn't. I turned, but one of them had already mounted her phone's camera on me.

They giggled with bitterness that the air tasted like gall juice.

“She's such a loser."

“She looks just good. Why did she have to lie about being abused?” The red-haired one among them scorned.

I blinked back the tears, my feet becoming weak. I fought every urge to scream.

I'd been living anonymously here, away from the internet but today was just an unlucky day.

The attendant did nothing. I wasn't expecting her.

No one was coming to save me. Just me. But my strength was failing me.

I crashed slowly towards the ground, my fingers pressed against my temple. I saw stars, my head spinning as I could feel my intestines form a knot in my empty stomach.

Yet, they kept recording.

“Take your cameras down." A man in a mask walked up to us, occupying the little distance between the girls and me.

"Who is he?” One of them asked but he scoffed. He took longer to respond as though he was observing them.

I managed to get off the floor, trying to get out of the scene but he held me by my wrist, drawing back.

"This bastard is live on i********:. There are dozens of trolls out there” He said to me, not even sparing me a glance before he snatched the phone out of the lady's hand.

Snapping it out of her hand was sure easy.

"Give it bac—"

“Be quiet. You've been on it for 30 minutes," He said calmly, but the level of authority that accompanied his tone could raise eyebrows.

“You'll be getting a new phone, but after an apology" He said then turned to me before he added "to her”

“What do you think you're do—" Before any of them could complete their statement, he threw the phone to the ground and stepped on it continuously till the glass shattered.

He stepped on it with force, my wrist in his palm.

He pulled me through the back door, while the ladies tried to catch us. We ran for our lives but he owned a car.

“Get in, now. " He said to me while I sluggishly stopped in front of his car, panting. He'd started the engine but my instincts wouldn't let me.

I couldn't trust him. He was a stranger. I couldn't see his face. How could I trust him? How could I believe he was not a kidnapper who worked with Taylor?

The trolls were already running towards us.

“I can't go with you." I stood my ground, but he had gotten out already.

"Why? You want to stay and let them hurt you?" He asked as though he feared whatever was going to happen to me.

He pulled the mask off his face, but before I could gasp, he pulled me to the other side and pushed me into the passenger seat of his car.

“Rhys" His name came out of my mouth, way easier than I'd screamed it in my mind.

He sat back in the car, bolting off at high speed.

“No! Why are you here?” I asked, and immediately I was sure I'd gained the mental balance to question him.

"Now is not the time for that, Stella. Where's your place around here?” He didn't look at me. His eyes were fixed on the road as his hands worked behind the wheel.

“It shouldn't be you of all people, Rhys” I breathed, my voice barely above a whisper. “Pull over." A scream tore out of my chest.

"Stop the f*****g car!"