The next morning—or actually, it was noon—Nicole woke up feeling suffocated. She wanted to see what was pressing down on her, but she suddenly felt a headache and an immense pain throughout her entire body, making her feel like she was going to die. She winced, opened her eyes with difficulty, and looked down to see a head resting on her chest. "Ah... so that's why I was feeling suffocated," she thought.
She wanted to go back to sleep but suddenly froze. "Wait... why is someone resting on my chest?" She also noticed that they were both naked under the covers. Realization hit her hard as she started to remember the events of the previous day.
She had caught Kevin cheating on her with her cousin and went to the club with Anna, but Anna had to leave for an emergency. After that, Nicole met some new people and made friends with them. She got so carried away that she drank more than she was supposed to and got super drunk. Her memory after getting drunk was not very clear, but from what she remembered, it seemed that she was the one who initiated the first move last night!
Oh no... what had she done! She had drunken sex with a man she had just met. Nicole's thoughts were in a frenzy. What she didn't know or suspect was that she had been drugged. She was so nervous that she didn't know what to do. The only thing that came to her mind was that she had to get out of there, but how was she supposed to move with him like that?
Just then, with a stir, Lewis changed his position. Now he was sleeping on his back with his right hand above his head, giving her a perfect view of his attractive face, smooth chiseled chest, and six-pack abs. However, his lower body was covered by the quilt. Even as he slept, with his tousled black hair, he looked very sexy and handsome.
Nicole stared at Lewis's body for a moment. There were marks she had made yesterday. Her heart pounded in her chest, and a blush crept up her face. She felt a rush of guilt and confusion. How had she ended up in this situation? She had always taken pride in being responsible, even careful. But last night, something had snapped inside her, and she had let go in the worst possible way.
Carefully, she slipped out of bed, making sure not to wake him. Her body still ached as she found her clothes scattered around the room. She quickly got dressed, her hands trembling as she pulled on her dress. Her shoulder was exposed, and she knew there were hickeys just like Lewis had, so she picked up the suit jacket from the floor and wore it over her dress.
Nicole avoided looking at him, afraid that, one more glance might make her hesitate. Nicole needed to get out of there before he got up.
She grabbed her purse from the nightstand and fished her phone out. She turned it on and was relieved to see that it still had some battery remaining. There were several missed calls and messages from Anna, who must have been worried sick, and also from Kevin. But Nicole couldn't deal with that right now. She needed to leave.
Before reaching for the door, she paused to take one last look at Lewis. He looked peaceful, unaware of the turmoil she was going through. What would he think when he woke up? Would he regret what happened as much as she did? Nicole shook her head, pushing those thoughts away. She couldn't afford to think about that now.
She opened the door quietly and stepped out into the hallway. Although she knew it was the Emperor Hotel, the unfamiliar surroundings made her heart race even faster. She needed to get home as quickly as possible. She spotted an elevator at the end of the corridor and hurried towards it, hoping she wouldn't run into anyone.
As she rode down to the lobby, she tried to gather her thoughts. The events of the previous night remained a blur, but she knew she had to piece everything together. And how could she face herself—or anyone else—after this? More importantly, did they use protection? She needs to get medicine as soon as possible.
The elevator doors opened, and Nicole stepped out into the lobby, keeping her head down as she walked past the receptionist. She caught a glimpse of herself in the mirrored wall and winced. Her hair was a mess, and her makeup was smudged. She looked exactly how she felt: like a complete disaster.
Once she was outside, the cool air hit her, helping to clear her head a little. She went to the parking area where she had parked her car the day before, got into the Mercedes, and fixed herself to look more presentable.
Then she took out her phone and texted Anna back, letting her know she was okay but needed some time to herself. Anna's immediate response was full of concern, but Nicole couldn't bring herself to explain what had happened just yet.
On her way back, she brought a contraceptive pill and painkiller. But she didn't know if she could take both of them together so she searched it up online and found that it would be more effective if she took it with the painkiller. After taking the pills, she calmed down a little bit.
When she finally reached her apartment, she collapsed onto the couch, feeling utterly exhausted. The adrenaline that had been keeping her going was wearing off, leaving her drained and emotionally raw. She buried her face in her hands, trying to hold back the tears that threatened to spill over.
She replayed the events of the night over and over in her mind, trying to remember every detail. But the more she tried, the more the memories slipped away, leaving only fragments behind. The only thing she was sure of was that she'd made a huge mistake.
"What have I done?" she whispered to herself, her voice breaking. She couldn't believe she had let things get so out of control. This wasn't who she was. She wasn't the type of person who got drunk and slept with strangers.
As the hours passed, Nicole finally forced herself to get up and take a shower, hoping it would help her feel more like herself again. The hot water did little to wash away her guilt, but it at least made her feel a bit more human. Afterward, she wrapped herself in a towel and sat on the edge of the bed, staring at her phone. She needs to talk to Kevin.
She went through the messages that Kevin sent her after she sent him the breakup message.
7:39 p.m.
Babe❤️: Nicky what are you saying?
Yesterday she forgot to change his name, so she quickly changed his name back to Kevin.
7:45 p.m.
Kevin: Nicky, you can't be serious. Next week is our engagement. Why are you saying this kind of stuff now?
8:01 p.m.
Kevin: Nicole, why are you not responding? This is not something to joke about.
8:17 p.m.
Kevin: where are you? I'll come to you. We need to talk.
8:51 p.m.
Kevin: I'm outside your apartment. where are you? Why aren't you answering the calls?
More messages were asking her where she was and why she wasn't answering her phone, but she skipped through them and called him.
As soon as Kevin answered the call, he bombarded her with questions, "Nicky, are you all right? Are you pranking me? If you are joking, this isn't a good one. I was so worried about you. Where were you last night? Say something."
"This isn't a joke, Kevin. I am breaking up with you. I know what you did behind my back," Nicole replied.
"Nicole, why are you saying this? You know I love you, babe. And what did I do? Is it because I'm busy and didn't give you enough time? I told you I was busy because of the project. Can we meet up?" Kevin said.
"Were you busy working or cheating on me? You never loved me right? And it's always the project you wanted to secure with my brother through me, right? Because of the damn CEO position you are aiming for? And you dared to cheat on me with my cousin." Nicole argued.
"Nicky listen to me...
She screamed, " No, you listen to me. I don't want to see you, you cheater. Don't you dare call me again," and then cut the call. Afterward, she sent him the video she took yesterday.
She felt a lot better after saying those things. Now, she also needed to inform her brother about the engagement cancellation. After losing her parents, her brother and sister-in-law are all she has.
Nicole knew after what happened yesterday, she couldn't hide from this forever. She needed to figure out what to do next, and how to move forward. But the thought of facing Lewis—or even talking to him—was terrifying. What if he didn't care at all? Or worse, what if he did? The uncertainty gnawed at her, making it hard to think straight. She hoped she wouldn't meet him again.