“We're all broken,
that's how the light gets in. ”
- Ernest Hemingway.

•••

  I stared at her petite figure slipping in her black Mercedes, leaving me frozen in utter shock by her confession. There was so much in my head, mostly sadness. Her question was like a burden. I licked my lip looking down at the floor feeling completely helpless.

What do I do now?

I pocketed my phone which she took to enter her number and groaned, utterly annoyed.

How did I even land myself into this?

I sighed, shaking my head and walked towards the cafe.

The bomb Scarlett dropped really did blow my mind.

Marriage.

I never even thought about it before. She wanted me to get married to her son,whom I didn't even know and a person I suddenly never wanted to meet.

The things she told me about him shook me the core. It was horrible and unbelievable.

She wanted me to get married to man I have never met in my life. A man who was trying to kill himself.

Hell, What was she thinking before even asking me this?

I stopped dead in my track.

I need to relax myself and not think about anything for some time.

God, I never thought that today would turn out this shitty, so I did the first thing that came to my mind.

"Hey, Bruno. Miss me already?"

"Buy me a drink."

"Woah, Woah. Did I hear right, is that you, Sophie ?" Thomas sounded genuinely surprised, I could tell he was smirking.

"Yes, dimwit. It's me and you are going to buy me a drink. " I said through gritted teeth.

"Damn, you sound so hot right now. Tell me where you are, I'll pick you up."

Bastard!

"Be there in five!" he chirped as soon as I told him my location and ended the call. I sighed stressfully.

My head was throbbing and I needed to release my stress soon. I needed something strong to drink. Something which would help in dissipating my frustration.

I stood there on the sidewalk and waited for Thomas.

.

.

After what seemed like hours but in fact were just fifteen minutes, I saw Thomas' car pulling over to where I was standing. The glass window slid down and his handsome face greeted me with a flirtatious smile, 
"Hey there, come on in."

I gave him a tired smile and rounded the car to slip into the passenger's seat.

"Where are we going?"

"I was planning on taking you home but you don't look in a state of getting some action. " He wriggled his eyebrows suggestively and I felt like slapping him hard across his face. Jerk!

"So now we are heading to a new club in town! The entry is free for tonight."

"That's great.." I sighed and leaned back in the seat.

"You were going to meet someone tonight, I guess? " he asked expectantly and I groaned. I felt like pulling out my hair so badly.

"Don't even talk about it right now, Tommy."

"Did he ditch you, Fuck it, I would love to chop some balls --"

"It's not like that! Who gave you the idea that I was meeting up with some guy, it was a 'she'! " I air quoted with my fingers,

"--who blew my mind off. Uggh, I don't want to think about it! "

"Jesus!" he banged the steering wheel. "All these years I thought that you're my true soulmate, Sophie, why the fuck didn't you tell me that you are into girls!"

"Oh my god, shut up already Thomas! I'm not into girls. It's something else and I really don't want to talk about it."

I pulled my knees up and hid my red face between them.

I hope calling Thomas wasn't a bad idea.

"Oh, thank the lord or I would have never been able to move on."

"...Dumbshit"

.

.

"Let the fun begin. You're going to love this place. " Thomas cheered as soon as we entered the club. The music was loud enough to make me go deaf with the intensity and the lights made me squint my eyes uncomfortably.

Red . Green. Red . Blue. Green Yellow. Red.

Okay, this was making me anxious. I wasn't here for it. I squinted and tried to adjust to the horrid lights.

"Come on!"

Thomas tugged on my hand and we made our way towards the bar. I suddenly was starting to feel nauseous.

The sweaty bodies, the loud music and the huge number of people that were practically having sex on the dance floor made me want to puke my guts out.

I squeezed through them, trying my best to not touch anybody. I scrunched my nose in disgust when I passed a couple moaning and grunting loudly while rubbing themselves off.

EWW!

I heaved a sigh of relief as soon as I crossed the dance floor and sat myself on the high bar stool.

"A beer for me." he told the bartender "What about you, babe?" Thomas asked, and I rolled my eyes at the affectionate term.

"Whisky neat."

Thomas eyed me curiously,

"What?" I shrugged my shoulders looking away.

"Really, whiskey neat? Now I'm very curious to know what pissed you off so much." He took a swig of his beer.

I rolled my eyes and gulped down the glass' content in one go, letting my mind switch off for a while, completely ignoring Thomas.

I think I need more.

"Another one, please!" I slammed the fifth glass on the counter and wiped my mouth with the back of my hands. I felt better than before. This was what I needed. Goodness. A few more and I would be legit flying.

The bartender obliged and got me another one.

I poured it all in mouth and groaned. God, Sophie.

"You need to slow down there, tiger!" Thomas massaged my shoulder, laughing softly at me.

"You don't tell me what to do!" I grumbled.

"Oohoh, I get it Bruno. You need to loosen up a little. Come on, let's dance!"

I gave him a huge grin all of sudden and jumped out of my seat.

"Let's go!" I pulled him towards the dance floor.

He laughed and we moved our bodies along with the music.

I yelled the lyrics on top of my lungs and pulled Thomas closer. The music, the drinks, the madness was too much to handle. I was loving every bit of it. Thomas seemed shocked initially but soon wrapped his arms around me.

We moved with the song back and forth, shaking and swaying ourselves like crazy.

God, I was feeling better.

I laughed on top of my lungs as Thomas swung me round and round.

"I'm loving it. Especially, watching you, tiger. " He laughed, pulling me forward. I squealed and stumbled onto him, the whiskey fully taking control over my senses making me do things I would never dare to do sober.

Will you marry my son, Sophie?

He wants to kill himself,

Destroy things he once loved.

My hands fisted his shirt and I shoved my body onto him. He grinned and I felt him moving against me.

My hips swayed sideways slowly, trying to calm my breathing which was speeding from all the wild dancing.

Thomas turned me around suddenly and I squealed, laughing hysterically as he started moving against me,

"Oh God, stop Thom- " I laughed trying to squirm out of his hold.

"You don't like it, baby?"

"I don't know --baby shake that body now turn around!" I yelled.
My head was suddenly light. This was what I needed. My stress reliever.

My body moved like a river, my hands swayed with me. I felt so high.

"You are driving me crazy, Sophie." I heard Thomas behind me and I giggled when I felt his breath against my neck.

"So. Damn . Crazy. " I felt warm fingers against my stomach ,
Suddenly his fingers dug in my skin my breath hitched and my eyes went wide when his hands travelled north.

"Tho--Thomas what are doing?" I tried to remove his hands.

"Nothing, baby. Just enjoy. " He slammed his hips into mine from behind and I shrieked. 
This was not the first time he did this. He's done it many times but I was too drunk to notice until now.

"Thomas!"

"You can lie to yourself, Bruno but not me. I know you like it." he rasped lowly in my ear.

"Stop it, you dimwit! You're drunk!" I reminded him, thinking he would come back to his senses and realise what he was doing.

"Nope. I'm all fine, babe." He pushed himself again and I felt my eyes water.

He moved from behind I could feel his hard body against me and I shifted uncomfortably, "Stay still,baby."

Without second thought, I kicked my foot backwards hard and heard Thomas groan. Soon his hands were off me and I was able to breath normally again. I looked down to see him sprawled onto the floor, his hands on his crotch and his eyes squeezed shut, in agony.

"Don't you dare touch me like that again, you bastard!" I kicked the side of his stomach

His screams were dissolved in the blaring music.

I kicked him one last time on his jewels, feeling frustrated and ashamed of myself. 
How did I even let him go so far?

I never thought Thomas would do something like that. I wiped my tears and squeezed through the crowds of people.

My silent sniffing was now turned into loud cries. My shoulders shook violently as I was making my way towards the exit. God, what was happening!

First Scarlett, then Thomas. God, I never expected these two to ever put me into something like this . It was scary to imagine what would have Thomas done if I wouldn't have come back to my senses.

I yelped, hitting the floor as someone suddenly knocked me down. I groaned and my eyes caught the sight of a pair of high red heels in front of me, my eyes trailed up to the never ending slim legs to find a fiery dirty blond covered in red from top to bottom glaring down at me.

I stood up, groaning and wiped my face. "I'm sorry. "

"Sorry? You bloody idiot broke my phone!" she pointed her finger accusingly near my foot. 
I looked down at a brand new looking phone lying there with a cracked screen.

Oh no. This day couldn't get worse.

"I--I.. "

"Pay for the damage you did," she shot and my eyes went wide.

I had the urge to ask her,

Will one dollar do, honey?

But I bit my tongue and kept my shit to myself.

She narrowed her eyes on me and I found myself paling under her gaze. Realisation hit me hard that she wanted me to pay. A huge amount that too.

"I don't have money.." I whispered, my head hung low in shame.

"What do you mean by "you don't have money"? I will call the police if you try to act smart with me!" she hissed and glared threateningly at me. Her Hazel eyes turning dark with fury. Was she really trying to threaten me!

"I said I don't have money, you can't threaten me like that!"

"I can and I will." she folded her arms across her standing even taller in front of my 5'10 tall frame.

I knew I was tall but she wasn't any less and those skyscraper heels did no good to make me look taller.

"What's going on?" , came another female voice from behind the leggy blond.

"Oh, nothing, Ken. This bitch here broke my phone." she spat out in digust.

Ken gasped, turning to look at me qith wide eyes. . Who was she kidding, anybody could tell how fake she was being.

"I said I'm sorry. It was just an accident."

"Accident, my foot! you were just being a jealous bitch. You couldn't see the phone in my hand, you poor bitch wanted it, am I right --am I right?" she smirked at me. I felt my chest clench.

"Stop being Shit!"

"You called me Shit?"

"Yes, I did. You can go Fuck yourself! I don't care, I did not do it on purpose. Get that in your head and quit pissing me off before I kick your dumb ass." I rolled my eyes at her huffing.

She was a total pain in my ass.

"Listen here, you piece of dirt," she took a step forward and before I could do anything she gripped my hair tightly making me wince and pulled. I felt a pair of arms going around my waist and then the smell of an flowery expensive perfume filled my nose.

Ken's arms held me into place with my hands behind my back. God, when did this even happen!

"Leave me alone! " I yelled and squirmed.

"Not now. you better learn to talk right to me! Do you even know where you belong?!" she yelled in my face and cringed, looking away. I hated her so much. I hated the high society so much.

"Let me enlighten you." she gripped my jaw and tilted my face. By now I was seething with immense fury. I wanted to kill her on the spot, until now I was trying to be easy on them because I didn't want to create a scene but now I didn't care.

I shook my head sideways making the leggy blond loose her grip on my face and then knocked my shoulders violently backwards, I smirked hearing a squeal from behind and then the hands were gone too.

One down. One left.

"How dare you touch her?"

"How dare you touch me?" I yelled and pushed her shoulders when she wasn't ready for me in action.

I needed to get out of here.

Before I could even take a step towards the exit someone gripped my ankle and pulled roughly and fell flat on my stomach, my face knocking against the floor and I immediately tasted something metallic in mouth. Blood.

"I'll show you what you get for messing with me, slumdog! "
With that I felt a striking pain in the side of my stomach with thunder bolt speed. I yelled and screamed curling into a ball, tears poured down my cheeks, I felt the same Needle --piercing pain in my shoulder and saw Ken kicking me with the thin stem of her heels.

"Stop! please !" I begged crying out in pain but they didn't show mercy.

"Victoria, what are you doing?" came a deep velvety voice from somewhere, even though I was hurt and in pain I felt goosebumps spreading across my body like wildfire. I shivered on the floor and suddenly felt someone looming over me. I opened my eyes to see the blond named Victoria glaring down at me her hands on shoulders.

Maybe he was here to stop her.

But no.

"Nothing,babe. Just helping this girl. She slipped, give me a minute."
Her voice was the sweetest suddenly.

A few minutes passed none of us spoke I tried to stand up but that bitch had a good grip on my shoulders.

"Scram before I hurt you more."she hissed looking back once in a while probably to see if that man was still there or not.

I sobbed loudly as she pressed two of her fingers against the bruise she caused on my shoulder I squirmed on the floor helplessly as she left.

I knew very well why she did it because I was poor!

How can one be so cruel on a person inferior to them.

I stood up anyhow and started limping towards the exit. 
I coughed in my hand and saw blood splattered on my palm. Tears rolled down my cheeks . People eyed me curiously some gave me disgusted looks other smirked at me. I shook my head . This would have never happened if I had money if I had a good reputation, a good lifestyle.

She would have never been able to bring me down if I had money.

I dragged myself out of the exit, the bouncers giving me knowing looks like they see this everyday but none tried to help.

The cold soft breeze caressed my face and I sighed. I'm not some piece of shit! And I will prove it.

I don't want to be the one dollar girl anymore.

"Sophie?"

"Yes,Scarlett, It's me. I will marry your son as soon as possible. "

   don't forget to turn the star yellow if you liked this chapter!!

i honestly don't have any knowledge about alcoholic beverages. I just heard about whiskey neat in one of Selena's songs.

I'd love to know what you think about this chapter.

Garima.