Chapter 2 My name is Scott

As he said those words, I froze.

A sharp tremor ran through my body as I slowly turned back around, my legs shaking beneath me. I marched over to him, grabbed his collar, and yanked him forward.

"Why are you following me?!" I screamed, my voice echoing down the aisle. "Who the heck are you?!"

"Hey! Stop it!" the man yelled, shoving my hands off. "I wasn't following you! If anything, you've been looking at me weird!"

He pulled off his cap, and relief washed over me. His face wasn't the one haunting my nightmares. I let out a heavy breath, but then my gaze flicked to the jar in his hands.

"You said you're allergic to that," I said, my brow furrowing. "So why were you screaming that you needed it?"

"It's for that lazy dump of a woman I married!" he grumbled, rolling his eyes. "She can't walk, but she keeps sending me to buy disgusting things for her!"

He turned on his heel and walked away, clutching the peanut butter.

I let out a faint smile and exhaled deeply. What was I thinking? Maya, stop it. He is dead!

After reassuring myself, I paid for my groceries and walked out of the supermarket. I got into my car, sank into the driver's seat, and closed my eyes to let the panic subside.

As I opened my eyes, a shadow flashed across the windshield. Someone was sprinting away from the front of my car.

"What?!"

I scrambled out of the car and rushed to the hood. A deep, heavy scratch was carved into the paint, spelling out a message: Hello Maya...

"Who the fuck did this?!" I screamed, looking around wildly.

Shoppers in the parking lot stared at me, shaking their heads, but no one spoke up.

"I said, who did this to my car?!"

With my blood boiling, I got back inside, slammed the door, turned the key, and sped off.

Halfway home, my phone rang. It was Ria.

"Maya, start coming home right now!" Ria panicked over the speaker. "I think Clint is in bad shape! He keeps screaming in pain, and I don't know what to do!"

My heart froze. I slammed my foot on the accelerator.

Minutes later, I pulled into the driveway and burst into the house. Clint was lying on the couch, sweating profusely and groaning in agony. My eyes dropped to his trousers—he had a massive, unnatural erection.

"What!" I gasped. "What did you take?!"

"I... I took that new medication from Oliver," he stammered, shaking violently. "It worked, but... but I can't get it down! Maya, I'm in so much pain!"

I immediately dialed emergency services. Within minutes, the paramedics arrived, loaded him onto a stretcher, and rushed us to the hospital.

Hours later, Ria sat beside me in the waiting room, resting a comforting hand on my shoulder.

"Do you really have to go through all of this, Maya?" she asked softly.

I wiped a stray tear from my eye and shook my head. "What else am I supposed to do? Clint has been like a god to me..."

"Maya, if you know this marriage isn't working, why are you suffering?" Ria pressed. "Why stay with a man you don't even love?"

"Oh, stop it, Ria," I sighed, pulling away. "Where do you expect me to go?"

"You're a writer! You told me your books are selling well!" Ria argued. "Why not just pack your bags, relocate, and leave this hellhole of a marriage behind?"

"Ria, just stop..."

"Look, Clint is staying here tonight under the care of the doctors," Ria said, cutting me off. "You need to come to that party with me. Clear your head, have fun, and just be fucking happy for once!"

"I'm just scared, Ria," I whispered, staring at the polished hospital floor. "Scared of..."

"Brian is dead! You said it yourself!" Ria insisted.

"I know... but sometimes I feel like someone is watching me."

Ria smiled warmly and squeezed my hand. "Trust me, I will be right by your side the entire night. I just want you to stop stressing. Get ready, and I am not taking no for an answer. Thankfully, Clint is fast asleep tonight under the eyes of the nurses."

That same night, we were at the club. I sat in a booth with a glass of wine in my hand as Ria danced under the flashing lights.

"Come on, Maya, don’t be so dull! Clint is going to be fine!" Ria shouted over the music.

I scoffed. I wasn't even thinking about Clint. My mind was spinning—thinking about my mother, my sister who I kept sending money to, and my ruined life. Clint treated me like I was completely worthless without him.

"Maybe I am," I muttered, taking a heavy sip of my drink.

"Maya, get over here!" Ria dragged me out of my thoughts and pulled me onto the dance floor.

I forced my body to move to the beat. Before I knew it, a pair of hands wrapped around my waist from behind. I immediately shoved him off and spun around.

"Hey, lady, take it easy!" the guy said, raising his hands. "It’s just a dance, you know? Just having fun."

Ria nodded in approval. "Clint isn't here, Maya! Just have fun!"

I let my guard down. His hands glided over my hips and waist, and the alcohol swept away my last bit of control. The next thing I knew, we were in a hotel bed. I wanted this—desperately.

"Fuck..." I groaned as his heavy bulge pressed into me, bringing a wave of pleasure that made me completely lose my mind.

When I woke up, I was completely naked on the bed. Thankfully, the man was still lying beside me, his eyes closed in deep sleep.

I let out a sigh of relief. The first time I did this was with Brian, and before the blackmail started, I had woken up to find him already gone.

Carefully, I reached over to the nightstand and grabbed his phone. It was locked. I leaned over, held the screen up to his sleeping face, and the facial recognition clicked open. I quickly opened his gallery to check for any hidden recordings.

Nothing.

I nodded to myself and slid out of bed. Without even checking my clothes properly, my only focus was getting out of there. I hurried into the hallway, almost running right into Ria, who was standing by the door.

"Hey, calm down!" Ria said, staring at my frantic face.

"You said you’d look after me!" I hissed, my voice trembling with anger. "I told you how terrible I am when I drink! Now you left me with another godforsaken stranger, and I cheated on my husband again!"

"Calm down, Maya," Ria said, grabbing my shoulders. "Besides, he wasn't bad. He didn't vanish on you the way Brian did."

"You’re the same person who led me to that stinking ball where I met Brian in the first place!" I muttered.

Ria shook her head. "Okay, I admit it was my fault. I should have kept an eye on you—"

Before she could finish, my phone rang. Clint. My chest tightened.

"Hey, where are you, Maya?" Clint demanded the second I answered. "I woke up and you weren't lying beside me! I’m fucking sick, and you know I took those pills for you!"

I scoffed, pulling open my car door. "I didn't force you to take them, Clint. Just hold on, I'll be there soon."

I hung up and started the engine.

"I have a great lawyer if you need one," Ria offered casually from the passenger seat. "Half of Clint's property could easily be yours—"

"Hey!" I yelled, cutting her off. "Why are you so obsessed with me leaving my marriage?! I just cheated on my husband again! It’s not funny!"

"But he never satisfies you!" Ria argued. "He gives you zero affection!"

"All thanks to you for the fucking mess you keep pushing me into," I muttered, pulling up in front of the hospital.

I scrambled out of the car, but as I stepped onto the pavement, a cold realization hit me. I froze.

"Oh, fuck..." I turned to Ria, my eyes wide with terror. "I forgot my panties."

"What?!" Ria gasped. "How could you make a mistake like that?! What were you thinking?!"

"I panicked!" I whispered.

"Maya, remember what happened last time?" Ria said urgently. "Leave no clues for these predators! Go back and get your undies before it's too late!"

"I can't go back there!" I argued. "I don't think that man even remembers my face, and now you want me to—"

"Go!" Ria ordered.

I exhaled sharply, turned around, and rushed into Clint’s hospital room first. He was sitting up in bed, his face pale and gloomy.

"I was hoping to see you lying beside me when I woke up," Clint grumbled.

"I’m sorry, Clint," I said, stepping forward to pull the blanket over him. "How are you feeling? Who gave you those pills anyway? Why would you do that to yourself?"

"Stop it, Maya," Clint snapped. "You never care. I’m doing all of this just to make you happy, and you know that."

Ria pinched my arm from behind. I remembered the missing evidence back at the hotel.

"I... I’m going to go get you something to eat. I’ll be right back," I stammered, turning toward the door.

"I never said I was hungry," Clint called after me. "The nurses already brought me food."

I froze midway to the door, my hand hovering near the frame. "I... I’ll still be right back, Clint," I muttered, quickly stepping out into the hall.

Ria and I hurried straight back to the lounge and marched up to the hotel room. I knocked on the door.

A few seconds later, it swung open. Standing in the doorway was the man from last night. He was tall, heavily built, and outrageously handsome.

"My name is Scott," he said, leaning against the frame.

"I didn't ask," I brushed past him into the room.

Luckily, my undies were still lying on the edge of the bed. I snatched them up. "Thanks. At least I didn't have to search for them."

I turned to leave, but Scott stepped into my path. "If you ever need me again, just call. Trust me, I don't charge to make a woman like you happy."

Before I could object, he slid his business card into my purse. Ria grabbed my arm and pulled me out of the room, slamming the door shut behind us.

"Come on, Maya!" Ria said, pulling me toward the car.

I sank onto the passenger seat, hot tears streaming down my cheeks.

"I think i ve made another terrible mistake," I sobbed, my voice cracking. "I'm so disgusting! I cant control myself when I'm drunk!"

I slammed my fist against the dashboard, my chest heaving. "I am so disgusting!"

Ria remained calm beside me, staring at me quietly. "Didnt you enjoy every bit of it, though?"

"Are you crazy?!" I screamed, turning to glare at her. "I just cheated on Clint again,and I dont even know how I am ever going to face him again! And you re sitting there asking if I enjoyed it?!"

Before I could finish, a notification chimed on my phone. A text message popped up on the screen:

Hey, its Scott. I knew you wouldn't call me, so I decided to text. That sweet fragrance of yours is still lingering all around me. In case you ever need something like this again like I told you,I am always available...

My heart froze. My hands trembled violently as I turned off the screen.

How the fuck did he get my number?!

I stared into space, my mind racing. I was positive my phone was locked, and I didn't even have facial recognition enabled.

"Are you sure you locked it?" Ria asked, peering over.

"I made sure of it!" I gasped, turning to her. "Ever since Clint kept trying to read my messages back when Brian was blackmailing me, I have been paranoid! I change my password every single day so Clint can't get into it!"

Ria frowned, her eyebrows knitting together. "Thats crazy... how did he get your number then?"

Before I could process it, the phone rang. It was the same unknown number.

"It's Scott," I whispered, my voice shaking as I put the phone to my ear.

"I just wanted to make sure you got my message," Scott's smooth voice echoed through the speaker. "Its Scott."

"How the hell did you get my number?!" I screamed into the receiver.

"Calm down, lady. Just calm down," Scott replied coolly. "I just wanted to make sure you saw it. I'll reach out to you again soon..."

"I am fucking married”!"

Click.

He hung up before I could finish the sentence.

"I hate people!" I screamed, slamming my hand onto the steering wheel and starting the engine.

All through the drive back to the hospital, Ria kept apologizing over and over for dragging me to that party. But I could barely hear hear her,my head was spinning with dread.

When we finally arrived, I rushed through the hospital entrance and down the hallway to Clints room.

It was empty. The bed was neatly made.

I hurried to the reception desk, my heart pounding in my throat. "Where is the patient in Room 204? Where is Clint?"

"He was discharged about twenty minutes ago, ma'am," the nurse replied politely.

"Discharged?!" I muttered to myself. "So soon? Why didn't he call me?"

Frustrated, I turned and walked back to the car, with Ria trailing closely behind me. We drove toward the isolated estate where our house stood.

"How do you even find this place enjoyable?" Ria asked, looking out the window as the car rolled down the empty, desolate road. "This whole area is scary as hell."

"It wasn't my choice," I said, my grip tightening on the steering wheel. "For some reason, Clint insisted on living somewhere out of the way like this."

"Honestly? Even your husband is creepy," Ria muttered.

"Stop it!" I snapped, cutting her off before she could say another word. "Just stop!"