Tears streamed down Alice’s cheeks. Her glass lay empty on the bar counter, as vacant as her heart. Every sip of alcohol she consumed failed to alleviate the pain gnawing at her heart. She had been nurturing feelings for Daniel for years, yet all she received was emptiness.
“Daniel, why are you so cruel?” she whispered, her voice muffled by sobs. Her head felt heavy, her consciousness gradually fading, until she finally slumped limp on the table.
A man who had been watching her intently finally got up from his seat. He approached, a triumphant smile playing on his lips. “Miss, are you alright? Would you like me to take you home?”
Alice didn’t hear him. Daniel’s name echoed in her mind, a constant ache in her heart.
The man gently helped Alice up. “Come on, let’s go home,” he said, his voice soft, but there was a chilling coldness behind his smile. His eyes held a sinister gleam, like a snake that had captured its prey.
“Who are you?” Alice asked. “Let go of me, I don’t know you,” she pleaded, but he didn’t let go. Instead, he tightened his grip on her. He pulled Alice along, her body a limp doll in his grasp.
Just then, Richard arrived at the nightclub. His gaze fell instantly upon Alice, looking so vulnerable, held by a stranger. With swift steps, he approached them.
“Who are you?” Richard demanded, his voice sharp and cold. “Let her go!”
The man turned his head and answered Richard’s question. “I’m his friend,” he lied.
Alice, who was still in a semi-conscious state, gasped at Richard’s voice. Her eyes fluttered opened, gazing at Richard with a vacant stare.
“Richard?” she murmured, her voice barely a whisper.
Richard ignored the man, extending his hand to support Alice. “Come on, let’s go home,” he said, his voice soft. He could sense the evil intent behind the man’s gaze and he wasn’t going to let Alice fall victim to it.
The man couldn’t accept that Richard had interfered with his plans. He felt Alice belonged to him tonight. “Don’t touch her,” he shouted, then pushed Richard roughly.
Richard flinched at the man’s rude treatment, his anger peaked, and immediately threw a punch at the man.
A fight broke out. The two men grappled, punching each other. Several people in the nightclub were screaming, watching the fight with fear. Alice, who was still in a daze, finally fell down and could only hold her head which felt heavy.
Richard, who was increasingly enraged, finally managed to knock the man down. He gripped the man’s shirt collar firmly, his eyes glaring. “You’re lucky I can still hold myself together,” he hissed, then released his grip and turned to face Alice.
“Come on, let’s get out of here,” he urged, extending his hand to help Alice up.
Alice took Richard’s hand and let him help her up. She still felt weak, her mind still spinning.
Richard then led Aice out of the nightclub. Once they were outside, he helped her into the car and fastened her seatbelt. Finally, Richard slid into the driver’s seat.
“Daniel, why are you so cruel to me?” Alice whispered, her voice choked with tears.
As Alice turned to Richard, she was lost in a haze of illusion, seeing him as Daniel. With trembling hands, Alice grabbed Richard’s shirt collar, as if she wanted to clutch Daniel who had made her hurt. “Why are you so cruel to me?” she asked.
The strong swaying of Alice’s body made the car Richard was driving swerve. Richard tried to stay focused on the road, but it was difficult to control the car as Alice continued to shake his body. “Stop it, Miss Alice. We’re going to crash if you keep this up.” his voice tried to calm Alice down.
But Alice shook his body even more vigorously, her eyes staring angrily at Richard, as if Richard was Daniel who had hurt her. Pressured by the dangerous situation, Richard finally hit the brakes hard after pulling over their car.
“Miss Alice,” Richard said in a slightly raised voice. He held both of Alice’s arms so that she would no longer shake his body.
Their gazes met in such close proximity. Richard quickly released her arms and straightened in his seat. Alice’s hands slowly reached up, cupping Richard’s face, pulling him closer.
“Daniel, I miss you. I wish you could accept my love,” Alice whispered, her voice trembling with emotion, her eyes gazing longingly at Richard. Then, gently, her lips pressed against Richard’s, a kiss filled with longing and hope.
Surprised by Alice’s action, Richard immediately pushed her away, his eyes looking at Alice guiltily. “Sorry, Miss Alice. I’m not Mr. Daniel.”
“Why did you reject me, Daniel? Can’t you give me a chance to date you just once?” Alice asked drunkenly, mistaking Richard for Daniel.
“How did you get to know Emily? Are you guys dating? You seem to know each other,” Alice said, her eyes looking at Richard curiously, her mind a little muddled due to the influence of alcohol.
“What is your relationship with her? Can you be honest with me?” asked Alice, pulling Richard’s arm to face her.
“Miss Alice,” Richard said, his voice sounding heavy. “I’ll take you home. And I’m not Mr. Daniel.”
Alice frowned, her eyes fixed on Richard with a blank gaze full of confusion. “You’re obviously Daniel. Do you hate me so much that you don’t want to admit that you are Daniel?”
Richard let out a long breath, frustration and annoyance filling his chest. “Well, there’s no point talking to you under these circumstances,” he muttered, his voice sounding desperate.
Alice didn’t seem to hear Richard’s words. Her body came closer, her hands draped around his neck. Her lips sought Richard’s and she kissed him again passionately, her tongue tracing his lips aggressively, as if to plunge him into the vortex of feelings burning in her heart.
Richard was stunned, his body stiffened. He held Alice back again, pushing her away. “Miss Alice, stop,” he whispered. “You’ll regret all this when you wake up. I will not take advantage of you. Please sit quietly, I’ll take you home.”
Alice’s stomach suddenly twisted, an unbearable wave of nausea crashing over her. The urge to vomit grew stronger, like a storm raging inside her body.
“What’s wrong, Miss Alice?” asked Richard, his voice filled with worry.
Alice couldn’t hold it in anymore. The contents of her stomach spilled out, hitting Richard’s clothes. A sour smell filled the cabin of the car, stinging the nose. After the last of the vomit came out, Alice’s body was limp, helpless. She leaned back on the seat, her eyes closed tiredly.
Richard stared at the chaos before him, his body stiffening. “How unlucky I am today,” he muttered, his voice sounding bitter. He felt like he was trapped in an endless nightmare.
Richard took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down. He grabbed a tissue from the box on the dashboard and began to clean himself of Alice’s vomit. The sour smell still stung his nose, but he tried to ignore it.
After cleaning himself as much as he could, Richard looked at Alice who was already fast asleep beside him. He let out a long sigh before starting the car engine and driving towards Alice’s house. After a while, he arrived at her magnificient home, a testament to the luxury and wealth of its owner, standing firmly on a large plot of land.
Richard got out of the car, approached Alice, and helped unfasten her seat belt. Her body felt light, almost weightless. Richard carried her carefully, trying not to wake her.
As Richard stepped towards the entrance, a maid appeared. Her face showed concern at the sight of Alice in her drunken state. “Miss Alice,” she murmured.
“Who’s there?” came the voice of a man who stepped closer to them this time. He was James Anderson, Daniel’s father’s best friend, his face looking tense.
After seeing his daughter in a drunken state and the face of the familiar man holding his daughter, James’ forehead was visibly furrowed. “Richard? What happened to Alice?”
“Good evening, Mr. Anderson. She’s drunk.”
“Is Alice home yet?” came the voice of a middle-aged woman who was worried after her daughter.
“Oh my God Alice!” the woman shouted, seeing her fast asleep in Richard’s arms.
James immediately took over carrying Alice. “Let me take her inside.”
“Who are you and how did you end up with Alice?” asked Alice’s mother Patricia.
Richard explained his identity to Alice’s mother and why Alice was with him.
“Oh my goodness. I have to thank you. Alice is a spoiled child, unlike her independent older sister,” said Patricia, her voice slightly relieved.
“No problem. I’ll excuse myself then,” Richard excused himself.
The next morning, Alice woke up with her head throbbing. “What happened?” she muttered. The memories of last night came back to her vaguely. The incident in Richard’s car that flashed through her mind made her mouth open wide in disbelieving shock.
“Oh my God! What have I done?” Alice hissed, her voice filled with shame and regret.