Alice's POV
I didn't even look back at the car or at the man sitting inside. I just crossed the road quickly and kept walking. I didn't know where I was going. I only wanted to be far away from there.
I walked faster until I reached the next street, and then I stopped at a small corner, breathing hard.
I pulled out my phone and searched for the address of a real estate agent I knew. They had once helped my friend find a place when she moved out of town. Maybe they could help me too.
I found their office not too far away, about a fifteen-minute walk, so I went there right away. The woman at the front desk smiled when I walked in.
"Good afternoon. How may I help you?"
I swallowed hard, trying to sound as normal as possible.
"I need a new place. Somewhere quiet. In the UK, but not around here. I just… need to move fast."
She blinked at me. "Do you have a location in mind?"
"Anywhere far from the city," I said softly. "And I can pay in full."
That got her attention. She nodded and said she would send me a list of available homes by evening. I thanked her and left.
I took a cab from there to the address where I stayed with my now ex-husband. The house was part of what I had won in the case, and my husband would soon come for his belongings, but I really didn't want to be there when he did.
The moment I entered the house, I knew I couldn't stay there any longer. The walls felt heavy, and every corner reminded me of Daniel. The smell of his perfume was still there, the same one that used to make me smile; now it only made me sick.
I opened the closet and began folding my clothes, one after another. My hands were moving fast. I just wanted to leave before I changed my mind. I took my documents, some jewellery, and my laptop and zipped up the suitcase. But as I tried to close it, the zip caught my finger and tore the skin.
"Perfect," I muttered, looking at the small cut that was already bleeding. "Just what I needed."
I sucked in a shaky breath and grabbed a tissue, pressing it on my hand. Tears started to blur my eyes again, but I wiped them off quickly; I didn't want to cry anymore.
I dragged the suitcase out and locked the door behind me. My heart felt heavy as I stood outside. I didn't know if I was sad, angry, or just tired. Maybe all of them.
I didn't want to go home. I didn't even have a home anymore. So, I walked until I saw a hotel at the corner of the street.
I needed a drink. Just one, and maybe two. Anything to make my mind quiet.
I walked in. The bar was half full, with people laughing and talking. I sat at the counter and asked the bartender for a glass of wine.
When I drank the first one, it burned my throat. I asked for another and then another.
After a while, I stopped counting. My head felt light, and everything around me looked blurry. But for the first time in days, my chest didn't feel so heavy.
I looked around and saw couples sitting close, whispering into each other's ears. Some were laughing, some were kissing.
I looked away quickly. I didn't want to remember love. I didn't even know if I believed in it anymore.
I rested my head on the counter and closed my eyes for a few seconds. Then memories started to rush back. The memories of my father—he was always drunk and shouting when I was a child, throwing things at the wall and beating up my mother—and my mother running out one night and never coming back. I was barely ten when she left.
After that, it was just me and him. His heavy drinking, his debts... I had to grow up fast. I started working at a small store at sixteen, saving every penny just to survive. I thought when I married Daniel, life would finally feel safe. But I was wrong again.
A small laugh escaped me. It sounded dry and bitter.
"Life is funny," I whispered.
"You keep thinking it will get better, but it just finds another way to hurt you."
The bartender gave me a strange look, but I ignored him. I was too tired to explain anything.
After a few more drinks, I got up and staggered to my feet. My vision was spinning, and I just wanted to sleep somewhere and forget everything for a while.
I saw a sign that pointed to a "Club Lounge" in the same building. The music was louder there. I thought maybe I'd dance and laugh a little, or lose myself for just one night.
I walked in, trying not to stumble. When I entered, the lights were coloured and flashing, people were dancing, and the smell of alcohol filled the air. I found a small space at the back and followed the crowd. My body was swaying; I had to do all of this tonight.
At some point, I felt dizzy again. I pushed through the crowd, looking for the restroom. But the hallway was dark, and all the doors were the same. I opened one, thinking it was the ladies' room, but it wasn't.
It was a private lounge.
There were a few men inside, sitting around a low table with drinks. The moment I stepped in, they all turned to look at me.
"Oh, sorry..." I started to say, but my words slurred.
One of them stood up and laughed.
"Are you lost, sweetheart?"
"Leave me alone," I said, trying to close the door, but he blocked it.
"She's drunk," another man said.
"Just let her go."
But before anything could happen, someone at the corner spoke quietly. His voice was so deep that I could get lost in it. It also seemed familiar, like I had heard it somewhere.
"Out, everyone. Leave the girl with me," he said.
The men exchanged looks and then walked out, leaving just the two of us in the room.
I blinked, trying to see clearly. He was sitting on a couch and wearing a dark suit. The lights behind him made it hard to see his face, but I could feel his eyes on me.
I took a step back, holding the door.
"I'm sorry," I muttered.
"I thought this was the restroom."
He didn't say anything. He just stood up slowly and walked toward me. My heartbeat picked up, but for some reason, I didn't move.
He stopped close, his height making me tilt my head up a little.
"So," he said quietly, his voice whispering near my ear.
"This is what you want now?"
The question didn't make sense to me, because my mind was too clouded.
"What are you saying?" I laughed weakly.
"I just came to drink, not to..."
He leaned closer so that I could feel his breath on my skin.
"You don't even remember, do you?" he said.
I blinked, confused. "Remember what?" He smirked.
"Nothing," he said softly.
"You'll find out soon enough."
I frowned, but before I could ask again, he stepped aside and opened the door for me.
"Go back to your room," he said softly.
Without saying another word, I nodded slowly and walked out.
My steps were unsteady as I went down the hallway. My head was spinning, and I kept hearing his voice in my head.
"You'll find out soon enough."
I went straight to the hotel receptionist, asked for a room, and dragged myself upstairs.
When I entered, I dropped my bag, lay on the bed, and stared at the ceiling. I noticed the room was luxurious, and I wondered if it was the same price I had paid, but who cares anyway?
After about a minute, I heard footsteps coming closer, and then the door creaked open.