“Alvin, I really didn’t expect your moralpass to be this low. You kissed her, and you call it nothing? What would count as something to you? Sleeping with her? Maybe getting her pregnant?” My questions cut deep, each one a jab at his integrity.


    Alvin’s grip tightened, and he snarled, “I’ve exined it before. I was drunk, it was a moment of confusion.”


    “You can make mistakes once, but if you do it again… you should know by now that with me, there are some mistakes that can’t be forgiven,” I said firmly, making my stance clear.


    “Stop pretending like you have some high ground!” Alvin cursed at me.


    His vulgarity only made my disappointment grow. I even started to question myself-how could I have ever fallen for someone like him?


    “Zoe, you just want to leave me, you want to go y around with other men, don’t think I don’t know,” he continued, refusing to listen.


    I was exhausted from arguing with him. “If that’s how you see it, fine. I know that you, Alvin, are too proud and can’t stand anyone betraying you. So, for someone like me-unfaithful and impure-why don’t you just let me go and let me get as far away as possible?”


    I was trying to save myself, but Alvin, enraged by my words, leaned down to kiss me.


    I recoiled, especially after remembering he had kissed Thea. I was furious and disgusted.


    But the more I dodged, the more he lost control. He shoved me roughly onto the desk, his hands reaching for my clothes. “You don’t want me to kiss you? Do you want Josh to do it instead? Have you slept with him yet?”


    His words were vile, and his actions maddening. It made me feel ashamed and terrified.


    As his hands traveled up my waist, I grabbed whatever I could find and, without thinking, smashed it into his head.


    With a loud thud, I felt his grip freeze. He looked at me, stunned. Something warm and sticky began trickling down his face.


    When I realized what it was, my heart dropped. It was blood.


    I quickly closed my eyes as a drop of it fell directly into my eye. The warmth of it slid down my face, tracing my cheek…


    My hand trembled, and I felt his other hand grip the back of my head. Alvin’s cold voice rang in my ear. “Zoe, listen to me carefully. You’re mine.”


    With that, his weight on top of me vanished, and I quickly scrambled to my feet.


    As I opened my eyes, I saw Alvin clutching his head, his face pale as he stormed out of the room.


    I felt my legs give out beneath me, and I grabbed the desk to steady myself.


    “Mr. Dolton, you’re bleeding!” I heard Davy’s shocked voice.


    “Shut up,” Alvin snapped as he walked off, his footsteps growing distant.


    I copsed, closing my eyes, feeling utterly drained. When I opened them again, I didn’t want anyone to see my disheveled state, so I went into the small break room in Alvin’s office.


    In the mirror, I saw a drop of Alvin’s blood still clinging to the corner of my eye, so bright it looked like a tear I had shed for


    him


    I wiped it away with a tissue, then quickly left the office and thepany behind


    I had barely made it home when Jasmine called “Zoe, I saw Alvin. He got a headshot.”


    “At the hospital?” I asked quietly,


    “Yes, his assistant was there with him. It looked bad. Jasmine replied, pausing before asking. “You’re not feeling sorry for him, are you!”


    1 gave a dry chuckle. “What if I’m the one who gave him the headshot?”


    Jasmine gasped on the other end. After a long pause, she asked carefully. “Did he do something to you?”


    I thought about his crazed behavior in the office earlier, and without hesitation. I replied. “He tried to rape me