My contract love story

Ashleigh’s heart pounded as she sprinted through the dimly lit underground parking lot, her breath coming in sharp gasps. She’d seen Megan and those two guys earlier; they had been leaving the building just before her. Now, the parking lot was deserted. Ashleigh glanced around anxiously, trying to piece together the sequence of events. As she exited the lot and headed toward the street, her mind raced with fear.

“Why can’t I find them?” she muttered to herself, her voice trembling. “It was only a minute between when they left and when I followed.” She scanned the alleyways adjacent to the building, each darkened passage holding only eerie silence.

As she reached the third alley, a chilling sound pierced the quiet-cries of distress. Ashleigh’s pulse quickened. She peered into the dimly lit alley and her stomach dropped. There was Megan, pinned against the wall by the two men from earlier. One man held Megan’s arms forcefully against the wall, while the other was lifting her gown. The sight was horrifying, and Ashleigh’s mind raced with panic.

She thought briefly about calling the police, but she knew it might be too late by then. In a frenzy, she pulled out her phone, dialled Damien’s number, and set it to speaker mode before dropping it on the ground. Her fingers trembled as she quickly removed her shoes and limped toward the alley, her heart pounding.

“Hey! Stop that right now!” she shouted, her voice quavering with fear. The man holding Megan’s arms looked up, his face contorted with annoyance.

“Is this some kind of joke? Young lady, move along if you know what’s good for you,” he barked, his voice dripping with menace.

Megan’s weak voice emerged from behind the men. “Help me, please,” she begged, her words muffled as one of the men slapped her and tied a rag around her mouth to silence her.

“Forget it, Joe. If she doesn’t want to leave, then grab her too. The more, the merrier,” the other man snarled.

Joe, the man facing Ashleigh, charged at her. Panic surged through Ashleigh as she lunged at him, but he anticipated her move. She felt her skin crawl as he grabbed her arm, dragging her into the alley with a brutal grip. Ashleigh’s cries for help echoed through the alley as she struggled against him. He threw her to the ground, the rough pavement scraping her knees and was about to silence her with a blow when she seized the opportunity. With a swift kick to his groin, she sent him crashing backward in pain.

The other man, distracted by the commotion, turned toward Megan. In a desperate attempt Ashleigh kicked the man and it landed, snatching Megan’s purse before grabbing Megan and helping her up. They stumbled together, Ashleigh gripping Megan around the waist as she dragged her toward the alley’s exit.

“Grab that stupid bitch! We can’t let her escape!” the man roared, and Ashleigh’s heart raced with fear as she quickened her pace.

She could hear the men getting up and closing in on them, her heart dropped as looked hopelessly at the entrance , but then the sound of approaching footsteps came from the entrance. Arthur and Damien appeared with a small crowd at the mouth of the alley, their presence a sudden relief. Ashleigh felt her shoulders relax as Arthur and Damien quickly took action. Arthur rushed over to Ashleigh, helping her to her feet.

“Ashleigh, what happened?” Arthur’s voice was filled with concern as he scanned her bruised and disheveled form, the whispers of the people behind rising. Ashleigh couldn’t be bothered about the onlookers at the moment, only Megan.

“Where’s Megan? Is she okay?” Ashleigh asked, twisting to see Damien holding Megan gently in his arms. Seeing Megan safe brought a wave of relief.

“She’s fine, Arthur. Help me stand,” Ashleigh said, trying to steady herself. Arthur helped her up, and she turned to see the two men escaping as the security chased them.

The men scrambled over the wall, narrowly avoiding capture as the security guards rushed past. Damien’s face darkened with frustration.

“Fools! Make sure those guys are caught,” he bellowed, as the security team nodded and ran down the road in pursuit while two remained by his side.

“You two, sort this out” he ordered the man by his side who nodded and they turned to the crowd and began leading them away from the scene.

Ashleigh hurried over to Megan, who was now unconscious in Damien’s arms.

“We need to get her to the hospital, now,” she insisted, her voice tight with urgency. They left immediately, heading for the nearest hospital.

At the hospital, they handed Megan over to the nurses, who quickly wheeled her into a ward for treatment. Ashleigh paced anxiously and a nurse took Ashleigh to examine her thoroughly. After what felt like an eternity, the nurse dressed the wound on her knees and assured Ashleigh that she had no other external injuries. Anagelsics and an ice pack were prescribed for the swollen and bruised areas.

An hour later, the police arrived to take Ashleigh’s statement. They meticulously reviewed the details and assured her they would open a case. They planned to speak to Megan the next morning. After the officers left, the doctor emerged from the ward. Ashleigh, still trembling with worry, approached him with Arthur and Damien beside her.

“Your friend is stable now,” the doctor said, his tone reassuring. “She was drugged and had alcohol in her system, so we had to act quickly to flush it out. She’s a bit restless now due to the shock, but she’ll be asleep soon. You can visit her later.”

Ashleigh nodded, her face reflecting both relief and exhaustion. “Thank you, Doctor.”

Arthur placed a comforting hand on Ashleigh’s shoulder. “What are you saying? Of course, we would help you! Thankfully, you called Damien in time.”ConTEent bel0ngs to Nôv(e)lD/rama(.)Org .

Damien, however, remained silent and brooding, his anger barely concealed. “Why did you act so rashly, Ashleigh? Your safety is as important as Megan’s. Why didn’t you wait for us?”

“I couldn’t wait! I had to do something!” Ashleigh shot back, her voice rising in frustration.

Arthur stepped in to diffuse the tension. “It’s fine, Damien. What matters is that Ashleigh called for help and we got here in time. Don’t rile her up.”

Damien glared at Ashleigh before storming off. Ashleigh started to follow him but was stopped by Arthur’s hand on hers.

“He just needs time to cool down. He was scared when we got the call,” Arthur explained gently. “What’s your plan now?”

Ashleigh glanced at Megan’s ward, her mind made up. “I think I should stay here with her, at least until she wakes up. Even though she’s not exactly fond of me, I don’t want to leave her alone.”

Arthur raised an eyebrow in surprise. “Your roommate hates your guts? That was a waste of time then”

“Don’t say that, Arthur. She needed help,” Ashleigh said firmly.

Arthur shook his head in disagreement but offered, “Do you need us to stay with you?”

Ashleigh looked puzzled. “I thought Damien had gone home.”

Arthur chuckled. “He’ll just sulk in the car, but he won’t leave you alone.”

“I’m fine. I’ve already troubled you two enough. It’s better if you rest. I’ll be okay,” she said.

“If you’re sure. We’re just a call away if you need anything. Take care,” Arthur said, pulling her into a comforting hug before heading out.

Ashleigh watched them leave, feeling a mix of gratitude and melancholy. She entered the room where Megan lay. The space was modestly sized, with a couch by the entrance and Megan’s bed just a few feet away. Megan’s face was bruised, her expression twisted in pain. An IV line dripped fluid into her arm, and a probe monitored her vitals.

Ashleigh approached the bed, her heart aching at the sight of her friend. Gently, she took Megan’s hand.

“It’s okay, Megan. You’re safe now. No one will hurt you,” she whispered soothingly. Megan’s face relaxed slightly, and she settled into a peaceful sleep.

As Ashleigh turned to sit on the couch, a phone buzzed. She scanned the room until she found the source of the noise-it was in Megan’s purse. She retrieved the phone and answered the call.

“Megan! I’ve been calling you for hours! What’s happening?” a mature male voice demanded, a mix of relief and frustration evident.

“This isn’t Megan. This is Ashleigh Hartman. Megan’s in the hospital,” Ashleigh explained, her voice trembling.

There was a pause on the line before the voice dropped dangerously low. “Tell me everything.”

Ashleigh took a deep breath and began to recount the events, her voice steady despite the lingering fear.