After giving up being a billionaire's mistress

Sariah had just hung up the phone when Adelaide’s soft voice drifted from behind her. She spun around nervous, and found Adelaide standing by the kitchenette.

Adelaide was poised, elegant—even just standing there, her presence sent a jolt of intimidation straight through Sariah.

"Ms. Patterson… d-do you need something?" Sariah stammered.

"I just remembered I forgot a few travel necessities. Could you pick them up for me?" Adelaide handed her a handwritten list. Her script was just as neat and polished as she was.

Sariah froze when her eyes landed on one word: condoms. It felt like a knife twisted right through her chest.

"Keep this quiet, won't you?" Adelaide whispered, throwing her a soft, secret little wink.

Sariah nodded awkwardly and hurried out of the kitchenette, desperate to get away. Her mind wandered back to the first time she’d been with Emory.

She’d just turned nineteen. It was her birthday, and he’d showed up with flowers and a spiced honey cake. She’d grown up an orphan—she’d never had a birthday cake of her own before. That little cake, that stupid bouquet, was all it took to sweep her off her feet. She’d been ready to give him everything.

She laughed bitterly at how stupid she’d been. People always say that if you don’t raise a girl with nice things, she’ll fall for any little trash that comes her way. Four years with Emory, and she’d never once had to buy condoms. He hated using them. Always insisted she just take the pill.

But for Adelaide? He was thoughtful enough to care about her convenience, of course. Wouldn’t dream of making her go through the hassle of pills every day.

The whole drive to the airport, Sariah didn’t say a word. "We’re running late. Speed it up," Emory said, finally picking up on how quiet she was.

"Yes, Mr. Kelly," Sariah answered, and turned left on the green light. Just after the car in front cleared the intersection, a little boy suddenly bolted out into the road, running straight through his red light. Sariah jerked the wheel hard to miss him, and slammed straight into the median.

"Adelaide!" Emory shouted the second the crash happened, instinctively yanking her into his protective arms.

Lucky for them, we weren’t going fast. Only the driver’s side took major damage. The airbag went off, and I ended up pinned in my crumpled seat, my left leg trapped under the wreckage, pain screaming through my whole body.

"Emory…" Sariah’s voice shook with terror. "Help me…"

That trapped, can’t-move feeling? It terrified her. Back in her freshman year of college, Phoenix locked her inside a wooden equipment storage box. She screamed and pounded until her hands were raw, and no one came. That suffocating, locked-in panic had been unbearable.

If a janitor hadn’t noticed the water leak on the floor the next day, she would’ve died in there…

"Emory!" When she saw Emory starting to climb out of the car, she panicked, forgetting all about hiding her feelings in front of Adelaide. "Don’t leave me…"

"The rescuers and cops will handle her," Emory said, his face sour as he shielded Adelaide with his body and stepped out of the wreck to call for help.

"That's your assistant still in there, isn't it?" Adelaide noted, eyeing him suspiciously. No assistant calls their boss by his first name, after all.

Emory pulled her tighter against his chest, glancing indifferently at Sariah trapped inside the crumpled car. He checked his watch. "No time. The crash isn't that bad. We'll grab a cab to the airport. Emergency services will take care of her."

Adelaide nodded, threw Sariah a knowing little look, and followed him, leaving the crash site behind them.

Sariah pounded on the window like a madwoman, but Emory never looked back. She knew he was just scared of Adelaide misunderstanding.

Watching him walk away, Sariah completely broke. "Emory, save me… you promised you'd never leave me…"

"Liar! You're a fucking liar, Emory! You promised you'd always protect me!"

Her emotions spiraled completely out of control. The old depression and panic made her twist and thrash in the confined space. Her injuries, not life-threatening at first, only got worse as she fought wildly against the wreckage.

"Let me out… let me out!" Sariah screamed, pounding the glass over and over. The trauma from that freshman year nightmare had swallowed any trace of rational thought, especially when the acrid stench of smoke from the burning engine seeped into the cab.

"That car's on fire!" someone yelled from the street.

"Is anyone still in there? I just saw two people leave."

Sariah sat trapped, counting silently under her breath. That night in the wooden box, she'd counted all the way to 6,788…

She wondered what number she'd get to before this all ended.