Chapter 145

Fiona

“Lasagna,” I murmur, scanning the wall of pasta. A little comfort food would be good after the day I’ve had, so I grab a box of lasagna noodles and pasta sauce before making my way to the cold section for the rest of the ingredients.

Eyes follow me, like they have all day, and I do my best to ignore them. After the trouble at lunch, I stayed at my desk for the rest of the day until five o’clock finally came around. It felt like years were crammed into those four hours, and with every noise, I thought someone would come to find me with more questions about my relationship with Ethan.

Though, no one bothered me.

I left in a rush and immediately felt better once I was away from the building.

After telling Isla I was going to the grocery store to get ingredients for dinner, I took a taxi to the store. Isla will meet me there, and then we can go home to her peaceful house. I think I’ve had enough drama for a while, and because there is so much trouble and drama around the company, I can’t help but wonder if I should leave.

Placing a pound of ground beef in the buggy, I sigh. The whiplash of going back and forth with my thoughts, or technically from feeling the hot and cold changes coming from Ethan’s decisions, is giving me a constant headache.

I don’t know whether I should stay or go.

“That’s her,” a female voice whispers from somewhere behind me.

“She’s not even that pretty,” another says.

“Who would go for someone so plain?”

I shake my head at the comments. People now-a-days are so rude. Do they think they have the right to comment on everything others do?

“No wonder she had to sign a contract to get someone to have sex with her,” another woman giggles.

Contract?

Sex?

Confusion fills my head, and as I turn onto the next aisle, I glance back at the group of women to find they’re already watching me. There’s no way they know… right?

Before I can think about it too much, I bump into another buggy. The woman whips around and sneers at me, “Do you not have… hey, aren’t you that Fiona woman? How shameless you are, you little harlot.”

“Wh-what?” I gape at her, my jaw dropping at her accusation. “You can’t just—”

“And did you think about if that man you’re sleeping with has a wife or a girlfriend?” She asks, wagging her finger at me. My eyes bounce from her to the women behind her- the women who had just been whispering on the other aisle.

“Better watch out,” a blond-haired lady announces. “She just might steal your man like she did to that other poor woman.”

They giggle as my face flames. I try to back up, but again, I bump into something. Large hands clamp down around my arms, and I gasp, jerking forward.

“You are her,” a man says. “The little whore. I can pay if you’re looking to broaden your horizons.”

His breath fans against my ear, and I shove him away. My heart races, slamming into the ribs as if it is trying to break out. Laughter and whispers whirl around me. People move closer, the man reaching for me, the women taunting me.

Whore.

Harlot.

Shameless.

Bitch.

So many awful names spit at me as they cage me against the wall of spices. One falls to the floor, shattering and sending glass spraying around my feet.

“Stop! Leave me alone,” I shout, pushing forward.

“Not so fast,” the dark-haired man growls. I dodge his hand, running. Thunderous footsteps follow behind me, sending panic skittering down my spine, and when I look back, he’s on my tail.

What the hell is he doing? Why is he following me?

“Go away!”

I wave to the nearest worker for help, but he merely scoffs and turns away, like he doesn’t care. Skirting around a corner, I set my sights on the front doors, dodging displays and customers, and hoping I can make it to a taxi or somewhere safe before this man can grab me.

“I’ve got everything you need, right here, little lady,” the man calls, and not even a second later, his fingers brush my back.

I gasp, fear clamping down on me and making me trip. My feet tangle in each other, and I tumble forward, hitting the cold, hard floor with a thud. A jolt flies through my body, and I groan.

As the man skids to a stop in front of me, I grab the nearest thing, a can of soup, and throw it. He dodges, and I grab more. One after the other, I throw them, pelting him with the little metal cans until he grunts as one slams into his face.

A crowd soon forms around us, everyone whispering and muttering to each other, and I can’t stand it. Whispering, whispering, whispering. Judging. Muttering. Hating. Every bit of it scrapes at my already raw nerves, and I snap.

“Get away from me!” I order, lifting another can and taking aim.

The man raises his hands in surrender, the smirk betraying his innocent gesture.

“The next person to touch me will regret it.”

“Didn’t seem like you liked people to touch you. If I need to pay, I can,” the man says, and I shiver at the disgusting comment.

“Break it up!”

Everyone’s heads swing around, the crowd parts, and a police officer walks through. He eyes the people around me then looks at me on the floor with the can in my hand.

“Ma’am, I’ll need you to put the can down.”

“Only if he doesn’t come anywhere near me,” I respond, pointing at the man who chased me. His smirk is gone, and I feel a little calmer with the officer standing between us. “He and several other people here were harassing me, and I’d like to leave.”

“Of course. No one is allowed to leave until I get a statement. If you do, I will personally come find you,” the officer announces, pointing to the people. He then helps me up, guiding me to a chair near the front of the store.

He crouches in front of me while I take deep breaths to steady myself.

“Can I leave?” I whisper, looking at the man. He nods.

“I’ll take a look at the security cameras to see what happened. Do you have someone who can come get you?”

“My friend is on her way to—”

“Fiona!”

Isla runs toward me, throwing her arms around me the moment she’s close enough.

“Are you okay? Why is he here? Did something happen?”

“We got a call that a woman was being harassed and chased through the store—”

“Who the hell do I need to kill?” Isla growls, jumping to her feet. She whirls around, eyes glaring at everyone even remotely close to us.

The officer’s eyebrows pop up to his hairline, and before she can get herself into trouble, I drag her back down.

“N-no one. I just want to leave. Can you take me home?”

“Of course. You’re not hurt?”

I shake my head. It could’ve been worse. If that man had gotten ahold of me… I don’t know what would’ve happened. We’re in a crowded place, but that doesn’t always stop some people.

“Alright. Let’s get you home,” Isla says softly, wrapping her arm around me and helping me onto my shaking legs. I leave my name and number with the officer before she leads me outside and over to her car.

Once we’re inside, Isla turns to me, a pinched look of concern falling over her face.

“Are you sure you’re okay? I got here as soon as I saw the news and—”

“What news?” I ask. There’s no way this incident is already on the news, but my question clearly surprises Isla, because she freezes, her eyes widening.

“The news that… well, someone- the media spread your contract relationship all over the internet,” she stumbles over her thoughts, watching me carefully as her next words tumble out. “There were pictures, and you name… Hundreds of people could’ve seen it by now—”

“Stop,” I whisper, closing my eyes against the onslaught of emotions ready to drown me. “Just get me out of here.”