Zariah sat across the wooden desk, her fingers tapping lightly on a closed file. Across from her, a woman sat with red-rimmed eyes and trembling hands. Her name was Carina, mid-30s, mother of two, and currently stuck in a nightmare of a marriage. Zariah had seen many cases, but this one hit different.
"I just… I don't even know when it got this bad," Carina whispered, her voice cracking. "He used to be so sweet, you know? We were like best friends. And now…" she looked down, tears dripping onto her jeans, " he raped his own daughters and hits me over and over and over again threatening that if I told anyone he wasn't going to stop what he did to our daughters."
Zariah clenched her jaw. Her heart ached for her and her daughters.She dealt with so many cases like these and the stories never really got easier to hear.
"Carina," she said softly, leaning forward, "you don't deserve that they don't deserve that . No one does. We're going to build your case. We'll make sure you and your kids are safe, okay?"
Carina looked up, desperate hope in her eyes. "But what if he finds out I snitched? What if the court doesn't believe me?"
Zariah took a deep breath. She didn't promise things she couldn't deliver, but she promised effort. "If he shows up near you, you call me. Call the police. We'll get a restraining order. I'll make sure the judge sees every bruise, every message, every call , every bit of evidence."
Carina nodded, wiping her nose. "Thank you… you're really kind. I don't know how you do this every day."
Zariah smiled weakly. "I don't either, to be honest."
When the meeting ended, Zariah packed up her things and walked out to her car. Carina's case has been denied by so many attorneys because of the influence her husband had. He was a top league politician, imagine being ruled by someone who can even feel the guilt and pain of molesting his own daughters.
Zariah too her under her wing and promised her justice.
The sky was a moody grey, the clouds hanging like they were about to cry with her. It had been two weeks since that night. The one that started sweet and ended in silence and a dick.
She turned onto the main road, her playlist low and soft, something from her "Healing Vibes" folder she sang along to every tune like she was at a karaoke night. She was halfway home when she saw him.
She reduced her volume to see clearer.
And there he was…..
A man walking down the sidewalk, tall, built, familiar tattoos peeking from his sleeves.
Her heart skipped. Her eyes widened. "No way."
Without thinking, she swerved and pulled over, slamming the car door shut behind her. "Hey!" she shouted, running toward the man. "Hey, wait!"
He turned, and for a second,just a second,her heart screamed it was him, the man who fucking ghosted her.
But it wasn't.
This man had similar hair, similar height… but the eyes were wrong. The build was off. His face didn't match it was …. Ugly.
"Oh my god," she whispered, backing away in embarrassment. "I'm so sorry, I thought you were someone else."
The man looked confused but didn't say anything. Zariah rushed back to her car, cheeks burning.
"Get over it," she muttered as she sat back down, slamming the door. "You're chasing ghosts now. Get. Over. It."
And she continued her drive.
Upon arriving she changed out of her clothes and too a quick lonely shower , she tried to distract herself by reviewing Carina's file, but her brain was tired, her eyes heavy.
Around 8 PM, the doorbell rang.
" Zariahhhhhhhhh,"
Maya.
Zariah dragged herself up grunting and opened the door, greeted with Maya's bright energy and her boyfriend Drew's easy smirk.
"Girl," Maya said, walking in like she owned the place. " You look like you just had a rough abortion what's going on?"
Zariah resisted the urge to roll her eyes." really ? Gawd does anyone know where I can get a new best friend I think this one has loose screws and needs fixing."
" Drew screws all my screws babes , nothing loose here," she laughed at her own remarks.
She was right though , her and Drew met at a night club, had a one night stand which surprisingly bloomed into a happily engaged relationship.
Maya walked over to the cabinet and poured herself a glass of wine.
"Put those freaking files down. You are not spending your weekend buried in abuse reports."
"I have to prep," Zariah muttered.
Drew laughed. "Not tonight, you don't."
Zariah raised a brow. "And what's that supposed to mean ?"
Maya grinned. "We have planned everything. Drinks, music, chaos and even some dick …. And you're coming. No excuses."
Zariah sighed. "Maya, I'm not really in the mood to_"
"You need to get laid bitch ," Maya interrupted, plopping onto the couch. "It's been close to a month … whatever the hell that Tinder ghost thing was."
Drew chuckled. "Still can't believe she slept with a guy whose name she doesn't even know."
"Don't remind me," Zariah groaned, rubbing her temples.
"No photos. No number. Just vibes, moans and dick," Maya added, laughing so hard she nearly spilled her wine.
"Okay, wow," Zariah said, hiding her smile. "Y'all are seriously annoying."
"Annoying but right," Drew added. "We even offered to pay. Come on, Z. One night."
After more groaning, eye-rolling, and being dragged to her room, Zariah finally caved.
"Fine!" she shouted. "But if I end up vomiting in an alley somewhere, I'm blaming you two."
Maya screamed in victory. "That's my girl!"
Flipping her wardrobe inside out , she picked a red silk mini dress…tight, with a slit that showed just enough thigh and cleavage to make her feel dangerous. Her curls were loose and wild, lips painted dark, eyes bold.
"You look like heartbreak and tequila," Maya said, approving.
Zariah smirked. "Let's ruin some lives."
**************
The club was loud, wild, and full of bodies moving to bass-heavy music. A place Zee hadn't seen for a while as she was too caught up with work.
Before the death of her mother , she'd be caught dead stepping into such places.
She grew up in a strict household where everything by all means had to spell the word perfection.
Even the career of being a lawyer really wasn't her choice , but she learnt to love it wholeheartedly.
Maya was immediately swept away into the crowd by Drew , grinding on each other like there was no tomorrow. What was the point of them bringing her along if they were gonna leave her anyways.
She sat at the bar, sipping her third cocktail. Her makeup was flawless, but her heart was heavy.
Everyone seemed so free.
She felt... invisible.
"F**k it," she mumbled, tossing back another shot. "Let's drink the ghost away."
Drink after drink. Dance after dance. She swayed with strangers, laughed at dumb jokes, let her guard down just a little more with every beat.
That's when it happened.
Two men in black suits that looked like hollywood body guards followed her.
One leaned in and pointed in the VIP area. There sat a man in a suit. She couldn't quite make his face or see much she to her intoxication.
" I'm not interested, tell him to shove his delusional head up his ass."
They just exchanged glances and walked away.
She continued to vibe and enjoy when the man in a suit approached her. Now she has a clearer picture of him.
He was older, well-dressed, and had a look that screamed control and illegal power.
He walked towards her and leaned forward.
"You're beautiful," he said, voice smooth. "Come sit with me."
She blinked, still swaying slightly. "Nah, I'm good."
His smile didn't drop, but his eyes hardened. "I insist."
"I don't care," she slurred, flipping him the bird. "Go find someone desperate."
"I'm not asking, I'm commanding you."
"Fuck off, creep…"
His jaw clenched. He reached out and
WHAM !
slapped her.
Not hard enough to knock her down but enough to sting, to freeze the breath in her lungs.
"Crazy bitch," he muttered, walking off.
She stood there, stunned, like all the alcohol was drained and she returned to being sober. Her cheek burned, her eyes welled up. She turned around and staggered through the crowd.
"Maya!" she yelled, pushing past sweaty bodies. "Maya?!"
Nothing.
She was definitely somewhere getting fucked by her man while she stumbling around like a baby goat.
After centuries of searching for the two she finally gave up and all the alcohol she took started to kick in real bad. And the first thing on her mid was I NEED TO GET HOME.
She didn't have the keys to the car and most definitely couldn't drive in her state.
She stumbled out into the cold night air, dizzy, shoes clicking against the pavement.
Where the hell was Maya? She thought to herself again and again.
She walked down the block, reaching for her phone only to realize it wasn't in her purse.
"Fuck fuck fuck nooooo," she whispered, tears stinging her eyes.
At this point regret was started to take a toll on her and she wished she had just stayed home.
That's when she heard footsteps. She thought they were just people from tge club but they kept getting closer.
Before she could even turn fully, two muscular men grabbed her.
"No , let go of me!" she screamed, thrashing.
One clamped a hand over her mouth. The other dragged her toward a black van parked at the end of the alley.
"No ...please! No!"
Her screams were muffled. Her heels scraped the ground. Her heart thudded in her ears.
The van door slid open.
And just like that darkness swallowed her whole.