The Morning After Pill

A violent, bone-rattling jolt sent Elena lurching forward in the back seat as the Toyota's tires slammed hard into a brutal pothole on the road. The unexpected impact threw her against the seatbelt. She gasped, her eyes snapping open as she jerked violently awake. Disorientation washed over her in a suffocating wave, quickly followed by a sharp, intense spike of embarrassment for having passed out in the back of a stranger's Uber. Blinking against the harsh morning light filtering through the windows, she became acutely aware of her current, horrifying state of dress. She was wearing absolutely nothing but a man’s oversized denim shirt and her crumpled, beige trench coat.

She shifted her body demurely against the cold leather upholstery, pressing her knees tightly together in a panicked, reflexive motion. She tugged at the fabric, hoping to cover as much bare skin as possible. Going commando in a stranger's vehicle made her feel entirely too physically vulnerable. Without the basic, comforting barrier of underwear, she felt dangerously exposed, like a raw nerve left out in the open air. The rough hem of the denim shirt rode up slightly against her thighs, and she hastily yanked it down, terrified of flashing the driver.

As her pulse pounded loudly in her ears, her frantic mind began racing in exhausting, dizzying circles. She was completely consumed by the disturbing mystery of her missing pink lacy underwear. She had frantically searched the bedroom before fleeing. It wasn't shoved into her coat pockets, and it certainly hadn't been tangled in the expensive silk sheets. Had Dominic purposely hidden her garments while she slept? The terrifying thought made her stomach drop, and her thoughts rapidly spiraled into full, unhinged paranoia. She vividly remembered the massive, luxurious walk-in closet she had briefly noticed attached to his master bedroom the night before. What if that sprawling space wasn't just for his bespoke designer suits? What if it was actually secretly filled with thousands of women's panties? She pictured rows upon rows of delicate silk and lace, meticulously collected and hoarded by the billionaire as sick, twisted trophies of his endless string of conquests. Out of all the supposed perverts drinking at Velvet last night, she agonized over what insane, self-destructive impulse had possessed her to choose him.

Overwhelmed by the crushing weight of her own terrible decisions, she dropped her face into her trembling hands. "Gosh!" she let out a loud, miserable moan that echoed loudly in the quiet confines of the car.

The sudden noise startled her Uber driver, Jace. His head snapped up, and his eyes bored intensely into her through the reflection of the rearview mirror. "Are you okay back there, Miss?" he asked politely, his brow furrowing in clear confusion.

Elena just shook her head, not trusting her voice to speak a single word. *No,* her internal monologue bitterly confirmed. *I will absolutely never be okay.* Not after the absolute cascade of terrible, life-altering decisions she had made last night.

Completely misunderstanding the root of her deep misery, Jace offered a warm, reassuring smile. "Don't worry, hang in there. We're almost at your destination."

The truth was, Elena was not the slightest bit eager to get home. Deep in her trench coat pocket, her phone buzzed aggressively, vibrating against her hip in a relentless, angry rhythm. Her group chat was blowing up. Judging by the constant notifications, she knew exactly what awaited her: a full Spanish Inquisition from her three nosy roommates, who were undoubtedly eager to ambush her the second she walked through the door.

Looking out the window, Elena spotted a busy, bustling intersection up ahead. "Drop me off at the corner over there, please," she instructed, pointing a shaking finger toward the crosswalk, deliberately avoiding her actual apartment building.

Jace slowed the car to a halt, his face lacing with genuine concern as he double-checked his GPS. "Are you sure about being left at the corner? I can take you straight to the door."

She was absolutely sure. Right now, she desperately needed two vital things to survive the morning: a massive amount of heavy carbs to soak up the leftover alcohol sloshing in her system, and a dose of Plan B just to be completely safe.

"I'm sure. Thank you," she muttered. She slipped out of the Uber, pulling her trench coat tight around her shivering frame.

"Don't forget to rate me five stars!" Jace eagerly called out the rolled-down window, begging for a good review before merging back into the morning traffic.

Elena made her way carefully down the pavement toward a popular