Thugs Causing Trouble

The cold night wind bit sharply at my face as I wandered the dark city streets. My mind felt like a heavy, tangled mess. Too many overwhelming things had happened lately, and the terrifying reality of what nearly transpired back at the villa still made my hands shake. I needed a safe haven away from Damian and the suffocating environment of that house. I needed space to breathe and think. Without a second thought, I headed directly to Haze Bar to meet my close confidante, Hazel.

It was still early in the evening when I pushed through the heavy front doors. Upbeat club music pulsed through the air, mixing effortlessly with the scattered cheers of the early crowd. I found an empty seat at the bustling bar and sat down with a weary sigh, dropping my purse on the counter.

Hazel noticed me almost instantly. She mixed a colorful cocktail, slid it across the sleek counter, and took a long look at my exhausted face. Her brow furrowed in immediate concern.

"Did Damian bully you yet again?" Hazel asked, her voice laced with deep exasperation and protective anger. She crossed her arms. "If you really can’t go on with him, then get divorced as soon as possible. With your looks, what man can’t you get? Why take care of that iceberg for a lifetime? Aren't you tired of it?"

Hazel had always been outspoken. She hated seeing me trapped in an agonizing marriage. Knowing words were no longer enough to explain my suffocating reality, I opened my purse. I quietly pulled out the folded ultrasound report, slid it across the counter, and handed it directly to her.

"Even if I have a good appearance and figure, do you think a man will accept me if I’m carrying a burden with me?" I asked bitterly.

Hazel snatched the medical paper from my fingers. Her eyes widened in pure shock as she read the typed details.

"Six weeks?" Hazel demanded loudly, leaning over the counter. "Isn’t there no intimacy between you and Damian? So where did this baby come from?"

"Remember when I got drunk last month, and Damian came to fetch me?" I replied softly. I quickly snatched the sensitive report back before anyone else around us could catch a glimpse of my secret.

Hazel stood completely speechless. She stared at me, taking a few moments to process the heavy weight of my words. Then, her expression hardened into serious, unflinching resolve. She leaned in closer over the bar and urged me to get a medical abortion immediately.

"You and Damian were never on the same page," she insisted, her voice tight with concern. "Now that Master Ashford is gone—he was your only true protector in that house! Keeping this child will only invite disaster. It will ruin your future. Get the procedure, divorce him, and start your life over. You can't just tie yourself to one man who treats you like trash for your whole life."

Feeling lost and emotionally drained, I shook my head in silent refusal. The maternal instinct that had driven me to fight Damian off tonight was firmly rooted in my heart. I could not let this child go.

"Just drop the subject," I told her, my voice tired and lacking the energy to argue. "Go serve your waiting customers. I'm going to sit over there in the corner for a while."

Hazel rolled her eyes at my stubbornness. She reached across the counter, grabbed the alcoholic cocktail she had just given me, and promptly swapped it out for a tall, cold glass of healthy orange juice. She turned and walked off to manage the growing crowd.

As night fell deeper, Haze Bar grew packed with bodies. I found a dimly lit, quiet corner away from the main dance floor. I sat absent-mindedly, sipping my juice and watching the flashing lights wash over the drinking patrons. I fell into a daze, trying to figure out my next move.

I remained lost in my thoughts until a series of piercing screams snapped me back to reality. The sudden chaos was loud and sharp. The heavy club music cut off abruptly, leaving an eerie, echoing silence behind. Terrified customers scattered in every direction, fleeing frantically toward the exits.

I blinked, my eyes adjusting to the sudden shift in the room. A dangerous gang of thugs had stormed the floor. They were armed with heavy metal rods, their presence casting a threatening shadow over the establishment. They pushed past the fleeing patrons and surrounded Hazel near the main counter.

My heart slammed against my ribs. Despite the immediate, life-threatening danger, Hazel stood her ground. She remained calm and collected as she faced the armed men.

"Are you all here to cause trouble or have a good time?" she demanded firmly, refusing to show a single ounce of fear.

The gang leader stepped forward. He wore a sleazy, disgusting smile that made my stomach churn.

"I’m here to cause trouble!" he mocked loudly. "Little lady, if you dare, why don’t you come have some fun with my bros and me?"

He reached his hand out, aiming to touch Hazel's face.

Before his dirty hands could even graze her skin, pure protective instinct took over my entire body. I leaped up from my seat. I gripped my heavy glass of orange juice as tight as I could and hurled it squarely at the gang leader.

The thick glass flew through the air and crashed against the thug's extended hand. It shattered upon impact, sending sharp shards and sticky juice flying everywhere.

The thug jerked back, clutching his bleeding hand in sudden pain. "Who the f*ck hit me?!" he roared, his furious eyes scanning the terrified crowd.

"Me!" I declared boldly.

I stepped out of the safety of my quiet corner. I walked directly up to the armed men, refusing to let my best friend face this violent threat alone. My steps were steady and deliberate, even as adrenaline surged through my veins and my heart raced.

Hazel snapped her head toward me. She looked at me with sheer worry.

"Why are you still here? You idiot!" she hissed under her breath. She reached out and forcefully pulled me behind her own body, trying to use herself as a human shield against the armed men. "Find a chance to sneak away when they fight later!"

I knew Hazel was just deeply worried about my safety and the safety of my unborn child. Because of that, I didn't argue with her protective gesture. Instead, I stood tall behind her shoulder. I stared straight into the furious eyes of the thug I had just struck. I kept my voice perfectly even and asked with icy calmness.

"Do you think it’s appropriate for a gang of men to bully a little lady?"