Ache for your love

**Careful, Girl**

"Careful, girl, you're drunk! Don't drink anymore!" Alicia's voice cut through the chaos of the bar, her hand reaching for the bottle in Julian's grasp. But just as she made the attempt, her phone rang. It was her mother.

Julian watched the worry etch deeper into Alicia's features as she answered the call. "What? Where did they take him?" Alicia's voice was tight with anxiety, and her eyes darted toward Julian, searching for answers she didn't have.

"I'll be there in a minute," she said, her voice steadying as she grabbed her bag from the table, urgency propelling her movements.

Julian, barely able to focus, felt the room spin around her. Alicia's demeanor changed, and Julian knew instinctively that something had happened to Fred, Alicia's foster brother. The thought sent a shiver down her spine.

"Julian, let's go! I can't leave you here. Something's happened to Fred," Alicia insisted, her concern palpable.

Julian turned to Alicia, her intoxicated state blurring the edges of reality. "You can go check it out. I'll be fine here. I'm just going to finish this drink," she replied, waving the bottle dismissively. "I've already booked a room at this hotel. Once I can't control myself anymore, I'll head there and sleep it off."

Alicia's expression shifted to one of disbelief. "pathetic!, when you cant control your sleep, You think it's safe to leave you here alone? What if you stumble into someone else's room? You could end up anywhere!" The concern in her voice was thick, like a protective barrier Julian was too foggy to appreciate.

"Go, Alicia! Fred needs you. I'll be okay, I promise," Julian urged, taking another swig from the bottle, the liquid burning a path down her throat.

Alicia hesitated, glancing back at Julian with concern etched on her face. "Fine, but please... take care of yourself," she finally said, her voice softening. With a last worried glance, she walked out of the hotel, leaving Julian alone in the dim light.

Julian drank the last alcohol as if it was water before she stood up to look for her room, this was Christmas period the hotel was meant to have a lot of people who came to spend this holiday.

Julian struggled to remember her room number as she staggered through the hallway. "What's my room number again?" she mumbled to herself, squinting at the numbers on the wall. "Room 1001... that's it." She stumbled inside without another thought, her mind clouded by alcohol.

The moment her body hit the bed, a strong hand gripped her wrist, pulling her into the embrace of someone she couldn't see clearly. Panic surged, but the fog of alcohol dulled her instincts. She felt lips on her skin, a whisper of a voice that sent an involuntary thrill through her. "So soft," the voice murmured, deep and seductive, like something out of a dream.

As he kissed her, Julian felt her body respond against her will, a confusing mix of desire and fear. She fought to push him away, but he was too strong, his grip unyielding. "No... stop!" she gasped, but her words were swallowed by the heat of the moment.

The night spiraled into a blur, her mind hazy and her body betraying her. She succumbed to the kisses, each one more passionate than the last, drowning out the world around her. Everything faded into a haze of desire and confusion.

When Julian finally woke up the next morning, she was alone, the sunlight streaming through the curtains. A wave of nausea washed over her as the memories of the night before came flooding back, yet the face of the man who had held her was a blank slate in her mind. She hurriedly dressed, her heart racing as she realized the gravity of what had happened.

Nathan wasn't home yet, so she had time to pull herself together. The weight of the night pressed heavily on her conscience, a burden she wasn't ready to face. Just as she finished, Nathan walked in, his weary expression betraying the exhaustion of a long day.

"I'm so tired, Julian. Last night was exhausting," he said, attempting to pull her into a hug. She instinctively stepped back, a wall of tension rising between them.

"I bet the meeting was stressful enough that you forgot to shower," she replied coolly as she noticed the red lips stick mark on his cloth, setting down the plate she had been holding. Memories of Nathan kissing Olivia in his office flashed in her mind, igniting a familiar pain.

"I'll shower quickly, my beloved wife. Then I'll be with you shortly," he said, emphasizing the last word as he noticed something on her neck-evidence of the night before that she couldn't hide.

"Are those love bites?" Nathan's voice rose, disbelief coloring his tone. "Julian would never cheat on me. This can't be happening," he thought as he headed upstairs, leaving her alone with her thoughts.

"What's for dinner?" he called back, trying to regain some semblance of normalcy.

"Regarding your family get-together... when are we going?" he asked, his voice trailing off as he opened a plate on the table.

Julian's heart raced as she prepared to respond, but the words came out sharper than intended. "I don't think there's any need for you to attend. It's my family get-together, not yours."

Nathan froze, confusion washing over his face as he searched for the meaning behind her words. His expression turned to shock when he opened the plate and saw the divorce papers sitting there, stark and unforgiving.

"What's this, Julian? You want to divorce me? On what grounds? You want to throw away four years of our lives together?" His voice was a mixture of anger and disbelief, a raging storm brewing in his eyes.

"What relationship are you talking about? What do we actually share in common?" Julian shot back, her voice rising with the intensity of her emotions. "Oh, I forgot! Do I look like Olivia, the woman you've been with for the past five years? Do I resemble that whore you call your secretary?"

Before she could finish, Nathan's hand connected with her cheek, a sharp slap that silenced her. "Julian, watch your mouth! You see these papers? I'm not signing them, no matter what you do!" he seethed, storming away.

Julian felt the sting of his words and the pain of the slap, but beneath it all, something shifted in her. As she watched him walk away, she whispered to herself, "Too bad, Nathan. I have a gift in store for you too."

The weight of the night hung heavy over them both, but Julian felt a flicker of determination ignite within her. This was only the beginning.