Clairessa's POV
The night couldn't get better than this. I had just graduated at the top of my class in software engineering and secured my dream job at Storm Innovations, the company owned by my boyfriend Adrian’s father. Everything in my life was finally falling into place, just like I had always imagined. As I stood outside Adrian’s apartment, clutching a bottle of champagne. I was eager to share my good news and celebrate with him all night long. But my excitement shifted to unease when I found the door unlocked. Adrian was always careful about security, so this felt off.
“Adrian?” I called out as I stepped inside.
Silence. That wasn’t what I expected. My heart raced slightly as I made my way down the hallway toward his room. Faint voices reached my ears, and I froze outside the door.
A woman’s soft moans followed by Adrian’s deep voice.
“Do you like that, baby…” he asked, his voice low and animalistic, something I barely recognized.
My heart dropped. Pain gripped me as I pushed the door open, hoping it wasn’t true.
But there they were—Adrian lying on top of a woman, screwing her brain out. Her red nails dug into his back as they moved together.
I couldn’t see her face clearly, just flashes of her red hair. I watched in horror as they both moaned passionately.
The sight knocked the breath from my lungs, and the champagne bottle slipped from my hand, crashing to the floor. The sound echoed through the room, grabbing their attention.
“Clairessa!” Adrian's voice was filled with shock. He scrambled off the bed, but I couldn’t even bear to look at him. My entire world was crumbling right in front of me, and I had to get out.
Without saying a word, I ran. His desperate pleas followed me as I dashed down the stairs. Tears blurred my vision, but I didn’t stop. I couldn’t let him see how shattered I was.
I didn’t realise where I was going until I found myself standing at my best friend Jessica’s door. My hands trembled as I knocked. When she opened the door, her concerned look was all it took for me to completely break down.
“Clairessa, what happened?” she asked, pulling me inside and wrapping me in a tight hug.
“He… Adrian… I caught him fucking another woman,” I managed to choke out, my voice breaking. Saying it out loud made it all the more real, and the pain became unbearable.
Jessica’s expression darkened, but she didn’t look surprised. “That bastard,” she muttered. “I’m so sorry, Clairessa. You didn’t deserve to see that.”
"I thought he loved me. I built my whole world around him," I sobbed, feeling broken to the core. “I don’t know what to do now.”
“What we’re not going to do is sit here crying over him. You’ve always deserved better than his arrogant ass,” Jessica said firmly, her wild, free-spirited nature kicking in. “We’ll go out, get drunk, party all night, and maybe you’ll meet someone who actually deserves you.”
I shook my head. “I don’t want anyone else,” I sobbed harder. “Why did he have to cheat? Why couldn’t we just be happy?”
“I don’t know, Claire,” she sighed, running her hand through my hair gently. “No one’s ever figured out why men cheat. They ruin a good thing because they lack discipline and self-control.”
“What do I do with all this pain?” I asked, my chest tightening as I held her tighter, needing all the comfort I could get.
“First, stop crying over that jerk who’s probably already gone back to her,” she said, lifting my tear-streaked face to meet her eyes. “For once in your life, Clairessa Hartwood, you’re going out to party all night. No rules. No morals. Just you, doing whatever you want.”
I hesitated, but anger surged through me as I wiped the tears away. Jess was right. I deserved better than sitting here heartbroken over a loser. “I’m ready,” I finally said, needing something—anything—to numb the pain.
Awesome! We’re going to transform you into a freaking hot bitch for the night. Jessica grinned. “I’m thinking of the local bar on 4th Street—some hot guys are known to be there," she said, rolling strands of my hair between her fingers.
"No, I want to go to that club you always talk about—the private billionaire’s club," I said, feeling vengeful. I wanted to hurt Adrian the way he’d hurt me.
Jessica’s eyes widened. “Claire, that’s not your scene. It’s intense, wild... it’s not you.”
“Maybe it should be,” I whispered, wiping away the last of my tears. “I’m done being the good girl. I want to feel something—anything—besides this pain.”
Jessica studied me for a moment. “Are you sure? I’ve always wanted you to live on the edge like me, but I don’t want to push you too far. I don’t want you to have any regrets.”
“I’m ready,” I was determined to shed the old version of me that was always left hurt and broken.
Jessica nodded. “Alright, let’s get you ready.”
It didn’t take long for Jessica to transform me into someone I barely recognized. The innocent, dutiful Clairessa was gone. She dressed me in a short, tight black dress that had just the right cleavage to reveal my perky breasts without doing too much. The sides were laced with red velvet that clung to my body, stopping just above my thigh. My makeup was smokey and bold, and my hair hung in loose waves.
The old me would never have worn something like this, but the woman staring back at me in the mirror was daring, fearless—someone who would never let a man hurt her again.
