The phone rang endlessly.
Lena clutched it so tightly her knuckles turned white, her breaths coming out in short, broken gasps. Ring… ring… ring… Each unanswered tone felt like another nail hammered into her chest. Her vision blurred, the world tilting dangerously as heat scorched through her veins. Her legs weakened, and she slid down against the cold tiled wall of the bathroom.
Just as her consciousness began to fade, the sharp sound of heels clicking against the floor reached her ears.
Tap. Tap. Tap.
Lena forced her eyes open.
Ashley stood there, arms crossed, lips curled into a victorious smile. In that instant, everything fell into place.
Ashley laughed, a triumphant, mocking sound that echoed off the bathroom walls. "What a fool," she said lightly.
"You never learn, Lena. Still falling for the same trick over and over again."
Lena swallowed hard, her throat dry, her body burning. "You… you did this to me?" she asked breathlessly.
