Bad Influence - Episode 47&48

 

 BAD INFLUENCE

Bad Influence - Episode 47&48

(•Tainting Her Innocence•)

GENRE: College romance 

By, Mide L.

    ✧༺✰༻✧    ✧༺✰༻✧    ✧༺✰༻✧

 

            ✮{...HEARTBREAKING NEWS...}✮

They left the cinema, Hailey still talking about the movie, words tumbling from her lips. Xavier’s silence was heavy, his steps slower than before.

She glanced over, worry tightening her chest. "Xavier, are you sure you’re okay?"

He gave her a stiff nod. "I’m fine. Just a bit tired"

But then, his hand clenched over his chest, fingers digging in as if trying to hold something back.

"Xavier?"

He swallowed hard, jaw clenched tight.

His knees suddenly wobbled. The world shifted, colors blurring at the edges.

Hailey reached out instinctively—"Xavier!"

His eyes locked on hers for a split second, wide and unblinking, then slowly, mercilessly, everything went black.

•••

Xavier’s eyes fluttered open, the sterile white ceiling coming into focus. The beeping of machines filled the quiet room.

Before he could even move, Hailey was at his side, her face streaked with tears and swollen from crying. 

"Xavier! You’re awake!" Her voice cracked with relief and worry.

He tried to sit up, but a dull ache held him down. Then the door opened abruptly, and in walked his mother, followed by Vanessa, his sister. 

Xavier’s expression darkened instantly. His jaw clenched, eyes narrowing into cold slits. 

"Leave" he simply said.

His mother paused, looking hurt but she didn’t move.

Hailey stepped forward, pleading softly, "Xavier, please calm down. They’re here because they care"

He shook his head fiercely. "I will leave if they don’t"

Before anyone could respond, Xavier yanked out the IV drips and monitors, ignoring the alarms blaring around him.

With a harsh glare, he stormed out, the door slamming behind him as their calls trailed helplessly in the corridor.

As the door slammed shut behind Xavier, Mrs. Knight stood frozen.

Tears welled up in her eyes, then spilled over, tracing silent rivers down her cheeks.

"He will never forgive me" she whispered, voice trembling with regret and pain.

Vanessa reached out to comfort her, but Mrs. Knight only cried more.

"Xavier will come around eventually, we just need to be patient" she said.

"But I miss my baby, I miss my sweet Xavier" she wailed, Hailey just watched them without saying a word.

•••

SAME NIGHT, AT A BAR*

Asher balanced the tray of drinks with steady hands, going through the loud crowd. It was his very first day here. 

He hadn’t planned to be working nights like this, but plans didn’t matter when you had a younger sister depending on you and a father who disappeared more than he showed up.

He delivered the drinks to a booth, offering a polite smile before returning to the counter. His supervisor barely looked at him before gruffly pointing toward the next order.

"Booth nine... two beers and a shot"

Asher gave a short nod and turned to grab the drinks. 

He got tipped as he served the drinks and he muttered a soft, "Thanks" and kept moving.

The job was tiring, the crowd rowdy, but it was money. And right now, survival meant more than pride or rest.

He wiped down the counter between orders, keeping his head low and movements quick. He didn’t have time for distractions.

Because no one else was going to take care of them.

Not their father.

Not the system.

Just him.

Asher.

And he was determined to make it work, one exhausting shift at a time.

Finally, it was time to go home. Asher untied the apron from his waist, shoulders aching from hours of nonstop work. His manager handed him a brown envelope, his pay for the day. It wasn’t much, but it was something. Enough to buy groceries, maybe save a little. 

"Good job today" the manager muttered without looking up. Asher gave a short nod and left through the back door, stepping into the quiet cold night.

He reached for his phone as he walked. Again, he dialed her number.

Ring… ring… ring…

No answer.

He tried again. Still nothing.

Hailey hadn’t picked any of his calls all day. He bit his lower lip, anxiety twisting in his chest. He just wanted to hear her voice even if it was just to say she was okay.

He sighed and stuffed the phone into his pocket, quickening his pace as he neared the house.

But something made him slow down.

Lucy sat curled up on the front porch, hugging her knees and sobbing quietly into her arms.

"Lucy?" his voice cracked with concern.

Her head shot up. "Asher!"

She ran into his arms, nearly knocking the envelope from his hand. He dropped everything to hold her tight, her tears soaking into his shirt.

"Hey, hey… What’s wrong?" he whispered, smoothing her hair.

She didn’t answer at first, just held onto him like she was terrified he’d disappear.

"I need to tell you something" she said as she led led him to the front porch, and they sat down.

"Remember that night I told you I was going on a date?"

"Yes... the night Hailey came visiting. What happened?"

"He took me to his house after the movie date. Said he wanted me to see where he lived"

She sniffled, brushing a tear off her chin.

"I knew his mother didn’t like me because she made it obvious the second we stepped inside. Called me one of his... experiments. Like I was some charity project"

Asher’s jaw tightened, but he said nothing.

Lucy laughed bitterly. "I should’ve just left then. But he… he held my hand. Told her I was staying. Said he didn’t care what she thought"

She paused, her gaze fixed on the dimly lit street ahead.

"He took me to his room and then his phone rang. He stepped out to take the call. Said he’d be right back… but he never came back"

Her voice cracked as her next words spilled out in a rush.

"I got nervous. I waited... ten, twenty minutes. I thought maybe something happened, or he got caught up with his mom again. So I stepped out. Just to look around. And then I saw this door… it was slightly open and glowing like something out of a dream"

Asher’s brows furrowed, listening closely.

"I didn’t mean to touch anything. I just… I saw this necklace. It was beautiful. I barely even picked it up and suddenly... sirens. Lights flashing. Alarms screaming." She covered her face for a second. "I panicked. I tried to put it back, but it was too late"

Her breath hitched as more tears rolled down.

"Security came in and then his mother showed up like she’d been waiting for it all along. Said she opened the room herself... to test me"

Asher’s hand reached out, resting gently on hers.

"And Cory?" he asked softly.

She shook her head, her eyes glistening.

"He didn’t say a word. Not one word to defend me. He told them to let me go. Told me to leave. Like I meant nothing" 

"You are not nothing, Lucy"

She looked at him then, eyes wide with hurt.

"You hear me? What happened wasn’t your fault. And anyone who made you feel like it was... never really cared to begin with"

A tear slipped down her cheek, but this time, she didn’t wipe it away.

"And it didn’t end there. Tonight at school… I tried to explain everything to him. Told him I didn’t steal anything, that I didn’t mean to touch the necklace. But…"

Her lips trembled as she looked down.

"He called me a thief. He didn’t believe me. Not once"

Her hands clenched tightly in her lap.

"If only… if only we were rich, would this have happened?" Her voice cracked. 

She looked up at Asher, eyes glistening with raw hurt.

Asher’s jaw tightened, his fingers curling into a fist at his side. The anger and frustration simmered just beneath his calm exterior.

"No, It wouldn’t"

"You don’t deserve any of this, Lucy. Not the pain, not the betrayal. Not from him… or anyone"

"Do you know I once sent my nudes to guys in my class… for money?"

"What?"

She swallowed hard, looking away, ashamed.

"I wanted to help… because you were doing everything alone. And besides… there were things I needed for myself. I didn’t want to bother you"

Asher’s fist unclenched slowly, looking shocked.

He opened his mouth to say something, but no words came. Instead, he just pulled her into a tight, protective hug.

•••

NEXT MORNING, HILLSWORTH COLLEGE*

Hailey stepped out of the lecture hall, Asher walking closely by her side.

"You really should eat something before the next class. You look like you haven’t slept"

But Hailey barely registered the words. Her eyes scanned the crowd anxiously, searching for a familiar face. Xavier was nowhere to be seen.

Her heart tightened. Why hadn’t he shown up yet?

Suddenly, a sharp voice cut through her fog of worry.

"Hailey! Hailey!"

She snapped her head toward the sound. Jasmine was jogging toward her, waving frantically.

Asher noticed the sudden change in Hailey’s expression and followed her gaze toward Jasmine. He gave a quick nod and stepped back.

"I’ll catch up with you later" he said softly.

Hailey barely responded, her attention already caught by Jasmine’s urgent look.

Before she could react, Jasmine grabbed her arm firmly and started pulling her toward a quieter corner of the campus, away from everyone. 

"Hailey, you need to listen" Jasmine whispered fiercely, glancing around to make sure no one was near. "This can’t wait"

Hailey’s heart raced. What was going on?

Jasmine’s voice dropped to a whisper, her eyes locked on Hailey’s.

"I know who killed Jessa"

Hailey froze. "What? How do you know?"

Jasmine took a deep breath. "It was Brielle"

Hailey’s blood ran cold. “Brielle?”

Jasmine nodded grimly and explained to her what happened that day and how Brielle is trying to get her involved in it.

Hailey’s heart pounded fiercely. "Are you sure?"

Jasmine looked serious. 

"I’m certain"

Hailey swallowed hard, then without thinking, she turned and rushed down the hall, her mind set on confronting Brielle. Jasmine followed.

She found her in an empty classroom, adjusting her skirt in the mirror, alone and unaware.

Hailey didn’t hesitate as her hand shot out and landed a sharp slap across Brielle’s cheek.

The room went silent.

"You killed Jessa! Just why are you so wicked?"

Brielle chucked lowly and smirked. 

"Jasmine told you after all. It’s not like it was intentional or something, it just kinda happened" She said looking unbothered. 

"You will rot in jail!"

"And then Jasmine is coming with me because she kept quiet all this while. Now, excuse me" she said as she walked out. 

"Luckily for us, i recorded the conversations" Jasmine brought her phone out with a grin.

She quickly saved the recording on her phone, her fingers moving fast as she made sure it wouldn’t disappear.

Suddenly, Hailey’s phone buzzed loudly in her pocket.

She pulled it out, eyes scanning the screen in disbelief.

The headline stared back at her, cold and cruel:

"Xavier Knight, hit heavily by a car, died on the spot"

For a moment, Hailey stood frozen, her body going numb as if the world stopped spinning.

"No... no..." she whispered.

Her knees weakened and she staggered backward.

Then, breaking through the shock, a raw, wailing scream tore from her throat—

"NOOOO!"

The emptiness in her chest swallowed her whole.

___

💕TBC💕

Next Episode 

Previous Episode