Chapter 881

The silence on the other end of the phone hung heavy in the air for what felt like an eternity.

Dorothy was tipsy, her vision blurring as she peered at the screen, half-convinced the call had

disconnected.

“Right… we broke up ages ago; he’s not coming.” she slurred to herself.

“Miss, are you drunk-dialing your ex?” The guy noticed her staggering attempt to stand and reached

out to steady her.

She shook her head, instinctively recoiling from his touch, “Here, take your phone back! The money

is yours.”

“Whoa, you’re giving me all this? I’d feel like a real jerk taking your cash without making sure you

get home safe,” he said, his voice dropping playfully as he chuckled, “This bar’s full of guys eyeing

you like a slab of prime rib. So, you gonna stroll out with me or take your chances with them?”

The alcohol clouded her mind, and Dorothy struggled to keep up with his banter.

But a sliver of sobriety clung on, reminding her that after the drinks, home was the destination.

Even with her tongue tied in knots, she managed to furrow her brow and say with deliberate clarity,

“To my place.”

“Alright! Off to your place we go.”

The rest of the night was a blur to Dorothy. She vaguely remembered stumbling out of the bar,

dodging his attempts to guide her more than once, and then hearing him mutter behind her, “Jeez,

the call’s still going!”

When consciousness returned, she found herself on her apartment’s couch! Relieved to see her

clothes and bag in their proper places, she breathed easier. It seemed she had managed to get

herself home, albeit not without some drama.

...

The next day.

Dorothy turned over, only to roll off the couch and onto the floor with a hiss.

“Ouch…” Her elbow had collided with the coffee table, and the pain creased her face.

Inspecting the injury revealed a red mark, but nothing serious.

Pushing herself up, the hangover was kicking in with a vengeance, so she rifled through her bag for

some ibuprofen. Not caring if it was a good mix with the residual alcohol, she swallowed a pill with

water.

She grabbed her phone and saw missed calls from lawyer Ephraim and Karen, and not much else.

She returned Ephraim's call first. It was nothing serious, just a reminder about a court date to note

that she shouldn’t be late.

She was washing up in the bathroom when she dialed Karen. While brushing her teeth, she was

also listening to her friend's pep talk, “You’re gonna nail this, Dorothy! Keep your chin up!”

“Mhm.”

Because she was drunk last night, Dorothy slept for a long time. Although she had a headache

today, she was still in good spirits.

Karen rambled on until Dorothy was all set, then she finally said, “I won't hold you up. Grab some

breakfast, and I'm waiting for good news!”

Dorothy was a bit helpless, “It's not like they’re handing down a verdict today.”

“But today you finally get to drag those creeps to court! Isn't that what you've been after all these

years?”

“That's true,” Dorothy conceded, her mood dipping as a hazy memory flickered briefly, “Karen…

how’s Jeffrey?”

“Huh?” It was rare for Dorothy to bring up Jeffrey, and it threw Karen off, “He’s packing for a

business trip. His company needs him out of town.”

“Oh.”

“Is something wrong?”

Quickly, Dorothy forced a laugh, “Nothing, just asking! I gotta go.”

As she hung up, her hand lingered over her chest. It seemed the memory was just a figment of her

imagination; she hadn't called Everett after all.