Claire curled her lips in distaste as she scrolled through the images on her phone. Pictures of her cradled in Apollo’s arms were being shared and re-shared at a speed higher than what she was comfortable with.
The comments were mixed, with majority claiming that she was looking for a new branch to climb after being cast out of her old family.
The most trending headline read: "Fake heiress identified as Apollo Ashford’s latest Limited-Edition Girlfriend--collectible until next month."
They had not even bothered to use her name!
Another headline called her ’his latest accessory!’
Claire growled like a rabid dog. "Do I look like a damn phone case?" She screamed.
Her scream made the man in a patient uniform sitting on a bench near the edge of the rooftop uncomfortable. He had come out for fresh air, not to meet a woman with mental problems.
Claire screamed again, looking at her neighbor. "He did it on purpose, that bastard. I bet he is now locked in his cushy air-conditioned office laughing his ass off. Can you believe the balls on this bastard? I am going to kill him."
The man’s eyes widened. He slowly pushed farther away from her, suddenly rose and quickly walked to the door leading away from the rooftop.
Claire watched him leave and she sighed. "Leave it up to Apollo ’playboy’ Ashford to ruin my life all the damn time."
It so happened that someone shared a picture of Andrew and Ritah’s wedding announcement. Claire inhaled sharply and tossed her bag at the wall muttering about an unlucky day. She had come to the rooftop for fresh air and to hide from Apollo’s goons who were keeping her from leaving the hospital. She had been lucky to escape to the rooftop without them noticing.
But apparently, she was not lucky enough to escape the miserable day she was having.
Suddenly a gust of wind snatched a folded piece of paper from her open bag, carrying it upwards. It was the last recipe she had been working on before her life was turned upside down. Claire had not told anyone in the company about it, and she was planning to secretly sell it for some money. Now, the paper was fluttering dangerously near the ledge.
"Dammit!" she muttered, climbing onto the ledge to retrieve it. Her sandals scraped against the concrete, arms outstretched.
The rooftop door opened, and Apollo stepped out at that exact moment. To him, it looked like Claire was about to end it all. "Claire!" he shouted, sprinting forward. "Have you lost your damn mind? I command you to get down right now."
She twisted around, incredulous. "You command me!? I think you’re the one who has lost his mind. Go away Apollo."
But Apollo did not go away. He grabbed her waist, yanking her back. "Don’t do this. Killing yourself is not the solution. If this is about money, I will give you more money than you have ever seen. If it’s about Alden and Heimi, fuck them, they don’t deserve to be your parents. If it’s about Andrew, fuck him too. He is a loser anyway."
Claire shrieked, thrashing against him. "What are you talking about? Let go you idiot! I am not suicidal, I am practical."
Apollo tightened his grip, voice dripping with smug, misplaced heroism. "I get it, your life is shitty right now and I would be making some drastic decisions too if I were in your shoes. But throwing yourself off this roof is not the answer."
Her scream echoed across the rooftop. "I am not throwing myself off the roof, you dumbass!"
The struggle grew frantic as the paper started to tip over. Claire clawed at his arms, Apollo tried to steady her, and together, they teetered dangerously close to the edge. The paper finally fluttered away.
"Noooo..." Claire screamed in horror.
Down below, alarms had long started to ring. Spectators had gathered outside the hospital, pointing upward. Before Claire could curse Apollo out afresh, the sheriff, two officers and Apollo’s guards burst onto the rooftop.
"Step away from the ledge!" the sheriff barked.
But Claire and Apollo were locked in a ridiculous tug-of-war.
"He is trying to kill me!" Claire accused.
Apollo shot back. "She’s trying to kill herself and take my baby with her!"
The officers exchanged bewildered looks.
The sheriff sighed, muttering, "This is why I hate couple fights and hospital calls."
Apollo’s guards, who were highly trained, scaled the ledge and pulled the two down. Claire rushed to grab her bag and phone. But Apollo followed like a determined hunting dog.
As soon as he saw Andrew and Ritah’s picture on her screen, he snatched the phone from her hand in a fit of frustration. "Stop obsessing over this dick!" He bellowed, hurling her phone off the roof.
The scream that escaped Claire’s mouth could have caused an earthquake. She gasped, fury igniting as she turned to face the most hateful man in the world. "I bought that phone two months ago! What is wrong with you, you stupid giraffe?" She swung her leg and kicked him squarely between the legs.
Everyone gasped.
Apollo doubled over, groaning, while Claire stood triumphant but heaving. The sheriff stepped forward, cuffs gleaming. "Enough. Both of you are under arrest for disorderly conduct and endangering public safety."
The rooftop fell silent.
Claire’s jaw dropped. "Arrest? I am the victim! This oaf touched me lecherously and threw my phone off the roof! If anyone needs to be arrested, it’s him."
Apollo wheezed, still bent over. "She assaulted me Watkins, you witnessed it." He said to the sheriff, addressing the man by his name. "And I did not grope her!"
The sheriff snapped the cuffs onto Claire’s wrists first. "He is right, you kicked him in my presence. That, young lady is assault." Then onto Apollo. "And you threw her phone off the roof. As for whether this was a suicide attempt of attempted murder, we will sort it out at the station."