Tried to Kill Myself, Ended Up In the Last Place I Expected

Clarissa Hunt grabbed her husband's hand again. Although her fingers were hurting slightly from the painful way he'd smacked them, she knew better than to complain. Plus, she agreed with Johnson on this occasion. 

Rafe definitely deserved a few smacks to the head for his cheek, but now was not the right time or place. And the boy really did look very weak right now. They needed him up and running as soon as possible so Richard would have to wait a bit before unleashing his frustrations.

"Darling, please stop. If you do anything to hurt him now it'll only further delay our plans." She held herself closer to him and kissed his cheek. "Later. We need to make use of him before anything else. Look at him. His cheeks are sunken. He may lose his handsomeness if we don't get him back into shape."

Johnson snorted when he heard that.

Davina too was appalled by the way Rafe's parents were acting. She couldn't believe the father had actually tried to lunge at his own son while he was hospitalized. She looked up at Johnson and grabbed his wrist. "Thank you for doing that. Is you face okay?"

Johnson smirked and looked briefly at Richard. "As if this fat toad could hurt me."

Ruby grabbed Rafe's hand again, pulling his grip away from Johnson. Davina's brows furrowed. This woman was quite bold, wasn't she? And just after she said she loved Rafe and respected his boundaries.

She is a very pretty woman though, Davina acknowledged.

Ruby Ray was a somewhat talented dancer and model who'd starred in one of Rafe's music videos. But based on every interaction Rafe had with her, she was as insincere in her affections towards him as his own mother.

Ruby held Rafe's hand with both of hers and pressed it to her chest. "Rafe, please let me stay with you. Pretty please. You need someone to take care of you and I don't want to be a sitting duck at the Hunt estate waiting for your call. It's too worrisome."

Davina was confused. Why was this woman lying? Rafe never called her directly. He only ever called his parents and more often than not, he'd use Johnson as a middleman so he wouldn't have to listen to his father's longwinded berates. Rafe's mother would guilt trip him saying she's an old woman with a weak heart whenever Rafe refused to take her calls and Ruby would always try to butt in from the background. 

Rafe had even blocked and changed his number that one time when Ruby got a hold of it and started leaving him sappy voice messages and texts filled with so many flirty emojis. Johnson had laughed his ass off when Rafe had shown it to him.

Richard snorted, having calmed down now. "You're showing too much concern for such a troublesome and ungrateful brat, Ruby."

Clarissa nodded. "He's done nothing but be cold to you and yet you keep being so sweet to him. You don't need to help him. We'll handle him."

Finally, Davina's eyes filled with anger. She understood enough and she had had enough. She tried to pull her hand out of Ruby's grip. When she tried to keep hold, Davina a hard yank. Ruby held on and pretended to fall on Rafe's chest.

"Ruby! Get off of me right now!" Davina was a bit taken aback by how deep and commanding Rafe's voice was. In sharp comparison to his thin frame. It was this voice which became hypnotic each time he sang.

Ruby jumped in shock when she heard how angry Rafe sounded. She quickly got off him and scooted to the foot of the bed. Rafe had never spoken to her like that. She thought he would just go along with it. That's what he did all those other times she'd clung to him. Even frustrated, he would endure.

"Who told you you could touch me, lean on me or sit on my bed?!" Davina spat out. "Do you not know how to respect other people's boundaries?"

Ruby stood up and took a step back. Her eyes reddened at the hostility on Rafe's face. She was more hurt than shocked. She was a beautiful woman. No man had ever spoken to her like this. What did he mean don't touch?

"Rafe!" Clarissa hissed. "She is to be your wife! How dare you talk to her like that?"

"I don't recall agreeing to marry her." Davina swung her legs over and stood up with the help of Johnson. She was very dizzy and lightheaded, but she needed to stand her ground. She hated the fact that Rafe's parents were bullies. She was growing angry on his behalf. "You both forced her on me. I've never accepted her and yet, she's always touching me like we've been fucking."

Davina narrowed her eyes on Ruby. "Unless I pay you for your services, whore, keep your hands to yourself. I helped you gain exposure by putting you in one of my music videos. Is this how you show your gratitude? By constituting a nuisance?" 

"Rafe, I'm sorry--I" Ruby took another step back, tears dripping from her eyes.

"He just woke up after OD," Johnson retorted. "What are doing throwing your weight on him like that? Do you think his body can handle it?"

Ruby broke down, the drips turning into a deluge.

Upon seeing this, Clarissa rushed forward and pulled Ruby into an embrace. "Rafe! Johnson! Where are your manners?! How can you speak to a woman like that?! She didn't mean any harm!"

"And she is going to be your wife, Rafe! That matter is a done deal!"

"Exactly!" Richard snapped. "Ruby will make a fine wife so you have no reason to protest. She is 24, beautiful, a successful model and she's already presented us with all her medical documents. She not carrying any kind of disease or STD and she is capable of bearing children."

"Yes!" Clarissa exclaimed, patting Ruby on the back. "She is perfect! Why are you being so stubborn?"

Davina laughed. "Maybe it's because she's a shallow, selfish, gold digging whore and I refuse to marry a woman who reminds me so much of my own mother!"

Clarissa's and Richard's jaws dropped in shock. They could not believe what they just heard. Did their obedient and respectable son actually talk back and say such a thing to his own mother?!

Even Ruby stiffened in Clarissa's arms.

Johnson laughed so hard he sounded like an evil witch cackling. He placed Rafe back onto the bed when he felt his knees buckling. He looked at his friend's face who was still staring down his parents. Had the OD changed something in his brain? Rafe never stood up for himself the way he stood up for others. Johnson had seen his friend's legendary anger countless times. When he dealt with lazy dancers, bad work ethic, disrespectful directors, sleazy agents and overbearing paparazzi. 

But he had never seen him fire at his own parents in such a way.

He looks a bit different. The look in his eyes has changed. His brush with death has awakened his spirit.

"Rafe, are you feeling okay?"

Rafe's sharp black eyes fixed upon Johnson. "Yes, I am fine. I will be fine. Everything is different now so I will do things differently."