CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN

CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN
Lisa walked through the front door and was immediately struck by the chaotic scene before her. Furniture was overturned, cushions scattered everywhere, and the room was in disarray. Rachel stood in the center of the room, her eyes blazing with anger and her voice trembling with rage.

"Oh my God, Lisa! Can you see what Marcus has done?" Rachel's voice was shrill, and her words tumbled out in a frantic rush. "He came to the house, looking for you. He trashed the place, Lisa. He's completely lost it."

Lisa's eyes widened as she took in the destruction. She felt a surge of fear mixed with anger. How dare Marcus do this?

"Rach, calm down. What happened?" Lisa asked, trying to soothe her friend. She reached out and placed a calming hand on Rachel's arm.

But Rachel shook her off, her eyes flashing with anger. "Don't tell me to calm down, Lisa! You need to know what's going on. Marcus is out of control. He's been calling and texting you nonstop, and now he's showing up at the house, trashing the place. What's your connection with him exactly, Lisa? You met him once, had a one-night stand that didn't turn out well, and now he's acting like he owns you!"

Rachel's voice rose to a near-shriek, and Lisa felt a pang of guilt. She hated what she had become in the hands of men. All she wanted was a genuine connection with someone and commitment. "Rach, please calm down. Let's talk about this," Lisa said, trying to placate her friend.

But Rachel was beyond consolation. "I want to get him arrested! This is insane!" She paced back and forth, her anger and frustration boiling over.

Lisa tried to intervene, placing a calming hand on Rachel's arm again. "Rach, stop. Let's think this through. We need to figure out what to do next."

Just then, Lisa remembered something. "Rach, remember when I told you that Marcus sent me $5,000 before I left for Jamie's?"

Rachel's expression changed, and she stopped pacing. "Yes... I remember. The money is still with you, isn't it?" A calculating look entered Rachel's eyes. "Maybe that's why he's being so possessive. He thinks he's bought you or something. You need to return that money, Lisa. Now."

Lisa felt a surge of surprise. Rachel had been the one who told her not to return the money in the first place. "Rach, wait. You're the one who told me not to return the money. You said it was my payment for everything Marcus put me through."

Rachel's gaze didn't waver. "I know what I said, Lisa. But things have escalated. He's not just being abusive; he's being obsessive and possessive. We need to take a stand."

The air in the room seemed to vibrate with tension as the two friends locked eyes. Lisa felt a surge of frustration. Why was Rachel changing her tune now?

Just as it seemed like the silence would stretch on forever, Rachel spoke up again. "Lisa, please. Return the money. It's the right thing to do."

Lisa hesitated, unsure of what to do. A part of her wanted to return the money, to distance herself from Marcus' toxic behavior. But another part of her felt like she deserved that money, like it was a small measure of justice for what she'd endured.

As she stood there, weighing her options, just then, Rachel's eyes lit up with an idea, and she turned to Lisa with a determined look on her face. "You know who might be able to help us? Jake." she said, her voice low and urgent.

Lisa's eyebrows rose in surprise. "Jake? Marcus' friend?"

Rachel nodded, a hint of a blush on her cheeks. "The same one. And...well, you know we've been seeing each other casually."

Lisa nodded, recalling Rachel's fling with Jake. "Yeah, I remember." Her eyebrows rose in surprise. "You think Jake can help us?"

Rachel nodded, her expression turning serious. "Jake warned me about Marcus' volatile behavior. He might be able to provide some insight into what's driving Marcus' actions."

Lisa hesitated, unsure if involving Jake was the best idea. "Rach, are you sure that's wise? We don't want to drag Jake into this chaos."

Rachel's jaw set in determination. "Jake needs to know what's going on, Lisa. He's the only one who might be able to help us stop Marcus before he hurts someone else."

Lisa nodded reluctantly, a sense of trepidation settling in the pit of her stomach. "Okay, fine. But if Jake gets hurt because of this, it’s on you."

Rachel shot Lisa a wry smile. "Don't worry, Lisa. Jake can take care of himself. Besides, he's not the type to back down from a challenge."

Rachel pulled out her phone and dialed Jake's number, her eyes locked on Lisa's as she waited for him to answer. The air was thick with tension as Rachel waited for Jake to pick up.

Finally, Rachel's expression changed, and she said, "Hey, Jake. It's Rach. We need to talk."

Lisa watched as Rachel's expression turned serious, her eyes locked on some point across the room. The silence was palpable, punctuated only by Rachel's occasional murmurs as she listened to Jake's response.

"What's going on?" Lisa asked, her curiosity getting the better of her.

Rachel held up a hand, signaling Lisa to wait. "Yeah, Jake. Marcus showed up at the house, looking for Lisa. He trashed the place...Jake, I know you warned me about him, but I had no idea he was this unhinged."

Lisa's eyes widened as she listened to Rachel's side of the conversation. What was Jake saying? Was he going to be able to help them?

After a few more moments, Rachel nodded, her expression grim. "Okay, Jake. We'll wait for you. Thanks."

Rachel hung up the phone, her eyes locked on Lisa's. "Jake's on his way over. He's going to help us figure out what to do with Marcus."

Lisa nodded, feeling a mix of emotions. She was relieved that Jake was coming to help, but she was also anxious about what might happen next. What would Jake say when he arrived? Would he be able to help them deal with Marcus?