Sweet Revenge

Somewhere Safe

As I got out from the cab in front of my apartment, I felt a dread wash over me. I really didn't feel like staying at this place tonight.

I clutched the manila envelope to my chest and took my phone out and speed dialed Sandy's number.

She answered on the first ring.

"Hey. Where are you?" I asked as soon as she said hello.

"Right behind you!" She said over my shoulder while she gave me a little nudge in my arm.

I spun around and quickly hugged her. At this point, I didn't want to let go. I didn't want her to see the state I was in and tell her everything that happened. I wasn't in the mood to talk about what transpired yesterday. I just wanted her to hold me.

"Bella? What's gotten into you?" She whispered through my hair.

I couldn't help it. The tears started to fall and all the emotions I kept hidden since the time Aaron left me started falling down. I couldn't stop it. I started sobbing and shaking while holding onto Sandy for dear life.

"Hey... What happened? Let's go inside and talk about it." Sandy worriedly said as she tried to drag me nearer to the apartment door.

I furiously shook my head and barely got the words out of my mouth, "Can we go to your place?"

Sandy nodded her head and put one arm around my shoulder as support. Slowly she helped me walk the 2 blocks to her apartment.

As soon as Sandy unlocked the door to her apartment, she pulled my arm and ushered me to the living room. She sat me down on the sofa and without missing a beat, made a beeline to her kitchen.

I didn't say a word and knowing Sandy for a long time, she knew when to keep her mouth shut. She knew she needed to stay quiet because she knew I'll say what's bothering me when I'm ready.

I slumped further into her sofa and lied down. I quickly shut my eyes and let the pain consume me at that moment. The apartment was so quiet that all you could hear are the occasional honks of cars in the distance and me sniffing while I cried.

I felt Sandy sit on the floor next to the sofa and nudged my shoulder so that I would open my eyes.

She handed me a glass of red wine and continued to keep her mouth shut but I felt guilty seeing the worry in her eyes as she silently encouraged me to tell her everything.

I sat back down, patted the space next to me so that Sandy can sit beside me.

I cleared my throat and let out a quiet laugh then sipped my wine.

Sandy continued to patiently wait for me to be ready to speak. She didn't have to wait any longer. In that moment I felt that in order for me to heal quicker, I needed to tell her what happened. In a way, it doesn't seem like what happened yesterday was all in my head. Once I tell her, I know that everything that happened was real.

I took another sip of my wine and looked at her teary-eyed.

"Aaron left me." I said barely getting the words out of my mouth. I studied her face closely and continued to look for changes with her facial expression. There was none. She continued to be quiet.

"You knew didn't you?" I prodded.

Sandy looked down at her wine glass and stirred the rich liquid inside.

I was waiting for an answer and it was taking her forever to talk!

"Sandy?" I said her name in a threatening tone.

Finally she cleared her throat and began to speak.

"I knew Bella. Before you start putting the blame on me, hear me out please." She continued to explain in a quiet whispered tone. "I saw him with a girl about a couple of months ago. I saw them go in the coffee shop just at the lobby of the network station. Everyday when I get to work, on the dot they would be in the coffee shop. At first, it looked friendly but it continued to happen and their gestures and the way they were together became more malicious. Until finally, I saw them kiss." She ended her explanation shakily as she knew that I would start getting angry and probably let all the anger out on her.

After a minute or two of silence, she looked up and begged, "Please say something."

"What do you want me to say Sandy?" I challenged. Bitterness dripping from every word I spoke.

"What do you want me to say?! Isn't this what you wanted all along? For me and Aaron to break-up?! 7 years Sandy! We've been together for 7 years! I practically invested a quarter of my life with him! You wanted this to happen all along didn't you? That's the reason why you didn't say anything!" I continued to rant angrily while the tears kept falling.

At this point I stood up and paced back and forth trying to make sense of what Sandy said.

It hurt even more that she knew what Aaron had been doing for months and didn't tell me. I felt betrayed by my best friend!

"Bella please. I didn't want to get mixed up with your relationship problems because I knew that you would jump to conclusions and accuse me of rooting for your break-up!" Sandy explained between tears.

If looks could kill, Sandy would be lying dead on the floor now.

"You are such a b***h! I knew you didn't like Aaron from the beginning! You knew he was cheating on me for months and didn't say a word! What do you want me to think Sandy!" I shouted with more force than I intended. The emotions were just taking over me now.

Sandy winced at the words and I could clearly saw the hurt in her eyes.

I didn't care at that point. I felt rage! I couldn't look at her and I felt miserable that I was treated like a fool! I threw the wine glass at the kitchen counter and took my things. I stormed out of her apartment and just before the door closed, I hissed at her. "I hate you!" I felt the venom dripping from each word that I spoke.

I hurriedly walked back to my apartment and unlocked the door. I stepped in and turned the lights on. Big mistake! The apartment was cluttered with memories of Aaron and his stuff mixed with mine in every corner of the room.

With a vengeance, I went to the kitchen counter and took out a garbage bag and started putting Aaron's things in the bag without regret.

Before I knew it, there were about 5-6 large garbage bags that I've filled over the last couple of hours. I was exhausted.

I sat down on the living room floor slowly criticizing everything in the apartment. I didn't want to see any of his stuff. I didn't want to be reminded of the times that we shared in this room. I don't need him! I don't need anyone!

I hugged my knees and swayed back and forth allowing the tears to fall. I didn't feel safe in this place anymore. There were too many memories and it felt like I was suffocating.

I quickly stood up and went to the room to pack a small overnight bag. I hurriedly turned of the lights off and went out the door.

I walked for as long as could remember and stopped at a place that I knew I would later regret. I knocked on the door.

I heard light footsteps approaching the door. The door opened and I suddenly stood there with my head bowed down. I was clutching my bag so tight that I felt that my hands were bleeding.

"What the f**k?" The voice sounded surprised and incredulous at the same time.

"I'm sorry to disturb you at this time. Something happened and I really didn't have any place to go." I whispered shamelessly.

There was no place at this point I could go to. There was no place I felt safe. Everything I know at this point felt like a lie and the only thing left to go to is this.

"Thank you. I promise I won't do anything stupid, Mr. Bradshaw." I quipped as I went in to his apartment.

He chuckled. "Get to work."