NEW YEAR, NEW LIE

Chapter 3

I rubbed my eyes, trying to shake off the sleepiness. I reached for my phone and saw that it was my mom calling. I hesitated for a moment before answering.

"Hello, Mom," I said, trying to sound more alert than I felt.

"Hey, sweetie," my mom replied, her voice trembling. "I need to talk to you about something."

I sat up straight, my heart racing with anticipation. "What is it, Mom?"

"It's your dad," she said, her voice cracking. "He came to the house today...with his two kids from that woman."

I felt a pang of sadness and anger. My dad's infidelity had been a painful blow to our family, and now it seemed like he was rubbing it in our faces.

"Mom, I'm so sorry," I said, trying to console her. "Please don't overthink this. This didn't start today, and we've been dealing with this for a while now."

"I know, sweetie," my mom said, sighing. "It's just hard to see him with those kids, knowing that he abandoned us for them."

I felt a lump form in my throat as I listened to my mom's pain. I wished I could be there to hug her and make her feel better.

"We'll get through this, Mom," I said, trying to sound strong. "We always do."

My mom sniffled, and I could tell she was trying to hold back tears. "I love you, sweetie," she said.

"I love you too, Mom," I replied. "We'll talk soon, okay?"

HARRISON’S POV

I leaned against the balcony railing of the cruise ship. I found myself recalling the conversation Chanel and I had a few days prior. She really wanted us to be intimate but how do I tell her what I feel.

I couldn't help but feel a mix of emotions. I've been distant from her, and I know she's been feeling it. My mind keeps wandering to my friends, Ray and Greg, and our conversations about relationships. I've been telling them that I'm not ready for anything serious, but being with Chanel makes me question that even if I dated her because she was smart.

I saw the sadness in her eyes. I know I've been neglecting her, and it's not fair to her. I feel guilty for not being more present in our relationship. I'm trying to convince myself that I care for her, but I'm not sure if I'm ready to take our relationship to the next level.

The cruise tour invitation from Ray and Greg came at the right time. I thought it would be a great opportunity for Chanel and me to spend some quality time together and maybe reignite the spark in our relationship. But thinking about it now, l'm not sure if I did the right thing.

Greg and Ray’s voice interrupts my thought. I was startled but had to play cool. "What's up, man? We've been looking all over for you," Ray said.

Oh, hey guys. I was just... uh... enjoying the view from here."I said composing.

"You can't miss out on this," Greg chimed in. "There are some fine babes around here. We've got a room booked for you, and... let's just say you won't be sleeping alone tonight," one of them said with a wink.

I was taken aback. "Guys, I don't know... I came here with Chanel," I protested.

Ray raised an eyebrow. "And what exactly does that mean? You're not exactly known for being faithful, Harrison."

Greg chuckled. "Yeah, come on, man. Don't pretend like you're some kind of saint. We have always known what you've been up to."

I felt defensive. "Hey, that's not the point. The point is... I don't know, guys. I just don't feel right about this."

Greg persisted. "Ah, come on, Harrison. Don't be a party pooper. We've got a room booked for you, and... trust me, you won't regret it."

"Great, now that we've got that settled, let's go have some fun!"Ray says

Greg added, "Yeah, and don't worry about Chanel. She'll never even know what's going on."

“you two, I haven’t even accepted anything” I said laughing “You two know my doings when it comes to these chicks, let’s go hunt them down. But Chanel shouldn’t know”

“No worries man” Greg said. So I followed the both of them.

CHANEL’S POV

I woke up to the sound of fireworks and loud music outside. It was New Year's Eve, and the party was still going strong. I checked my phone for the time, wondering where Harrison was. We had plans to celebrate the countdown together, but I hadn't seen him since we got here. I figured I had been asleep for quite a while.

Just as I was starting to worry, there was a knock on the door. I opened it, expecting to see Harrison, but it was Greg instead.

"Hey, Chanel! Happy New Year!" Greg exclaimed, stepping into the room.

"Happy New Year, Greg. Where's Harrison?" I asked, trying to hide my concern.

"Oh, he's in a meeting with someone. He asked me to come get you," Greg replied, glancing around the room.

"A meeting? At this time?" I raised an eyebrow, skeptical.

Greg shrugged. "I don't know, but he wants you to come to his room to pick up something. He said it's important."

I hesitated for a moment, wondering what was going on.

“His room…? this is our room”I said surprised.

“Well, he got his own room, and also got his own thing going on, that’s why he hasn’t been here with you” he stated.

I looked at him and his expression seemed genuine, so I decided to trust him.

"Okay, let's go," I said, following Greg out of the room.

I couldn't shake off the feeling that something was off. What does he mean by “he’s got his own thing going on”.

As I followed Greg to the room he claimed was Harrison's, I couldn't shake off the feeling that something was off. We stopped in front of a door, and Greg turned to me with a smirk.

"This is it," he said. "Harrison's room."

I raised an eyebrow, my hand on the doorknob. "You said this is Harrison's room?" I asked, turning to look at Greg.

Before I could even process what was happening, I saw Greg locking the door behind us. My heart skipped a beat as I spun around to face him.

"What the hell are you doing?" I demanded, my voice shaking with anger.

Greg sneered at me, his eyes gleaming with a sinister intent. "Why do you think Harrison is your man? Why do you think Harrison takes you seriously?" he taunted.

I took a step back, my mind racing with confusion and fear. "What are you talking about?" I asked, trying to keep my voice steady.

Greg took a step closer to me, his hands reaching out to grab me. "Well, come over here. Since Harrison, my friend, doesn't really value you, that means I can have you," he sneered.

I pushed him away, my adrenaline pumping. "Get away from me!" I shouted, kicking him hard in the groin.

Greg doubled over in pain, and I took advantage of the distraction to hurry to the door and unlock it. I flung it open and ran out into the hallway, my heart pounding in my chest.

As I ran, different thoughts were racing through my mind. What was Greg talking about? Why did he say Harrison didn't value me? I had to find Harrison and confront him about what was going on.

I turned a corner and saw Ray coming out of a room buttoning his shirt. He was heading forward and didn’t turn, so he didn’t see me. My heart skipped a beat as I quickened my pace, determined to get some answers.

I opened the door, and what I saw almost made me fall on my knees. Harrison was lying on the bed with his belt and trousers below his waist, a naked girl was on top of his manhood.