Shattered Bond.
1464 Words
Going to work became something I did reluctantly, wishing I had an alternative. I couldn’t shake the idea of confronting Felicia and Victoria, but the thought of asking them what I did wrong terrified me. The atmosphere had become toxic, yet strangely, I excel in environments like this. But this time, something felt different, and the darkness looming over our friendship gnawed at me. What was really going on?
I missed them terribly and longed for our friendship to return. But then, a thought struck me: Could this all be related to the story Felicia shared with us just days before things started to unravel? But no, I wasn’t her best friend; I could never betray her like that. Never . That day, we retreated to the back room, as usual, and today’s topic was friendship and loyalty—a conversation that would haunt me.
“I can never trust anyone again,” Felicia declared, her voice laced with bitterness.
“Me too,” Victoria chimed in, echoing her sentiments.
Victoria had always been a follower, believing everything Felicia said without question, even when it was obvious that Felicia was wrong. I hated that about her, but everyone has their flaws. Despite her weaknesses, Victoria could be a sweetheart when she wanted to. But let’s be honest, she is double-faced, and it is impossible to ignore.
“I still believe in friendship and loyalty,” I said, my voice trembling slightly. “My best friend is three years older than me, and I can confidently say she’s my number one fan.”
“Ummm… As for me, the experience I had with my best friend still haunts me. To this day, anyone who shows even a hint of her traits automatically becomes my enemy,” Felicia said, her voice quivering with suppressed emotion.
“I don’t believe in the best friend nonsense,” Victoria said, her tone dripping with disdain. “I don’t have one, and I honestly don’t want any. Human beings are evil. I’d rather have a dog as my best friend than trust a human.”
“I can’t relate, girls. It seems you’ve both been through a lot, but as for me, I still believe in sisterhood,” I replied, trying to sound positive, though the tension in the room was suffocating.
“My best friend stole my boyfriend,” Felicia continued, her voice thick with pain. “This girl, who always advised me against him, was secretly with him the whole time. My boyfriend was even taking money from me to find their lifestyle. One day, I decided to visit her unexpectedly. When I got to her house, I saw something that shattered me. My man was rubbing and smacking my best friend’s ass, his hands in her underwear, and they were kissing passionately. I had to slap myself to make sure I wasn’t dreaming. But I wasn’t. I waited and watched until he turned her around for a back shot. That’s when I lost it. I screamed, but the door was locked. They were playing loud music and couldn’t hear me. Just as I was about to leave, they saw me through the window. But to my shock, they didn’t feel any remorse—they didn’t even try to reach out to me. To this day, my so-called bestie hasn’t contacted me. That betrayal broke me. I promised myself that I would never again let someone take what’s mine.”
“That’s so sad. I can’t even imagine how you must have felt.”
I said, feeling the weight of her pain.
“Girls’ friends are the fakest,” Victoria added, with a coldness that sent shivers down my spine.
I wanted to say something, but it was clear that nothing I said would change their minds. Deep down, I was grateful for the true friendship I had. But still, a question lingered in my mind. Do I remind Felicia of her best friend? Do I possess any traits that trigger her memories of betrayal?
“Hey, Sofia...” John's voice pulled me out of my thoughts. “What’s wrong with you? I’ve noticed you haven’t been yourself lately—always lost in thought.”
“I’m sorry, John. I’m really sorry,” I stammered, trying to hold back the emotions that threatened to spill over.
“That’s the cocktail,” he said, pointing to a tray with two s*x on the Beach cocktails.
As I carried the tray towards my client, Felicia walked past me and intentionally bumped into me. The cocktails crashed to the floor.
“Jesus!” I screamed.
“Oh, I’m sorry, that wasn’t intentional,” Felicia said with a smirk that made my blood boil.
“No, no, Felicia, you saw me coming and...” I tried to hold back my anger, but I felt the tears welling up.
I’m sorry, it was intentional, she admitted, mockingly trying to help me pick up the broken glass.
John approached, clearly angry. "Sofia, to the back room now.”
“You can go,” Felicia said, clearly relishing her victory. I’ll get the cleaner to handle this.”
“Felicia, go attend to the customers,” John ordered, his tone leaving no room for argument.
I followed John to the back room, dreading the conversation that awaited me.
“What’s wrong with you, Sofia? I just talked to you about not concentrating, and now this. Look at what you did! I was even planning to talk to you about some complaints I’ve received. I’ve heard you’ve been adding extra charges to customers, begging for tips instead of letting them decide, and sometimes you’re rude to them. What’s going on?
How could I possibly explain to John that none of this was true? How could I make him understand that Felicia had done this intentionally?
“Hello, am I talking to myself?” John’s voice snapped me out of my thoughts.
“John, I promise you, all of this is lies... I-I…” My voice cracked, and I couldn’t hold back the tears any longer.
I cried because I had so much to explain, but the words wouldn’t come. After a while, I managed to compose myself, knowing John was losing patience.
“I’m sorry about everything, John. I promise to change; please believe me.”
“And I pray that what I've heard about you isn’t true. Please don’t make me show you the other side of me. You started so well, and I don’t understand why you’re acting like this now. Go back to work, and the cost of the broken glass will be deducted from your salary. Be more careful next time.”
As soon as John left, I burst into tears. I needed that cry—without it, I might have gone insane. After a while, I wiped my face and reminded myself of everything I’d been through. This wouldn’t break me, I told myself.
Just as I was about to leave the back room, I stumbled upon Felicia again. It felt like she was monitoring my every move, and it was starting to make me uncomfortable.
"Aww, it looks like someone cried their eyes out,” she said with a wicked smile.
I couldn’t say anything; I just looked down.
“I haven’t even started with you yet,” Felicia sneered, and Victoria chimed in from behind, both of them laughing that wicked laugh I was beginning to despise.
“Look at me, Felicia commanded, and I raised my head, trembling. “Read my lips: Your days here are numbered.”
I was already shaking and on the verge of tears again, but I held them back. I needed to work.
They left, their laughter echoing down the hallway until it faded away. It was as if the universe knew I was having a bad day because the time seemed to fly by.
Finally, it was time to go home. I quickly packed my things and left before Victoria and Felicia could corner me again. But as I walked home, I couldn’t get my mind off everything that had happened during the night shift.
When I got home, I was surprised by what I found. It was 7 a.m., and my mom and dad weren’t home yet. The apartment was a mess, something unusual for them. I tried calling my mom, but her number was switched off. My dad’s number wasn’t reachable either. This was not normal. Where could they have gone early in the morning?
I dropped my bag and decided to sit and wait for them. Of course they’d be back soon, I told myself. But as I sat there, waiting, exhaustion took over, and I dozed off.
But little did I know, the nightmare was far from over.
- Writer
