2- Friend Or Foe
1037 Words
"You must be crazy, Olivia."
I muttered to myself, standing in the streets.
I'd lost everything in the blink of an eye. No family, no money. Nothing.
An accident took my parents from me at an early age, leaving me alone. I survived, met Vincent, and given him my all. And now, I was back where I started from. Nothing. Instead, I had a debt to pay, and yet, I'd blurted out how I'd take all he had, how I'd get my revenge.
I crouched down between my luggage, and broke into tears, exhausted from it all. There was only one person I could call.
I wiped my tears and dialed Nala, my bestfriend. Her voice filled the speakers, bubbly and cheerful.
"Hey, Liv! What's up girl? I was just th–"
The sound of her voice pushed me to tears, my loud sobs cutting her off as I bawled over the phone.
"Liv!" she called, sounding alarmed. "Are you okay? What is going on?"
"I- I, Vincent, he, he..." I babbled, choking on my tears.
"Vincent did what?" Nala questioned, her voice low and serious.
"Vincent, he..." I broke down again.
"Text me your location, Liv. I'm coming to you." She concluded, urgent.
Nala arrived in less than twenty minutes, pulling her car to a stop in front of me. The door swung open and she stepped out, walking towards me, her long blonde hair flowing in the air.
"Liv, baby, what's going on?" She asked, voice heavy with worry, eyes laden with concern.
"Nala."
She pulled me into a hug, my tears staining her silk, lilac blouse. "It's okay. Come on, let's go."
After putting the suitcases into the trunk of her car, she got behind the wheel and sped off to her apartment.
"Talk to me girl, what's going on?" Nala asked after we'd arrived and settled in.
"Vincent and Alice have been sleeping together. We're getting a divorce." I said softly.
"You're kidding."
"I wish I was, I wish I'd wake up and realize I'm having a nightmare, but I'm not. He's been cheating on me, Nala."
Nala was quiet for a moment, then suddenly, broke out into laughter.
"Nala?" I sat up, c*****g an eyebrow, stunned.
She didn't stop laughing.
"Uh, is something funny?" I asked, my face dripped in confusion.
Finally, she stopped, sniffing as she wiped at her eyes.
"Wow, would you look at that?"
"What do you mean?" I blinked rapidly, taken aback.
"Oh nothing, well, besides the fact you made it seem perfect. Like you had it all. I mean, I believed you actually did have it all. Look at me! I'm Olivia, I'm married to the most perfect man on earth!"
"Nala!" I exclaimed, standing abruptly as I took a step back, my eyes going wide with horror. "What are you talking about?"
"I'm sick of putting up with this, Olivia." She was serious now, staring dead into my eyes.
"Putting up with what?"
"Everything! Acting like we're friends, when you're just a self-absorbed, pretentious b***h!"
I froze, my heart sinking into my chest.
"Nala?" My voice was flat now, afraid to hear more of what she had to say.
She stood, running a hand through her hair.
"Do you remember when Ryan broke up with me? I came running to you, and you pretended to care."
"I cared–"
"No you didn't, Liv!" She shot back. "What did you do next? You started dating Vincent barely two weeks after. You knew I was hurting, but you didn't care, you ran around shoving your lovey-dovey acts in my face."
"I comforted you!" I shrieked in disbelief. "I was there for you, I never rubbed my relationship in your face. I, I thought you were happy for me, Nala."
"Cut the s**t, Liv. You didn't treat me like your friend, you pitied me. Looked at me like some lonely girl filling my life with silly distractions to cover up the emptiness."
"That's not true..."
"I could see it," she shouted, cutting me off. "Could feel it. In your eyes, in the words you didn't say. You thought of me as a stray cat that needed love. And now, look how the tables have turned.
"It was never like that, Nala! I never claimed to be perfect or have it all, but I was there for you! I loved you!" My voice broke, my heart heavy.
Nala folded her arms, looking straight at me.
"Well, I didn't. I hated you, and I'm glad this happened to you."
Her words pierced my soul like a sharp knife, tears rolling down my cheeks.
"How can you say that? We were friends, you were my friend."
"Yeah, well, it's all over now. You have nothing anymore, so you're useless to me. I suggest you get out of here and start picking up your pieces."
She walked to the door, pulled it open, and gestured for me to leave.
Staring straight at her, I felt sick to my stomach. Without saying a word, I smoothed myself, gathered my things and walked out, the door shutting loudly behind me.
———
Seated in a motel room I paid for with my last cash, my head was a blur. I didn't know where to go from here, but I knew the first step to I had to take. Gathering the necessary documents, I headed for the court.
Filing for divorce was something I'd never imagined. But there I was, the pen trembling in my grip as I signed my name across the forms that would sever us for good.
I left the court with mixed feelings; raw, stinging fury, toward Vincent, and deep sorrow. Vincent had destroyed all we'd built. But one thing was certain, he was damn sure going to regret it, even if I had to fight all alone.
Stepping out of the building, the cool breeze hit my face as I walked over to a nearby café. Seated, I was staring at nothing when a deep, curt voice snapped me back to reality.
"Let's get this over with, shall we?"
I turned, and everything else disappeared.
Standing there was the most handsome man I'd ever laid my eyes on.
- Writer
