Lusting After My Best Friend's Dad

Bella’s pov "I told you I won't go with you anymore!" My boyfriend's sudden outburst left me speechless. His words hit me like a blow, reverberating in my ears. Tears came out of my eyes instantly, blurring my vision like teargas. My trembling fingers lost grip of my silver handbag, slipping from my grasp without my notice. All of this happened in mere seconds. "W... What... What have I done? Are you serious, Fred?" I stammered, disbelief trembling in my voice. My heart raced, struggling to make sense of this sudden change in his demeanor. We had made plans and agreed that today was our engagement party. The thought of being engaged filled me with excitement. "We both agreed... Just yesterday, we spoke on the phone," I struggled to find my voice, a mix of hurt and confusion quivering in my words. "My family is waiting for us, Fred. My aunts, friends, everyone... They're all gathered at the engagement hall, eagerly anticipating our arrival. How could you change your mind overnight?" I paused, imagining the humiliation that awaited me. The taste of embarrassment lingered in my mouth like a bitter pill. How would I face my stepmother and her daughter with their snide comments? "What's gotten into you, Bella? How can you think I would engage with a woman of loose morals like you..." "Loose morals?" I exclaimed in shock. Fred was the one who took my virginity. If I was as promiscuous as he claimed, would he meet me as a virgin in the first place? "Bella, I've received evidence from a trustworthy source, which I don't want to disclose to you. And frankly, showing it to you, it won't change anything," he replied coldly. Who could have slandered me? I wondered, my vision still blurred as tears streamed down my cheeks with each blink. Fred was standing near his window and the time was 2:55pm. Our engagement party was meant to start by 1pm and Fred kept glancing outside. I was lost in thought. As I stared at him, trapped in my own self-made nightmare, my phone suddenly rang, jolting me from my thoughts. It was my best friend, Harriet, calling. "Harriet..." I started, but before I could continue, her impatient voice interrupted the line. "Bella," she said anxiously, "where are you and your boyfriend? Everyone is waiting for you, and there's been murmuring throughout the hall. Is the engagement party not coming up again?” With a glimmer of hope and uncertainty of what lay ahead, I replied, "Harriet, we'll be there soon," and ended the call. Doubt gnawed at me, questioning my worth and what had gone wrong. I took a hesitant step closer to Fred, my heart pounding in my chest. "What did the person tell you?" I asked. "All I can say is that I'm not the only one you've been sleeping with, and for that reason, I'm no longer part of the engagement. This is what you've been doing behind my back," he replied. "When, Fred?" I asked, my eyes searching for answers as he continued to gaze outside the window. Why was he dressed in a stunning black suit I had never seen before, if not for my engagement party? When he ignored my calls and messages this morning, a sinking feeling crept over me, foretelling something bad. "I never knew this was the kind of person you are. I wouldn't have..." He paused, his attention shifting as a car pulled up in front of his house. I watched with a knot in my stomach as he adjusted his suit, a gesture that felt out of place. The car's back door swung open, and a woman emerged, dressed in a tight, provocative red dress that barely reached her knees. At first, my gaze didn't meet the woman's face, and then I turned to look at Fred. "Is this the reason you're canceling our engagement party?" I asked, bewildered. Fred trailed off as the door opened, and he walked over to greet her. It was then that I saw the woman was none other than my own stepsister. Were they both seeing each other behind my back? The shock of seeing my stepsister with my boyfriend froze my entire body, and the only parts that seemed to function were my eyes. My lips parted and they were speechless. "Hi, Loveth," he smiled immediately, and he kissed her on both cheeks. "Are you ready for the date?" she asked, smirking. "Yes of course. Darling! Can you turn around and let me see what the universe has blessed you with?" As my step sister turned around, this was when she noticed my presence and asked, somewhat surprised, "Why is she still in your house?" Loveth asked arrogantly. "She's been on her knees begging me. But no beg can undo what she had done secretly. I was in dense darkness all this while," Fred mocked, and Loveth giggled and sneered at me. Fred grabbed his car keys from the glassy table, and as he was about to leave with Loveth, something inside me snapped. The intensity of my anger overwhelmed me, and this was when I rushed towards Loveth. "What do you think you're doing? Taking my man away on the day of my engagement party? What did you tell him about me?" I spoke with authority, causing both of them to turn and look at me and I continued, "You know Fred is my boyfriend. You can't come between us and take him away from me," I asserted, my voice filled with determination. But before she could react, Fred stepped in. "Let me handle this, sweetheart," he said, using his hand to shield Loveth. This was how he used to protect me, but now he was doing it for another woman as he took a step closer to me. "Bella, it's over between us. Never raise your voice at her again," Fred stated coldly, his words piercing my heart. This was someone I had dedicated my time and energy to, staying late in his office to help him audit his father's company accounts. And this was the response I received in return. "Darling, let's go. We're running late," Loveth gently caressed Fred's neck and she moved her eyes flirtatiously. I couldn't believe what I was witnessing, and tears began to flow uncontrollably as they turned and crossed the doorpost and both of them were chuckling while Fred was holding her waist close to himself. It felt as if Fred was forcefully tearing my figurative heart away, leaving me in a state of emptiness. My mind went blank, and it seemed as though my blood had stopped flowing. Was this how people felt when they were heartbroken? I collapsed to my knees on the unforgiving hard floor, feeling no physical pain. I didn't even care if my beautiful white gown got dirty. I buried my face in the lavender couch and wept bitterly. Then my phone suddenly beeped, signaling a text message. I raised my face and opened it and saw that it was from Harriet. "Everyone has left the hall including your family. Where are you?" The text only made me weep more. Then I suddenly stood up from the floor and grief washed over me. The worst had happened to me, and all I had to do was to go home and report everything my step sister had done to me to my dad. I knew my dad would be furious with her. He was the only one who believed in me, and he never took sides with my stepmom and her daughter. He always remained truthful, even when Loveth and her mum constantly worked against me. I picked up my bag, and as I approached the exit door, then my phone rang once again. I wiped away my tears and cleared my throat, but to my surprise, it was Fred calling. Curiosity got the better of me, and I answered the call. "Please! Loveth and I were in a rush, and I didn't lock the door. Help me lock it and put the key in its usual place..." he pleaded, but before he could finish, I ended the call. I stood there for a few seconds, then turned to lock the door. After turning the key to the right, I pulled it out of the door. Then, I walked five steps away from the door and threw the key onto the roof. "That's its new place," I thought to myself, and I walked away to take a taxi. Anger fueled my actions, and I dialed my dad's number, wanting to pour out my grief even before I got home. He was the only person whose blood still flowed in my veins after the death of my mother when I was three years old. However, my dad didn't answer after calling his phone three times. What was happening? My dad had never ignored my calls as far back as I could remember.