BACKSTABBED
1347 Words
|Helena|
The sound of papers rustling filled the air as I flipped through another set of documents. It had been days of relentless work after Michael decided to go all out. I barely had enough sleep and even less peace of mind because I was afraid of Steve coming for me in a way I didn’t expect, even though I tried to mask it.
The media was a mess. They were all having a field day from the chaos. Michael had given them something to feed on and they were tearing at it like a lion dismembering his prey. What I didn’t expect was for the chaos to hit much closer to home than I ever imagined.
The folder Jude had handed me earlier in the day lay open on my desk. It was supposed to be a standard report of financial trends, transactions, and other mundane details that might help us track Steve’s activities, but something else caught my attention.
A familiar name, Brian Lowell.
My stomach churned as I stared at the name printed neatly on the invoice. At first, I thought it was a mistake, a coincidence. But as I dug deeper, more documents emerged, all pointing to the same unsettling truth.
I struggled to come to terms with the fact that Brian wasn’t just a bystander in my life. He was entangled in the web of deceit I was trying to untangle and it was deeper than I could ever imagine.
“Impossible, this just doesn’t make any sense,” I whispered to myself, flipping through the pages faster.
Each sheet told a story I didn’t want to read. Transactions linked to shell companies I’d traced to Steve. Confidential files from my projects and ideas I’d shared with Brian in confidence because he was my lover were now listed under Steve’s name as pending patents.
The walls seemed to close in on me with every line I read. My pulse pounded in my ears, drowning out everything else.
“No. This can’t be right,” I muttered, shaking my head as if the motion alone could erase the truth staring back at me.
But it was all there, black and white, undeniable. Brian had been feeding Steve my ideas. My work, my life, and everything going on about me. The betrayal hit me like a freight train, leaving me gasping for air. My world almost collapsed as I read through the deep things I never imagined would be out there under someone else’s name.
****
By the time Brian arrived at my place that evening, I had already gone through every scrap of evidence three times over. I sat at the dining table, the documents spread out in front of me like the remains of a shattered trust.
When he walked in, his face lit up with that charming smile that used to melt my worries away. Tonight, it only fueled my anger.
“Helena,” he greeted warmly, leaning down to kiss my cheek. I turned my head, letting his lips brush the air instead.
His smile faltered. “Is everything okay?”
I gestured toward the table. “You tell me. Brian, just tell me if everything is okay with this!” my voice got louder and scarier with each word.
His eyes followed my hand to the papers, confusion knitting his brows. He reached for one of the documents, but I slapped it down before he could take it.
“Don’t,” I snapped, my voice sharper than I intended.
“Helena, what’s going on?” he asked, a hint of unease creeping into his tone.
I stood, crossing my arms as I glared at him. “I trusted you, Brian. I told you things I’ve never told anyone. I shared ideas I poured my heart into. And this is what you do?” I pointed at the papers, my voice rising with each word.
His confusion turned to defensiveness. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. Can you please be more specific and clear?”
“Don’t lie to me! Just please, don’t f*****g open that mouth and lie!” I slammed my hand on the table, making him flinch. “I have all the proof right here. Transactions linking you to Steve and all the documents you handed him that were stolen from me. Do you have any idea what you’ve done?”
Brian’s face paled, and for a moment, I thought he might deny it again. But then he sighed, running a hand through his hair. There was no more escape route for him.
“It’s not what you think,” he began, his voice low and measured.
“Then explain it to me. Let it make sense, please,” I said, my tone growing colder. “Explain how my ideas ended up in Steve’s hands. How you’re tied to his schemes. How you looked me in the eye every day, knowing you were stabbing me in the back. I need to know why.”
He hesitated, his gaze dropping to the floor. “I didn’t mean for it to go this far,” he admitted. “Steve approached me months ago, before I even knew you. He wanted someone to feed him information about rising competitors, people in the industry who could threaten his position. At first, it was just harmless Intel about market trends and networking connections. I never thought…”
“You never thought he’d use it to ruin lives?” I interrupted, my voice trembling with rage.
“I didn’t know he was targeting you!” He shot back, his voice rising. “I swear, Helena, I didn’t know who you were at first. By the time I realized, I was in too deep. Steve had leverage on me and had things I couldn’t let come out.”
“So you chose to protect yourself and throw me to the wolves,” I said bitterly, tears stinging my eyes.
“It wasn’t like that,” he insisted, stepping closer. “I wanted to stop, but Steve threatened me. He said he’d ruin both of us if I didn’t keep feeding him information.”
I backed away, shaking my head. “You had so many chances to tell me the truth, Brian. I could have helped you. Instead, you let me fall into his trap. You let him steal from me, manipulate me, and for what? To save your own skin?”
“I’m sorry,” he said, his voice breaking as he approached me. “I never wanted to hurt you. I cared about you, Helena. I still do.”
“Don’t,” I warned, my voice cold as steel. “Don’t you dare say you care about me. If you had cared, you wouldn’t have done that. You wouldn’t have lied to me every single day while telling me you loved me.”
The room fell silent, the weight of his betrayal hanging between us like a suffocating cloud.
“Get out,” I said finally, my voice barely above a whisper.
“Helena, please—”
“GET OUT!” I screamed, pointing to the door.
He hesitated for a moment, as if hoping I might change my mind. But when I didn’t waver, he nodded silently and left, the door closing behind him with a hollow thud.
As soon as he was gone, I collapsed into a chair, burying my face in my hands. The tears I had held back came pouring out, hot and relentless.
I had trusted Brian; let him into my life, my heart. And he had betrayed me in the worst possible way.
But even as I cried, a steely resolve began to form in the pit of my stomach. Brian and Steve had thought they could use me, manipulate me, and leave me broken, but they were wrong.
Wiping my tears away, I stood and began gathering the documents. If they wanted a fight, I would give them one. And this time, I wouldn’t just defend myself; I would take them down for good.
- Writer
