BETRAYAL

Chapter 9:The truth we left behind

The next morning, I walked into the school feeling completely exhausted

I barely slept the night before

my mind kept be playing everything that had happened since I met Bella

The rumors

The bracelets

my secrets

Her betrayal

I wanted answers but I didn't know how to find them or where to find them

as I walk towards my classroom someone suddenly called my name

"Sasha wait"she said

I turned around and I saw that it was one of Bella's friend

she looked nervous and kept looking around as if she was afraid that someone might see us

"can we talk somewhere"

I nodded

we walked to the quiet corner near the library

then she brought out her phone

"I have wanted to tell you this for a while"she said

"what's that"I asked

then she took a deep breath

"Bella has been the one behind everything"she

"what?"exclaimed

The rumors, the bracelets, everything

I stared at her

"how do you know that?"I asked inquisitively

she unlocked her phone and showed me a conversation between her and Bella

my hands started trembling as I read their chat

that Bella had been talking about me, she had even admitted that she wanted people to stop liking me

she talked about spreading rumors and making me look like a liar

then I saw the messages that completely broke me

Bella had admitted putting the bracelet inside my bag

I stayed at the screen for several seconds trying to replay everything in my head

"so it was really her.."

her friend nodded

"I'm sorry, I should have told you earlier"

I handed the phone back to her

"no thank you for telling me now"I said

for the first time I actually had proof

I immediately took this evidence to our teacher

the teacher read through the messages carefully

"this is serious"she said

she then instructed another students to summon Bella immediately into the office

when bella arrived

she looked confused

"why am I here"she asked

the teacher placed the phone on the desk

"Bella do you know anything about these messages?"

the teacher asked camly

Bella looked at the screen

her face changed

she became silent

"Sasha..."

I looked at her

"don't"

she lower the eyes

the teacher asked her to explain everything

at first she wanted to deny as I expected

but the messages were all there, there was no way for her to hide

eventually she admitted all she did

the school handled the situation and the truth about the rumors and bracelets was finally revealed

some students apologize to me while some other simply avoided me because they felt embarrassed about believing the rumors

But non mattered to me anymore

I just wanted to go home

when I got home

my mother immediately noticed that something was wrong

she walked towards me and asked what happened

I couldn't answer

then she open her arms and I immediately hug her

I held on to have very tightly and finally let myself cry

my mother rubbed my back

"you don't have to explain anything right now my darling"

I cried for a while, before finally telling her everything

she listened quietly till I finished talking

then she wiped up my tears

"don't blame yourself for trusting someone"she said to me

"but I should have known"

I said with a trembling voice

"no"she said firmly

"having a good heart isn't something you should be ashamed of"

my father also came over and reminded me that one person's action didn't define me

that night, I said alone in my room

I look through the old pictures that I had with Bella

we laughed together

we shared everything together including our secrets

we promise that we would always be here for each other

I wondered how something that once felt so real could be this painful

I felt really really bad

Bella came to me the next day with tears in her eyes

"I'm sorry Sasha"

I nodded quietly

"it's okay"I forgive you

but things will never be the same

I won't make that mistake again

our friendship ends here

I didn't need revenge

the truth already has spoken for itself

I looked at Bella one last time and I remembered the girl I thought she was

I smiled sadly and walked away

I learned that betrayal doesn't come from enemies

sometimes it comes from the person holding your hands while secretly letting you for

and sometimes, the strongest thing you can do for yourself is to choose peace over a friendship that destroyed your trust