CHAPTER ONE

BETRAYAL

I slammed the door angrily, not bothering to hang the keys on its usual spot.

I could say, today was the worst day of my life!

First, I have another fight with Raymond, which is kind of becoming normal in our relationship.

Then, my boss springs a surprise assignment on me!

Now, I forgot the stupid shopping list.

I snatched the list from the fridge and was about to head back to the office when I heard something that made me stop on my track.

Uhmm?

I tilt my head to the side, listening. It's a kind of thumping noise, coming from upstairs.

Curiosity came over me as I headed up the stairs. I knew my boss wouldn't be happy if I didn't return on time, and that might make me work on weekend but I don't really care about that now. This will only take a minute or money but I will be back to the office before I know it.

The sound of the trumping gets louder as I walk cautiously up the stairs. I wonder if Raymond was trying to fix a broken board or something.

It comes from the bedroom and station myself in that position.

The door is ajar, and I pushed it gently, peering inside.

What I saw made me freeze in shock. I felt stupid as tears flowed down my face freely.

Raymond and my neighbor's daughter, Rose. She's nineteen.

They're together...on our bed. Neither of them noticed me.

For a couple of seconds, all I could feel was a numb shock. That is quickly followed by crippling sadness.

How could Raymond do this to me?

He knows things have been bad between us, but I thought he loved me.

I would have been lying if I said I hadn't thought of breaking the engagement, but I never would have guessed he would do something like this to me. If anyone held a knife to my throat, I would have sworn up and down that he would never betray me.

These thoughts are swiftly followed by a wave of anger.

He wants Rose. Fine, he can have her! I wipe off the tears from my face. Thinking of what I should do next.

Without thinking much, I stride into the room, letting the door bang loudly against the wall. There is an uproarious sound from the direction of the bed, but I ignore it. I pulled open the cupboard and started emptying it.

“Kenzy...” Raymond was behind me, naked!

Running footsteps tell me that Rose had left, but I didn't look around. I didn't answer Raymond either, I grabbed my suitcase from the back of the cupboard.

He tentatively put his hand on my shoulder.

“Don't you fucking dare touch me!!”

Raymond jerks back as if fire just burns his hands.He grabs his shorts and in a swift, he is wearing it.

“Kenzy....it isn't what you think .”

“Oh yeah? Because it seems to me like I just found you cheating on me with our neighbor's nineteen- year - old daughter!!”

I never meant it I swear…”

“For me to find out? I figured that much for myself, Raymond!! You knew I would be gone for hours - or at least, you thought I would.

"How long has this been going on?"

“It's just sex. It doesn't mean anything .”

I want to scream at him, but I focus my energies on packing my luggage.

“Please, Kenzy, I love you. Don't go.”

"If you loved me, you wouldn't have cheated on me, you bastard!”

I went into the bathroom and started throwing my stuff into my bag haphazardly. It doesn't take more than a few minutes to pack the essentials. I will get the rest of my stuff some other time. Right now, I can't stand to be with Raymond for another moment.

When I got to the door, he's standing in my way. “Move.”

“No, please, we have to talk about this.”He said.

“You think talking is fucking going to help?”You should talk to me before you started fucking around! Then it might have helped. Now, it is way too late. Move, or I'm calling the police. You can't force me to stay here. You have five seconds.”

“Please Kenzy....” He pleaded again.

“Five, four, three....”

Raymond moves. I didn't look back as I stormed out. I threw my suitcase into the car and started driving.

I'm two blocks away when I realized I didn't know where I was going.

I pulled over, trying to think. It was only now that I realized my face was wet. I try to stop the tears.

That jerk wasn't worth my tears.

I grab my phone and scroll through the most recent numbers. Hannah will let me stay with her. We've been best friends since high school. Nothing changed when we went to college, or when we finished studying and got a job.

She's a lawyer, something I'm immensely proud of.

I did well with my journalism degree, getting a job at one of the top news agencies in the city, but what I've accomplished is nothing compared to Hannah. She's well on her way to being the manager of her law firm, having worked there only a couple of years.

“Hey, Bestie! How are you?

“I....can I come and stay with you for a few days ?” My voice was thick and clouded with tears. My nose is blocked too, I must have sounded terrible.

“What's wrong?”

“Raymond cheated on me!” I blurted out almost immediately.

“Oh honey, I'm sorry. Of course, you can stay with me, for as long as you want.”

“Thanks, I'm on my way over.” I briefly considered asking Hannah to get the rest of the things but decided against it. The chances are about fifty-fifty that she’ll castrate Raymond if she sees him. A lawyer or no lawyer, that was the mean trouble for her.

~••••••••••••••••••••••~

Ten minutes later, Hannah was waiting for me in the driveway. As soon as I got down, she pulled me into a hug.

I'm eternally grateful that she doesn't say “I told you before but you wouldn't listen.”

She's been urging me to leave Raymond for months, but like a fool, I preserved, hoping we could fix things between us.

“Come on, I've already ordered pizza and ice cream.”

“You know me well,” I tell her with a watery smile.

Hannah leads me inside and I help me unpack into her spare room bedroom. “You want to soak in the Jacuzzi while we wait for pizza?”

That does sound inviting. “Sure. You have wine.

“Of course .”

I don't usually drink much, but today, I'm making an exception. It's only as I'm sinking into the tub next to Amanda when I remember.

“I'm supposed to go to work !”