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06 — My “best friend”

Laura and I first met during our late years of High School, when I arrived in New York to chase my only family member left — my father… Someone I came to know existed when my mother was already fighting her final battle with cancer.

She was my first friend in this great city…. Someone I could trust and who would jump into a burning building to save me if necessary… Or so I thought.

And perhaps that's why, more than watching Eric sleep with someone else… it hurt to know that it was with Laura. Almost eight billion people in the world, and he chose to cheat on me with my best friend.

Honestly, that's what has been taking away my sleep… who knows how long they're stabbing me in the back like that.

But now that she's standing in front of me, looking at me with a cold expression… I can't help but feel a shiver run down my spine. She's with her arms crossed, looking down like she feels sorry for me. And her voice is also harsh as she says, “We need to talk.”

Laura tucks a lock of her red hair behind her ears, which is wearing an extremely familiar earring… A blue topaz earring that I gave her because my boyfriend said it didn't suit me… that something more delicate and modest would enhance my beauty better.

I wrinkle my lips.

True is, there's nothing to talk about. There's nothing that she could say to make me forgive her — or Eric. Actually, from the expression on her face, she doesn't seem to be looking for apologies, or willing to say how sorry she is… And that just makes my blood boil even more.

“We're at work now.” I say firmly and watch as her lips move slightly in a snarky smile that I don't recognize. It's hard to believe that I never noticed this before.

Laura is a very beautiful woman, truly. She has red hair that matches her fair skin and big eyes… no wonder the earrings matched her so well…

And even though she wears lots of make-up, knee-length skirts, and low-cut blouses, always very well-dressed, there's nothing indecent in her appearance or gestures, but it's things that Eric was always pointed to be slutty.

Now that I think about it, Eric was always complimenting her, wasn't he? Comparing us, saying that the things didn't suit me looked good on Laura… Like those damn earrings — the earrings Eric himself suggested I give her.

“It's important.” Laura says, raising an eyebrow, sounding so mean I really can't recognize her… I didn't even know she could use a tone like that.

Taking a sharp breath, I relax my back in the chair, massaging the bridge of my nose. Argh, I already feel so tired, and it's not even the start of the day.

“Fine.”

I get up abruptly, walking past her, saying low tone, “You have ten minutes.”

Laura looks at me scornfully and passes me, walking down the short hallway until she opens the door of an empty meeting room. She doesn't wait for me to enter, just leaves it open for me to pass through.

And as I enter the room and close the door, I can already hear her voice telling me, “I want you to break up with Eric.”

I can't help a sarcastic laugh escaping my throat — which causes her expression to close.

“We should have told you a long time ago, but Eric was unsure…. Anyway, since you saw it with your own eyes, you must know what's going on.” She raises an eyebrow, with a cocky smile.

“Oh, yes… You were riding my boyfriend.” I say in the same sarcastic tone, crossing my arms…. Honestly, I can't believe this bitch!

“That wouldn't have happened if you hadn't held your virginity so tightly, Angelee.” She lets out a laugh, leaning against the table, making the curves of her body look seductive, “What you didn't want to give, he looked elsewhere.”

I open my lips, but no words escape through them… no sighs, no sounds… nothing. I'm simply too shocked to argue…

Wait, she's saying I didn't want to? It's sounds like it's my fault that I kept my virginity during this four-year relationship!

“You know the reason I didn't sleep with Eric.” I say offended, my throat narrowing to the point of making my voice squeaky, “His family is conservative…. They don't accept sex before marriage! His mother has always been so good to me, we didn't want to let her down-”

“Isn't that just an excuse?” Laura interrupts me with a teasing laugh, “Men have needs, Angelee…. You should have known he would look for someone else. Isn't that obvious?”

“So this is my fault?” I ask indignantly. “You betrayed me and, somehow, I'm the one at fault?”

“Whose else would it be, if not yours?” She finally disentangles herself from the table, walking slowly towards me, making her damn red heels tap the floor. “But you're right…. His mother is so good to you, and that's why Eric was unable to end this boring relationship.”

Boring…?

I have devoted myself totally to him — to his family — for all these years…. For this?

Honestly, I feel like a complete idiot.

“Break up with him…! Don't you see that you're in the middle of us, Angelee? Eric is very considerate of your feelings, so he was afraid to break up, but you should have a little more self-respect and get out, don't you think?”

It's my turn to let out a sarcastic laugh, looking at Laura with extreme disdain, “Really? Then make yourself comfortable… Maybe he didn't tell you, but my relationship with him ended the moment I saw you on top of him.”

Laura looks surprised, but I don't allow that reaction to stop me from adding, “Yes, that’s right… the path is free for both of you.”

I look at the clock on my wrist and raise my eyes to her again, “Your ten minutes are up.”

As I'm turning around, taking a step towards the door, I feel Laura's hand grip my arm firmly and force me to look at her.

She says in an even harsher voice, “You're going to lie like that…? Eric told me, you really are a shameless-”

“Shameless?” I raise my eyebrows, my eyes widening slightly, “You're the one sleeping with someone else's boyfriend, and I'm the shameless?”

Laura's eyes look sharp, ready to cut me into a thousand pieces.

“Yes, you're the shameless, self-respectless one!” She says in between, “Because even though you see that he's with me, you're still at his feet. He won't start a family with you.” Laura brings her hand to her belly, caressing it gently, “But with me.”

I open my lips, but am too stunned to understand what she's really trying to say-

“Yes, that's right. I'm pregnant with Eric's child.”

Her words took me by surprise and hit me like a punch in the gut.

“This boring relationship you have with Eric is nothing compared to the little one in my tummy.”

My lungs force me to expel the air I'd trapped in them, but somehow, I manage to breathe again, deeply, inflating them once more.

“Look, I don't know what Eric told you, but I'm definitely not at his feet. I made it very clear that things are over between us…” I lower my eyes, looking at the affectionate way in which Laura caresses her own belly…. And it infuriates me deeply.

My vision turns practically red, blurred from the angry tears that threaten to wet my eyes.

“Don't worry, I don't intend to interfere with you two.” I lift my chin, glaring back at her, adding snidely, “In fact, I hope you two disappear from my life.”

I pull my arm sharply, causing her to loosen her grip on my skin, and turn away, holding firmly onto the doorknob.

Taking another deep breath, I add, saying what hope to be the last words I'll ever address to these traitors… and ending for all the friendship that has lasted seven years — “I wish you both good luck.”

And just like that, I closed the door, felling my throat narrows… and an unexpected tear ran down my cheek. I try to wipe it away quickly, but it seems a useless effort because, in the next instant, I feel another tear — and another. But… Why?

I try to use my hands to stop them, but my eyes feel like waterfalls….

“Angel?” I hear the worried voice call to me, and I rest my wet eyes on him, at the same instant his comforting cologne hits my nostrils.

Julian has arrived.

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