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Chapter 4

Betrayal & Death.

"Leila's point of view"

Ohh my! I'll be killed this time!

I had to stop doing this.

If my parents caught me sneaking out my window at this time of the night again then I would be very much dead meat.

But I wanted to see Ben and he'd convinced me to come meet him at his apartment downtown. I didn't go out this late and maybe my mother was right when she argued that being with Ben was making me rebellious, and maybe he was.

I opened the window, slowly and looked outside, it wasn't a far jump I could make it steeled myself for definite pain and took a slight breath I jumped. I landed on my side and winced at the slight pain, I huffed I was never doing this again.

I grimaced rising from the ground, I looked over to my window and shuddered, I wasn't sure how I was going to get back in but I'd figure that out later. I ran out of the compound and flagged a taxi as I got to the road

" Bolton," I said sharply to the driver, who nodded

The drive was straight through town and took only thirty minutes, which I spent fidgeting. I hoped that maybe Ben would bring up the topic of marriage someday soon because while I had been adamant about it. Ben had only spoken about it twice.

" Thank you" I muttered as the driver came to a stop, I paid him and took my bag, tugged my jacket around me to hide the skimpy dress I had on.

I had been to Ben's apartment once so I knew my way around. I took the elevator hoping he was ready.

I was a little early but I hoped my outfit would make all the difference. The elevator stopped and I got off it taking a deep breath and striding to his door. I turned the knob and it opened slowly. I stepped into the room, it was dark, and there were flower petals on the floor, they looked like roses their color a bright red, and smelled like them too, but somehow that scent felt thick and cloying, it choked me so breathing seemed to be such a chore.

When Ben had flirted with me, I had been unaware that he had a girlfriend, he had chased me without abandon, getting me gifts and showing interest in my life in a way no one had bothered to do in a long time. But perhaps the most adherent way he'd won me over was by going against both our families to see me. By the time I was aware that he'd left his girlfriend to pursue me, I had fallen too deeply in love and nothing else had mattered, two years after that Sara the ex-girlfriend had gotten married to her best friend and the two always looked so deeply in love something that I envied.

I was starting to realize that Ben was as fickle with his affections as he was with his family's business, which had likely been proven to me again as I walked through his condo while the sounds of sex played in the halls.

I knew what I would find and I knew it wouldn't be pretty but I couldn't stop myself from going towards the origins of the sound even as my lung froze and my heart went into overdrive. At the door, I froze steeled myself, and my fingers squeezed the bag hung over my shoulders. I swallowed convulsively, then reached for the doorknob and pushed it open. I found exactly what I'd thought I would but it was so much worse because now I heard the words as well, Ben muttered to whatever naive foolish girl he had under the covers how he loved her and would always take care of her, promises he'd made to me, promises he'd likely made to Sara, and the most cutting thing of all was when his lover asked

" When will you leave her " he sighed

" Soon, I just need to convince her parents that we love each other enough to get their funds for my father. It's the only way that my father will bring me onboard" he muttered, I had to stop myself from laughing.

So that was all I amounted to, a means of gaining funds, in essence a money bag. The girl said nothing else and Ben kissed her whispering some more love-sick nonsense

" Can't you come up with something better?" I asked hoarsely, and the couple scrambled apart from each other. The girl's eyes were wide a soft pale blue filled with confusion, Ben's were a muted blue that had always been bright to her, they were filled with guilt and excuses

" How long have you been standing there" he asked

" Long enough to hear how she's your sweetheart" I answered

" Leila it's not what you think" he muttered climbed out of bed tripping over the blankets on the floor

" I'm sure it's not. I'm sure you sleeping with someone else in your home is not what I think it is" I muttered woodenly he hurried to stand in front of me and pleadingly reached for her hand, I let him have it at this point I couldn't muster the energy to fight any longer, his betrayal had taken the wind out of my sail.

" I'm sorry, this was a lapse in judgment and I swear this happened only once it will not happen again," he said

I watched him fascinated by how well I now knew him, his tails, and how I knew with all certainty that while it might have been the first, it would never be the last. I pulled my hand from his grip and I smiled softly

" I'm sure, but I don't think I want to find that out" I replied, turning away from him and the girl – the girl. I turned and stared in surprise and disgust

" Allison" I whispered and she paled hiding her face in his arm, I turned to him furious, and I jabbed at his shoulder

" My cousin, oh my god, can you just not help yourself, my cousin" I screamed hitting him over and over.

Allison pushed me away

" Stop hitting him" she cried, I huffed and turned to her

" Are you serious" It wasn't helping but I couldn't stop, I hit her.

" Do you want me to hit you instead, " I cried, slapped at her back

" Oh just shut the hell up" Ben roared as he pushed me away, I stumbled over my feet reaching out to empty air to find something to keep me from falling.

Ben just let me fall, I crashed into the glass table hard, and my head banged against the glass with a loud thud.

I was shivering but I wasn't sure why I was, there was warm liquid pooling beneath my head, and it smelled like copper,–blood.

" She is stupid" the girl – Allison muttered and my fingers clenched

" Allison please, " I croaked whimpering as pain flooded my whole body, temple, legs, arms

" Now don't mock her darling," Ben said as he strutted to stand over me, his eyes glittered with malice, and I slumped sideways.

" You said you loved me"I coughed and blood pooled in my mouth dropping onto the white tiles staining it

" Why, " I croaked, this wasn't right. Ben was supposed to be my happy ever after. He bent to face me

"Darling, I'm not sure you know what love is, maybe your next life" he muttered and my cousin laughed

" She's quite sheltered, my uncle was very thorough" Allison whispered

" Of course, it made it almost too easy. I'll have to send Mrs Castor a thank you card" he replied, my teeth gnashed together as I tried to speak to warn them to stay away from my mother

" I'm sorry Gwen, but he's mine" she sighed

" The only thing we want out of this is to ruin Richard Castor, his daughter died in a suicide attempt, people will question his parenting especially if we hint at her parentage, and his stocks will take a hit" Ben nodded thoughtfully

" Will that work? " Allison asked

I tried to speak, ask them why, and only managed to splutter with blood flowing out of my mouth

" Shh, take it easy. Die for me, sweet Gwen. In this life and maybe in the next" Ben whispered his hands running through my hair. I was still lying on the floor, I don't remember how or even when my body felt weightless.

I was dying.

I was dying in the high-rise flat of my lover with my cousin standing above me, grinning. This wasn't right, why had he done this, he'd promised me forever.

I was such a fool, my father had warned me but I wouldn't listen. Why hadn't I listened? Oh god, my parents. I needed a second chance, I couldn't go this way, wouldn't go this way, not when the people I trusted watched me dying and laughed about it.

Please give me a chance. I cried out

Give me another chance to not be this stupid gullible idiot.

My eyes grew heavy, closed turning the world dark for what would be forever.

The date was the fourteenth of March, two thousand and twenty-three.

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