[5] Betrayal in return

ASHLEY

I slapped her hand off and staggered back in horror, my throat knotting.

“What are you saying?" I whispered in a grave tone, still trying to get out of the hold of confusion.

Lilian's smile never left her face as she pulled closer.

“You still don't get it, do you?” She muttered.

My head swerved to Alex's direction, and the smile on his face caused anger to wash through me. He and Lilian shared the same kind of smile. That evil, cunning smile that could throw you off your feet.

It slowly made sense to me as I stood there in the middle of accusers and haters. Lilian was never on my side.

I chuckled at the realization and raised my dropped head to look at her with eyes full of tears.

“So, it's been you all this time?" I muttered and staggered to her, ready to drag her down with me.

The moment I parted my lips to speak, a slap hit my face.

My eyes rolled up as gasps filled the air.

“How dare you! I trusted you so much, Ash, yet I never knew you'd leave your husband to come after my boyfriend!" She spat, and my eyes widened in disbelief.

I jerked my head up and growled loudly in frustration.

“Stop lying, Lilian!" 

"I do have proof,” Alex spoke up, and I swerved my head in his direction, glaring hatefully at him.

He stepped forward, his phone raised.

“I saw you two hugging intimately just before the party began, so I took a picture to question you when the party ended, but it seems God…”

“God?" I scoffed loudly, shaking my head as tears blinded my vision.

“You have no right to mention him with that mouth of yours. Have some shame, Alex. Is this how you plan to get rid of me after everything I did to get you to the top?" I snapped at him, and his face paled.

He quickly darted his eyes to Lilian, then back at me.

“I guess you're hellbent on playing the victim card," he muttered and clicked on something in his phone, then raised it for everyone to see.

There, on his phone, was the photo of Simon hugging me when I stepped out of the house. 

“Simon and I are just friends, and I don't see anything wrong with hugging a friend, do you?" I tried to defend myself, but the disgust on people's faces broke my confidence. But I wasn't ready to give up until I had cleared my name. I turned to the guest, my hands clasped together.

“You all need to believe me, please–”

“Enough!" Alex growled and smashed his phone on the ground, then marched towards me and gripped my shoulders.

My heart was crushed as I stared at his burning eyes.

“When will you give it up, Ashley! I tried so hard to save your reputation and our marriage, but you're hell-bent on ruining me. Yes, you were one of the reasons why I made it to where I am now, but did you have to take advantage of that to cheat and make a mockery of me with your best friend's boyfriend? I loved you, I trusted you, yet this is how you pay me back?” He growled, his nails sinking into my flesh.

I stared at him, dumbstruck.

He repeated the words I had told him when I found out he was cheating. 

He had dragged me down to the point where there was no way I could ever convince these people.

Murmurs filled the hall, and sneers from the guests hit me from all sides.

Yet, I couldn't give up and let him win.

“You're lying," I whispered in a quivering voice.

He huffed and pushed me off, then wiped the fake tears that dropped from his eyes before looking around like he was searching for someone.

“Okay then, let's hear from your dear lover," he said, and my belly knotted.

Simon was dragged into the hall by the security guards, and my jaw dropped.

“He was trying to run away, sir," the head of the guards reported as they pushed him to the ground.

“I'm not surprised! It's over between us, Simon!" Lilian spat, and I scoffed.

The relationship had never been real anyway. I thought she was my friend, but she turned out to be my worst enemy.

“I'm sorry, Lilian, I really wanted to tell you…” Simon began, and my eyes widened.

“Tell her what?" I snapped.

"The truth!” Simon growled, and my jaw dropped.

“What are you saying?" I whispered, mortified.

Simon staggered up and faced the guest while faking a cry and guilt.

“It is true, Ashley and I are in a secret relationship," he blurted out, and the hall went into an uproar. I gasped loudly and gripped my tightening chest, filled with disbelief.

Simon betrayed me, too? He was also part of Alex and Lilian's plan to make me the cheater? It finally made sense to me why he pulled me into that hug. It was all a staged act.

“I never wanted to do this in the first place, but she promised me money and properties. We were supposed to keep it a secret…”

I couldn't take the lies anymore. I lurched forward and spun the bastard around, then slapped him hard on the face. His face scrunched up in pain, and he dropped to the ground, his hand on his reddened cheek.

“How much did your girlfriend and my husband pay you to destroy my life?" I growled.

"Shut up, Ashley, you have no shame!” One of the women spat at me.

“She is so disgusting." 

"I can't believe I was comparing myself to a shameless cheater.”

“Her poor best friend must be regretting.”

My head swirled and I staggered back, gripping my dress and gasping for breath.

I kept staggering back while their words pierced me like two-edged, venomous blades. 

I stopped walking when I got to where Lilian was and looked at her. She raised her brows and smirked sinisterly.

“You think you got away? You think you've won?" I whispered, and she chuckled.

She leaned close to my ear and whispered, "I've always won. Your career as an actress has become mine, and soon, your husband, wealth, and respect will become mine. You've lost Ashley, you've lost.”

I pushed her away from me, glaring hatefully at her while tears streamed down my face.

I looked at Alex and spat out without thinking twice, “I want a divorce!"