THE PAIN OF BEING BETRAYED

Her colorful world fell apart at that moment. Nothing would be the same. Sometimes, trusting someone completely weighs more than the same betrayal. It's not the betrayal that hurts because, in the end, all of us experiment that, what really hurts is the betrayal of that person whom we gave everything. That's the difference. It's not the lie or the mistake, but the lie or the mistake of that person who swore not to hurt us.

The room where Alice was didn't know anything else but sadness and darkness. She had been there for a couple of hours without letting anyone come in, fact that was worrying the two women there; Rosa and Maria.

A beautiful morning like that one hadn't filled with darkness before. Alice had always being a delighting girl, willing to go against whatever hardship that comes to her. She, being a fearless girl had gone through so much at her very short age. Just a 17 year-old girl.

She had dreams like any other teenager but today, everything was vanishing between her hands. She couldn't do anything else but to regret the moment when she was so stubborn to go and look for the person whom she'd given everything.

To say the truth, Alice didn't have people to count on besides her family. In that big house, her older sister, who was already a professional earning money to take care of her little sister doing what she liked the most. Meantime, Alice struggled day by day to reach the dreams she had since their parents died.

In that house, an old friend of her mom lived there as well, an old friend who ended up being like a mother for both girls, and finally, Rosa who was brought by fate for Alice to learn the meaning of friendship.

“Alice, aren't you going to eat? You can trust me. Talk to me; tell me what's going on. It's getting late and you haven't come out of your room. Your sister will be here in any second. What should I say to her?” Maria said behind the door while hoping Alice would open her door.

“Leave me alone! I don't want to see anyone; I don't want to know anything else!” Alice yelled at her with all her inner strength.

It was enough to make Maria feel restless and worried. All she could do was to wait for Alexa, Alice's sister.

In the kitchen, Rosa was as worried as Maria. Her quietness was not normal. Everyone who knew her could affirm that.

“I don't know what's going on with Alice.” Maria confessed, coming into the kitchen where Rosa was cutting some vegetables.

“I heard Alice yelling at you. I'm worry too. She hasn't left her room. She hasn't eaten; I don't know what to think…” said Rosa moving around the knife.

“Don't worry, her sister will arrive soon. I'm sure she's going to talk to Alice.”

“Can I confess you something?” Rosa asked insecurely.

“Talk, girl, talk and don't make me waste my time with your silly thoughts.”

“I don't like the fact that Alexa has to be the one who gets into Alice's thoughts. I think she's tough with her sister. She shouldn't be like that. Alice is a sweet girl. We get along. She confesses me everything, she should be treated with delicacy.”

“What do you want after all they've gone through after their parents' death? I don't like how Alexa treats Alice either but, what can we do?”

“I get it but Alice is very sweet and I don't think she has to be treated like that. I believe that's the reason why Alice leans on that boy that comes here frequently.”

Maria paid more attention to her words. Those words seemed to be the key of the sadness of Alice. She sensed it.

“Why didn't I come up with that before?” Maria cried leaving Rosa in confusion.

In the mere instant she was running upstairs, the principal door opened. Alexa had arrived and Maria had done nothing to prevent her from a confrontation with her little sister, who was in her room, surely crying like the past few hours.

“Good evening, family.” Alexa greeted excitedly.

Once again, at the same time, the same slim figure wearing a black suit appeared. Alexa had arrived. She couldn't help but smiling at thinking there, in the living room, would be her sister receiving her with wide open arms and those bright eyes of hers. A gesture she adored.

No one greeted her back. A little confused, Alexa went to the kitchen just to find Rosa staring at her like she had waited quietly.

“Where's Alice?” Alexa asked, fearing something she couldn't understand.

“In her room,” answered Rosa, as nicely as she could.

Without thinking anymore, Alexa went upstairs trying to find out what was going on. Rosa ran after her thinking she could prevent Alice from something.

In front of the door, Alexa found Maria, who, realizing her presence stopped knocking on the door. The three women know very well Alexa's temperament and no one there seemed to want to deal with it.

“What the heck is going on here?” Alexa walked to her sister's room.

“Alice” Maria named, “she hasn't opened the door.”

The least she would´ve wanted was to put Alice in that position, but there was no option.

“Did this girl go crazy?”

Maria backed off to let free the way to Alexa.

“Alice, open the door if you don't want to get in trouble.”

“Give her time, maybe she doesn't feel good,” Maria persuaded feeling guilty.

“No, Maria! Is she a five-year-old girl to behave like this? I demand you to open the door, Alice!” Alexa continued. “Forget it, Alice. Don't open if you don't want to!”

Alice in her room thought she was free of her sister. She heard nothing for a moment. She felt free to cry as much as she wanted.

Suddenly, when she trusted the most, her sister's heels were heard approaching the door. The sound of keys opening the door assaulted her ears. Alice sat up on her bed hugging her favorite pillow, waiting to see her sister.

“What the heck is going on here, Alice?” Alexa yelled, coming into the room.

“Leave me alone!”

Being that moment the first time her sister talked back to Alexa, she felt like she had lost all control over her sister. That girl couldn't be Alice. She'd always been so kind and sweet. Definitely, Alice was not fine.

Behind Alexa, Rosa and Maria remained silent.

“Don't dare to yell at me!” Alexa pointed out.

Alice took the pillow and threw it to her sister with so much hate that nothing mattered to her at that instant. In disbelief, Alexa looked at her sister. She couldn't believe she'd done that. Definitely, Alice was no longer her little sister.

“Get out of here; I don't want to see you!” Alice insisted. Her tears fell down uncontrollably.

Finally, Maria cut in. She had surely asked Alexa to calm down if it hadn't been for the following words that came out from Alice's mouth.

“I don't want to live; I want to die here, right now! I can't... I can't put up with this anymore…” her voice fell into sobbing.

Maria y Alexa looked at each other like one of them could answer the other´s questions. Alexa came back to earth and walked up to her sister who was crying on her pillow. Her long brown hair was a mess.

“Damn it, tell me what's going on?!”

Now, Alexa seemed to be worrier for her sister than the control she had lost on her. Watching the madness her sister had gotten in, Alexa took Alice by her wrists trying to talk some sense into her.

“I hate you, let go of me, Alexa. I want to die!” Alice cried.

“Shut up and come to your senses!” Alexa got her sister up and, with one hand taking his hand and with the other one, ready to slap her.

It was clear that she didn't want to slap her, but it seemed to be the only way to make her come into her senses.

Everyone there remained silent again. Alexa had never seen her sister like that after their parents' death, when they were assaulted and murdered by those thieves.

“Please, Alice, talk to me, “Alexa's tears were about falling down at seeing her sister like that.

Some seconds later, Alice spoke. “Leave me alone, please.” She begged.

Alexa had no intention of leaving her alone. Seeing how weak she was, she took it as an advantage.

“Leave me alone with her!” Alexa raised her voice to Maria and Rosa.

Rosa and Maria went out. No matter how worried they were, it wasn't their moment to talk.

“You can trust me, talk to me. I'm here and I'll always be here with you as I promised to our parents.”

Alice looked at her sister. She was not lying. It was revealed in her eyes.

With clumsy words, she started talking. “I... I don't understand why people have to be like this. I gave him everything. I just... don't understand,” she looked down. “You don't know how much I hate myself; I'm not enough for anyone.”

“What are you talking about, Alice?” The older one asked smoothly. She didn't mean to hurt her sister before.

Alexa remembered how much her sister suffered for being who she was.

She just... didn't know what Alice was going through until Rosa and Maria talked to her. Regrettably, that nice personality of Alice ended up being the perfect target for those people who can't bear someone who is different.

“Gabriel cheated on me…” Alice stabbed her own heart with the truth once again.

Alexa understood everything. Just hate invaded her. Knowing her little sister had to go through that for a man like him was killing her. She couldn't get how she had stood there and hadn't gone out looking for Gabriel and punch him until he felt what Alice was feeling.

“He doesn't love me anymore.” A tear fell down and Alexa..., There was nothing she could do. No more than feel her pain be hers.

 An innocent angel had died that day; an innocent person had been destroyed like all those innocents that came to the world thinking of it as a paradise.

In the end of the day, there was no place for the innocent ones. Their destiny was the same, to hide themselves behind a monstrous mask, that one that everyone loves to see because that’s how humanity works; pain before pleasure, pleasure before love, lies before life.  

Humanity, they don´t deserve the purest feelings that angels are willing to give without mattering how much they hurt themselves to save those souls that had encounter pain before reaching the paradise.

The pain of being betrayed, no one said that pain would cost life after having poured blood tears.  

The pain of being betrayed, no one said all angels were destined to face that one.

The pain of being betrayed, no one forgets.