Betrayal Unveiled: Escaping the Shadows of Deception

"Why is he calling Aaron?"

"What is with this title Brother?"

"What is going on?"

I pondered loudly as I saw one of my childhood enemies' numbers on his phone which I got to know because of the picture he added in his contact. I still remember when I was a child, no girl wanted to be friends with me, and when I played with boys and when they got defeated, they used to start blaming me, and in the end, I ended up beating the hell out of them. But why is this person here?

"Aaron, wake up!!! Someone is calling on your number!!" I tried to shake him to wake him up and receive the call, but he didn't. He was deeply asleep.

I didn't know what to do. That's when the phone rang once again, prompting me to answer the call.

"Aaron, where are you? Do you even know from when I have been trying to call you?" the voice on the other end asked.

"Aaron, little brother!!! Can you hear me? Mom is nagging me to ask about you!!!!" the person said again, making me hang up on him. Now the pieces of the puzzle were coming together. Aaron was Michael's brother, my childhood enemy. Michael's little brother who used to glare at me as if he would kill me.

"Don't tell me!!!"

"Don't tell me you did this to take revenge on me?"

"Don't tell me you did this to take revenge for those times when I beat your brother?"

"D-don't tell me..." My voice started stuttering as I realized I had slept with my enemy, who had come to take revenge on me, to play with my feelings and then make a joke in front of everyone.

I shivered as the truth sank in. I thudded on the floor, my heart pounding. Quickly, I put on my clothes and ran out of the room. The face that used to give me hope, the face I used to admire without a second thought, had come to seek revenge. I still found it hard to believe.

I raced down the stairs, and a voice stopped me.

"Liah, where are you going so early in the morning?" Daniel, my friend's boyfriend, asked as I was about to leave.

"I have to go," I said, my thoughts in turmoil.

"But where? What if Sarah wakes up and looks for you? We need to know," Daniel said.

"I will be back soon. You don't need to worry," I replied and hurried to my car. My hands were trembling, but I placed them on the steering wheel, determined to drive.

"Liah, you can do it!!! You can do it!!!" I whispered to myself as I drove towards my parents' home. My mind was racing with a thousand thoughts about how my mother would react and what my father would say. He had always supported me until now, but would he regret giving me so much freedom if he knew what had happened? I couldn't be sure, but the questions swirled in my mind as I drove.

Soon, I arrived at my parents' place. The lights were blinking, blinding me. I parked the car and slowly entered the house.

"Happy birthday, Liah," my parents shouted as I walked in.

I had forgotten it was my birthday. This was the second surprise today, the first being the revelation that my enemy had played with my feelings.

"How did you know I was coming today? I didn't inform you," I asked, trying to hide my emotions.

"Of course we know. You always come home on your birthday. How could you forget?" my dad said. But this time, I had indeed forgotten it was my birthday until their surprise.

"Come inside, Mom has made a birthday cake for you," my dad said, leading me in.

My mood was odd, and my parents noticed. "What's wrong? You seem a bit off," my dad asked.

"Nothing, I'm just too tired today," I replied, my head spinning.

I sat on the couch, and my mom brought the cake. "Make a wish and cut the cake," she said.

I closed my eyes but didn't make a wish. I cut the cake, and my parents left me alone to ponder. "What should I do? I don't want to be here. I don't want that monster to laugh at me. I don't want him to make fun of me for getting tricked. I don't want this," I shouted, but thankfully, no one heard.

After much thought, I decided to leave. I didn't want to be here. I didn't want him to play with my feelings and then make a joke out of it. I began to pack my basics, including my passport.

"Book a flight ticket for me," I told my assistant as he answered the phone.

"But, Ma'am, it's already late, and you have a meeting tomorrow," he informed.

"Cancel everything. Don't book any meetings until I say so. Clear my entire schedule," I ordered.

"Okay, ma'am, but where are you going?" he asked.

"Check your emails," I said and hung up the phone, switching my SIM cards.

"I don't want to see your face. Not now, not ever," I muttered, looking at my phone.

In a hurry, I packed my bag with great care to avoid any noise that might alert my parents. They were used to my occasional disappearances, so a few days away wouldn't concern them much. However, I couldn't afford to leave any evidence behind; my dad had a keen eye, and I didn't want him to grow suspicious. As I finished packing, I tiptoed out of my room, taking every step quietly to prevent any creaking sounds. Just as I was about to slip out of the house, my phone started ringing.

"Why is he calling me now? Hasn't he had enough of toying with my feelings?" I grumbled, noticing Aaron's repeated calls on my other sim, which he was aware of.

"I'll need to ask Matthew to provide me with some new sim cards," I thought aloud as I switched off my phone and stashed it in my bag.