Two

Ivy's Pov

I stared at Chloe open mouthed, convinced I were dreaming, no, having a very horrible nightmare. It had to be. No way could my best friend and my boyfriend be betraying me like this.

“Ivy, didn’t Joe tell you not to come? Why don’t you ever listen?” Chole said sweetly as if we were discussing something as ordinary as the weather.

“Chloe what are you doing here? What’s going on?” I asked hoarsely.

I sounded stupid. What did I think would be going on when a man and woman were both naked and coming out a bedroom?

“I'm here to see my fiance of course.” She said as if I'd asked an obvious question. “I came to thank him personally for this sweet gift.” She displayed her fingers to show me the ring.

I gaped at it as the truth hit me like a blow. Joe was her mystery boyfriend! I shook my head as if it would somehow shake away the truth.

“No. No.” I whispered.

“We were going to break it to you gently, but you had to be your pushy self and come barging in here. So I guess you know the truth.” Chloe said casually.

She was so nonchalant about the whole thing I wondered if it was some prank they were playing. I stared at them, waiting for someone to laugh and tell me this was a joke. No one did.

“We have fixed the wedding for August. We'll send you an invite, hope you’ll come.” Chloe smirked.

I looked at Joe who was refusing to meet my eyes.

“Why Joe?” I whispered.

He looked at me as if I were a rat approaching his meal.

“We love each other. We promised to be faithful how could you do this?” I continued, my throat was so tight I couldn’t breath.

Joe laughed mockingly.

“We? I never loved you Ivy, how could I? You are whiny, pathetic, and boring in bed. You can’t compare to Chloe. She is everything I want in a woman. From the first day you introduced me to her I knew she was the woman for me. I was hoping your stupid ass would see you weren’t wanted and get lost. Your job was to bring Chloe and I together, and you’ve done it. And so what you were faithful? You had to be. Your boring ass couldn’t get a guy interested in you anyway.” He laughed, Chloe joined him.

The sound were like knives, slicing through my heart. I shut my eyes tight, willing this to all be a nightmare I could wake up from.

“You better go Ivy, my boyfriend and I want to continue enjoying the rest of our evening.” Chloe said.

I looked at her, wondering how long she’d been acting like my best friend while sleeping with my boyfriend.

“You heard her, get going. We were having fun before you barged in.” Joe said.

Despite the pain tearing through me, I remembered something important.

“Fine.” I croaked. “You can have each other since my love and loyalty meant nothing to both of you. Just transfer my money back to me Joe an we'll be done for good.”

Joe looked at me like I was insane.

“What are you talking about? What money?” He asked frowning.

“The fifty thousand dollars I gave you to invest for me. Let me have it back.”

He and Chloe exchanged glances and burst out laughing.

“You are asking me to return money you willing gave me to buy my love? Sorry dumbass I’ve spent it on the woman I really love.” Joe smirked. He kissed Chloe who pointed her ring finger at me.

“As you can see the evidence girlfriend.” She smirked.

My heart stopped for a minute. The money her fiance had been using to buy her designer gifts and this huge diamond ring was mine. Money I'd been hoping to use for my grandma’s treatment.

“No.” I said, finally finding my voice. “No Joe that money is for my grandma’s treatment, you know that. You know what will happen if she doesn’t get the transplant.”

“I don’t give a fuck about your old hag. The money is mine and I spent it. Now get out of my house.” He snapped.

“No please.” I grabbed his arm and began begging. “Please Joe. Dump me I accept, but please the money is to save a persons life. Please I’m begging –“

Thwack! A heavy slap landed on my face. It was so hard and so unexpected, for a minute I actually saw stars. Like, real stars. I would have flown across the room but Joe grabbed me. But it wasn’t to stop me falling. He held me roughly and dragged me to the door, opened it and pushed me outside like I was a bag of trash. I landed on my face in a puddle of water. I could heard Chloe laughing in amusement.

“Get out and stay out you crazy bitch!” He yelled. “if I see you here again I'll call the cops.” He slammed the door.

I lay on the floor, breathing heavily while ice cold rain beat down on me. I wasn’t angry, I was terrified . So terrified I couldn’t feel lthe pain of the slap. If I didn’t get back the money, my grandma will die. I jumped up and began pounding on the door.

“Joe! Please! Don’t do this to me! Give me back my money. I’m begging you!”

I didn’t think he could hear me over the rain and thunder but I was desperate. After nearly an hour I gave up and began numbly walking home. I half wished I would get hit by a car or fall into an open manhole. That would end my sorrows for good. In one night if lost my boyfriend, best friend and money, soon I'd lose the only family I had left. I was so distressed I didn’t realize somebody had been watching the drama, and was now following me home.