CHAPTER 3

NICOLE

Later that night, I’m sitting with Claire and Mason in my room going over the documents we have to submit to Rico foods tomorrow to finalize our deal

We had beaten Chris’s Strong Haven to secure the Eight hundred million pound deal with Rico foods.

The look on his face when we were declared winners gave me nothing but pleasure, he’s been coming out on top against us recently so it felt real good to win this time around

“Shit! Guys I have to quickly run out, I promised the CEO of Rico foods that we’ll be having dinner tonight” I say as I grab my car keys

“Babe, do you really have to go?” Mason says giving me puppy eyes and rubbing my hands

“Yes baby, just for courtesy’s sake” I smile and kiss him

“Tell the old man to keep his hands to himself though” he says and we both laugh

Claire starts to pack the documents in her bag motioning to leave with me

“What are you doing?” I ask visibly irritated

“You’re leaving, we’ll finish this tomorrow then, just drop me off at home” she says grabbing her bag

“You’re staying here and reviewing those papers with Mason young lady, you both find a way to get along for the greater good for once, you’re going to be his PA soon enough anyway” I reply

Claire frowns and Mason laughs, I kiss him again and tap Claire on her shoulders whispering to her “he doesn’t bite, you bloody sexist”

She forces a smile at me and I exit the room leaving them to it.

Halfway on my journey, I realize that I had left my phone behind and I turn back to go get it

Nothing could prepare me for the horror sight I was going to meet at home.

I roll my car by the side of our fence not wanting to drive inside again since I was only going to be in and out, our security opens the small gate and I walk in

As soon as I enter the house and get to the hallway leading to my room, I start to hear the sound of a woman moaning

Were Claire and Mason watching porn? What a hell of a first date they are having I thought to myself and laughed

Then it hit me, Oh my God, were they having sex? as I get closer to the room, the sound became clear, it was Claire’s voice

My stomach clenched and my chest started pounding like the queen’s guard were having a march parade inside it, sweat instantly covers me and I could feel my hands shaking

They had even left the door open, as I entered I couldn’t make sense of what my eyes were beholding, they hated each other.

So why was Claire on top of Mason straddling him without a care in the world moaning with so much pleasure while he was inches deep inside her

They do not see me as I enter, Claire’s back was turned to me and her body covered me from Mason’s vision

I stood there for what felt like forever before screaming “Mason!!!”

They both hear me and Claire quickly jumps off him grabbing the sheets to cover herself, Mason quickly puts on his boxers

My knees buckle as I watch them scampering and I almost fall but for the door behind me that I used for support as tears pour down my eyes, my entire body trembling from the sight of their betrayal

I just gave this man everything I owned and there was nothing Claire would ask from me that I wouldn’t do for her, there has to be a misunderstanding somewhere

“Why?” I ask no one in particular, tears streaming down my face

“Babe it’s not what you think, I can explain” Mason says trying to come close to me but I hold out my hands signaling for him to stay back

“Ohh please Nicole, don’t be such a drama queen, you wanted us to get along right?” Claire blurts out in the most unremorseful tone

Hearing the sound of her voice with no remorse flips something inside me, I storm towards her and Mason gets between us, grabbing me by the throat and pinning me to the wall

I drive my knee into his crotch, he drops down grabbing it in pain and I tear towards Claire and give her a dirty slap that sends her to the floor.

As I got on top of her, I felt something hard hit the back of my head with force and I collapsed and started to bleed. Mason had hit me with the flower vase on top of the coffee table.

“It didn’t have to be like this Nicole” He hits me again and the vase breaks on my head

“Quick let’s get her into the bathroom so we can say she slipped and had an accident, the only way we get out of this is if she bleeds to death” I hear Mason say

I struggle to find strength as they lift my almost lifeless body into the bathroom and I ask them “why?, please tell me what I did wrong to both of you, I loved you”

“You are selfish, that’s why, Mason and I have dedicated our lives to your success you bitch, why do we have to be the ones to sacrifice our goals for yours?” Claire says

“I’m sorry Nicole, Claire and I love each other and we’ve been dating for two years now, thank you for the gift of your shares and property, I’ll put them to good use, I didn’t intend for you to find out like this but life has its ways” Mason added, his face void of any sympathy for me

They left me there to bleed out to my death and I could hear them moaning and screaming from the bathroom continuing in their act of betrayal. I tried to move but I couldn't, my vision started to blur, my breath started to slow down and before long it was darkness.

That was the day that I died at the hands of the two people that meant everything to me in this world but what happened next was even more shocking than their betrayal.