Chapter one

Kellys POV

The hallway stretched longer than it should have. My heels clicked against the hardwood, each step sharp in the quiet of Thomas's apartment. 

In three days, I would walk down an aisle toward him, repeat vows I've memorized on index cards tucked in my bedside drawer. 

The rehearsal dinner had ended an hour ago. I came back to grab the earrings I'd forgotten on his dresser.

Then I heard something unexpected. 

My hand froze on the sitting room door handle. The moan came again, softer this time, trailing off into a whimper that curled through the gap in the bedroom door left half-open.

 My ears had to be wrong. The building's old pipes groaned sometimes. Maybe that was all I heard.

I pushed the strange feeling aside and turned to leave.

But the sound came again, and curiosity got the better of me. I pushed the door wider. 

Then I saw someone familiar. If my ears were wrong, my eyes couldn't be wrong. From the back, I could tell it was Natalia, my best friend. 

"Ouch baby!"

"Fuck me!"

Thomas laughed.  "Damn! You are so good!"

"C'mon, you are getting married in three days.. ouch baby!" Natalia muttered amidst pleasure.

The wet sound of their bodies meeting cut through the room, slick and unmistakable. "Fuck! I never loved Kelly," he breathed. His voice, the same voice that had told me he couldn't wait to make me his wife. "She is not sexy like you"

I couldn't move. My fingers stayed wrapped around the door frame, knuckles white. The earrings I came for were on the dresser six feet from where my best friend rode my fiancé

"I wondered how she is going to feel when she knows we have been together for three years", Natalia muttered. 

Thomas stopped.  "You know I didn't love her from the beginning; you got me into this. I've always loved you!"

Natalia pressed her lips on his cheeks.  "C'mon baby, I was doing that for both of us. You know she is our cash cow,  and we need her to get what we want"

Natalia shoved her right breast in his mouth. "Don't stop, baby.."

The wet pop of his mouth releasing her nipple echoed. He moved to the other breast, tongue circling before he sucked it in, his jaw working as he pulled.

My chest tightened. Tears pricked at my eyes; I blinked repeatedly. I met Thomas two years ago at a dinner party. Natalia had dragged me along to the party. 

I clicked with Thomas, and we began our relationship.  I gave him everything,  changed the way I dress, and watched pornography just to know how to satisfy him.

I gave him my ATM card. I helped him with business proposals that secured him well-paid jobs. Despite that, he still demanded money from me to invest in his business, and I never hesitated for once to give it to him.

The wedding preparations were sponsored by me alone; I didn't want to stress him with anything.  All I needed was his love.

I thought I met the right person for me, but I was wrong. I'm nothing but a cash cow.

It's their plan from the onset.  The person I called my best friend was never a friend but an enemy. 

I felt the urge to challenge them. Ask them why they betrayed my trust. I wanted to ask them if they ever felt sorry for me. Watching them have so much fun with a big smile showed they never considered how I felt.

I wiped my tears with the back of my hand. If they decided to treat me this way, I should use it.

I brought out my phone and set up my camera.  zoomed in and captured them from a good angle.  Fortunately, Natalia repeated how they made me a cash cow, and that's enough to make my evidence solid.

Once I'm done, I walked out of the apartment without getting any attention.  

The cold air caught in my throat the moment I stepped out as I tried to steady my breathing.  I blinked repeatedly,  trying to fight back the tears, but it later got its way.

I don't mind people staring; I cried out loud while walking down the road. Has life ever been fair? I wondered what God was doing up there,  if he truly saw what the only people I trusted did to me.

After walking throughout the evening,  I finally settled in a club linked with a five-star hotel. The goal is to get drunk and spend the night in one of the hotel rooms.

Probably with a man, I guess.

Since my marriage is nothing to protect or stay loyal to, I should go wild and crazy.

I ordered a drink.  

"Fuck you, Thomas"

One bottle down, then I ordered another bottle. 

"Fuck you, Natalia!!"

Another bottle down,  then I ordered more bottles.  

"Fuck everyone!! Fuck marriage! Fuck love! Fuck loyalty! Fuck relationship!!!" I screamed,  my throat hurt as I gulped down the bottle.

My head spun. I need to get drunk in order to go crazy.  "Give me more bottles!" 

"Take it easy, ma'am! You are drunk" The bartender tried to advise me, but that added to my anger. 

"It's my bills!!! Give me more bottles and shut the fuck up!!"I screamed,  trying to suppress the background music.

I never knew I could hold so much alcohol until I found myself reaching for more bottles.  I heard loud cheers from the dance floor as different ladies moved their bodies.

"Nonsense! I can dance better!" I stood up while staggering; I needed to show them that I was a good dancer. 

I swayed my hips to the music, letting my body move however it wanted. My hair bounced around my shoulders as I danced, and the cheers from the men around the dance floor grew louder.

“Look at her!”

“She can dance!”

I laughed, raising my hands as I turned around. For the first time that night, I did not care who was watching me. Thomas had broken my heart, Natalia had betrayed me, and I wanted to forget both of them.

After a few more minutes, my stomach suddenly churned.

“I need to pee,” I muttered.

I stumbled away from the dance floor, holding onto the edge of a table for support. The hallway to the restroom seemed to move beneath my feet, and I blinked several times, trying to clear my blurry vision.

Before I could reach the restroom, three men stepped into my path.

“Hey, beautiful.”

One of them grabbed my arm.

“Let me go!” I protested, trying to pull away.

Another man reached for me, laughing when I pushed him back.

“Leave me alone!”

My head spun harder. I tried to scream, but one of them caught my wrist.

Then someone appeared.

Before I could understand what was happening, the man holding me was thrown aside. Another went down moments later, followed by the third.

“Stay away from her.”

The unfamiliar voice was cold enough to silence the men.

My vision remained blurry as the stranger approached me. He quickly removed his shirt and draped it around my shoulders.

“Are you okay?”

I stared at him, unable to see his face clearly.

He reached out and helped me to my feet.

The moment I was standing, I threw my arms around him.

“I hate them all,” I sobbed against his chest. “I hate them all.”