Betrayed

DANICA can't force herself to sleep. Rita, who was next to her, was already asleep while she was still bothered by worries. She has sacrificed a lot and will not let all her hard work go away. She suddenly remembered the agreement between her and Steven's grandmother.

"You have a year to give what I want. Before that time is over, you have to give me a grandchild from Steven. Once you're pregnant, it's easy to arrange your marriage."

"Fuck that old woman!" she cursed in her mind. Her closeness to Rita was not enough for everything she wanted to happen. The old woman is cunning and Steven inherited it.

"Ah!" Danica wanted to scream loudly, but it got stuck in her throat because she didn't want to make any noise that might wake Rita. She pulled her own hair out of frustration.

Just a month ago, she found out that her ovary had a problem so she could not get pregnant. Aside from the fact that she still has to get Steven drunk before he can touch her, her chance of getting pregnant is low. If only the old woman hadn't been pressuring her, this thing wouldn't have been her problem up until now. She decided to make Nicole her bait against Rita's family.

"This is all your fault, you deserve to suffer!" she spoke to herself and glared at nowhere. As if Nicole was there, looking at her mockingly, Danica's grudge grew even more.

Since she was a child, she envied Nicole even though she considered her a friend. She looks perfect, even her family is, and she is just like a leech clinging to her. She didn't want her life to be like that forever. She is even disgusted with her parents because they do not dream to be rich. Fortunately, she was the favorite of Nicole's mother because she is more intelligent than Nicole. That was her advantage over her. She does everything to get the attention of the person she wants.

Danica grinned as she remembered the past. She was a kind and exemplary daughter in the eyes of every person who knew her. But she did not want to be pitied. She hated those feelings! Nicole never did anything bad to her, but she despised her in the depth of her heart because she has the things she lacks. And now, she hates her even more because she has to use her again to fulfill her biggest ambition.

Nicole woke up with a severe headache. It's like it's being torn apart. The pain in her body increased as she moved. "Argh! What happened?" she asked herself, feeling so confused, as her eyes remained closed.

She has no memory of why she is feeling head and body aches now. She slowly opened her eyes to look around. She frowned because the room was unfamiliar to her. She slowly got up but was also immediately stunned when she noticed the figure of a man next to her.

Nicole covered her own mouth with her palm to prevent herself from letting out a loud sigh when she recognized the man next to her. She was too shocked to see herself naked, too. She quickly tried to remember what had happened last night, why she was now in bed with her friend’s boyfriend.

"Oh, my God! What have I done?" she whispered to herself, as tears began to fall from her eyes. Even though she had not accepted everything yet, the door suddenly opened and it revealed Danica.

"What does this mean?!" Danica's eyes widened and she looked at Nicole with so much contempt.

Nicole didn't know what to say to her. She trembled with fear and embarrassment. She was confused and still couldn’t believe why she was there in Steven’s room. She was unable to move her body. She tightened her grip on the blanket that hung over her chest because she was not wearing anything.

"You bitch! Traitor!" Danica tries to kick Nicole, but Steven wakes up.

"What's wrong with you?" Steven asked Danica angrily because he was woken up by her noise.

"I'm the one who should ask you that!" Danica cried and scolded the young man.

Steven watched her cry in a daze. When he heard another woman sobbing, that's when he figured it out. He aggressively looked at the woman beside him who looks miserable.

"Why you're still here?" his voice was cold and emotionless and it only added to the weight Nicole was feeling. 

Though her body is aching, Nicole forced herself to move and put on her clothes that were scattered on the floor. But before she could compose herself, Danica rushed at her. She slapped her on both cheeks followed by pulling her hair. She was almost deafened by the force of the slap on both her cheeks. She growled because of pain but did not fight back because she knew she made a sin. She felt her hatred for her, Steven just watched them.

"What the hell is happening here?!" Rita asked in shock when she reached the scene in the room. She woke up to find that Danica was no longer around, so she thought of going to her brother's room.

Steven quickly got dressed and stopped Danica, otherwise, her friend might end up dead. "Enough, Danica. Let's talk about it properly." He spoke calmly to her.

Danica angrily shook her boyfriend's hand and her sobs grew louder.

"You're a bitch! I knew you had the intention of snatching my brother from Danica!" Rita angrily went after Nicole when she recovered from the shock.

Steven didn't know if he should feel sorry for Nicole when he saw that the two had hurt her altogether. He could do nothing but pull her and hide her behind his back to stop his sister from hurting her.

"Don't say you side with that gold digger?" Rita angrily pointed at Nicole who kept her head bowed and looked like a wet chick hiding behind her brother.

"Enough!" 

Rita became silent as her brother yelled. He looks angry and she knew he was still holding his bad temper in.

"Believe me, I also don't know how I got here. All I remember is you brought me here, Danica." She almost pleads for her friend's help and looks at her like she was begging. But she only became even angrier.

"Are you saying that I brought you to this room? Do you think I'm so stupid, Nicole, to take you to my boyfriend's room?" Danica's eyes were full of anger and attempts to reach Nicole's hair again, but Steven blocked her way.

"I said, enough!" Steven yelled before turning to the woman in the back. "And you!"

Nicole trembled and suddenly stepped back from him when he faced her.

"You succeeded in your plan today. But remember this, something happened to us only because of the drug you gave me!"

Rita and Danica covered their own mouths with the discovery. They are disgusted and angry at Nicole.

"You're the worst woman that I've ever met and don't dream that I'm responsible for what happened to us. You don't deserve to be the mother of my child, so leave my sight before I can drag you out!"

Every word Steven uttered was like thunder and lightning that hit Nicole's heart. Out of embarrassment and fear of him, she quickly complied. But before she could get past Danica, she saw a strange smile form on her lips. 

As she walked out of the hotel, her mind was chaotic. She was quite grateful because she was able to carry her small bag. She kept her head bowed and was unable to meet the questioning looks of the people passing by in the hallway.

Why would they not look at her? Her hair was messy and she knew the make-up was also spread on her face because she cried. Even her dress was not worn properly.

Nicole went to the comfort room first and composed herself. She didn’t want to look miserable and be seen by her mother like that.

When the woman was gone, Steven sat down on the bed. He frowned, now he felt the effect of what happened last night. He just let Danica cry quietly while Rita comforted her. He had nothing to explain, he was Steven Scout, and he didn’t care about the feelings of any woman other than his grandmother and sister.

Rita felt sorry for her friend, she felt sympathetic, knowing her brother's behavior. Knowing her brother's attitude, she knew he had no intention of consoling Danica or apologizing for what he had done. Besides, her brother seems to be just another victim of that woman.

"I want to be alone for now."

The pain in Danica's eyes was evident when she locked eyes with Steven. She asked for an explanation from him, but he just keeps on showing coldness.

"Danica, let's go home first. Don't worry, you will surely make up with my brother."

Danica nodded understandingly at her. Rita knew her brother well, so she knew it would be better not to force the young man to speak. He might push her away from his life if she insists on what she wants now.

"Rita, I'll die if Steven disappears from my life!" Danica cried again when they were in Rita's car.

"Don't think about that because I won't let that happen! You're the only one I want to become a member of my family and I'll do everything to keep that ambitious woman from succeeding!"

Danica's heart secretly rejoiced at what she heard. She just kept crying on her shoulder until she got to her own condo unit.

"I want to be alone now." She stopped Rita when she tried to accompany her inside.

"Promise me you won't do anything bad to yourself!" Rita's face was serious, she was still really worried about her. If she was in her situation, she might have killed that woman.

She smiled at Rita to assure her. "I love myself," she joked, but a bitter smile flashed on her lips. "And besides, I don't want to see you sad when I'm gone."

Rita tearfully hugged Danica again. She recalled what happened when they were little and they were both trapped somewhere far from the houses.

"Please take care of yourself. If you need anything, just call me." Rita instructed her friend before letting her get out of the car alone.

Rita watched her friend's back until she entered the condominium building.