CATASTROPHE CAREN (Completed) ✔

43: Thoughts Forever Free

"Did you upload the video anywhere else?" Caren asked.

"I swear, I didn't!"

"You better tell me the truth because I will go on a search to find out if the video's online!"

"I swear it's not. You can check." Halle assured her.

"Where did you store it? Is it on your phone?"

"It's in my laptop." She replied.

"Transfer it to my phone and delete it from your laptop! I want to see you do it."

"Sure!" She brought her laptop and sat beside Caren. She sent the video to her phone and then permanently deleted the file from her laptop.

"You're sure you don't have it anywhere else? Not even in your phone?"

"I don't!"

"Okay! I'll still check online because I don't trust you. May God help you if I see that this video has been posted somewhere else."

"You won't Caren! I apologize for all that I have done. Please forgive me... I can't believe I let the devil use me." She cried.

"You can't believe you let the devil use you? You used the devil to carry out your evil scheme!"

"I never meant to hurt you." She sobbed.

"You never meant to hurt me? Let's recall the facts... You sent a video that you took of me, to my man, in hopes of ending our 2 year relationship because you thought he wasn't right for me? Instead of you to have expressed your concerns about him to me, despite not having any proof, you went behind my back and sabotaged my relationship. And then, when I decided I was going to try and find out who was behind all of this, you had nothing else but discouragements to offer, just so I wouldn't find out who the real snake was."

"I was looking out for you." She cried.

"Oh sure you were. You were looking out for me when you ran to the office and told everyone how Miles dumped me because of the video. I never remembered you ever sharing my success the way you went around spreading my embarrassing moments. It's almost like you're always working behind the scenes to help my downfall."

"How can you even say such a thing, Caren?"

"Don't you think it's true? Come to think of it, you were the reason I got into all those problems while spending the holidays with you."

"You know that's not true! I never had anything to do with everything that happened and you know it."

"Even when you weren't hurting me physically, everything in you, was doing that on your behalf. Take for instance, that whole incident with Sunshine. You were the one who encouraged me to take that magnet from your father. I never wanted to! What about the baby shower? You were also the same person who encouraged me to order those drinks that looked identical to each other. If I had just gone for the Blue Lagoon that I wanted, maybe, just maybe, Preston and I would not have slept in jail."

"You can't pin all that on me, Caren! It's not fair."

"Oh don't worry about that, the ones that I can pin on you actually exist you know!" She got off the couch. "I'm sure I don't need to remind you about the way you embarrassed me in the presence of Calvin's family all because you lied to him that I was with a sugar daddy."

"Even if I didn't say anything, do you think he wouldn't have been upset seeing you with his dad?"

"You not only tried to ruin my reputation before him but you also drove the poor guy into drunkenness just by telling him those manufactured lies of yours! The Calvin I know could have walked away if he was upset. But no! He was on a date with you so you had to make him miserable just the same way I am every single day that I'm with you!" She yelled.

Halle remained silent as she tried to avoid Caren's gaze.

"Everything is now so clear, Halle. You've never had good intentions towards me nor anyone around you. You are filled with so much negativity and toxicity that you can't help but distribute it wherever you go. All this time, I have been tapping from it just by being around you, and there I was, thinking there was something wrong with me, not knowing that the reason for my misfortune has always been right there by my side."

"Caren, you're hurting me with you're words."

"Oh please! Stones can't get hurt. I know that the reason you're this quiet is because you're scared of a lawsuit, not because you feel hurt. You could have fooled the Caren of yesterday but not the one today. I'll take my leave now!" She snatched her bag off the table and stormed out of the apartment.

While outside waiting for a taxi, She smiled to herself knowing that she got everything off her chest. For some reason, she felt like a student who just found out they had passed a difficult exam. Even though Halle meant ill for her, everything turned out positive. She met Dylan, reconnected with Olivia and was pretty sure there was a blessing in disguise somewhere in place of her old job, waiting to pop up. All she needed was time.

She was about to get into the taxi when she realized she forgot her phone in Halle's apartment. She ran back and knocked on the door.

"Caren, you came back." Halle smiled.

"I forgot my phone! I'll just get it and be on my way, thanks." She walked to the couch she sat on and picked up her phone.

"Caren, I really hope we can mend our friendship again. Yes I made a mistake, but I'm willing to change from my old ways. I would really hate for all of this to get out and for people to find out what I did to you."

"You have far more greater things to worry about Halle!"

"What do you mean?" She asked inquisitively.

"Halle, as soon as I walk out that door, I'll forget everything that involves you. I'll make new friends, get a new job, get a new boyfriend and see what life will offer me from thereon. But you, you have to live with yourself knowing you are and will continue to be the way you are. You'll probably move on and do the same things as me, but they won't last long. It will only be a matter of time before you ruin the peace and happiness you have going on, with your jealousy and negativity. I don't feel sorry for you, the only people I feel sorry for, are the ones who would come into your life right after I leave. But it won't be long before you drive them all away so I guess it's not so bad after all. Take care, Halle. I wish you well."

*****************