Gangland III

Chapter 2 - Opposite of Paradise.

-Antoine."

As Asha read the note with her mascara dripping down her eyes, she could hear someone coming in from the backdoor. Wanting to avoid seeing someone else so distraught, Asha jogged out of the front door, got into her car, and sped from in front of Antoine's home.

It was Mercedes. She was back from a business trip. As she stepped into the living room, she dropped everything and crouched down by his side.

"Antoine!" Mercedes wailed out loud, clutching onto him. "Oh my god!"

As Kathy waited at our hotel room, I sat inside of an empty and rural bar, drinking. I usually don't drink, but I needed one after everything that was going on with my family. It seemed like none of them could catch a break. When things went good, everything would go bad. And when everything went bad, all of a sudden things would start to get good. As I slowly drank and babysat my beer, the news bulletin came on on the TV at the bar.

4 Schaefer kids murdered.

I looked down and zoned out, not wanting to hear anymore of it. The fat white man at the bar watched the whole minute and 30 second coverage, threw his towel over his shoulder, then shook his head.

"Murdering children....." The man whispered, shaking his head. "What type of world do we live in?"

As if I wasn't hit with enough, I would return to my hotel room for another devastating blow. When I walked inside of my hotel room, I was expecting to see Kathy waiting on the bed for me, or taking a shower when I got there. But when I looked around for any signs of her suitcases, I found none.

Instead, I found a note on the bed with Rose petals around it. It was from Kathy.

"Dear Josh,

You are an amazing man and this has truly been one of the best relationships that I could ask for. However, at this rate that it's going, I don't think that it's going to work out. The situations with people close to you dying, disappearing, and being hurt scares me because I could be in their position. If people in Schaefer can murder children, I'm pretty sure that they won't have any problems taking me out considering the fact that we're close as well.

Also, I feel that I am falling for another man, so I won't do you wrong and cheat on you again. Instead, I've decided to come forward and tell you that I would rather be with someone else at this moment. Someone who is a bit safer and a little bit more comforting.

I apologize, Josh. I really do hope that you forgive me and that we can be friends in the future. -Kathy."

Wow. This made my insides turn and twist more than they have throughout all of these situations. Kathy left me. Even though we had our fights and were a little disconnected at times, Kathy was my everything. She was the one girl who made me feel complete. She was my best friend. And now, she just straight up told me that she is interested in dating other man. I'd just been friend zoned. I'd just been betrayed. I'd just been broken up with. Call me weak or whatever, I cried. I loved Kathy to death. Unfortunately, she just didn't feel the same way about me like I felt about her.

While everyone seemed to be grieving with their own problems, there were other people that were dealing with theirs.

Like Kays, Lily, Maddy, and Yana.

"Here." The man growled as he three men bought the kids inside of the home. "I've got all four of them."

All of the kids were asleep. As the men walking inside of the halfway home laid them all down onto the floor, the buyer glanced down and examined the kids faces.