This chapter is dedicated to SaumiyaRajendran for always supporting the story and making me smile with your comments <3
My feet drag me to the premises of ReadySet the next day morning.
With dry lips and heavy eyelids, I trudge to the nearest elevator I can find to reach the top floor.
Regardless if he's in a meeting, I've reached my boiling point.
Throughout last night, I couldn't sleep as I kept pondering on detective Landford's words.
As evidence, he only provided Ludovic's flight tickets to Seattle and their dates.
Despite the insufficient proof, I still intend to face Ludovic.
This is all just a nightmare I desperately wish to wake up from.
Once I reach my destination, I make a beeline towards his office.
Thankfully, there are no receptionists to give me a headache, unlike the last time.
Immune to all stares, I increase the speed of my steps leading me to his office.
Through the transparent office door, I watch Ludovic shake hands with some businessmen.
All I see is red as I burst open his office door enough to draw their attention in an instant.
Bewilderment overtakes Ludovic's face upon recognizing me.
"Anaya?" he remarks in puzzlement.
My cold gaze doesn't dissipate regardless of the other gentlemen in the room.
"We need to talk," my voice is glacial causing Ludovic's facial expression to turn somber.
It's not until the men exit the office seconds later that I realize Ludovic instantly ushered them out of the room so we can have some privacy.
He destroys all distance between us to halt in front of me.
His ocean eyes examine me in alert almost like they're trying to uncover something far beyond reach.
"You never come here unless it's urgent," Ludovic begins in a low tone, "what's going on?"
He clasps my arms and for a second, I almost forget my reason for being here.
My body instantly responds to his touch; his rubs enough to be a distraction.
Upon recalling my previous conversation with Detective Landford, I wrench my arms from his clutch.
"I'm tired of being kept in the dark," I begin abrasively, "I'm tired of the lies and the damn inconsistencies so I need you to tell me the truth. . ."
He knits his brows as he folds his arms.
"Where were you on the night of April 11th, 2022?" I interrogate in a monotonous voice.
Ludovic's eyes briefly squint, "What's this about? Anaya, what's going on—"
"Just answer the damn question!" I hurl as I clench my fists.
His eyes darken.
"How in the world is that relevant?" Ludovic raises his voice tone, "I was out of the country—"
"Why are you lying to me?" my voice cracks as the brokenness within only magnifies, "I can't believe this. . .were you so desperate for revenge that it led you to take my sister's life?"
A gobsmacked expression overtakes his face.
It takes him time to register the words before he breaks out of his daze as he raises his hands in a surrendering gesture.
"Woa, woa, woah," he repeats in astonishment, "Your sister died? Anaya, how the heck did this happen?"
All I do is shake my head as the unshed tears betray me.
"It all makes sense now," a sardonic chuckle escapes me as the tears don't cease to stream, "all those disgusting words you wrote me on that letter are starting to add up—"
"For Pete's sake," Ludovic outbursts in anger as he ruffles his locks, "this is the damn third time you're accusing me of writing a damn letter I don't even know about."
From the moment I came back, all you've done is accuse me of doing things I don't even know about and it pisses me off! You've lost your freaking marbles."
Upon seizing the letter from my purse in a fast motion, I extend it in front of his face.
"There," I say sarcastically, "does this jog your freaking memory?"
He diverges his belligerent gaze from me to the letter.
Upon snatching the letter from my fingers, Ludovic assesses the paper attentively.
He skims the letter before meeting my vehement glare, "How could you ever think I would write something like this? This isn't even my freaking handwriting and do you think I'd be so cruel to disregard your sister's death?"
Paralyzed, I struggle to process his words.
The conviction in his tone is close to eradicating my giant walls.
"What?" the vulnerability in my voice unveils its disguise as my forehead creases.
Ludovic storms to his desk before retrieving a clipboard from his desk.
"We dated for a year and I still remember your handwriting but you managed to forget mine?" he snarls as he reverts to his initial position.
He extends the clipboard to me; displaying his handwriting on paper.
Upon close inspection, I notice a big difference in the handwriting from the letter compared to the handwriting from the clipboard.
He really didn't write it?
Have I made a wrong judgment of Ludovic's character this entire time?
My mind is clustered into a bundle of a mess as I struggle to find the words to say.
Once my poignant eyes meet his belligerent gaze, Ludovic shakes the letter from his hold, "Who gave you this letter?"
His voice is rough as it's now his turn to wear a scornful look.
"Tatianna," my disclosure causes a sardonic laugh to escape him.
"But I don't get it," I mutter in puzzlement while running my fingers through my curls, "she confirmed delivering my letter to you at the masquerade ball you hosted in Istanbul last year. Then she confirmed you wrote the response letter."
The glare on Ludovic's face intensifies as silence reigns.
"I don't understand—"
"You've been lied to," Ludovic interjects in a cold tone as he refuses to meet my gaze, "I did see her in Istanbul last year but she never mentioned anything about a letter. . ."
Ludovic fails to continue his sentence as he fidgets.
Perplexed, my eyes desperately seek to meet his.
"Is there something you're not telling me?" I persist in fragility as I wipe my moistened cheeks.
His distant gaze finds mine as he refuses to speak.
His face evokes a poignant expression.
"Ludovic. . ."
"Anaya. . ."
"Please," I plead as my voice cracks, "don't lie to me."
He doesn't speak for what seems like an eternity.
Hence, my shock when he discloses,
"I was wrecked after our breakup and did a lot of things I wish I could take back . . ."
"Ludovic, what happened that night?" my voice is bolder as I brace myself for the unknown.
He heaves a deep sigh.
"We slept together. . ."
Three words.
It's amazing how words have the power to shatter one into a million pieces.
It feels like someone has just shoved a dagger right through my chest as it's getting harder and harder to breathe.
My vision blurs as I do my best to hold it together.
Ludovic stares at me in alarm as desperation clouds his entire face.
"Oh," is all I manage to muster as I shift my gaze to the floor to avoid shedding a single tear in his presence.
The room becomes suffocating and the only option is to escape to avoid having a breakdown in front of him.
"Anaya. . .please say something," he implores in a hoarse tone.
On zombie mode, I pivot and march towards the door.
"Anaya!"
Tuning out his persistent calls, I continue on my trajectory.
Feeling an incoming rush within, I sprint straight to the nearest ladies' washroom I can find.
At that moment, I don't care how many employees have witnessed me at my lowest.
I don't care about saving face.
For the ache in my chest is impossible to suppress.
"Anaya, wait!"
Despite locking myself in the vacant room, I can still hear Ludovic's desperate roar in the background.
I shove the door of a bathroom stall before going on a throw-up marathon.
The sobs increase in intensity as I fall on my knees in front of the toilet in a moment of breakdown.
How could Tatianna do this to me?
I trusted her and she betrayed me by sleeping with the man I was in love with in college.
The pang in my heart doesn't stop as the endless tears end up forming a river stream.
The constant banging of the door magnifies as he keeps calling my name in desperate pleas but I'm immune to it all.
From the moment Tatianna wanted to befriend me in college, I should've trusted my gut and steered clear from that leech.
My shoulders heave as I struggle to breathe with the number of sobs that escape my throat every nanosecond.
I don't know how long I stay in the washroom.
Time ceases to exist as I remain on the floor, drowning in my tears.
Once I get back on my feet, I trudge to the sink to rinse my mouth and face.
The loud bangs persist causing my heart to churn.
The fact that Ludovic's still standing by the door when I've been locked in here for so long shows he's determined to break through my walls.
Unfortunately, I won't make it any easier for him.
After drying my hands, I grab the courage to unlock the door of the washroom.
Ludovic's face still displays the same look of panic he wore earlier.
Stalon's figure heaves into view as his back is pressed against the wall.
His face displays concern upon assessing my current state.
"Anaya, you can't shut me out," Ludovic implores as he yanks my hand.
His restless gaze is desperate to find mine, "I won't leave this damn spot until you and I talk."
My lifeless gaze doesn't dissipate as I gently unclasp his fingers from mine.
"I need to be alone," I mutter before avoiding his piercing ocean eyes.
Once I pivot, I never look back.
"I won't give up," his determined voice lingers in the background, "you always want to be left alone but I won't let you pull away from me this time. I promise I'll find you and we will talk whether you like it or not."
༄ ༄ ༄
Once I arrive in the underground parking lot, I trudge to the direction of my vehicle.
I waste no time dialing the number of Tatianna's sister as a last recourse.
Since Tatianna claimed her sister witnessed her give Ludovic the letter that night, there's only one way to find out the credibility of her statement.
"Hello?"
Once I hear a familiar voice on the other line, I ask.
"Sorry to bother you at this time," I begin in a monotonous voice, "but I needed your confirmation about something. . . did you witness Tatianna give a letter to Ludovic at the masquerade ball last year?"
There's a momentary pause.
"What?" she exclaims, "Anaya, I didn't even attend the masquerade ball that night because I was ill."
I clasp my mouth as the tears continue to stream.
By the time, I plonk down onto the driver's seat, she discloses,
"The only letter I can remember from last year is the one she burnt at our home in Istanbul."
My fingers tremble.
Once I manage to temporarily gain back control of my voice, I utter in a hoarse tone, "Thanks, you've been of great help."
And with that, I disconnect the call.
Staring into space, I remain paralyzed.
All of a sudden, a yowl escapes my throat as I start to pound the steering wheel in repetition.
How can the girl I've considered a close friend go behind my back to sleep with my ex-boyfriend?
Despite the small voice in my head telling me to stay strong, I'm unable to pull through for the first time in years.
For I've been strong for too long and I've reached my limit.
A loud thump summons me into presence.
My gaze shifts in an instant to the left only to detect Ludovic's figure as despair clouds his face.
With only the side window to separate us, his voice comes out as muffled from where I'm sitting.
But I'm still able to decipher his words.
"I'm not leaving until you get down from this damn car," he declares as he keeps pummeling the window of my car.
Before I know it, I bring the vehicle to life before maneuvering it towards the exit at great speed.
Regardless of my blurry vision, I observe him standing in the middle of the parking lot through the rear-view mirror as he watches my vehicle retreat from afar.
The moisture on my cheeks amplifies as my hands clutch the steering wheel.
My blood boils.
Unfazed I'm going above the speed limit, I dial the one number I don't ever count on dialing again.
"Anaya? I'm surprised you're call—"
"Meet me at the lake union," my voice is dangerously monotonous; my patience wearing thin.
"Oh—kay but you don't sound like yourself," Tatianna's voice is enough to amplify the rage spreading in my veins, "did something happen—"
"I'll be there in less than ten minutes," I interject vehemently before disconnecting the call.
The fire in my chest can only consume me if I don't hurry to evacuate it.
By the time I station my vehicle at the parking lot of the city lake, I slam the door shut after stepping out.
Luckily, a few people are in sight as I survey the area.
Once I spot Tatianna's figure from a distance, I rush to her direction.
"How could you stab me in the back," I vociferate with every step I take, "I trusted you and you went behind my back and lied to my freaking face on multiple occasions."
Like the dragon's breath, the fire in my chest is seconds away from spewing.
Tatianna's gaze instantly shifts from her phone to me.
She knits her brows as she pockets her phone.
"We've already been through this Anaya," Tatianna declares as she slowly claps her hands, "You're just going to have to accept that I have strong feelings for Ludovic. At least I'm being honest with y—"
"When exactly were you honest Tatianna?" I lash out once I come to an abrupt halt in front of her, "Was it when you told me you delivered the letter I wrote to Ludovic last year.
"Or was it when you forgot to mention that you slept with him and burned the letter I entrusted you with?"
By this time, I don't care about our audience because all I can think about is venting all my frustrations onto her.
Her eyes widen as she feigns confusion, "I—I don't know what you're talking about, I—"
"Quit freaking lying," I shout at the top of my lungs, "for once in your damn life, stop taking me for a damn fool and own up to all the things you've done."
A tear escapes her as she shakes her head.
"You manipulated me into thinking Ludovic said all those horrible things on the letter," I snarl in disdain, "whereas, it was you all along who forged his handwriting. And as if that wasn't enough, you slept with him knowing how I felt about him. You knew how much he meant to me and you—"
"At least I did it in the name of love," Tatianna vociferates as she nods, "I was willing to sacrifice everything to be with him. But you. . ."
My vision blurs before the tears cascade no matter how hard I try to suppress them.
She goes on to vouch, "You ignored him for five years straight, and just when you experienced a familial tragedy, you then decided to reach out to him after putting him through hell?"
Her justification causes the blood in my veins to boil, "I wasn't going to let you ruin him again because you never gave a damn about Ludovic unless his presence served your best interest. So I did it to protect him—"
"Who the heck are you to dictate the way I feel about Ludovic?!" I exclaim as the belligerent expression on my face remains, "Do you live in my mind to make that determination? Do you know what it took for me to leave him?"
Tatianna fails to speak as she hugs herself.
"I confided in you during the darkest times of my life," I recall in a cracked voice, "I told you some of my darkest secrets and yet, you went behind my back to plot against me?
Silence reigns.
"And how could you say all the things you said about my sister in that letter?" my tone is venomous, "You knew how much I grieved over her death, and you still dared to spit in her grave? What kind of a person are you?"
She continues to shake her head.
I clench my fists once a determined look crosses my face, "But I guess it's my fault for trusting you in the first place. As soon as you wanted to befriend me in college, I should've taken my distance from you instantly."
This is enough to summon a vicious glare from Tatianna's face.
"How do you think I feel?" she snaps, "everyone was just doing fine in Quivelon college until some random Indian bitch gets enrolled in school and gets the attention of the man I was in love with."
Before I can think straight, I swing my hand backward before whipping it right across her face.
With her head entirely tilted to the right and curls curtaining her face, she slowly raises her hand to her cheek.
Her breath rate accelerates as she shifts her alarming gaze to mine.
In a fast motion, she charges headlong at me before shoving me repeatedly.
I retaliate by grabbing a fist full of her hair causing her to squeeze her eyes in pain.
What started as a verbal altercation, transitions into a vicious physical fight as Tatianna digs her nails in my arms as she attempts to hurl me onto the ground but to no avail.
She clutches my curls as she manages to tug at my hair.
Amidst the excruciating pain, I hold my ground as all I can think about is putting this bitch in her place.
Like bulls, we're both trying to undermine the opponent's defense to gain the upper hand.
"You stupid bitch," I spit as I attempt to kick her by the knee but she manages to dodge some of my kicks with hers.
Before I know it, we both lose balance before we collapse onto the ground.
Once my back enters into a vicious collision with the ground, I shriek.
Regardless of the pain, I hold my own in the fight as we roll over the ground, both of us exchanging punches, slaps, and hair-pulls as none of us are willing to back down.
"Pathetic bitch," Tatianna snarls as I tug at her hair as best as I can.
Before I know it, a force causes my body to separate from hers in an instant.
It's not until my waist is entrapped in familiar pair of strong arms that I'm able to decipher the source.
"Okay ladies knock it off," I recognize Stalon's voice before he rears into view to help Tatianna rise from the ground.
Despite Ludovic's stronghold on me, I attempt to break free from his grasp but to no avail.
With battered lips, locks pointing in every direction and some bruises covering her arms, Tatianna's glare is conniving as she latches onto Stalon to keep her balance.
I can't even begin to imagine how I look like at this moment.
But I don't care.
As I'm gasping for air, my glare towards her is nothing but deadly.
"Deranged slut," she instigates causing me to jolt forward in her direction but he's quick to immobilize me by strengthening his hold on me.
"Don't provoke her," Ludovic snarls causing Tatianna's eyes to widen.
Once I no longer have the strength in me to resist, I rotate in his arms.
A mixture of worry and despair clouds Ludovic's features as he stares down at me.
"I'm so sorry," I apologize and before I know it I end up sobbing in his arms.
Unable to control the sobs, my body trembles in ferocity.
Ludovic draws my face to his chest before he engulfs me in his arms.
And I cry and cry until I'm close to passing out.
"I—I'm s—so sorry for accusing you of writing the letter and participating in Lolita's murder," I say between sobs as my shoulders keep heaving up and down, "I n—never should have trusted her Ludovic. I—I f—feel horrible. . ."
"Shh," Ludovic hushes as he caresses the back of my head in tenderness, "it wasn't your fault. Who could blame you for being manipulated by someone you considered a close friend?"
As I continue to weep in his chest, I slowly raise my hands to press them against his back.
"I—It's not okay," I weep as I shake my head.
He gently cups my cheeks as he levels my poignant gaze with his ardent eyes, "Manipulation happens to the best of us. Look how I turned out because of the lies mom told me about you."
As he tenderly wipes my tears with his thumbs, my eyes widen.
"So, you believe me?"
His eyes glisten in fervency before he gently connects his forehead against mine, "Of course I do."
As my sobs start to minimize, my vision darkens as Ludovic begins to caress my cheeks.
At this moment, it's like we're the only two people in the world.
Being in his arms is enough to make me forget about all the heartbreaks, breakdowns, and pain I've carried in me for what seemed like centuries.
I don't ever want this moment to end.
"I'm sick and tired of you always playing the victim," the moment is ruined once I find my vision.
"It's always about Anaya and her stupid feelings," Tatianna kvetches, "what about me? When will it ever be about Tatinana's damn feelings? Doesn't anybody care about how I feel in this damn story?"
As I'm still in Ludovic's arms, he hollers, "You have the damn nerves to speak after you forged my handwriting and defamed my character."
Silence reigns.
I scooch to Ludovic's side as his arms are still enclosing my waist.
Tears cascade down her cheeks as her alarming gaze is fixated on Ludovic's face.
"But I did it for us—"
A sardonic chuckle escapes Ludovic's throat, "Us? When are you going to get it through your skull that there is no us and there never was?"
Before she can react, Ludovic declares, "And if there's anyone who has the right to be a victim in this story, it's Anaya after everything she's been through. How could you spit in her face at a moment when she lost her sister?"
"I knew you were bonkers but this just takes the cake."
"Let's go, Anaya," Ludovic commands as he interlaces his fingers with mine before he draws me to the opposite direction.
Once our backs are turned to them, she screeches in the background.
"Why could you never look at me the way you've always looked at her?" Tatianna screams at the top of her lungs enough to freeze me in my tracks.
Ludovic strengthens his hold on me as he refuses to turn around.
"How can you compare a diamond to a rock when they're not on the same level?" Ludovic begins in an unreadable tone, "I think we both know what category you fall under Tatianna."
And with that, he tows me causing me to leave the dark webs of my past behind.
༄ ༄ ༄
Who feels sorry for Tatianna?
Listen to the song in the media, it fits the chapter perfectly.
Love you guys and thanks for the support.