Chapter One

Camilla

"What. The. Fuck?!"

I stood there, the vanilla cake now forgotten on the floor because right there, on the couch was Dylan eating Bella out. Bella, my best friend, the girl who had held my hand when my parents disowned me. Her hands were tangled up in his hair as she moaned. She was wearing nothing but one of my favorite oversized shirts, the one I had bought for us as couples.

Dylan only groaned and he saw me while Bella simply paused, her head tilting back as she let out a long, bored sigh. She untangled herself from Dylan, sitting up casually manner.

"You’re finally here," Bella said, smoothing down the shirt, 'my', shirt. She checked her fingernails like she had been waiting for me. "Took you long enough."

This couldn't be happening, right? Just yesterday, Dylan had proposed to me. It had been with a cheap ring but I was happy.

I looked at him and he stood up, quickly stepping in front of Bella as if he were protecting her from a monster.

"Don't look at her like that, Camilla," Dylan snapped. "It’s not our fault. If you want to blame someone, blame yourself."

I blinked, not believing my ears. "What?! Dylan, I just walked in on you eating out my best friend on my birthday. And it is my fault?"

"Yes!" He let out a harsh laugh. "You're never here! I’m in this house alone all day and all night while you’re out working in that office. I was lonely, Camilla. A man has needs, and you were too busy with your work and your spreadsheets to care about mine."

The room started to spin. "I am at work because you don't have a job, Dylan! I work double shifts so we can eat! I work past-time jobs at the cafe after the office because the rent is due every single month!"

"And whose fault is that?" he yelled back, stepping closer. "You're so selfish. You’re so full of pride that you won't just call your parents and ask them to give me a position in their company. You’d rather see me rot here than swallow your pride for five minutes."

I laughed hysterically "Selfish? I took out a loan, a loan I’m still paying for, because you said you 'needed' that motorcycle to feel like a man. I quit fashion school for you, Dylan. I gave up my designs and my dreams and my entire future because you said we couldn't afford it and you needed me to support us. I gave you everything!"

"I didn't ask you to do all that for me!"

It felt as if someone had poured cold water in me. He was right. He was actually right. I had been the fool.

I turned to Bella. She was leaning against the arm of the couch with her arms crossed as she watched us with an amused smile.

"How long?" I asked even though I didn't want to know the answer.

Bella shrugged. "Two years and six months."

I staggered back, "Two years... we’ve only been dating for three. You started sleeping with him six months after we started dating?"

"Give or take a week," Bella said. She stood up and started looking for her shoes.

"Where are you going?" Dylan asked, his voice suddenly frantic. He reached for her hand in desperation. "Bella, stay. We can figure this out. Now that she knows, we don't have to hide anymore."

Bella pulled her hand away with a look of pure disgust. "Stay? For what? My job is done, Dylan."

I looked between them,"Your... job?"

Bella turned to me, a smile spreading on her beautiful face. "God, Camilla. You really are as dumb as they said. Did you really think a girl like me would actually want to be best friends with a mouse like you? Or that I’d actually want to stay in this dump of an apartment with a loser like him?"

She picked up her purse. "I’m not pregnant, by the way. I told Dylan that months ago just to see if he'd freak out. He did. Then he said this whole thing about taking your inheritance and taking care of me. It was hilarious. I’ve been waiting for you to catch us for ages, but you were so blinded by 'love' that you believed every pathetic lie he fed you."

"I don't understand," I choked out.

"Your family hired me, honey," Bella said, patting my cheek. I was too stunned to pull away. "They wanted to prove that your 'true love' was a gold-digging fraud and that you’d ruined your life for nothing. They paid my tuition and a very generous bonus to act as your best friend and ruin this pathetic little relationship from the inside. And looking at you now? I’d say I earned every penny."

She looked at Dylan, whose mouth was hanging open. "You were a fun distraction, Dylan, but you're broke and boring. Don't call me."

As Bella walked out the door, she stepped right over the ruined birthday cake without a second glance.

Dylan finally realizing what just happened collapsed onto his knees, "Camilla... Camilla, baby, she’s lying. This is all a joke. All those things I said earlier too, was also a joke. I love you. We can still make this work. We can still get married...."

"Married?" I asked incredulously. I reached into the shopping bag I was still holding and pulled out the expensive watch I had bought him and threw it at him.

I felt a bubbling rage at him but mostly at myself. I was a fool, I was a pathetic fool. I ignored his pleas and walked past him as he tried to grab my wrist.

"Don't. Fucking. Touch me!"

I went to the closet and grabbed the aluminum baseball bat I kept for protection.

"Camilla? What are you doing?" Dylan asked.

I went straight to the parking lot where the bike I bought for him was. I brought the bat down on the mirror.

The second swing dented the gas tank. I swung again and again, remembering how many sacrifices I have done for him as I destroyed it. Dylan tried to stop me but I swung the bat at him wildly that he took a step back and called me crazy.

I smashed the mirrors, the sides, the exhaust pipe. I smashed till I was satisfied.

Dylan stood at the top of the stairs, cursing at me, but I couldn't hear him over the sound of my own ragged breathing. I dropped the bat in the oil that was leaking onto the floor.

I pulled my phone out and ordered for a taxi. When it arrived two minutes later, I climbed into the back seat.

"Where to, Miss?" the driver asked, looking at me through the rearview mirror with worried eyes.

"Temptation bar," I whispered. It was on the outskirt of the town but anywhere far from here was good.

I foolishly thought that I could find someone that loved me, so I could escape the world I was born. I hung on that hope that Dylan loved me and not my wealth. That he made me smile for genuine reasons.

I leaned my forehead against the glass and sobbed. I cried for the girl who stupidly believed that love could help her escape from her family.