Chapter 6

Janessa, crumpled on the pristine hospital floor, her sobs now silent, her face a mask of despair. She looked up at me, her eyes red-rimmed and swollen, but I saw no remorse, only fear.

"And you call yourselves lovers?" I continued, my voice gaining strength, each word laced with acid. "Everyone knew! Everyone on this campus knew you two were together, that you were the 'campus sweethearts.' Everyone but me. My own boyfriend, my own best friend, reduced to a scandalous secret, a dirty little joke that everyone else was in on."

I laughed, a harsh, mirthless sound. "How ironic. I'm sure you two make a wonderful couple. A manipulative con artist and a backstabbing snake. A match made in hell, if you ask me. I hope you enjoy your life together, living off of lies and deception."

Janessa scrambled to her feet, her hands reaching for me, her eyes pleading. "Claire, please! Stop! You don't understand!"

Eric, his face pale and drawn, finally found his voice. "Claire, I-I'm so sorry. I know I messed up. I know I hurt you. Please, just listen to me." His voice cracked, tears finally welling in his eyes.

"Sorry?" I spat, recoiling from Janessa's touch. "Your 'sorry' means nothing to me. It's too late for apologies."

Janessa, desperate, fell to her knees at the foot of my bed, her head bowed. "It's all my fault, Claire. I seduced him. I forced him. He never wanted to hurt you. It was all me. Please, blame me."

Eric, hearing her confession, immediately stepped in. "No! Janessa, stop! It wasn't her fault. It was mine. I crossed the line first. I was weak. I was a coward." He reached for her, trying to pull her up.

I watched their pathetic display, their sickening attempts to protect each other, a raw knot of disgust tightening in my stomach. Their manufactured drama, their feigned self-sacrifice, sickened me to my core.

"Get away from me," I snarled, pushing Janessa away with a force that surprised even me. She stumbled backward, hitting the wall with a sickening thud, a small gasp escaping her lips.

Eric's head snapped up, his eyes, usually so gentle, now blazing with a cold fury. He glared at me, a dangerous glint in his eyes. He rushed to Janessa's side, cradling her as if she were a fragile doll.

"Have you lost your mind, Claire?" Eric snarled, his voice low and menacing. "Are you not finished with your little tantrum? Do you want to kill her?!"

I walked towards him, my eyes fixed on his. My hand, trembling with a mix of fury and pain, raised and slapped him across the face. Not once, but twice. The sharp cracks echoed in the silent room.

"Kill her?" I whispered, my voice thick with emotion. "No, Eric. I want to kill you. You, who I loved, who I trusted with everything. I regret the day I ever met you. I regret the day I said yes to your pathetic proposal, to your fake promises." I looked at him, truly looked at him, and for a fleeting moment, I saw the naive, hopeful girl I once was, mirrored in his terrified eyes. The girl who, at eighteen, had believed his every word, his every whispered vow of eternal love.

It was over. The memories, the dreams, the future I had so meticulously planned – all ashes now.

I turned my gaze to Janessa, still cowering in Eric's arms. "And you," I said, my voice dripping with disdain. "My best friend. My sister. We used to talk about our weddings, about being each other's maid of honor, about raising our children together, about growing old, side by side. What a joke. What a sick, twisted joke."

"You don't deserve any of it," I continued, my voice rising. "You don't deserve happiness. Not after what you've done. I hope you two enjoy your stolen happiness, your secret life, now that it's all out in the open. You can stop sneaking around now. You can finally be together, openly, shamelessly."

A wave of calm washed over me, a strange sense of catharsis. It felt good to finally unleash the truth, to call them out on their despicable actions. They had wasted my time, my money, my love. They didn't deserve my respect, my tears, or my silence.

Eric, his face a mixture of shock and anger, finally found his voice. "Claire, what do you think you're doing? You can't just-"

"I'm doing what I should have done years ago, Eric," I cut him off, my voice cold and firm. "I'm breaking up with you. We're over. And as for you, Janessa, consider our friendship dead. Now get out of my sight. Both of you. I never want to see either of you again."