Chapter 2 Love and Lies

YISO'S POV

There, in our bed, was Marshall, his shirt discarded, tangled sheets around his waist and Karen! Karen!

My best friend!

Her eyes were locked with Marshall's, her lips pressed against his as if they belonged to each other.

She didn't notice me at first, too absorbed in the moment.

Marshall's eyes, however, snapped toward me, possibly from the sound of the glass shattering which I couldn't even be bothered to know at this point and wide with shock, his hands froze mid-movement.

I couldn't breathe. My body went numb.

The words didn't come at first. All I could do was stand there, paralyzed by what I was seeing.

Finally, I managed to choke out the question I already knew the answer to. "What is this?"

Marshall scrambled to sit up, but Karen remained unmoved, her gaze cold.

I could feel the betrayal burning through me. It wasn't just that he'd done this. It was Karen, the one person I thought I could trust with anything. Even my life!

She has been there for as long as I can remember even when I was bullied in school she was the one who stuck with me and helped me overcome my fears.

She literally knew everything about me.

She was there the day I married Marshall she was my maid of honor, she was the one person I would call first everyday before I met Marshall so how could she do this to me.

Karen finally looked over at me, her lips curling into a cold and unremorseful smirk. "Oh, Yiso... You're home early."

"Early?" It's almost 12 am and you say early?". I still couldn't process what was going on. "What... What are you doing?".

Karen casually stood up, slipping into her clothes as if nothing was wrong. "What does it look like? I'm taking what's mine."

The anger inside me was growing and suffocating me.

I couldn't see clearly at this point.

"Taking what's yours? What the hell are you talking about?"

"You know exactly what I'm talking about," she sneered, crossing her arms.

"This perfect life you've built, this perfect marriage you've flaunted. It's all so..so fa..fake!"' Karen screamed, stuttering and shaking with rage.

I couldn't understand her rage.

I should be the one angry, I should be the one to scream, so why was she so angry when I'm the one badly hurt by the two people I have come to trust and love the most in the whole world.

Compared to how loved and lucky I felt earlier today, I feel cheated, betrayed and most of all lied to.

I tried to find my voice again.

"Karen, please." My voice cracked as I took a step toward her. "Why? Why would you do this?"

"You never saw it, did you?" she mocked. "You never saw how much I hated you, how I envied your life. Your husband. You've had everything, and I've had nothing. But not anymore."

"No..not anymore! I have tolerated you for so long. As it stands, and I can barely stand your goody two shoes nature longer than you can blink right now Miss Kenoly".

Before I could get in any more words, she continued in her raged monologue.

"I couldn't stand you for a long time Yi. I always had to hear people say 'she's so nice'. 'She's so beautiful'. 'She has the best personality I've ever seen'!. 'It must be nice to be her friend'.

"The constant subtle comparisons were too much but I took it all in silence knowing I would watch your downfall soon and I guess the wait made this look on your face even much sweeter to look at".

"I could take a picture and frame it Yi , that's how satisfying it feels right now". She said falling to the bed with her hands spread wide open.

I could barely breathe. "You're my best friend. How could you..?"

Karen's laugh cut through the air. "You really think Marshall wants you? You're wrong. He's mine now, he has always been mine. I'm not going anywhere."

"What do you mean by that?". I whisper, scared of what her reply would be.

"He has always been mine Yi..let's just say I lent him to you for some time". Her smile gets even colder and more sinister if that were possible.

She continues without stopping, making my heart shatter even more with her cruel words.

"I convinced him to get on the dating app you know..it took a lot but he agreed and I knew convincing you would be a piece of cake and in no time you fell right into my trap".

She slowly lifts herself up from the bed revealing her face better to me

"Don't you see Yi he was never yours to begin with and you have been living a lie. The love, care and affection was all just an act from my Marshall...and you can admit he acted excellently well". She said laughing loudly.

I turned toward Marshall, my voice rising in desperation. "How could you do this to me? To us?"

Marshall opened his mouth, but before he could say another word, Karen stepped in front of me, blocking my view of him.

"You're nothing but a fool if you think he ever cared about you."

And then, with a cold look in her eyes, she grabbed something from the nightstand . It was a hammer.

I froze, confusion and fear flooding my system.

I took a shaky step back " what are you doing with that Karen..I know you hate me but you wouldn't harm me would you?"

For the first time Marshall stood up from the chair he was so comfortable sitting in and said "Karen.....relax it hasn't gotten to this. Stop! ".

"Don't stop me Marshall we have waited for so long for this remember? How could you stop me now! You...you don't care about her, do you?". She cut him off, turning her attention fully on him still holding the hammer.

" No Karen, she is shocked enough as it is ". He whispered, planting a kiss on her forehead.

They let go of each other and she turned to me and screamed

"I hate you! Go to hell".

Before I could react, she swung it.

The world exploded into pain, and everything went blank.