Chapter 10 Friends Betrayal

TITLE: FRIENDS BETRAYAL

"I must confess your cooking skills are top notch, it's really a shame you're not in a relationship just yet." Brandon said, wiping his mouth with the napkin provided.

Ariana had invited him over to dinner with her father at their house and he had accepted. His eyes took in the mansion,his memories still held the terrible things that happened right in this house.

"Where do you think you're going?" Mr Thompson had asked him one faithful morning as he got down from the stairs,ready to go to work.

"I'm going to work, Ariana__"

"We feed you, we provide everything you need besides your mother's flower shop yields nothing so from now on you're never stepping foot there!"

"What do you mean?" He'd asked but Mr Thompson palm sent him falling to the floor.

"If not for Ariana's tantrums, you wouldn't be in this house. I wonder what you did to my daughter that has her clinging to you like this."

"We're in love Mr Thompson,you know that!"

"Brandon, Brandon." He shivered and realized Ariana had been calling his name while he drifted into the past.

"I'm sorry, i guess I had a busy day at work and it's telling on me."

"You should rest more often." He scoffed within him. Because he had no money when they were married back then, Mr Thompson made sure he did his laundry with his hands,made breakfast for everyone and never slept early.

After stopping him from going to his mother's flower shop,he offered him a job as his personal assistant, unknown to him they already had a plan to make him sign fraudulent documents just a way of sending him out of their lives.

"I was saying the auction will be coming up this weekend,I hope you'll be in attendance?"

"I won't miss it for anything, you shouldn't worry about that. I heard we've got the best art works and treasures right here in our city and I wish to get some myself."

Ariana walked him to the door as he turned and kissed her cheeks. "Thanks for dinner."

Few minutes after he left, Josh walked in with his phone in his hand.

"Billy is back."

"What? When?" Ariana screamed,her eyes going saucer round.

"He stepped in tonight,heard his drug factory got burnt to ashes and we all know what that means."

"He'll come after me thinking i did it." Ariana gasped, covering her mouth as she turned to look at her father. "Dad say something,say something."

"I warned you against him,warned you several times but you didn't listen now look where this has gotten us." Ariana gasped.

"If I can remember correctly,you have the saying, anywhere there's money, fame that's the target so where did I fail? Billy is money, Billy is fame."

"And now Billy is after us,we have to stop him from getting in contact with Mr Langston,he's going to expose us. Josh?"

"Boss." Josh replied.

"Keep an eye on him, make sure he doesn't get to meet with Mr Langston, we can't have him ruining our businesses and plans."

"Yes boss."

***************************************

"You don't look fine." Miranda said, walking into Brandon's home office. "I stepped my feet into that house for the first time in so long, it felt like the old times." He shook his head and stared at her.

"I felt suffocated, the anguish, the pain, everything came rushing back,my chest constricted and to think i once loved that lady gives me the creeps."

"Why did you stay with them in that house? I thought you were married."

He scoffed. "It was all part of their schemes and i was the willing prey. I met Ariana in college, I was two classes ahead of her. We got closer and then i asked her out. The first time I saw her dad was the first day he warned me to stay away from his daughter.

I told her my family had a gem and it was in my name because i was granddad's favorite,in the days that followed, our relationship became serious and her father stopped pestering us. When I proposed to her, he told me he'll only agree to it if I lived with them."

"That's ridiculous Jason,who does that?" Miranda asked, gritting her teeth.

"Mother warned me against it but I proved to be stubborn so she gave me her blessings and I never knew they were after my gem."

"Well you have it with you now, that's all that matters."

"How did Macy react with you dropping her off at school?" He asked as she went quiet.

"Happy and at the same time sad but I'm glad she's over there, I don't want her to witness what I'm gonna do to her father."

"Do not beat yourself over it, he deserves anything you throw at him. He hurt your mother and beat you up at a point."

"Yeah I know."

*

*

"Good morning boss." Miranda said, opening the door.

You have another meeting today with Billy today by 2pm.Hope you remember that?

"Yes , I do" I would make sure I attend.

"Remember, to clear my schedules and set a reminder. Brandon replied as he kept his head on his phone sending and replying text .

A message which read" How about having lunch by noon" popped up on his phone ,the message was from Ariana.

He looked at it and let out a dry smile.

" That would be fine," he replied.

As he stepped into the room, he saw Ariana arranging the table for lunch, she had probably made something sumptous.

"Your ex-husband would be so fat, and good looking , no doubt , you must have served him tons of nice delicacies prepared specially by you" He smirked

" Let's not talk about him,he wasn't a nice man." I had never prepared any meal for him.

" Really, then your marriage must have been a terrible one " Brandon asked looking directly into her eyes.

" My past marriage, you mean?"

"It was terrible Indeed, the constant arguments , trauma I had to pass through in the hands of that man, it is not something I should be reminded of"

"Really?"

"And what's is this man's name?"

" You shouldn't have to worry about him, he is Mr Jason but he is dead already, less worries about him"she scoffed.

Brandon slightly looked at her, hatred ignited inside of him , "Mr Jason is dead indeed"and he couldn't wait to perfect his plans.

Silence filled the room as the duo focused on their food, only the sounds coming from the plates were being heard.

"You don't seem to like the food "Jasie asked him as he kept picking the food with little Interest.

"Don't worry, you are such a good cook" he complimented her , trying hardly to avoid her face.

His eyes were already filled up with tears, which was the effect of past memories which eluded in his brain.

" Your auction is coming up next week, right?

He asked .

"Yes, seem to care a lot, you probably have every single information of mine stored into your memory"

" How do you expect me to be forgetful " he asked her.

" So the gem, it must be such a valuable one, how did you acquire it"Jeff asked her , his head still buried in the tray of food placed before him.

Silence erupted the room again, still mincing on words to say.

" Was it inherited or?"

" The gem was a gift from my ex-husband "

" Really !"

"What if he comes again for it"

" I mentioned that he is dead already, Ariana chirped in immediately.

"Oh, I totally forgot" he said as he wiped his tears using his handkerchief .

Tears were already overflooding his eyes.

"What happened to your ex-husband, I mean what killed him?" Brandon asked still maintaining his gaze on his food , picking and digging it .

"Don't , you think you are asking a lot of questions, Mr Brandon"

"I am really sorry about that, I'm just fascinated by you." He replied.

" That's sweet, he died in prison." She replied as he gasped

Brandon looked at her and giggled.

" Then , tell me, who killed him?" Brandon asked her , looking directly into her eyes, expecting an honest answer.

" Don't you think ,you are ruining our date with your overbearing questions!" She asked him again to clear the tables as they were already done with their meals.

It's supposed to be lunch , why digging up past memories.

"It's ok".

She went over to his seat as she sat directly closer to him.

" You aren't making any moves, Brandon"

" Remember, this is not a business date"

" Don't you think that not every apple placed in your hands are meant to be bitten" Brandon asked her as a reminder popped up his phone .

" It was time to have a meeting with Mr . Billy" . It was a message from Miranda.

Brandon made to leave .He packed his bag as he picked them .

" Invite him over to the house" Brandon sent a message to Miranda.

" What are your plans" Miranda asked him.

" You get to know them soon just do as I ordered"

" Message was brought here. Your scheduled meeting is intended to be at Brandon's house" one of his guards informed him as he stood up to leave.

Stepping into Brandon's Mansion, his heart skipped heavily.

A feeling he couldn't place his hands on.

As he stepped into Brandon's office, Brandon made sure to place the recorder properly.

Brandon's heart skipped heavily at the sight of his best friend , who betrayed him.

He wished he could chop off his head and feed it to the eagles but hell no, he would let him clech his teeth and writhe in pains.

He would surely die a slow death.