Chapter 4 4: A steaming cup of heartbreak

I have never felt like a slut before.

But today, I felt like one. Mason made me feel like a slut.

I woke up with the worst hangover ever, only to find Mason's side of the bed empty. I searched the entire room for him and even then I waited, just in case he went to buy breakfast for us. By noon when he was no show, reality dawned on me.

Reality was bitter.

He had abandoned me, after what I thought was a night of new beginning, like last night was some kind of one nightstand with a slut. He didn't even bother to leave a note, nothing. He just upped and left, leaving me to find my own way home.

I planned to confront him when I see him, but first I had to survive Agatha's fury. I still haven't come up with a good explanation as to where I went last night.

Thankfully I managed to sneak into the house undetected, if I could just make it to my room...

"And where are you coming from dressed so-" she looked me over in distaste, "scantily."

"I...umm..." I racked my brain for a reasonable lie but nothing came, only the events of last night and the aftermath shame of this morning, that played over and over Ike a broken record in my head. "I..." my voice broke as tears pricked my eyes.

On noticing the change in my countenance, Agatha's expression softened. "Go take a bathe and change. I'll have Julia bring food to your room."

I nodded, grateful that for once she decided to act like a mother who actually cared. I spun around and hurried to my room.

After I took a bathe and changed, I met my lunch on the table. But I was in no mood for food, not after what happened last night.

Why did he leave without me? I saw his car parked outside when I came in, so it meant he was at home. He could have just brought me back home with him. Did he not want to be seen with me?

At this rate I was going to drive myself crazy. I had to see him, he owed me an explanation and an apology; an apology that cannot be smoothed over with a bouquet.

I tried to take a nap, but kept waking up at intervals. I eventually gave up and turned to Instagram for distraction.

Not long after, Agatha returned and the annoyance was back on her face. "Where were you last night young lady?" she asked, folding her hands over her full breast. I looked nothing like Agatha. She had full black hair, fuller breast and tall height. I had my father's brown hair, 5ft 4 height and small perky breasts. The only similarity between my mum and myself, was our heart shaped face and brown eyes.

"I went out."

"I know you did. The question was where?"

"To a club."

She stared back at me in disbelief and began pacing around the room. "Who were you with?" she looked as though she was afraid to hear the truth. She knew who I was with, but she hoped that she was wrong.

I wish she was wrong too, but she wasn't. "I had sex with Mason," I blurted and then shut my eyes, waiting for her to pounce on me and rip me apart.

She didn't.

When I opened my eyes, there were tears in my eyes and regret was etched all over her face.

"I warned you to stay away from these people," she finally spoke.

"I'm sorry, mu..."

"No you're not!" she interjected. "Did you use protection?"

Shit! I don't remember. "Yes we need," I lied. I was already neck deep in trouble, I wasn't about to give her more reasons to yell at me. Besides, Mason wouldn't be careless as to have sex without condom.

"Just pray Tilda does not find out and fires me. If she does, I will give you enough reasons to hate me," there was so much disdain in her eyes for me. Sure, she has gotten mad at me and even disappointed, on several occasions, but she had never looked at me this way.

I messed up big time. There might be no coming back from this.

For the rest of the day, I locked myself in and waited for the room to swallow me up. It didn't happen. And for the next couple of days, I made sure to avoid Mason and people in general.

By the end of the week I felt slightly better. All my attempts to apologize to Agatha was a bust, not that I'm surprised. She has always been a difficult person and terrible at forgiveness. That was why she never forgave my dad no matter how hard he tried and now he was...

I shook my head. I do not like thinking about my dad, it was best to leave the past in the past. I redirected my attention to the clothes I was ironing. Being in the laundry room all day long made it easier to avoid seeing you-know-who.

"Hey you," Julia chipped giddily as she entered the laundry room. "You've been quite scarce," she added as she perched on a stool.

"I needed sometime to myself."

She nodded. "Ever found out who the secret admirer was?"

I shook my head. "No."

"Well," she started, smiling sheepishly, "I am seeing someone."

Her blue eyes gleamed with happiness as she blushed furiously. I know that look, I'd once worn that exact same look for Mason and at the end he proved to be an ass. I had hoped that he'd reach out to me, offer some sort of explanation as to why he acted the way he did. Silence was all I got from him, it was as though he completely forgot that I existed.

Initially, I had decided to confront him, but I changed my mind. If he wants to act like I don't exist, so be it.

When I glanced at Julia again, she was staring out the window with a serious look on her face.

"What is it?"

She shrugged. "Sasha West."

I frowned, when I looked out the window and saw the same blonde enter a grey Porsche.

"She's been visiting master Mason frequently. I think they're a thing," she said.

All of a sudden, I felt anger fill my vein and threatened to explode. "How do you know that?" I asked in an oddly calm voice.

"I follow her on Instagram and TikTok. She posts pictures their pictures and videos, even one where they were kissing."

My mouth immediately went dry. He played me, I thought as the anger I was trying to so hard to keep down exploded. I stormed out of the laundry room and headed towards the game room where I knew he would be with his stupid friends.

When I got there, the door was slightly ajar, I made to open it fully and confront him, but something I heard made me stop dead in my tracks.

"I can't believe you slept with Imogen," I heard Elliot say.

"Oh gawd, me too. She didn't seem like the one night stand kinda girl."

"I am Mason Livingston, I can have any girl I want," the pride in his voice revolted me. He never liked me. "I won the bet, y'all owe me 50 bucks."

My hands flew to my mouth to stop me from screaming. He played with my heart just for 50 bucks; that was what I was worth to him.

Tears pricked my eyes as they rolled down my cheeks. I spun around and ran towards my room. His words replayed in my head, over and over again. I felt nausea crawl up my throat, but I swallowed it alongside the lump in my throat.

On entering my room, I found Julia who looked like she had just seen a ghost.

"Imogen? Sasha posted," she started towards me.

"I don't care about her. I just want to be alone," I cried.

"You need to see this," she insisted, shoving the phone into my hand.

I blinked in disbelief. My life was officially over.