Chapter 3 The Betray

• Yvaine.
• I couldn’t bring myself to finish watching the recording; I turned off the television in terror. The thought of that man claiming me as his and my once-peaceful world falling apart became all too clear. I needed to talk to Harry; I had betrayed him, and I felt dirty and ashamed of myself.
• Though sure someone had drugged me, I had to find out who. Thoughts of my cousin crossed my mind, and I remembered she was in the next room. I decided to confide in her and share everything. I turned on the TV one last time and looked at my first lover.
• “Goodbye, Mr. Miller! Forget I exist, and I hope there are no consequences, though you’ll never know,” I muttered to the frozen image on the television. And I set off to find my cousin after grabbing my phone and purse.
• As I reached her room, I noticed the “do not disturb” sign, but the door was slightly open, giving me a chill. What if my cousin had also been drugged, and now another man or the same Norman Miller was taking advantage of her after our night together? No, that man hadn’t mistreated me. Instead, I had used him to fulfill my desires, and he had driven me crazy all night.
• “Although he could also be a charmer, and now he might be returning the favor to my cousin,” I thought. I decided to enter and help her. I didn’t want her to feel the way I felt now. Despite the pain in my body, I quietly entered the hallway of the room and grabbed a vase from the sideboard.
• Moans of a man and a woman intertwining reached my ears, reminding me of the moans that Mr. Miller and I had made throughout the night. I shook my head to erase that image from my mind.
• Silently, I entered the room, hoping to see Mr. Miller pleasing my cousin as he had done to me. Although, if I’m honest, that idea disturbed me. I had a silly feeling that my experience with him had been something strange and unique.
• “I was really bothered,” I thought as I continued until I reached near the bed.
• When I looked at the bed, it felt like my whole world was falling apart. There lay my boyfriend Harry Walter, on his back while my cousin skillfully rode him. The shock made me drop the vase, and it shattered into countless pieces.
• The noise caught the attention of the duo, and their expressions shifted from Harry’s surprise to Maryori’s mocking one. In that very moment, I realized that it was my cousin who had drugged me the night before.
• “What a surprise! I thought, cousin, that you’d still be occupied with Mr. Gartner! Too bad you didn’t give yourself to Harry earlier. Now that 50-year-old man has been with you, taking your virginity. Deep down, you’re just like your mother, a person of questionable character,” Maryori’s words were filled with venom, and it seemed like she had been holding onto this resentment for a long time, much like my aunt. She always despised me because she hated my mother, her own sister, without even knowing why.
• Harry looked at me, hardly ashamed of what I had just witnessed him doing with my cousin. He regarded me with disgust and yelled at me.
• “What is Maryori saying? Have you slept with an old man, and you didn’t even let me touch you? What kind of person are you, Yviane? So, you’re into older men. If I had known, I would have introduced you to my father. Then you could have been with both the father and the son. I didn’t know you were that kind of person.”
• Everything around me felt like a lie. The only truth was that the man who took my innocence was not a despicable old man. On the contrary, he was a young, strong, and energetic man, and deep down, even though I didn’t want to admit it, a very good lover, considering my lack of experience.
• As for the rest, my boyfriend, or rather, my ex-boyfriend, was a treacherous person, and my cousin had sold me, drugged me, and betrayed me. The only thing that didn’t go as planned was the selling part because, for some reason, I ended up in the arms of another man.
• I burst into laughter. “You think I slept with an old man? You’re very mistaken, cousin. I spent the whole night in the arms of a young and active man who taught me to discover everything a woman can enjoy. And I certainly don’t need a spoiled, useless brat like Harry to discover that. You can have my leftovers, cousin, that used specimen. I don’t want him anymore," I said to Maryori, pointing at my ex-boyfriend with disgust.
• And I started to leave; Harry shouted at me to stop, but I ignored him.
• “If you leave, consider this our farewell!” – the traitor Harry shouted at me.
• “I’m done! I’d rather lose my job than lay eyes on you again,” I declared as I stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind me. Despite feeling uneasy, the hurt persisted as I continued walking.
• Upon reaching home, another shock awaited me: my aunt’s car was parked there. Without a second thought, she stepped out and slapped me.
• “I just found out from your cousin that you’ve been with men in hotels. Like mother, like daughter, you’re just as promiscuous!” she shouted while I covered my cheek. This familiar insult referencing my mother was something my aunt always resorted to.
• But this time, I had had enough of respecting her. I looked her in the eyes and said, “Stop worrying about how I am or who I’m with. Worry about your own daughter, getting involved with other people’s boyfriends. It’s shameful for you. You’ve spoiled them so much and filled them with so much hatred that you’ve turned her into someone with questionable morals.”
• When my aunt attempted to strike me again, I was prepared. I caught her hand and pushed her away. “Don’t ever lay a hand on me again, and from today onwards, we are no longer family,” I declared. Without further ado, I continued walking towards my house, while she shouted about my ignorance of what awaited me, insisting that I was ruining my life.
• The afternoon was spent reorganizing everything. I submitted my resignation to the human resources department of Walter Designe, assessed my savings to estimate how long I could manage without work, and sent out numerous resumes to design companies.
• As the evening unfolded, curiosity got the better of me. I delved into information about Norman Miller and was nearly shocked. I had shared an intimate night with the president who was the owner of the fourth largest conglomerate in the United States and known for being intimidating, ruthless, and unwavering in his commitments, making an enemy of him wouldn’t bode well.
• Vague memories of that night burst out of my mind, “From tonight, you will be my woman forever. You are mine, and no other man can touch you or possess you...”