Chapter Two- Betrayal Served lukewarm

Chloe walked into the conference hall, she could feel her heart pounding in her chest. She was about to meet Erica Benedict, the world-renowned business strategist who had turned around so many struggling businesses in the past; even ones whose situation was far more critical than hers. She was very famous for her work, and as reports would have it, she was also a terrific business mogul.

And she desperately hoped she could do the same for her father’s struggling company.

Erica stood up from her seat and extended her hand as she approached.

“Ms. Benedict, it’s an honor to finally meet you,” Chloe said with a warm smile. She couldn’t help but be struck by her confidence and poise. She was tall, with piercing gray eyes and perfectly styled blonde hair.

I could see why she was famous; it was for both her brains and beauty as well.

“And I must say you’re very pretty, as well.” She complimented you with a smile, hoping to make the atmosphere less pressured.

“I can see that you are new on the business line; being pretty isn’t necessary when it comes to business. You still have a lot of things to learn.”

Chloe’s smile dropped, her new business partner was a little too formal, despite being a woman just like her.

“Please pardon me.”

Erica waved it off, but smiled politely. “We don’t have much time. Now, let’s get down to business. I’ve reviewed the financials you sent over and have a few strategies to discuss.”

Erica was also very strict, and her eyes were unforgiven even at the slightest mistake.

Over the next few hours, Erica and Chloe dove deep down into the company’s financial statements. She asked insightful questions, offered astute observations, and proposed innovative solutions.

Chloe was deeply impressed by her breadth of knowledge and her ability to cut to the heart of the matter.

As they wrapped up the meeting, she couldn’t help but feel a sense of hope. With Erica on board, maybe there was a chance for her company after all.

“Thank you for your time, Ms. Benedict,” Chloe said, extending her hand for a formal handshake.

“I also prepared something,” she took out a file, and Chloe reached for it.

“It’s a list of investors that I personally handpicked.”

She opened the envelope and scanned through the names. She couldn’t help but feel a little intimidated. These were some of the biggest names in the industry, and securing their investment could mean mind-blowing success. “You could schedule a meeting with them, and remember not to talk about the risks.” Her voice was stern.

Chloe nodded as she watched Erica leave the conference room, in a cool, calm and collected way.

She handed Veronica, her secretary, the list of investors that Erica had given her and asked Veronica to schedule meetings with all of them by Friday.

She glanced at her watch and noticed that it was already a little after 6:00 pm. Her heart raced as she remembered her promise to Ken, her fiancé.

They had planned to have a dinner date at their favorite restaurant at 4:00 pm. She can’t believe she had let time slip away from her like this.

“Shit!” she cursed underneath as she hurriedly grabbed her bag and ran out of her office, her heels clicking against the marble floor. “Ken would be so disappointed!”

She finally made it to the elevator and hit the button, tapping her foot impatiently as she waited for the doors to open. She took a deep breath and tried to compose herself as she stepped inside.

The evening air was cool and almost freezing, and the streetlights cast a warm glow over the city. She got into her car, a blue Honda Civic that she bought recently for work, and began to drive to Ken’s house.

As she approached Ken’s house, she could see that he was indeed at home. The porch lights were on, casting a warm glow onto the front yard and illuminating the path to his front door. The house itself was a two-storey building, painted in a dull shade of gray, with gold trimmings that added a touch of charm.

As she walked up to the front door, she could see through the large window that the living room lights were on as well. The soft light spilled out onto the porch, giving the house a cozy and inviting feel.

She opened the door carefully, and stepped in. Something was off. There was a woman’s coat draped over the couch, and two empty champagne glasses on the glass-centered table.

She felt a pang of jealousy and suspicion, wondering if Ken had been entertaining another woman.

As she strolled towards the bedroom, she couldn’t help but hear moans coming from one of the beds. She pushed open the door, and her heart sank.

She couldn’t believe what she saw. Her best friend, Janet, was having steamy sex with Ken, a man whom she had considered to be her Fiancé.

The room was dimly lit, and the sound of their moans filled the air. She felt a lump forming in her throat as she stood there, frozen in shock.

For a moment, she considered closing the door and pretending that she didn’t see anything. But the shock of the situation was too much to bear. She took a step into the room, and as she did, her eyes locked with Janet’s. Her expression went from one of pure ecstatic pleasure to one of horror as she realized that Chloe had caught them in the act.

There is no redemption for them now.

Ken, on the other hand, was still oblivious to her presence. He continued to thrust into Janet, completely lost in his own pleasure.

“No,” Janet yelled as she tried to push Ken away. “Stop, Ken… Chloe.” It was only then Ken stopped to look back and then finally realized that Chloe had been standing there.

They scrambled to get dressed, shame and guilt etched on their faces. Chloe watched them silently, feeling a mixture of rage and sadness wash over her.

“Chloe love, I thought you couldn’t make it.” Ken said as he shamelessly put on his trousers.

“Don’t you dare say my name with that filthy mouth of yours.” She snapped angrily, tears clouding her eyes.

“Janet? Ken? What is going on here?” she asked, searching for a reason, something believable.

“Chloe, I can explain..” Janet started in a small voice.

“Go on then, explain to you filthy pigs!” she snapped, even angrier.

“I can’t believe this, Janet, you were my friend, and you Ken, we’re supposed to get married!” The room went silent, nobody said anything.

“Look, Chloe. I’m a man too, you’ve been too busy with work; I’ve been lonely too.” He said with a small pout, Chloe’s mouth dropped in disbelief.

“Do you call that an excuse? Because I’m busy gives you the right to cheat on me? With my best friend??” Hurt very evident in her voice. “I rushed down all the way here, and to be met by this.”

“That’s why you should call me before coming to visit.”

She could feel the tears welling up in her eyes as she looked at him, searching for any sign of remorse or regret. But there’s nothing there.

He’s just standing there, staring at her with that blank expression on his face like he doesn’t even care.

“Janet, what is your excuse?” she asked curiously, as they had been friends since childhood.

“I really love Ken and, at this point, I don’t think I can give him up.” She declared.

“I can’t believe you would do this to me,” Chloe said, her voice trembling with anger and hurt. “How could you be so selfish?”

“I’m sorry, Chloe,” Janet said, but her apology fell flat. It was possible to tell that she didn’t really mean it. “But we don’t have to fear you anymore.”

“Why?” she whispered.

“It’s common knowledge, your father is dead, and we all know you’re broke. One way or the other, our relationship was meant to end.” Ken explained, his eyes were mocking her.

Chloe shook her head, feeling the tears starting to spill over. “That’s not true,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper. “You were dating me because of my money?”

Ken laughed, a kind of cruel and unforgiving laugh.

“Wait, did you think I dated you because I loved you? You’re too stuck up by how pretty you are and always talking about your feud with a co-star.” His voice was harsh and they stabbed her. “I wasn’t interested in your beauty, and you don’t even have the brains, your money was the deal-maker and since it’s now exhausted, what should I hang around?”

And with that, Chloe turned on her heels and limped out of his house, her heart heavy with the weight of his words. She could never have believed it, she was so blind, so foolish to think that he actually loved her.

She got in her car in the driveway. It was as though she was in a daze. Everything around her felt so surreal, like she was watching a movie instead of living her own life.

After what felt like hours, she got into her car and drove home. Tears filled her eyes, but she didn’t cry, there was no use crying over things that she had no control over.

She let out a laugh as she hit the throttle, going over 160 on the speedometer.