The Affair

"Please leave a message."

I can't contact Gale since this morning and I'm getting a little worried. I've been calling him for hours but he didn't even try to text me.

Maybe he's sleeping?

I don't know. I'm thinking crazy right now.

So instead of worrying, I let myself be drowned in my work. I've been working continuously without any break and I've been feeling a little fatigue already.

"When are you planning to take a rest? You've been working nonstop, Shana." Lau came into my office, holding a cup of coffee in one hand, setting it down on my desk before sitting down on one of my guest chairs.

"Thank you." I smiled at her, sweetly as I take a sip of the hot coffee. "I just had a lot of works and designs to plan." I am actually an editor-in-chief of a magazine called Fierce & Kisses. "When are we going out to club again? The other night was a mess because you're running from your sweet fiancé."

I rolled my eyes, I don't want to hear it again. "We just went clubbing the other night, Lau. I already used up my rest."

"Rest? Jeez, it took us months before you agreed on joining us to go to that club. Now, don't tell me that it will take me a year this time before I can make you agree." She dramatically swift her hair behind her back before grabbing the magazine that was resting on top of my coffee table.

I shake my head and silently laugh. My best friend is such a drama queen. Well, she is always the one who is willing to do everything just to have fun but she's not that bad. I used to be like her but work always gets in the way for me.

I was signing some files for approval when my secretary knocks on my glass door, I signalled her to come in. "Ms. Campbell, they are waiting for you in Room 2B."

I almost forgot that I have a meeting with the heads in a minute. "I'll be there." I told her then stands up from my office chair. "I will go on ahead." I playfully slap Lau on the cheek before running off try to the room where the meeting is going to be held.

It was already six in the evening when the meeting finished. And the storm outside is crazy. We were kinda busy because of this month's specials. A lot has been happening so we have to work over time.

When I got back in my office, I checked my phone and saw that I have a missed call from Leo. I wonder why. Because I was curious, I called him back.

"Leo, is something wrong?"

"Hey, I just saw your fiancé at the airport. I thought he won't be home until next week? And why didn't he used his private jet to land back here?" Leo starts to blabber.

My eyebrows touched in confusion. "He can't be. You should have your eyes check, Leo."

"No, I'm serious. It is Gale and it seems like his mind is too preoccupied that he didn't even looked at me when I was calling him."

"Then maybe you're just mistaken him with another guy who just looks like him." I stammered.

Leo groaned in reply. "Jeez, I am not dumb, Shanaya. I'm positively sure that it was your lovely fiancé." He stated with sarcasm. I've always known that he doesn't like Gale. From the very start, he obviously shows it even until now. And, I don't even know the reason.

Maybe that is the reason why I can't contact his phone but if he really is here, it's weird that he didn't use our private jet. Because if he didn't use it, it has something like he doesn't want me to know that he is already here because I need to contact the airlines first for any approval to land.

And the reason why Leo knows something like that is because he's a pilot and I let him be in charge of the private jet so he knows if someone in our family is going to use it.

"I will call him." I limitedly told Leo then ended the call without waiting what he will going to say after that.

I quickly head to the elevator. "Christie, I will be out for a few minutes." I told my secretary.

"Are you still going to come back Ms. Campbell?" She stood up from her desk I surprise of my sudden leave.

"Yes, I will. This will just take me for a few minutes." I assured her then hop inside the elevator then pressed the basement floor where the parking is.

I tried calling Gale while I was driving but like before, it is still in voicemail.

He said that he won't be back until next week. It was only last night when he called me so it is impossible if there are sudden change. He will call me for sure.

I was driving towards his condo. My apartment is not too far from his place though.

I parked my car in front of the condo building and got out.

"Excuse me, is Gale Archibald already here?" I asked lady in the front desk.

"Yes, Miss. Campbell. He just arrived a few minutes earlier to your arrival." She answered, politely.

Oh, so it is true. He is already here. I marched towards the elevator. When I got in, I bring out my phone if I could contact him again and finally this time, he answered.

"Gale, I've been calling you over and over. And why didn't you tell—"

"I'm very busy right now, Shanaya. I'm on a meeting with a client so don't try calling me. I will call you back when I'm free." His tone has a deep into it with irritation and cut the line immediately.

How dare he!

My blood starts to boil in anger. On a meeting, huh? Then what are you doing in your condo? You lying dog. Damn, your explanation should be good, Gale or I will really skin you alive.

The elevator door opens when I already reached for his floor and I quickly walk towards his door. I didn't bother to knock because I already have a card to his lock. I silently opened it, in case.

The entrance of his place is not directly to his living room. It still had this shoulder type wall giving me the chance to listen to who ever he is talking too without him noticing me.

And my heart thump rapidly when I realise that it is a woman that he is talking to.

"You fucking proposed to her?!" That is what welcomed me. That voice. My eyebrows touched in confusion. I know that voice. Oh fuck. Don't tell me.

"I have no choice! I need to marry her or else, all of my hard work will be nothing." Gale shouted back. "And why the fuck are you yelling at me? Are you getting tough now?"

"N-no, Gale." She told her and I already have the hint who the woman is. I just don't want to assume that it is her because I know my heart will broke once I peeked to find out who he is talking to. "Why does it always have to be her? She kissed someone at the club! She cheated on you!"

"And do you have any evidence?"

"I was there! I was there when I caught her kissing a stranger at the club. She's kissing Caius Bateman, Gale. You know how skilful that man is when it comes to woman and she fell for her tricks. She's not a woman worthy of you!"

"Shut up!" Gale's angry voice sounds so scary. I hate making him angry because I know what he is capable of doing. "Shanaya is the youngest daughter of the Campbell and she has the biggest inheritance from her deceased grandfather if she was the one who gets married first. Can't you see how amazing it will give me if I marry her now."

"But you can marry me, instead, Gale. I can give you more than anything Shana can give you." Her tone was begging. I can't believe I'm hearing this.

"Get up, you idiot. You look like a desperate woman when you kneel like that."

"I really am desperate to marry you, Gale. Please. Don't marry her, I'm begging you. I did everything that you did to me, I stayed by her side and watch her action, and I stayed loyal to you even if it hurts me seeing you and her together. I love you so much and I will kill myself if you leave me so you could be with Shana."

Oh that lying, backstabbing Bitch.

I am already controlling my emotions not to blurt them out.

How dare them.

"Don't you dare try to kill yourself." For the first time, I heard fear and worry in Gale's voice. He never shows his weakness to me and what I'm hearing is really shocking me.

"Then don't marry her."

"I-I can't make easy decisions like that right now."

"Then decide! Me or that nymph!"

I slowly peek through the wall because I can't stop myself anymore. I have to see them. Luckily, they are both facing other direction so they won't see me too easily.

"Shit, you! Of course it's you. It's always been you, Lau." My eyes widen seeing what's before me.

Gale pinned Lau on the wall to kiss her torridly and I have to bite down my lip so I could stop myself from screaming or yell at them.

Their kiss becomes savage as if like they are hungry for each other. I can't believe I just been cheated by my own fiancé and my best friend. My only best friend that I trusted ever since we were kids. All this time, she is lying behind my back.

Within seconds, their clothes were already torn away from them and that was the time that I marched in. This is too much. They are lying naked on his couch, with Lau on top of him, trying to give him some pleasure but my interrupting is just spot on.

I grab my phone to snap a photo of them of course for evidence first before I march in.

I grabbed the nearby flower vase that was peacefully on top of the table then threw it at them causing it to smash right on their naked bodies.

"You son of a bitch!" I shouted in anger and both of them reacts in a snap as they try to cover themselves.

"Babe!" Gale immediately grabs a nearby pillow to cover his thing.

Lau just covers herself with her hands and looks up to me like in horror. Their face became pale all of s sudden.

"Shanaya—"

"Don't touch me, Gale." I snapped, pushing his hands away from touching mine. "You traitors." I spat before turning to my best friend. "I trusted you."

Lau can't look at me straight in the eyes. But it got me so madder. Look at my eyes, you Bitch! I slapped her right on her cheek so hard and I didn't regret it. "I trusted you!" My voice cracked as I said that because I am holding back my tears. "How could you, Lau. After everything I've done for you, this is what you will repay me? God, I treated you like my own sister!"

"Yes, and you're always unfair, Shana." Lau faced with a menacing look. And that exact moment, that is not my best friend anymore. " I love Gale before you even met him. But I gave way because he doesn't love me. He loves you! You always have the best and you didn't even care about me. You always get what you wanted. The perfect job, the perfect life and you had the perfect boyfriend."

My tears automatically runs down my cheeks. "And that doesn't prove anything that you should betray me."

"It is! For once, I fight for what I really want. I try to steal Gale from you and I succeeded. And you don't know how happy I was. That night when you two had a fight last Valentine's Day, I used that opportunity to have him. And I did, he slept with me without any second thoughts."

"Shut that mouth already, Lau!" Gale taunted, giving the room a second of silence because of his tone.

And that moment, my mind just went blank. So they have been doing this for a year now. I should have know. I'm such an idiot. I should have foreseen it.

"You chose her, right?" I faced Gale's huge figure, coldness in my tone. My eyes shooting daggers at him. "Then be with her. You're free to do whatever you want now. You two should be very happy." That was the only thing I said before storming out of the room but Gale grabbed my arm to turn me back to him but I slapped him directly to his cheek. And it leaves a loud sound.

"The next time that you two are doing this again to someone else, do it a lot better so you couldn't be screwed right on the act. You're desperation is sick, Lau." I stated then take that opportunity to leave.

Even if it is storming, the rain is too heavy, I manage to run inside my car. I was so wet but I didn't care. I drove the car in speed and all of my emotions just came out right now. I was driving to places that I do not even know. I just need to run and be somewhere that is far away.

The storm makes it harder for me to see the road so I don't know where I am right now. And addition to that is the tears in my eyes. Everything is blurry. And I've been driving for almost ten minutes in a very fast speed. I can hear car honking at me as whenever I am so close on crashing into them.

I've reached this road that is not familiar with me because the direction of this place is towards the other small villages that is very different from the city.

My mind is blank right now.

That scene just keeps on coming back to my mind.

Why I haven't noticed that yet?

Now I know why Lau is always contradicting to my decisions when I'm planning something special to Gale. When I asked her to double date with me when I found out that she is dating something and she always refuses. Now it make sense, because we are dating the same guy. And that time when we were in the club when she caught me kissing some random stranger.

I wish I should found out sooner.

Sooner or not, it was too painful. Knowing that my own best friend betrayed me and broke my trust. She knows how hard for me to trust someone and she still did. I think it would be easier to accept that he replaces me with another girl that I don't even know.

I got too carried away of my emotions that I didn't remember that I'm still driving. My mind is too preoccupied to that point that I didn't know what to do when my car suddenly went to a wrong direction causing the car to turn in speed and I started to panic. My car hops on to the wrong bumpy path and since the road is slippery, I loose control of it and the whole car spins as it crashes. And with that exact moment, I can't feel my body anymore.

Until, I lost consciousness. I guess I'm going to die after what they did to me.

---

"Hurry! She is loosing too much blood!" I heard voices.

I can feel myself lying and someone is pushing it really fast. I can't feel my body anymore.

I can't open my eyes properly. It feels heavy.

What's going on? My mind starts to wander around. Not in its proper thought.

"Get out of the way! Move, move! This woman needs to be in the operating room this instant. She is losing too much blood."

Someone is pressing pressure around my chest and the reason why I can still breathe properly is because of this thing around my nose and mouth, probably giving me the oxygen that my system needs. I try to open my eyes with all of my strength and I manage to open half of my eyelids. And I can see the white ceiling and the blinding lights.

But that is all I can do for now until darkness envelops me once again.

As the sound of people are slowly drifting.

-----

Where am I? There is something hard around my forehead, around my arm, on my leg and I can't move many parts of my body and it is very painful.

I can't open my eyes.

"Good evening, Doctor. This is the patient who was caught in the accident." I heard a soft voice spoke, informing someone.

A nurse?

"She's the one?" A deep manly voice replied then a cold and rough hand was placed on top of mine. "Did you contact any family member?"

"Not yet. She doesn't have any bag or any identification that can help us contact her family."

My family.

Gale.

Lau.

"Apparently the storm outside is too strong so we can't use any mobile phones properly." The nurse, I guess, informed the man she is talking to. "It would be easier if she is carrying some id or a phone so we could know her name. I'm afraid that no one in this hospital even knows her."

"I know her..."

To be continued