Finding Love – Episode 26

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CHAPTER 26✏

 

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♡♥♡♥♡♥♡♥♡♥♡♥♡♥

 

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“Doggone it!” Betsy yells in severe anger as she hit her bag ferociously on the floor. “How the fuck did iit happen for fuck sake!” She grunts.

 

Laura walks out from the kitchen, a cup of streaming coffee in her grip. She saw the red expression on Betsy face and her brows narrowed in confusion. “What’s wrong Bet?” She walked up to her.

 

“Don’t fucking call me Bet! Laura, don’t you ever!” She replied coldly to her, tears storing up in her eyes and threatening to fall.

 

“Hey there little sis. calm down” she gestured, leaving her coffee on a side stool and moving to her front.

 

“How the hell am I supposed do that! I almost fucking got caught! I could’ve gone to jail goddammit” she said, every iota of fury in her voice.. Laura’s eyes widen at her words. .

 

“Caught?” She repeated in fright, her eyes widely open in shock.. “What happened?”

 

Betsy breathing was ragged, it could be heard all over their shabby sitting room and she couldn’t seem to calm herself. The fear she inwardly occupied, wouldn’t let her.. she could very much hear Amelia’s word repeating in her ears as she held the bottle. She could feel the shrinking of her bones as she stared at her speechless-ly, the hotness of her blood and sudden dryness of her lips. It was the first time she had felt so scared and shocked at the same time, in her life.. It was the first time she felt so lost of words and breathes.. Her insides almost jumped up to her mouth as every living organ in her yelled only one word. . ‘Jail’.

 

The only place Betsy dread most after remaining in their current position for life.. she had friends that had been there and their tales made her never want to experience it. How could she have been so clumsy? Why didn’t she cross check when she kept the bottle?

 

When she had seen the whole melodramatic moves Leona and Liam played before her, every Fibre in her couldn’t wait to get rid of her.. seeing them, she knew her sister and her were at the loose end and that only means they’d be stuck in their present condition; one of her greatest fears and she could swear she wasn’t in her right senses after it. She just wanted to get them apart and pave way for herself, she didn’t even think of a next step, she just needed Leona out of the way but her over zealousness almost led to her end. She should’ve known Amelia wasn’t one to be taken lightly, she should have been extra careful or just act when she isn’t there.. “Answer me Betsy, what the fuck happened?” Laura asked impatiently.

 

Betsy could still vividly recollect every single thing that happened and each

 

reminisce sent a really cold shiver down her spine, releasing the frightening chills

 

to her skin.

 

Flashback–*

 

She managed to close her mouth but her feet still stayed glued to the ground, she couldn’t move.

 

“What are you doing with poison, Betsy?” Amelia asked her, a suspicious look still on her face. One thing that annoys Betsy most in this whole game, was Amelia smartness. If not for that plan would’ve gone smoothly according to the script but Amelia always have to be the poker that ruins it. “I-I..

 

She couldn’t voice out a proper word, her shock had hooked her to an unexplainable stage.. she couldn’t even feel her breath.

 

“And from the look of this, you’ve already made use of it. Did you kill someone?” Amelia asked her.

 

“Um..n..no. I-I didn’t kill” she stuttered.

 

“Then why are you with used poison?” She fired almost immediately and Betsy jerked really hard, she had never jerked up so hard in her life.

 

Her subconscious wouldn’t stop telling her how close her end was and slowly reality dawned on her. If Leona takes the coffee now that Amelia knows about the poison then she’ll no doubt pin it on her. She needs to stop her from taking it.. Why didn’t she think about all this from the scratch.. How could she let her anger completely take her whole body and movement..

 

“With your expression, I know you’re up to something Betsy. I never, not even once believed your pathetic drama. You’ve killed someone, haven’t you?” Amelia asked “is it for money or fame?” She asked and Betsy opened her mouth to talk when Amelia cut her off..

 

“Hold on.. For this to fall from you right after you stood up, then you’re trying to get rid of someone now or you have already done so to someone close by” Amelia asked, her voice cold. “Tell me who it is, Betsy!?” She asked, her voice impatient and serious.

 

Betsy hands shook violently. Amelia is such a quick thinker.. Her feet went patsy and it was a miracle that she didn’t fall to the ground right there.

 

“Answer me, you bitch!” Amelia raised up her hand to probably strike her or grab her and almost immediately, Betsy could only follow the next move that crossed her mind. She quickly collapsed on the floor, her frigid system and the shock from everything that had unfolded in her face, perfecting the act. She clung onto her

 

 

chest with her palm, squeezing it dramatically and at the same time gasping for air.. She made it look so real that even Amelia fell for it. Leona suddenly rushed out of her room and paused on her track when she saw Betsy on the floor, almost at the verge of unconsciousness. She quickly crouched at her front, holding her from falling.

 

“Breath Betsy, breath!” She called out to her, giving her air.. Betsy kept gasping and gasping..

 

“She’s in shock! Get some water, Amelia!” Leona said and Amelia quickly grabbed the water on the dinning table, dropping the bottle in its place, she gave it to Leona who released some of it on Betsy’s face, calling out to her at each sprinkle. Betsy finally let out a loud sigh, much to Leona’s relief.

 

She opened her eyes and slowly her breathing went back to normal but still had constant deep sounds.. As Leona help her stand and walked her to a chair Betsy quickly grabbed the bottle from the table and sat.. Now she just needs to get out of here and fast!

 

but first she needs to stop Leona from taking the coffee.

 

“Are you okay?” Leona asked her and she nodded. “Do you need a drink or something?”

 

“Yes, coffee” she answered.

 

“Amelia?” Leona called.

 

“Leave me out of the drama Leona. My yoghurt’s melting” Amelia said with uninterest, walking back to her yoghurt. Leona let out a small sigh and walked over to the dinning to pour her coffee from the mug..

 

“I don’t want hot coffee, I want a warm one” Betsy said.

 

“But I only have hot coffee here, should I just get you soda instead?”

 

“No. The coffee I gave you, I’m sure it should be warm by now. Have you drank it yet?” Betsy asked, her heart thumping as she waited for her response but she still kept the act.

 

“I haven’t. I’ll get it for you” Leona said before walking away. Betsy sighed in relief.

 

“Why do I feel like all this is an act, Betsy. You’ve always been a drama queen, it’s not surprising to me cos I know you inside out.. You’re doing this to get away from my question, right?” She asked and Betsy gave her a small look before staring away. “I don’t care about who must’ve killed or want to kill and I’m not surprised either but if you ever hurt Leona cos of her magnanimity, then I’ll not only take you to jail but you’ll also rot painfully in it and I’ll feed your cunning corpse to animals like yourself. Trust me!” Amelia spat. The words made Betsy tremble. Jail

 

 

was the only thing that registered in her head amongst others and it ignites a new deep pang of fear in her, it sliced through her rigid system, creating a rough piercing path as it cut through and she felt the pain..

 

Leona returned with the coffee and handed it to Betsy, she looked at it and the content didn’t looked like it had touched. She saw Amelia’s gaze on her from the corner of her eyes and she gently lifted the cup to her lips, she made her hand shake and it fell. The ceramic shattering on the tiled floor and the liquid spewing all over her body. Amelia scoffed at her.. One thing she couldn’t do was trust this girl even though her acts looks so believable. Maybe it’s because of the hatred she had for her right from college that resurfaced or the fact that her instinct just doesn’t go well with her.

 

“OMG! I’m so sorry Leona! I didn’t mean to do that!” She squeals in a sorry voice, bending to pick up the pieces.

 

“It’s okay Betsy. I’ll pack it, it’s nothing” Leona assured her.

 

“I feel really dizzy. I need to go home” she said, making her voice sound pitiable.

 

“Okay then. We’ll just talk about your favor tomorrow” Leona said and Betsy stood

 

up. She exchanged eye contacts with Amelia and the look she gave her, made the

 

hair on her skin rise. She quickly grabbed her bag and before Leona could say a

 

word, rushed out of the house.

 

Flashback End–*

 

“Betsy!” Laura shook her violently and she slowly turned her head to look at her.. She saw something more than fear, she was frightened to the bones. “What the fucking shit happened?” She asked in both annoyance, curiosity and fear. As a response, Betsy pushed past her to the table. She grabbed her laptop and in an instant connected it to the tracker that she had planted in Leona’s living room. The picture appeared in full and she watched, Laura hanging beside her.

 

“..she had poison. It fell right from her dress when she poured coffee” she sight Amelia at the corner of the room, telling Leona whose expression went to a deep frown.

 

“Poison?” Leona repeated, each letter making Betsy heartbeat shrink.. “You’re really certain that it was poison?”

 

“Totally.. It’s something I’ve come across before, the bitch couldn’t even deny it

 

and that makes it more true. I always knew that girl was up to something, I just

 

didn’t know what” Amelia said.

 

“What do you think?” Leona asked..

 

“There’s only one thing to all this Lee, for her to bring poison here then she has it mind to get rid of someone and for it to fall from her dress, then she wanted to do it

 

 

immediately, that was why she must’ve taken it from her bag and left it in her pocket” Amelia said. Betsy couldn’t almost feel her face, she felt empty.. Like a vast area. Amelia’s really putting the pieces in the right way!

 

The few talks Laura heard already made her understand what was going on and she, just as much as Betsy; feared.

 

“Wait.. Betsy brought coffee for me in my room even though I didn’t ask-

 

And the bottle fell from her right after she poured coffee and left the table; I was too engrossed in the TV then I didn’t know where she left for or if she had coffee with her but since you say she did.. Then I have no doubt that she liquid missing out in that bottle, was put in the coffee she brought for you” Amelia said and gasped.. Leona couldn’t help the shock on her face too.. It made her speechless. “Then she fakes an attack and asked for the coffee, knowing she had been caught and then pours it all over the place because it’s poisoned and she couldn’t drink it” Amelia finished the puzzle cleanly.

 

“She indirectly destroyed every evidence.. Look, no bottle of poison, no poisoned coffee! Damn that crazy bitch to hell!” Amelia cussed angrily.

 

“Oh my Goodness!” Leona’s shook..

 

She had almost been killed. She’s pretty sure she would’ve taken that coffee if she hadn’t been in the middle of trying to fit her legs through the pair of jean trouser she had chosen to wear.. She could’ve died! Betsy had planned to kill her all along! Betsy never changed, she had been a hypocrite all along.

 

“She’s been fooling us with her acts” Leona said.

 

“Not us, you. I never believed nor trusted her one bit. I was very skeptical about her, it was you who gave her a chance back.. Left to me, I wouldn’t have mind kicking her ass and shoving her back to her place on the streets.. I was so close to pinning her Leona but she faked that attack pretty well, I wasn’t in the most fooled by it but still I didn’t even know it was fake.. I didn’t think she’ll want to kill you right in my presence!.. She worse than the devil” Amelia pitched and quickly collected her phone from the chair.. She began to dial a number..

 

“What’re you doing?” Leona asked her.

 

“Calling the cops. I know she must have planned on going faraway after this.. Gosh, I still can’t believe I let her slip, I could’ve beaten her to a pulp or something before calling the cops. I hope they will to find her” Amelia said In regret before placing the phone on her ear.. She felt so angry knowing that she had let Betsy go with her acts.. Why hadn’t she done the sums earlier.. Why hadn’t she thought of this. How could she had let Betsy pathetic act fool her, just how?

 

“At least they might find the bottle on her” Leona assured her, chipping in.

 

 

“Betsy isn’t stupid Leona, it would be the first thing she’ll destroy once she gets out. She’s one cunning hypocritical son of a bitch!” Amelia said in despise.

 

Betsy was so sure her heartbeat must be echoing all over the room with the way it pounded her flesh. This time she feels like, she was having a real panic attack.. Her chest tightened and she felt herself gasping for air..

 

She quickly rushed to her bag, grabbed the bottle and ran out of the house, she kept running until she was sure that she was faraway from the house and with the strength she could muster up, she threw the bottle faraway from her sight and then plopped to the floor, breathing hard. Laura collapsed on the sands, few steps away from her, trying to steady her breath frok all that running.

 

Betsy yelled her lungs out, each vocal cords releasing their parts, her lungs and stomach squeezing to themselves as her voice echoed loudly in the vast area of the country side.. The lonely and quiet place they had moved to. Satisfying her ragged feelings with her screams.. calming her nerves and organs, heavy breathes followed after and calmly yet gradually it lessened.. everything suddenly became more clear to her, her time, her position, jail. Realization dawned on her fully and she sighed out.. An angry and determined expression took over her scared one. “It’s time for phase two” she said to herself, her gaze forward but focusing on nothing in particular. It made her think fast and clear. .

 

“What do you mean?” Laura asked her, coming close to her.. still trying to catch her breath.

 

“We’re at loose end, we can’t get to Leona anymore, at least not me. There’s no way we can get to her before she knows who Liam truly is but there’s still a way to make money out of it” Betsy said, making Laura give her a more confused look. She went on.. “is the warehouse still available?”

 

“Yes,” Laura answered in skepticism “What are your plans?”

 

“If getting money from Liam doesn’t work with a blackmail then we’ll have to get

 

it another way but this time, we’ll use Leona as the bait” Betsy smirked. The last

 

one failed and led to her being hunted by the cops but this one wouldn’t. . She

 

already has it all planned down. Thanks to her ever working mind even in her

 

worst moments. Once she gets what she needs, she’ll make sure she clears her

 

name from all the blacklists and begin life afresh. . This time with all her dreams of

 

extravagance coming to pass.

 

–***

 

The next morning, with still a heavy clueless mind about Betsy gestures, Leona readied herself for work and left.. leaving Amelia who was expecting Jackson to

 

 

pick her up. Last night had been one of her rough ones, all the amazing plans they had already mapped out for every hour of last night was spent on talking to the cops that Amelia had invited.. Leona was still in shock so Amelia did the explaining and answering. After the cops left with an assurance to do their best, they spent the night quietly, at least on Leona’s part. She already feels less perturbed about the whole Betsy drama cos she knew Betsy would certainly be on the run by now and it held no threat on her safety.. Betsy would never show up anywhere close to her domain and right now, she would be too busy hiding herself to send someone else to actuate her plans. That night after they went to bed, Amelia had brought up an interesting topic to lighten up the null atmosphere and calm her and Leona had made her promise not to tell her parents about any of the happenings which Amelia readily agreed to.. she couldn’t seem to take the thought of her head as she tried to sleep, at least for the sake of her job. She craved for Damien’s comfort and realized he had no idea about any of the things that happened cos if he had, he would’ve come running up to her and would never let her go, Leona smiled at the thought, it was the only thing that had made her smile since the past four hours and even though it wasn’t the best time to think about it, Leona realized wryly that she had fallen so much in love with Damien and she hadn’t even known it.. With a sigh she tossed on the bed and shut her eyes, she didn’t know when she fell asleep..

 

Amelia picked her bag up after she dropped Jackson’s call, he was waiting at the entrance for her.. she carried the bag in her palm fist, locked the door as Leona had told her to and walked out of the building.. She head to the entrance and at a corner, she saw Damien bent over his basket of cupcakes, arranging them.. she walked up to him.

 

“Hey!,” she called him and Damien turned, an uncertain look rested on his face when he saw her; he stood up and turned to her. She gave him a thorough blank look from his head down to his feet that were clad in a pair of tennis shoes. Her gaze moved back up to him.

 

“Honestly, I still don’t know what Leona sees in you and I still very much don’t trust you but Leona is an adult, she has a life of her own and I’m glad she finally decided to date again, to smile In a way that I’ve never seen and it’s truly unfortunate that you have to be that guy,” she continues “As you already know, she’s my best friend and even though you and I don’t get along at all, I care very much about her. I can’t change the fact that she chose you even though they’re like a zillion guys out there that are way better and I’m not accepting you either but

 

 

Leona has and I respect that as her friend seeing that it makes her happy” Amelia paused and gave him a really serious look now.

 

“Leona might not be a fierce girl but I am and just so you know, I’m a lady that enjoys throwing punches with assholes especially when the people I exceptionally care about get involved and trust me, with what I feel for you; I won’t hesitate to kill you if you ever hurt Leona and I’m not bluffing about it. So whatever plans you have up there, you better think twice before you do anything stupid, except you’re ready to die of course. I believe you’ll do the right thing” Amelia said each word with a serious and honest smile. .

 

“I won’t hurt her,” Damien said honestly “I love her and I didn’t lie about any of it, I care just as much about her; as you do and I’ll never hurt her feelings or do anything to make her cry. I promise” Damien said.

 

“Good for you then” Amelia shrugged before walking past him, she paused and added “And you don’t look so bad up close” she flashed him a smirk before walking to the entrance.

 

Leona took a sip out of the cola drink she had picked and gave Dave a small smile when she saw his gaze lurking on her face. He smiled back at her without looking away.

 

“What?” She finally asked him, getting uncomfortable with his constant stare.

 

“Is it wrong to stare when something unique catches your attention?” He asked in a tone that Leona couldn’t describe but she didn’t feel any comfort around it.

 

“Um..” her words trailed off, realizing she didn’t know what to say to his flirty compliment and she didn’t want to be tagged as a lady that had been rude to her boss.

 

“It’s okay to not say anything” Dave said. One thing Leona fancy about him is his calm nature and plain character. . Though she didn’t know if he was acting it up or it came naturally with him but she likes the fact that he doesn’t mix business with his emotions. Leona moistened her lips with her tongue and faced down. They’ve been sitted here for close to an hour and Leona had barely said a proper word.. she only spoke when she had to choose for herself what to drink.

 

Dave finally looked away from her and took a long sip from his drink, then looked back up at her..

 

“Tell me about yourself, Leona. I want to know more about you than your file reveals” he said and Leona tried to read more into his request but she only saw the plain honesty.. maybe because they weren’t really close.

 

 

“Um..what would you like to know?” She asked him, rounding her palm by the sides of the can of her drink.

 

“Your love life,” he said “Do you have a boyfriend?”

 

..

 

Damien dropped the call from his mother with a smile. He has missed her so much- work, his friends and his life back in America.. he missed that life but at the same time, he’ll miss this one as well. The sassy Amelia, pushy Betsy, his old yet loquacious friend Javier. .he’ll miss Bobby as well but he wouldn’t miss Leona, cause she’ll be right beside him the whole time.. would probably be his wife by then. He couldn’t imagine how quick he had found love again, it had always been easy for him but living this life, staying as a poor guy with barely anything tangible, and coupled with Mae’s soul touching heartbreak, he hadn’t expected love to come so quick.. he had only spent three months, one of which led him and Leona together and every moment had been special. She was different, he knew it and could feel it and he had a hint they were in for a very long time commitment, forever to be precise.

 

The ringing door bell pulled him into reality and he smiled, he was only expecting one person and he didn’t have any reason to doubt it was her, she’s probably going to give him an answer and he already had a hint as to what it would be. With an excited giggle, he walked to the door and pulls it open and his smile vanished almost immediately as he set eyes on her, a shock expression replaced the smile. She flashed him one of her pretty yet destructive smile, the smile of betrayal that he had once cluelessly fallen for.

 

“Hello, Liam Gonzalez” she said with a hoarse yet calm voice and it made him shiver, knowing that she recognized him caused him to still but on a second sense, he admits his eyes parts weren’t on their normal spot. “Or do I call you Damien?” Laura asked in a shrewd tone before pushing past him and walking into the house.. .