Chapter 2 The Biggest Betrayal

Athena's pov

My knees went weak instantly. Dylan knelt in front of everyone and asked Christie to marry him and everyone cheered them on like they weren't doing one of the worst things in the world.

I felt the room spin all round me like I had been hit by a stone to the head. My eyes watered instantly and I felt my body grow weaker by the minute.

I staggered against the table, causing the glass on it to shatter to the floor and all eyes were turned on me instantly. Including

Dylan and Christie.

“Athena? You're here too? I'm glad you could join in our joy.” He smirked, pulling Christie close to him and kissing her like she was all that mattered to him.

The speed at which Christie reciprocated the kiss was so shocking that it was enough to send a knife to my chest.

My lips were trembling. “Dylan, tell me that this is a sick prank. Just say that it's a sick prank and I promise I'll believe you, I—” I went numb when Christie flashed the ring in my face.

“Does this look like a prank to you? I'm wearing his ring, with my name embedded in it and you still think it's some sick prank. That's ten million sitting on my finger." She flashed it one last time in my face and that was when it all hit me.

The ten million dollars wasn't for him. He wanted to get a ring for her, he used me so he could propose to my best friend and marry her. My hands went straight to my head as I held it like it would explode any minute.

“So that's why you asked for that money?” I mumbled, slowly raising my head to look at him. “ You just wanted to buy a fucking ring! Not for me, for her? What did I ever not do for you, Dylan?” My chest tightened so much that I could barely breathe.

Dylan's wicked grin reached his eyes, I could clearly see how dark it was. “Oh come on, Athena. Did you really think that because we were together all those years that I was going to end up with you? Girls like Christie always hit home, you are just one of the ones who make it easier for us.”

Christie nodded to his words, her body jammed to his like she wouldn't let go. “I mean, I warned you about him actually. I told you he's not good for you.” She snickered.

She knew everything, yet she kept a front, lying to me about it and acting like she was looking out for me when in actual truth, she aided him. They had been together for years and I had no clue.

The whispers around reminded me that we weren't alone. We were surrounded by people who were possibly students or people who wanted to join in the fun. I remained paralyzed while my friends fought for me.

“Christie, are you insane? What's this?” Mira launched at her while Ariel hurried to my side to keep me from falling apart but it was already too late. People were beginning to take pictures and videos and I couldn't bring myself to cover up.

Christie's heart-wretching laugh made me feel even worse. “Poor Athena. Look at her, she's too stunned to speak.” She pinched the bridge of her nose and went on. “Don't worry, Dad got all the money. You don't need ten million for anything, do you?” Those words automatically fell into echoes when I snapped out of my friend's hold and walked out of the damn room.

The whispers got harsher with each increasing second, Mira and Ariel hurried towards me, both of them were thinking I was about to lay myself on the road and let a car run over me.

I was almost at the door when Ariel pulled me back with those hands that felt too strong to be hers. “Where the fuck are you going to?” Her voice went up and down in harsh tones.

I just stared at her. “I need to leave here. I can't stay here.” I was fighting back tears, there was no way that I was going to explode in front of them like that. I was helpless against my own emotions. I felt the walls behind my eyes beginning to tear open.

“Guys, I need to get out of here. I can't—”

“Really?” Ariel's voice came in again. “Are you really not going to fight for your relationship? Letting Christie think that she has won against you?” Ariel held both my arms and shook them together. She was trying to get me cry at all cost but it wasn't working.

I let out a sharp exhale, gently her hands off me. “You can stay or whatever but I'm leaving. I see you two at school tomorrow.” I turned and pushed the door open before any of them could make out any words.

My face was getting hot. It could feel it coming but I wasn't going to let it out there so I turned and kept walking until I caught a club in sight. Like a teenager excited about their first sex, I walked into the club without thinking straight.

No, I needed to release myself.

✯✯

It didn't take minutes for me to be as drunk as a man who had nothing left to his name. I was more heartbroken and getting drunk to let it all out was the move I chose to make and shockingly, it worked.

I sat down by the counter, drowning what seemed to be the ninth glass when it all came washing down on me finally. I felt myself shatter completely on the table, hot tears rolled down with control and hell, it made me feel like I was on the verge of dying.

Will you marry me, Christie?

To think that he had the guts to propose to her after he had won the game, ditched me and thought that I wasn't going to find out about it. He had it all planned, he just didn't think I was going to show up.

God, I have been so stupid. All those years, every sacrifice and every lie I had to build just so he could stay with me and never leave. And he had to finish it off with my best friend who pretended all these years to hate him.

We've been together since high school and we've been through tough times together.

I slammed my palm against the table and decided I wasn't going to sulk on it anymore. I was going to dance the fucking night away, no, it's all a dream and Dylan was definitely playing a silly trick on me.

I drowned the last cup, letting it burn my throat before joining the ladies on the dancefloor. Thankfully, I wasn't wearing any heels, I would have had my face smashed to the floor with how drunk I was. I forced myself to get excited, wanting to let out more steam that was going to burn me in the ass later.

Somewhere in the crowd, I noticed a pair of blue eyes watching me in the dark. For a minute, he watched me dance. His eyes lingered on me longer than the men around and I could swear that I was dying to know what was going on in his mind.

I dared myself to get him to walk up to me. I was still setting my plan into motion when a shadow towered over me. A guy came to standing close to me, he grabbed my arm to pull me with him.

“Hey, you pretty thing. You'll be warming my bed tonight. Come on!” He kept pulling me but I wouldn't budge. I was drunk but I was definitely conscious of men that were perverts.

“Hey, what are you—” A pair of warm arms wrapped themselves around my waist, pulling me so close that I felt like I was going to jolt out of my body.

“Back off boy. She's not for your entertainment.” He barked at the pervert in front of me but he didn't move. In one swift move, I was standing behind this sexy stranger. My lips quickly brushed against his coat, tainting my lips with his scent.

God, he smelled so heavenly that I tried to keep my thoughts pure from imagining the wildest things.

“Are you waiting for a trial or will you easily find your way back to your seat?” The words were enough for the pervert to take a few steps back and disappear into the darkness. From behind, I admired the angel that saved me from ending up in the wrong bed.

When he was sure that the perv was gone, he turned to me. His eyes lingered on my body like it had done earlier, eager and hot, like they had something far more dangerous for me in them. I held on to the pole, my body moved dangerously on its own, dancing and twisting its self around the pole.

He watched keenly, like he couldn't wait to see what else I could do. He leaned in, eyes searching in mine. “Wanna go somewhere else?”