Cherreads

Chapter 33 - Gone Love Gone (chapter thirty-three)

The Little You Know, the Safer You Are, But No, She Just Wants More.

June sat with a poised elegance, a blooming smile gracing her lips as she rested her arms on her knee, her other leg casually crossed over. Her gaze was set on the speech in her hands, the words imprinted in her mind, but her thoughts wandered.

In the audience, Dora's hands fidgeted relentlessly, tapping at invisible points in the air. Her heart drummed a frantic rhythm against her ribs, a silent prayer woven into her every breath. Please, let this go well. Let everything unfold as I envisioned. Let my wedding not turn into a disaster.

She wasn't worried about June's skills, she trusted her completely. What she feared was her mother. And when it came to her mother, one wrong word was a sharp rip in an otherwise perfect dress. A flaw too big to overlook.

June exhaled and began. Her voice carried across the room, confident yet laced with an edge of intrigue.

"You claim to have broken your friendship years ago," she started, her eyes settling on the two women before her. "Can you tell everyone why?"

The tension in the room shifted.

Across from each other, the two former friends exchanged glances. Their lashes fluttered, a silent conversation unfolding between them, one that only they understood. June didn't miss it. She took an extra second to observe, picking apart the unspoken words hanging between them.

Then, in almost synchronized motion, they tore their eyes away from each other and faced forward.

"Because she was too perfect to fit into my world," Dora's spoke, her voice sharp, unyielding. "She always had to do things her way, and I didn't need a friend like that. Neither do I want my daughter to have a friend of her kind."

Dora's fingers immediately went to her forehead, rubbing in frustration. Great. This was exactly what she was afraid of. But had June listened to her concerns? No. June did as she pleased.

"Oh, please," June's mom scoffed, rolling her eyes so hard they nearly left their sockets. "As if I begged you to stay. Even I want my daughter to have nothing to do with you or your daughter."

A hushed gasp rippled through the audience.

The tension thickened like an oncoming storm. Dora's mother's gaze met June's mom in a silent battle, two opposing forces, two glares locked for two charged seconds. Then, with a dramatic huff, they turned away, both muttering something under their breath.

June kept her expression neutral. She was used to moments like this. She leaned forward slightly and continued, her tone even.

"So, your friendship ended because she insisted on getting things done on her terms?"

"Not quite," June's mom replied, her voice quieter this time. She paused, fingers curling in her lap. The memory was still a bitter pill to swallow. "The real reason I ended our friendship was because of what she did. She hosted a party, everyone in our circle was invited. Everyone… except me."

A hush settled over the room.

Her lips pressed into a thin line as she continued, "At first, I thought maybe my invitation had gotten lost. I waited for days, expecting a call, a message, anything. But nothing came. Then, on the night of the party, I saw it happening, just two gates away from my house." She let out a dry laugh, void of humor. "She was there, laughing, celebrating with our classmates… as if I never existed."

A heavy pause.

"It felt like I didn't matter to her anymore. So I did the only thing I could, I cut her off the next day."

June studied her mother's expression carefully before shifting her gaze to the Dora's mom.

"You think that was intentional?" June asked

"I didn't invite you because you always complained about how extravagant my parties were,"Dora's mom replied, her tone defensive yet remorseful. "You always said you weren't fond of them, so I figured… I'd spare you the trouble."

"But you could have sent the invitation anyway," June's mom shot back, her voice unsteady with emotion. "I may have complained, but I always showed up. No matter how much I hated the extravagance, I came, for you. That night, when I saw you having fun without me, it… it hurt."

A heavy silence stretched between them.

Communication is the key to every relationship. When it is lost, relationships crumble. A simple misunderstanding had been stretched over the years, left to fester, all because neither of them had spoken up.

"I never realized how much it hurt you," Dora's mom admitted, her voice softer now.

From where she sat, Dora blinked, startled. She turned sharply to look at her mother. Her mother, who was usually sharp-tongued and proud, was speaking with an unfamiliar gentleness. It almost felt like an alien had taken her place.

June smiled to herself. This was exactly the ending she had predicted. In the end, the two grown children inside the women found their way back to each other, stepping forward and wrapping into a warm embrace.

….

And right after that episode, they were at the store said to be owned by a famous designer. Both girls ready to set for the king day ahead of fittings and finding the right dress for their big day.

"June."

She turned at the familiar voice, arms already lifting before Dave pulled her into a warm embrace.

Her fingers traced the back of his ear as she breathed in the familiar scent of mint and cocoa, his scent, the one that always brought her comfort.

"You're late," she murmured, her gaze locked onto his.

"How should I punish you?"

A smirk tugged at the corner of his lips, but before he could respond

"Alright, you two, that's enough," Dora's voice cut in, slicing through their moment like a blade.

June sighed as she turned to face her friend, who stood with arms crossed, her eyes filled with both amusement and longing.

"Have mercy on those of us with no partners to cozy up with," Dora joked, rubbing her arms for warmth.

"Speak for yourself," another voice chimed in.

They turned to find Jane standing wrapped in her own lover's arms, smiling warmly at them.

Dora groaned under her breath. One couple wasn't enough—now there had to be another?

"Great," she grumbled, "Why, oh why, God of romance?"

"James and I are here to help you guys make your final choices," Jane announced, linking arms with her fiancé. "Since we're the best man and maid of honor, after all."

Dora's eyes narrowed. "You, I have no problem with," she muttered. "But did he have to come along?"

James let out a chuckle. "Hey, don't blame me because your fiancé is too busy working to be here. If anything, he should be cooling your temper instead of sitting in an office."

His laughter died instantly under Jane's sharp gaze.

That was the unspoken rule, no one taunted them in front of each other.

"Alright, enough stalling," Dave interjected.

And so the fitting began.

Hours passed in a blur of fabric, colors, and careful selections. The bridesmaids pored over their choices, while Dora, ever the perfectionist, repeated her selections over and over again until she settled on the perfect gown.

Then came June's turn.

She knew exactly what she wanted.

Stepping out, she took a slow breath as eyes turned toward her. The room fell into a stunned silence.

Her gown hugged her figure in all the right places, the white fabric shimmering under the lights. Delicate beads embroidered the bodice, trailing down to where the excess fabric kissed the floor. Thin straps rested on her shoulders, barely there, teasingly fragile.

"So? What do you think?" she asked, smoothing her hands down her hips.

"Beautiful," James murmured.

"Breathtaking," Dora added.

"But doesn't it bring bad luck for the groom to see the dress before the wedding?" Jane pointed out.

June tensed slightly, but Dave only smirked.

"Myths," he said. "Nothing will stop me from marrying you."

….

The tray landed with a harsh slap against the cold floor, the metal rattling loudly in the dimly lit room. The sound made Beth flinch, her frail body curling in on itself. Her arms wrapped instinctively around her knees, but the ache in her stomach clawed at her insides, reminding her of how long it had been since she'd last eaten.

She lowered her gaze to the so-called meal before her, a sickening mess of rice, tainted with unnatural colors, soaked in an unidentifiable, foul-smelling liquid. Her stomach turned. She fought back the urge to gag, but even that was a battle against her already weakened body.

"I'm not eating that," she rasped, her voice hoarse from hours, maybe days, of captivity. The second the tape was ripped from her lips, she sucked in a deep breath before screaming, desperation coating every syllable. "Let me out!"

A slow, mocking clap answered her.

Lizzy.

The woman stood in the doorway, arms folded, a smirk twisting her lips in an unsettling way. Her eyes, dark, hollow, yet brimming with something unhinged, were locked onto Beth like a predator amused by its prey.

"Not eating?" Lizzy purred, her voice laced with venomous amusement. "That's fine by me, little one. You can starve for all I care."

Beth swallowed thickly, clenching her fingers into her torn sleeves. The hunger clawing at her ribs made her dizzy, but the fear tightening her throat was worse.

"My parents will find me!" she shot back, forcing her voice to be stronger than the tremor in her chest. "They'll come for me, and you'll be in big trouble."

Lizzy didn't flinch.

Instead, she laughed.

A slow, crooked chuckle that slithered through the dim space like poison. The sound wasn't just mocking, it was twisted, warped by something much darker than anger.

Beth's entire body stiffened. Something inside her warned her, this woman wasn't just cruel. She was broken. Beyond repair.

Lizzy stepped forward, her heels clicking softly against the concrete. With every step closer, the air grew heavier, suffocating, as though the room itself shrank beneath her presence.

"Oh, sweetheart," Lizzy crooned, tilting her head. Her smile stretched, but it was devoid of warmth, only a cruel, gaping wound of malice. "I want them to find you."

Beth's breath hitched.

"But it won't be while you're still breathing."

Lizzy's voice was quiet, eerily soft.

Beth felt her heart stop.

Her fingers dug into her arms, curling tighter against her body, trying to make herself smaller, as if that could shield her from the woman who stood above her, dripping in quiet madness.

This couldn't be real.

She was too young to die.

And if she was going to die, why like this?

Why in the hands of her father's insane ex-girlfriend?

Her chest rose and fell in quick, uneven breaths. She didn't know which fear was worse, the thought of her life ending here, in this filthy, suffocating space… or the monstrous hunger that made her stomach churn, gnawing at her bones with an agonizing ache.

Lizzy crouched down, her long fingers reaching out, gripping Beth's chin with a vice-like hold.

"That day…" Lizzy whispered, her gaze distant, far away, not looking at Beth, but through her, as though she were trapped in a different time. A nightmare she never woke from.

"That day, I called him. Begged him."

Beth shuddered at the way Lizzy's fingers trembled, not in fear, but in rage.

"I was in pain. Dying."

Her grip on Beth's chin tightened painfully. Beth whimpered, but Lizzy didn't seem to notice.

"But he… he didn't come."

Beth saw it then, the raw, unfiltered madness in Lizzy's eyes.

"He was with you."

Lizzy's face twisted, her nostrils flaring as she let out a ragged breath.

"Out there. Having fun. Laughing. While I lay there… bleeding. Screaming. Begging for him to save me."

The words cracked. A dry, breathless laugh followed, but this time, it wasn't mocking, it was shattered.

Beth felt the weight of it. The depth of her insanity wasn't just born from anger, it was carved from grief. From something lost.

Lizzy's fingers dug deeper into Beth's skin, nails biting into the soft flesh.

"I lost my child because of you."

Beth's eyes widened.

"Because of you."

The words carried so much hatred, so much pain, that for a moment, it almost felt like the walls shook with them.

Lizzy's breath came out ragged, her chest rising and falling with heavy, broken gasps. Tears welled in her eyes, but they didn't fall. They burned there, trapped, just like the twisted agony clawing at her insides.

Beth wanted to speak, to say anything, to plead. But her voice refused to work.

Lizzy inhaled sharply, then, without warning, let go of Beth's chin with a forceful shove.

Beth gasped, coughing as she fell back against the cold floor.

Lizzy straightened, rolling her shoulders, her expression shifting from grief to something far more terrifying.

"You have to die."

The words were final. Inevitable.

"That's the only way out."

Beth's pulse pounded so hard she could barely hear anything beyond it. She needed to think. She needed to move. But fear had her frozen.

Lizzy took slow, deliberate steps back, her arms crossing as she watched Beth wither in terror.

"If you want to eat," Lizzy said, her voice sweet, too sweet, too calm for the chaos in her eyes, "then eat. But just know… it'll be your last meal."

She turned toward the door. Her laughter echoed as she disappeared into the darkness.

The lock clicked.

Beth was alone again.

Her body shook violently, tears welling in her eyes as she curled into herself.

She thought of her father's voice, the way he always whispered comforting words when she had nightmares.

So she clung to them now, whispering the poem under her breath.

Because if she stopped speaking, if she let silence take over, she feared she'd start to believe Lizzy's words.

She feared she'd start to believe she wasn't getting out of this alive.

….

The boys stood waiting while the girls finished their final preparations before departing.

Dave leaned against the car, hands in his pockets, when a vibration against his thigh made him shift. His phone buzzed. He hesitated before pulling it out, staring at the screen, debating whether to ignore it.

But then, curiosity, or perhaps something deeper, won out.

He swiped the screen.

"Meet me once. Please, just this once. After that, I promise I'll leave for the US and never come back."

Bella.

Her voice, soft, pleading, edged with desperation, filtered through the speaker.

"I can't," he replied without hesitation.

"Dave, if you don't come… I swear, I'll kill myself. I'm not asking for much, just one meeting. You have thirty minutes."

The call cut off before he could answer.

His jaw clenched.

"If that was her, don't take whatever she said seriously," James spoke up, crossing his arms. "She's nothing but bad news."

Dave remained silent for a moment, debating. He wanted nothing to do with Bella. Their chapter was over, and he wasn't about to let her drag him into her games again.

But there was one problem, she was his patient.

And her test results had confirmed something unsettling, she wasn't stable.

What if this wasn't just another manipulative stunt? What if ignoring her led to something fatal?

"You decide, Dave," James pressed, eyes serious. "June or her? In less than a minute, June will be out here. What do you want her to think when she finds you gone?"

Dave's hands tightened around his phone. He knew he should stay. He knew leaving now would hurt June.

Then, another buzz.

He checked the screen, a video notification.

His stomach dropped.

He clicked it open.

The screen lit up with an image of Bella.

She sat in front of a mirror, a sharp knife glinting in her hand. Without hesitation, she dragged the blade across her wrist.

Crimson bloomed.

"I'm not playing, Dave. Come, or you'll have a dead patient."

His breath caught. His chest tightened.

"Dave…" James exhaled when he saw the flicker of dread in his friend's eyes.

And he knew.

He knew Dave would go.

The Setup

"Will he show up?"

Bella sat before the mirror, dabbing at the bandage around her wrist.

A lazy smirk curled her lips as she met her own reflection.

"He will," she murmured, voice smooth, confident. Because Dave would never let anyone die on his watch. It was so like him.

The knock came precisely on time.

Her lips parted in delight as she shot to her feet, hurrying to the door.

She pulled it open, her smile wide and welcoming.

"You're here!"

Her arms wrapped around him, pulling him into a warm embrace. His body remained stiff. Cold. Unresponsive.

Her expression faltered.

"You don't look happy to see me," she noted, her voice dipping. A frown ghosted her lips as she tugged him inside. Her fingers latched onto his wrist, guiding him as if this were just another day in their past.

"Is it because I was late for our date?" she asked innocently. "Dave, I told you, Mom fell sick. I had to be there for her."

Dave's brows furrowed. Date?

His confusion deepened when she turned, reaching for the top shelf.

A bottle emerged.

Cherry wine.

"Your favorite." Her voice was soft, fond. Almost childlike. "I've been saving for months to get this for you." She turned to face him, eyes bright. "Happy birthday, Dave."

His breath hitched.

The past.

That year, on his birthday, they had celebrated alone in his dorm room. She had saved up for months just to buy him that wine. They had drunk too much. Laughed too much.

Then, one thing led to another.

Hands roamed. Fingers tangled in hair. Bodies pressed closer.

It was the first night they had been intimate as a couple.

And now, she was reliving it.

"Bella…"

"And yes," she suddenly turned to the mirror, gesturing with enthusiasm. "Meet my friend, Josephine."

Dave froze.

There was no one there.

Nothing but an empty reflection staring back.

"Bella," he said carefully, scanning her face. The test results had suggested mental instability, but this… This was worse than he imagined.

"There's no one there."

Her head snapped toward him. Her expression darkened.

"Don't be silly," she scolded lightly, before turning back to the mirror. "That's Josephine, right there. We've been friends for five years now. Josephine, say hi to Dave, my boyfriend."

Dave exhaled sharply, rubbing his hands down his face.

This was bad.

This was really bad.

"I need to get you to a hospital," he said, his tone firm but gentle.

The second the words left his mouth, her entire demeanor shifted.

Her expression darkened.

The warmth in her eyes vanished.

She took a step back, her body going rigid.

"Why would you take me to a hospital?" she whispered, voice laced with suspicion. "Do you think I'm mad? Is that it?"

"No," he replied quickly. "But you need help, Bella. The right kind of help."

His hand reached for hers.

"Come with me."

For a moment, she stared at his outstretched hand.

Then, she smiled.

"Fine," she said lightly. "But first, have a drink with me. Today's your birthday, after all. Let's have a toast."

She handed him a glass.

He hesitated.

But then, he just wanted this over with.

He drank.

The second the wine hit his throat, the world tilted.

He took one step forward, and missed.

His vision blurred. The walls twisted and swayed before his eyes.

The floor beneath him wasn't steady anymore.

He turned to Bella, who stood there, watching, smiling.

A knowing, victorious smirk.

His stomach churned.

"Bingo."

Her voice rang with mocking delight.

Realization slammed into him.

The wine.

She drugged it.

His knees buckled.

She caught his face, fingers tracing his jaw. Her eyes, dark and unreadable, held his.

"Don't worry," she cooed. "I'm going to take good care of you."

Then, she leaned in, pressing her lips against his, stealing a kiss.

Dave could barely lift his arms. His body was betraying him.

And then, his phone was gone.

Bella held it, her fingers scrolling through his contacts.

Her eyes landed on the one name she knew would cut the deepest.

"Wife."

A twisted smile graced her lips.

"June," she whispered, pressing the call button.

"You see, I own the last laugh."

More Chapters