BETRAYAL

13

~Earlier that Saturday~

Winnie finally reached the top of the cliff, the cold early morning breeze blew on her bare legs. Her legs which were already weak from so much walking and climbing. She felt so dizzy, the world felt like it was spinning. She held the nearest tree beside her to prevent herself from falling.

Her stomach growled due to hunger, she didn't have a proper meal since when her mother decided to lock her in her room, she wished at least she would have finished her meal with Calvin and Katherine before fleeing, but eating was the least of her worries back then.

She could have just bought the food on her way there, or while she was on the bus; the bus stopped in several places for bathroom breaks and food breaks but she didn't have enough money with her.

She couldn't bring enough cash with her because that required a pocket or a purse but evening dresses don't have pockets and taking her purse with her in the bathroom could erupt some suspicious from Calvin and that was the last thing she needed. She also couldn't take her credit cards or phone with her incase Calvin decided to track her using them.

She was being extra careful, that was the safest option. Calvin is rich and although she didn't know him that much she knew he is crazy enough to do all sort of things to bring her back. After five years of bribing her family so that they can agree to marry her off to him she is bound to know that much. So she was only stuck with the few bills she was able to stuff in her bra before leaving their house.

She didn't intend to go there at first, but the last thing she knew she was in the bus heading there. It was an eight hours ride from the city to there.

Maybe it's good that she went there, maybe that is what she needed to do in order to be able to start over. A fresh start, if that's even possible. She thought.

She slowly walked towards the end of the cliff and peeked down to see the river flowing, she felt her heart breaking. The height!! it was too far. The river current also seemed so strong. And the waterfall that was just few feet away.... The thought of Michael falling from up there was enough to make her want to puke, her legs gave away and she fell down crying.

"How painful must it have been falling from here!! I'm sorry you had to go through this, I'm really really sorry Michael."

"You shouldn't have come here, you should have just stayed behind with me," she wept.

"Michael what am I going to do!? How should I live now? How could you leave me like that??"

"It's been five years and I can't seem to move on. I tried to work so hard. I thought by working so hard maybe I would forget about you but even the slightest thing you ever did reminded me of you. The three years I spent with you made me forget all the memories I had before you came to my life, all my memories now are filled with you. Now that you're gone the only thing I feel is sadness and emptiness," she sobbed.

"This is so unfair! Why did this have to happen to you? You were nothing but a good person, you were a good son, good friend. How can God just take you like that?" she cried angrily.

Winnie stayed there crying, she didn't even notice the hours that passed by. She just stayed there. For some reasons being there made her feel closer to Michael. She didn't want to leave. That was supposed to be a goodbye, so how can she easily leave? Why did this have to happen to him in the first place? She cried even more.

She remembered the day she met Michael, it was the day she was joining the university. Her parents insisted to drive her there but she refused, it was an eleven hours drive to her university and she just thought it would be hard for them to take her there and return.