Cartel│Mark Lee

Darker path

It wasn't all new to me. The glamour, the thirst I had for money. I felt accomplished somehow as I overlooked the people below me. The party was still ongoing despite my sudden appearance that shocked everyone here. The glass in my hand felt heavy as I swirled it around. I was alone, only overlooking others around me. "Vanessa." His voice was all too familiar and I beamed at the sound. I turned around to see Jaehyun, smiling at me and slightly shaking his head. A single sigh escaped my lips as I rushed toward him. I hugged him tenderly as he gladly accepted my embrace. "You know, next time you skip town do you mind letting me know first?" He mumbled into my hair as we were still embracing. I giggled and let go of him. "Of course I will, even though that will not happen again." I raised an eyebrow at him and he ruffled my hair. 

I gave him a playful look as I fixed my hair and straightened out my black dress. "I was very heartbroken by your apparent death." He looked at me like I was supposed explain something more to him. "I cannot tell you how happy I am to see you." He grabbed my hand and lightly kissed it. I smiled at his polite action. "You are someone I missed very much during my disappearance." It was true, I did sometimes think about my friend Jaehyun from time to time. He was someone who always wanted the best for me and I was genuinely thankful for him. "Vanessa forgive me but I am not quite falling for that heroic story Mark had to tell about your 'death'. You ran away to save your life and others?" He questioned me with a grin on his lips. "What is there not to believe? That is the truth." I gulped down the remaining liquid in my cup. "If I know you at all, you wouldn't of dared to give up everything for someone else's life Vanessa. Your class is superb but you are not that person Mark described." I should have been offended by his words but when my mouth opened to speak no words came out. Instead I called for a waiter nearby to refill my drink.

"I guess you don't know me as well as you think then." I softley laughed nervously as the waiter refilled my glass. "Vanessa I thought I made it clear after our business deal that you could run to me whenever something was wrong. I told you if Mark ever-" I interrupted him. "Mark didn't do anything." I was firm with my response and I avoided Jaehyun's eye contact. "And while that's a very nice and tempting offer, I wasn't in the place to run anywhere but out of this city." When I finally met his eyes again I felt like melting under his gaze. "I was not to run into anyone's arms. I needed to leave by myself and while you might not believe Marks story, that is all I will tell you. So don't pry." I pursed my lips in attempt to be almighty. 

"Coming to me when he is not treating you right isn't an offer. It's an open choice for when you need to make it." He seemed to imply that it was a choice I would need to come to decide, almost like it was inevitable that Mark was going to turn on me. My face held confusion as I stared at Jaehyun. Our conversation turned serious as he walked to lean over the balcony. I followed his lead. My head followed his gaze and It landed on Mark. He was below us, in a big group of people, laughing. I smiled at the view of Mark being happy. It was a rare sight to see at a event like this, he was usually uptight. "Mark isn't always truthful to you." Jaehyun spoke out of disgust for Mark and I shifted uncomfortably. "I am very fond of you Vanessa and I don't want you to get hurt." Jaehyun was adimate about knowing Mark was not a good person and frankly I knew too. I just didn't want to admit it. 

I wanted to have faith in Mark. As I looked at him laughing my heart felt full but my head told me to be cautious. "Why do you think I'll get hurt Jaehyun?" I asked wearily, feeding into his words. "Because I know Mark and I have reasons to believe he is going down a darker path right now. One that you have no idea about." He focused on Mark with a frown plastered on his face. "What are you talking about." My eyebrows furrowed and I begged Jaehyun to let me in on his knowledge. "Look at him. Have you ever seen Mark like this before? Laughing, having fun socially at a work related party." Jaehyun tilted his head and I looked down to Mark. I bit the inside of my cheek worried as he was right. Something was off with Mark and it's been this way since I got back. His mind is always somewhere else, somewhere distant. Mark's laughed echoed around the room and I quickly turned to look at Jaehyun. "What do you know?"

"Now I don't want trouble Vanessa. I just want to let you know before it gets out of control." He reasoned with me and I nodded eagerly. "Mark is on drugs." His words made my throat go dry. I coughed and stared at him in disbelief.  "You're lying. He wouldn't." My voice ran high as I stepped back from Jaehyun. My mind raced as I thought about Mark. His high paced energy, his excitement, his laughter. It was all unusual. I began to be scared as I thought about my past with people on drugs. I gulped and shook my head as I refused to think about my past. I refused to believe Mark was on drugs, it just couldn't be. "I would never lie to you Vanessa." Jaehyun reached out to me but I jerked away from him. "You are a liar!" My voice was high pitched and it echoed around the room. 

The sudden commotion made heads turn to Jaehyun and I. The music paused and I breathed heavily, still looking at Mark. His conversation had stopped as he, along with everyone else, looked up to me. My cheeks went red as I whipped a single tear from my face. Mark said something to the group of people he was with and began to ascend up the staircase toward Jaehyun and I. Jaehyun groaned and his hands reached up to his hair, slightly pulling his roots up. Mark reached us with a puzzled look on his face. "Mark I-i'm sorry." I stumbled on my words and reached my hand up to my forehead. "Should we take this outside?" Mark cleared his throat as he referred to the big crowd watching us. I nodded and we walked outside into the brisk air. 

"What is the problem here?" Mark's eyes were wide and I felt disgusted looking into them. I turned my gaze away and took in a shaky breath. "I told Vanessa the truth about you Mark." Jaehyun sounded clever and it irked Mark. "What truth?" He eyed Jaehyun and I stayed silent. "What exactly are you on right now Mark? If I had to guess, I would say blow." Jaehyun's eyes peered toward Mark and a slight smile appeared on his face seeing Mark blow up in rage. Mark charged to Jaehyun and grabbed his collar with both of his hands. I gasped at the action and tried to break up their tension. "You have no idea what you're talking about." Mark spat at Jaehyun and my efforts to break them apart failed as Mark barked at me to stay back. 

"You have always been jealous of me. Of my money and especially of Vanessa. So do yourself a favor and stop spreading lies to make yourself feel better." Mark aggressively pushed Jaehyun away and turned around to head back inside. "I would never be jealous of a coke head failure that can't even impress his dead father!" Jaehyun shouted and Mark paused in his tracks. Marks pupils were dilated and I swear I saw the devil in him jump out at that moment. Mark turned around fastly and punched Jaehyun straight in the face. Jaehyun fell back onto the grass from the sudden force and I screamed in horror. Mark stood above him in triumph and looked at him with pure hatred. I ran to Jaehyun and kneeled down to help him. "Mark what were you thinking!" I screamed and he grimaced at me. "Stand up now Vanessa or leave my sight forever." Mark hissed at me and I paused in fear with Jaehyun's head in my hands. "You stay with this disgusting liar who just wants to ruin what we have or you come back inside with me." 

I let go of Jaehyun who looked at me with sorrow in his eyes. My lips parted and tears escaped my eyes as I slowly stood up. "Now!" Mark yelled and I jumped up faster. I trailed behind Mark to go back inside the party but my head still swiveled back to see Jaehyun. He held his face in pain and stood up looking at me. I felt nothing but pure guiltiness rush throughout my body. I knew now I would never be able to see Jaehyun again, my closest friend. Mark would forbid it. My eyes held onto his as our distance grew. I wanted to apologize, but instead I swallowed my pride and put a smile on my face as we walked back in through the doors.