BETRAYAL

25

Calvin looked down at the orange jumpsuits he was wearing and laughed.

"I knew it, Winnie, the CEO, the mansion they were too good for me. They weren't gonna last!"

"This orange baggy jumpsuit fits me better than the tuxedos," he laughed again.

"I'm sorry," Haroon looked down. He had the same outfit as Calvin. They were sitting opposite each other at the far end of the cell. The other two inmates were quite at the other end of the small room they were in. Two hours ago when Calvin was brought in, with his one cold glare and lack of words they all knew he was now the boss of them and they should only speak when spoken to. Haroon has never been a fan of Calvin's cold glare but now he was thankful for them, at least now he won't be their punching bag.

"Why would you apologize? I'm the one who got you in this mess. I'm the one who convinced you to agree to kill Mike. I even used your mom Esha's sickness to convince you."

"I am responsible for it as much as you do. I agreed to go through with it, remember? My mother being sick was no excuse."

"Little Haroon, don't make me want to puke. You can just say it, you can just blame me. I won't hit you, I promise."

"I know you regretted it too, you still do."

"Don't be so sure!"

"I know you do. All this time I thought you didn't, at times I was so mad that you felt nothing."

"Stop acting like you know me so well!"

"It's because I do. Like how I knew you loved Winnie since back then when you knew the two clearly loved each other."

"They weren't dating back then, it was okay to have feelings for her!!"

"I should have been the one to stop you, you clearly were blinded."

"I...I..I was not blinded!"

"No, we both were. With that shiny stone in front of us you had a moment of weakness, thinking why he had to have it all? With him gone you could have both Winnie and wealth which you craved the most. And so did I, I thought I would finally be able to change my life around, with my mom's medical bills piling up, my jobless dad and my tuition fees debt I just thought if I closed my eyes that once I would change it all," he paused to rub the tears that were clouding his vision.

"...But I was so wrong, even with my mother on her death bed dying I still could not bring myself to ask you the money I got as a price of killing Mike. Why didn't I see it back then too? That Mike's life meant that much to me. I'm disgusted at my self for even having the thought I could do it."

And this time he wasn't the only one that felt disgusted at himself.

*       *         *

Katherine walked in the restaurant Martin texted her to go, she wondered why she had to go there when they were at the moment living in the same house.

Like last time the restaurant was empty again, Did he again!! She mentally face palmed herself. She saw Martin the same place he was last time but this time he wasn't seated. He was standing facing away from Katherine's direction. But that wasn't what catched her attention, it was the way he was dressed.

Martin wasn't in his official attire, he always wore a suit whenever he went out. He came with one the last time they met too. A part from his house she has never seen him wearing anything other than a suit outside. But again that wasn't what really caught her attention. The Martin in front of her was wearing the type of clothes the Martin he knew back then used to wore. A light blue denim jacket with a white tshirt inside that was tucked in the light blue dad jeans he was wearing, he had white sneakers on too. She remembered how good and handsome he always looked back then in those kind of simple attires. He still looked good in them. 'It's a plus since he is even more muscular now', she thought.

"Martin! What are you wearing?? I feel like we are back in the 80s," she smiled.

Martin turned to look at her, for some reasons he looked a bit nervous. Katherine knew because he scratched the back of his head, he always did that whenever he was embarrassed or nervous, it's a habit he had since back then. Her attention was immediately caught by the flowers on his hand.

"What are the flowers for, are those for me?"

"Um...yeah."

He then proceeded to kneel down on one leg.

"What are you doing?" Katherine eyes widened in shock.

"You said you will never forgive me until I give you a sensible explanation."

Katherine looked at him confused. She was about to ask him what was he talking about before she got what he was referring.

"So this is your sensible explanation?"

"No, this is." he took out a very old piece of paper from his pocket and started reading;

Dear Katy,

You're the most prettiest girl I know and as you know I'm kind of shy so that's saying a lot. You always makes me feel at ease all the time. You're just so nice, I don't think I've ever heard you say anything mean to anyone and that's kind of rare among our friends, don't you think? That's how special you truly are.

For the past fifteen years I've known you I've been the happiest. I loved watching you walk up to my locker each morning at school and I couldn't wait to see you at lunch and the classes we shared everyday. The best part of all was meeting you after school when we walked home together. I loved holding your hand whenever it would rain and we had to run home. You're the most amazing thing that came to my life. I'm kind of nervous saying this but I've kept this locked inside my heart for a long time now, I really like you, not just as my friend but as a girl I had like to call my girlfriend and later on my wife. I can't imagine anyone else replacing you in my heart. I hope you feel the same way about me.

Love,
Martin

"M-Martin...." she cried.

"That day...that day I came with flowers outside your house, this is what I came to say. I memorized it, bought flowers and wore my lucky sneakers that day. I was going to propose to you. I was going to ask you to be my girlfriend before we started college. I imagined ourselves to be the best couples in college. I imagined my whole life with you"

"Martin.."

"I didn't think I was strong enough to watch you be with Jeremy that's why I left and cut all contacts with you two and everyone back then. I was sure I did the right thing when you emailed me your wedding invitation. I was broke. I could barely hang on back then, being a workaholic was the only thing that kept me alive. I then had an arranged marriage and had Henry and then just when I was about to start to be happy I lost him..."

"Martin..."

"So today I decided to be brave again, to do what I couldn't do thirty years go. To tell you what I felt and still feeling up to today. You're the only woman I've ever loved and the only woman I will ever love. So even if it's just remotely...if you even remotely feel the same way then-"

"What if it's not remotely? What If I'm sure I feel the same way?"

Martin looked up shocked, he looked at Katherine's wet eyes that were filled with love. She loves me?

"You do?" he asked in a small voice, tears started to form in his eyes. It felt like a dream to him, no it was his dream. He dreamt about that day ever since he was...he was..15? 12? 10? He didn't know, as far as he can remember he has always loved her.

Katherine nodded her head vigorously to assure him. Or maybe it was because she couldn't speak amidst all those tears.

He ran to her and hugged her tightly, he didn't want to let her go. He will never let her go again. Katherine hugged him back as tightly, she had the same thoughts in her mind. She did a mistake of losing him once and she will never let that happen again.