A Tormented Heart

Ch 19: The Truth Is Out

Recap:

"Cess!" Sophia looked at her impatiently. "Just spit it out!"

"Well... Nic-is-kind-of-cheating-on-you-with-a-dumb-blonde-girl-who-is-not-even-half-as-pretty-or-as-nice-as-you-are."

"What?!"
--------------------

"What did you say?" Sophia's face scrunched in confusion, catching only half of the sentence.

Cess hesitated, before speaking very softly. "It's true. I saw Nic with someone else. And they were kissing... And doing other things." She flushed.

Sophia shook her head, pressing fingers to her temple as she leaned back against the wall. She sighed heavily.

"So, he's started doing this again. It's so typical of him."

"Wait..." Cecilia's jaw dropped open. "Are you saying he's done this before?!"

"Yes." Sophia sighed again. "And after he promised me, as well."

"Soph, how can you tolerate this?" Cess was outraged on her friend's behalf.

"Well, Cess it's not like I can just cut off all ties with him. We've been together too long."

"Yes, but... Surely you can't just accept this, can you?"

"Well, it doesn't really seem worth it to fight over something so small."

Cecilia just stared. Who was this strange imposter in her friend's body. "Small? You think that this is just a small thing?"

"Well, frankly, I don't see what right I have to stop him."

"Sophia! You have all the right!" Cecilia shook her friend, trying to knock some sense into her. What had Nic done to this poor girl to make her lose all her self-worth like this? "Don't forget, you are someone who holds a position of importance in Nic's life. Therefore, you have rights over him!"

"Yeah..." Sophia nodded uncertainly. "I guess you're right..."

"Of course I'm right! Now, repeat after me!" Cess turned and marched around the room. "I am important!"

"I am important." Soph repeated obediently.

"Soldier Sophia! Stand up straight!"

Sophia hurried to stand. "Yes ma'am! But, why am I a soldier...?"

"No questions!" Cecilia pointed a finger sternly.

"Yes ma'am." Soph saluted.

"You're a soldier, because this is a battle. A battle for your rights!"

"For my rights!"

"For your freedom!" Cess marched.

"For my freedom!"

"For humanity!" Cecilia declared, throwing her arms wide.

"For human- wait, what?" She blinked in confusion.

"Now, repeat after me." Cecilia ordered. "I am important."

"I am important." Soph nodded.

"I have rights!"

"I have rights!" She repeated, joining the march.

"I can demand explanations!"

"I can demand explanations!"

"I can stop my boyfriend from seeing other women!"

"I can stop my boyfriend from seeing other women!" Soph shouted zealously.

"Even if he's also my boss!"

"Even if he's also my boss!"

"And even if his name is Nicolas!"

"And even if his name is Nic- WHAT?!!"

The marching stopped abruptly as complete silence reigned.

Cecilia could only stare in bewilderment as her friend suddenly burst out into loud, inappropriate guffaws of laughter.

Cess found herself growing more concerned the longer the laughter stretched. Was this it? Was this the final tipping point when her friend couldn't bear life's realities anymore and stepped into that far beyond land that only a few special people could claim to have visited? Had her friend finally gone... crazy?!

"Um, Soph." Cecilia hesitantly stroked her back. "I don't think this is a laughing matter, honey."

"Hahaha!! You-" She burst into fresh waves of laughter. "You think... You actually thought...! Hahaha!!"

"Ok, this is growing slightly concerning. I'm just going to ring for someone, ok, honey?" Cess brought out her phone slowly so as not to startle her friend.

"Cess, please, stop." Sophia gradually calmed herself down as she straightened, although her mouth kept twitching. "Cess... Nic isn't my boyfriend, ok?"

"What?" Cess felt her brows furrow, before understanding dawned. "Oh, so you're his fiancée, then? But I didn't see a ring..." She searched Soph's hands.

"No, dummy!" Sophia snatched her hands out of Cess's impatiently. "We're not anything! Apart from good friends! Our only relationship is that we've been friends from childhood. Honestly, he's more like a brother to me!"

"What..." Cess whispered, her mind falling into a swirling vortex of confusion. "But, when I asked him..."

Her mind flashed back to her conversation with Nic after she'd seen him with another woman.

"How could you do that to Sophia? How could you cheat on her?! Don't you love her?"

"I do. I love her more than anything."

It suddenly clicked to Cecilia that he never actually agreed that they were in a relationship or ever admitted that he'd been cheating on Sophia.

But he had known... That blasted man had known exactly what Cecilia was implying and he hadn't bothered to correct her. He had let her go on thinking that... Him and Sophia...

But, why? Why did he do that? He could have set her straight so easily... but he didn't.

There was only one person that could answer the multiple question brewing in Cecilia's mind, and she knew exactly where to find him.

Ignoring Sophia's questions and concerned looks, Cess stormed out of the storage room.

***

"Well, gentlemen, thank you for coming today. I hope we can reach a mutually satisfactory conclusion in the given period." Nic said, effectively ending the discussion.

"Nicolas, you haven't agreed to a single one of our conditions! How can you expect us to-"

"To be frank, Ryan, I don't believe in wasting time and so I'll come straight to the point." He stood, forcing the other man to do the same. "You need me." He shrugged. "But I don't need you."

"Nicolas! You-"

This time the man was interrupted again. Albeit from a different source.

The door banged open, shocking everyone in the boardroom.

"Nicolas Freire! How dare you lie to me!"

------------------

AN: Hey guys. So I owe you all a major apology!

When I wrote the last update I was fully expecting to be able to write regularly from then. Unfortunately, I was so busy with my shift to University that it just wasn't possible. (For those of you that don't know, a.k.a. non-followers, I have just joined Medical School this year).

There's just so much to do when moving! I didn't even realise there was that much! Anyways, I'm super duper sorry.

I will honestly try my best to give you weekly updates from now on, and I will work in a few double updates as an apology for the late update.

Thanks for reading this!

Love you for all your support!

Xoxox