"I..I know Julie. But the truth is, I've been in love with Isla long before she even met me. From being stuck with a nosy neighbor, to having a child I never wanted – I've been reading about Isla Sinclair so much on the internet. And I must say, Isla is indeed a strong woman. I always felt like making Nigel and Jake pay for whatever harm they must have caused on Isla. And my gallery – it was filled with sexy, attractive and adorable pictures of Isla Sinclair. My parents made fun of me, saying I could never date her. They were always telling me to stop thinking about any relationship with her because she was someone I could never have. I even asked my sister to buy a picture of Isla in her name, so I could keep it in my drawer and kiss it every night. But when I met Isla Sinclair, I vowed that I wouldn't get in the way of her social life. I promised myself that I'd never try anything to get down with her. She was sad, heartbroken and she looked blank when I saw her that day. But a few months later, I felt that Isla was yearning for the love she had lost when Brian died. I wasn't the man to do it. Isla Sinclair is really stubborn and I couldn't help but kiss her too... I...I just don't wanna hurt Isla and I've just...I've just done it." Cade's teary eyes blinked repeatedly, fighting back.
"You have not hurt Isla, Cade. You've just started a new relationship – which is based on heart and emotion, not just sex."
The next day, Cade woke up and he realized he had fell asleep crying the previous night. He checked his phone and there were 15 missed calls from Isla. His heart nearly jumped off his chest.
"What if Wendy sent the video?" He made his bed, packed his used clothes, wore another and cleaned the room.
He went downstairs and was making breakfast, when he heard Isla come in.
"Hey, Cade! I've been calling you! I..I have a banging headache." She sat down and Cade got her a glass of water.
"Here you go." His voice was hoarse.
"I was drugged last night." Cade was shocked. Wendy said the truth.
"What?"
"And..it was someone from BigEllie who did it. I found myself on the couch, and that wasn't where I woke up the last time. Did Wendy call?"
"W...w..Wendy? She..she didn't come here."
"Okay. I need to take a shower."
"Did you go for any shoot?"
"The shoot was fake. I have a feeling Wendy lied to me about the whole thing! They told me this morning that I wasn't booked for any shoot and there was no new nail polish."
"That's too bad."
"Why did she do that? Is it April 1st?"
"No, its December." Cade sat closer to her and pulled her to himself.
"Are you fine, now?"
"I..I'll get better when I take a shower."
"Why is your heart pounding?" Isla asked innocently.
"Em...em...I...I.."
"What's this?" Isla moved away and noticed stains on his bare body. Cade remembered he hadn't taken a bath yet. The ones on his chest had wiped off.
"What are you all stained in?"
"I don't know."
"It looks like Wendy's leg cream. She uses it for her burns."
"Wendy? But I told you she didn't come here. Isla, you're talking too much. Go take a shower and I'll prepare something nice." When he turned to leave, Isla noticed a scratch on his neck.
"Cade!" She got up and touched the scratch. He flinched.
"Who did this to you?" He didn't respond.
"I feel like you're hiding something. Look at me!" She exclaimed.
"Who..who scratched you?" Cade stopped himself from recalling the moment Wendy had scratched him with her nails while he drove crazily into her.
When he was about to speak, Isla's phone beeped. By now, Cade knew they were done. He had lied to her twice already.
It was Wendy. She had sent an audio message, following the video.
Isla played the audio first, hearing Wendy and Cade groaning uncontrollably. Cade's head was down and he walked to the dining to sit there.
"That's Wendy's voice – Why does she have to share the moment with her boyfriend with me after deceiving me to go to BigEllie? How dare she - "
Her eyes widened madly and the phone fell off her hands, as she watched Cade driving hard into Wendy's hole and Wendy moaning hotly. Her hands flew to her mouth and she turned to look at Cade, who was sitting on the dining, angry with himself.
"What....what is...what is going on here? Tell me that guy in the video isn't you..." She walked to the dining and faced Cade with a plain expression.
"WHAT'S THAT DISGUSTING THING GOING ON IN THAT VIDEO? TELL ME THE GUY ISN'T YOU, CADE! WHAT THE FUCK?!" Isla cried out and fell to the ground.
Cade ran to grab her close to himself but she pushed him.
"You said Wendy didn't come here, then what she is doing with you in the video!" She barked. Cade's lips were quivering uncontrollably.
"Isla. What ever I'm going to say now, you have to listen to me carefully."
"What do you wanna say?" By now, she was breathless, still on her knees.
"Stand up first." She stood up and sat opposite him on the dining, avoiding eye contact with hot tears rolling down her cheeks.
"How dare you Cade? How dare you fuck my best friend?! Didn't you remember we're in a relationship? What...what made you do it? Speak, Cade!"
"Isla. I did it for you, I swear."
"For me? How would you hurt me for me? Are you insane?!"
"Isla, she had you drugged and kidnapped. It was Wendy who had you in captive so she told me she'd kill you if I didn't sleep with her. I swear, she forced me into all of this. She said she'd kill you if I didn't oblige." Isla gave Cade a disappointed look, with her red eyes and pink face, her lips quivering at the shock of Wendy actually kidnapping her.
"How could Wendy be so cruel? What did I ever do to her?!" Isla burst into more tears, crying hard in pain.
Cade walked to her and tried to pull her close.
"Don't you dare! Don't you dare touch me with your filthy hand!" She stood up and backed him, standing near the stairs.
"Wait...did you ask for proof before you agreed to her request? What if she was telling a lie?!"
"I...I didn't ask for proof. But I was convinced she was telling the truth. Who else could have drugged you?"
"Rhea Sinclair could have done it!"
"Who informed Rhea Sinclair your whereabouts? Who told her you were going to BigEllie last night?" Isla thought about it for a second. Cade touched her hand.
"Isla, she could have killed you if I didn't do it." She slapped his hand off.
"Don't touch me. You're fired."
"What?" Isla held his collar and shouted.
"Saving me doesn't change the fact that you touched her. Your bare bodies touched. You kissed her. You smooched, you were driving crazily into her and she was moaning. You.."
"Isla, stop. Yes we did all that but I didn't feel anything. I told you earlier, your fake friend - she wanted to kill you. What could I have done? Your father wouldn't spare me if you had just died like that!"
"Are you being all protective because of your job or for me? We are in a freaking relationship. Does that mean I've given my body carelessly to you?!"
"No...."
"Don't speak. Just get out of my house. I'll send your stuff to you later."
"Isla. I promise you. I didn't feel anything for Wendy and I never will. I only did it to save your life. Isla, you're the only one I feel this strange connection with. Wendy and I are nothing, I swear."
"JUST LEAVE, CADE!" She snarled, still not looking at him.
"Isla, you're not serious right?"
"LEAVE! What is wrong with you? You already fuck ladies. Don't be an obstinate person." Isla ran upstairs to her room trying to stop herself from crying out loud.
"Isla! Isla! Isla!!" He wanted to run after her.
"Cade, please. Don't come after me. I wanna hear the door slam behind you, else, I'll call the cops." She cried out uncontrollably. Cade's heart broke.
Isla was crying so hard again, for the first time in months. Since he had been trying to stay away from her, she had been happy digging in her work and maintaining a steady friendship with him. But since he made love to Isla Sinclair, he felt she had ruined her life, bringing back the old memories.
He noticed she was still crying in the hallway.
"Isla, stop. I...I don't like to see or hear you in this state."
"Cade, I am calling the cops."
"What about Dora?"
"I'll bring her to you with your things later. Leave."
"Okay..." He said lowly.
"Where is she, at least I should tell her I'm going out."
"Cade, I told you I'm calling the fucking cops!" She thundered and Cade silently left the house.
"Hi, Julie." Cade greeted sadly.
"How did it go?"
"Wendy sent the video to her. And even a audio of us moaning."
"Shit. When did Wendy become such a fail?"
"I think she must have worked together with Rhea Sinclair so they could get a gig together. I heard they were going to model for the new bags."
"What?" Julie was shocked.
"She told us she stopped modeling with that bitch."
"How...how did Isla feel..." They both sat.
"Isla.... She kicked me out."
"WHAT? Was she really mad?"
"She was indeed mad. Julie, she was crying." Julie felt her heart break too.
"Oh no. Cade, you...you shouldn't have done it..."
"Julie, how am I gonna convince you two that I had no other choice? Wendy was going to kill Isla for a bag gig. I just had to do it."
"I...I kinda understand you.. I know how much you love Isla now. That's why I'll help you."
"Thank you so much!" Cade sounded grateful.
"I'll ask Isla to come here and pretend not to know about the stuff. So, I'll hear what she has to say. Then, I'll convince her to forgive you."
"Thank you, Julie!"
Wendy stepped into Rhea's dimly lit study, the soft glow of the lamp casting an ominous shadow on the walls. She held out her phone, a mixture of nerves and anticipation swirling in her stomach.
"It's done," she said flatly, her voice barely above a whisper.Rhea's eyes lit up with malevolent glee as she took the phone and played the video recording, her smirk growing wider with each passing moment.
"So...are they dating?" Wendy nodded.
"And the video has been sent to Isla Sinclair. I'm sure she must be heartbroken and is about to hang herself." Wendy laughed evilly.
When it ended, she leaned back in her chair, a satisfied smile still plastered on her face.
"Well done, Wendy. You've proven yourself to be quite... resourceful."Wendy's smile faltered, her mind racing ahead to the payment and the career boost this gig would bring her.
"So, about our agreement...?" she began, her voice hesitant.Rhea's expression turned cold, her eyes glinting with calculation.
"There was no agreement, Wendy. No gig. I just needed you to do something for me, something that would hurt Isla."Wendy's world came crashing down around her. She felt like she'd been punched in the gut, her breath catching in her throat.
"What... why?" she stuttered, her eyes welling up with tears.Rhea's smirk returned, her voice dripping with malice.
"I wanted to know the truth, and I wanted to hurt Isla. You've been friends with her long enough to know how much she values loyalty. And you've just betrayed that loyalty, in the deepest way possible."Wendy's face contorted in anguish as she realized the extent of Rhea's manipulation. She felt a wave of shame wash over her, her voice rising in a sobbing crescendo.
"You're... you're despicable! How could you use me like this?"Rhea's expression remained impassive, her eyes glinting with triumph. "You should have thought of that before you agreed to do this job, Wendy. Now, it's too late. The damage is done."Wendy's tears streamed down her face as she turned to leave, her apology barely audible.
"I'm so sorry, Isla... I don't know what came over me."The drive home was a blur of tears and regret, Wendy's fingers flying across her phone's keyboard as she sent message after message to Isla, each one a desperate attempt to make amends.
But Isla's silence was deafening, her lack of response a harsh reminder of the damage Wendy had done.
As the reality of her situation sunk in, Wendy's regret turned to despair. Without the gig, she had lost the chance to boost her career, and her betrayal of Isla would likely cost her the one friendship she valued above all others. She couldn't help but wonder how she'd been so blind to Rhea's true intentions, and how she'd ever face Isla again.
Julie stared at her phone, her brow furrowed with concern. She had sent Isla multiple messages inviting her over for lunch, but there was only silence. No response, no acknowledgement.
She tried calling, her heart sinking as Isla's voice came on, thick with tears.
"Hey, why haven't you been replying to my messages?" Julie demanded, trying to keep her tone light despite the worry creeping into her voice.Isla sniffled, her voice cracking.
"I'm... I'm fine. Just busy."Julie's instincts told her that Isla was lying. "Are you crying?" she asked gently.
There was a pause before Isla responded, her voice a little too quickly.
"No, I'm not crying. I'm just... a bit stressed."Julie knew better, but she let it slide.
"Come over anyway. Lunch is ready. We can talk about whatever's going on."As she waited for Isla to arrive, Julie's abdomen began to cramp, a familiar pain twisting her insides.
She winced, doubling over slightly as the discomfort intensified. She knew the signs all too well – her early-stage pregnancy was playing havoc with her body.
With a quiet groan, Julie called out for her cook, Mary. "Mary, I need some help. Can you get me some warm water and help me to the living room?"
Mary hurried in, concern etched on her face. "What's wrong, ma'am?" she asked, helping Julie to her feet.Julie grimaced, trying to breathe through the pain.
"Just the cramps. Again."Mary supported Julie as she made her way to the living room, settling her onto the couch with a soft cushion behind her back.
"I'll get the warm water, ma'am. Maybe a hot compress will help ease the pain."
As Julie waited for Mary to return, she couldn't help but think about Isla. She knew her friend was hurting, and she was determined to be there for her, even if it meant putting her own discomfort aside.
The doorbell rang, signaling Isla's arrival. Julie took a deep breath, preparing herself for whatever was about to unfold.