The living room was trashed. Brittany lay on the
floor, naked and bruised, looking like a broken
doll. Blood was still trickling down her legs. I put on my best shocked face. “Brittany! What happened? Mark, call 911! Call an ambulance!”
Mark sank to the floor. “How… How could it be her? It was supposed to be…”
Seeing that Mark was about to spill the beans, I slapped him hard across the face. “I told you to call an ambulance! What are you mumbling
about?”
Mark snapped back to reality, scrambling for
Brittany’s phone, unlocking it, and calling for
help.
Maybe Brittany had fought harder than I had,
because her injuries were even worse. She
needed multiple surgeries to save her life.
I packed a bag for the hospital and stayed by her side, not leaving until a week later, when the doctor said she was about to wake up. Only then did Mark say, a little too casually, “You
look exhausted. Brittany would be upset if she saw you like this. Why don’t you go home and
freshen up?”
“Don’t worry, I’ll tell her you were here.”
I didn’t argue, just nodded and left.
But I didn’t go home. I got back on the elevator and went back to the hospital, standing outside
her door. Inside, Brittany was awake, sobbing.
“Mark, why did you have to test Ashley? Why
didn’t you tell me? You screwed me over!”
I frowned. How could Mark have revealed the
truth? I listened. Mark’s voice sounded
confused. “How did you know it was me?”
Brittany didn’t answer, just went on, “I fought
for you, risking my life. You won’t dump me
now, will you?”
Mark hesitated, then said, “Of course not. I
know I’m your first. I wouldn’t do that. It’s not
my fault, or yours. It’s all Ashley’s fault. I’ve
been here with you, feeling guilty. But look at
her, running away. We need to make her pay, a
hundred times worse than what happened to
you.”
They were on the same page, plotting how to
twist the story, making it my fault, making me
their slave for life.
I almost laughed. I paused the recording and
walked right in, smiling sweetly. “What are you guys talking about? I thought I heard my name.”
Their faces went white.
Mark was speechless. Brittany stared at me,
and judging by my expression, it didn’t look like
I knew. She glared at me, “You have the nerve
to smile? Do you know this is all your fault!”
“You invited me to your apartment, so I was
assaulted. It must be that you know a bum, you
flirted with him, you tell them your apartment’s
security code. That’s why they come!”
“When he was assaulting me, he called your
name! I took a bullet for you!”
Even though I had just listened to this plan, but
it was still funny. I tried to fake my shocking,
“Brittany, I was devastated for your injuries,
how could it be my fault? And, we three know
the code, but no other person knows.
Mark gave me a hard slap on the face. “Still
trying to deny that? Who else? Do you think
Brittany give the bum the code and let the bum
assualt yourself? How about I give the code for
the others and let them assault Brittany?
“I tell you, based on our love, our friendship, I
kept the peace, so I didn’t report it, if you don’t
want to go to the prison, you should consider
what to compensate for Brittany’s Loss!”
