Kiara's breath caught, her body frozen in place. The words rang in her ears, each syllable like a blade carving into her chest.
"I was just using you, but it turns out you are actually useless." Kiara's gaze shifted to the bed. There, tangled in sheets, the person she called her best friend nestled against him, the man she had foolishly trusted. The man she had loved.
A slow, mocking smile stretched across his lips as he ran a lazy hand through her best friend's hair. "Honestly, Kiara, you didn't actually believe I loved you, did you?" His voice dripped with amusement as if the very idea was laughable. "You were just convenient. A stepping stone. But, turns out, you're not even good for that."
Her best friend chuckled, sitting up, the sheets sliding down to reveal just enough skin to twist the knife deeper. "Poor Kiara," she whispered, tilting her head. "Always thinking you're so smart, so put together. But, honey, you're a terrible lawyer. Without us, you're nothing."
Kiara felt her lips part, but no words came out. Her throat burned, her body trembling as she tried to process the betrayal.
"You were supposed to be useful," he continued with a scoff. "I mean, with a father like yours, you should have been able to pull some strings. But no. You couldn't even do that right." He laughed, shaking his head. "Pathetic."
Tears welled in her eyes, but she refused to let them fall. Not yet.
Her best friend swung her legs over the bed, reaching for Kiara's hand with sympathy.
"Don't look so shocked. You were always so easy to manipulate. Desperate for love, for friendship. We just took advantage of what you so willingly gave."
Kiara yanked her hand away, bile rising in her throat. She wanted to scream, to lash out, but her body felt like lead.
Edward smiled again. "You should thank us, really. At least now you know the truth. We were just using you, but you don't belong with us. You don't belong in courtrooms, Kiara. You don't belong anywhere important."
Her best friend giggled. "Face it, sweetheart. You're nothing but a failure. No case, no career, no boyfriend. Just… alone."
The final word shattered something inside her. The room spun, the walls caving in, suffocating her. A sob clawed at her throat, but she swallowed it down. If she was going to break, she wouldn't do it in front of them.
"You should have seen yourself," her best friend added with a smile, shifting closer to him. "Coming to work every day like you actually mattered. Sitting in meetings, arguing cases, thinking you were one of us."
Kiara felt her lips part again, but no words came out still.
"You know," he sighed, stretching lazily. "We talked about firing you, but then we thought… why bother? You still have some use. You can stay at the firm if you want. Be the little workhorse, running around, doing the grunt work. Just… stay in your lane."
Jessy giggled, draping an arm around his chest. "It's really the best option for you, Kiara. I mean, what else are you going to do? You're not exactly a star in the courtroom, and let's be real, you don't have what it takes to make it on your own. Ooooh.... maybe I guess baby girl should run to sweet daddy."
Kiara's fingers curled into fists. Every muscle in her body screamed, every fiber of her being burned.
"You want me to stay?" she asked, her voice a whisper, raw and brittle.
He smirked. "It's not a bad offer. Otherwise, you'll be out there drowning, while we keep rising. Be smart, Kiara."
Something inside her snapped. The pain, the humiliation, the sheer rage, boiled over, surging through her veins like fire. Kiara lifted her chin, her vision blurred with unshed tears, but her voice, when it came, was steady. "I quit."
For the first time, their smiles faltered.
"You what?" Jessy asked, her amusement fading slightly, but a soft, unreadable smile tagged on her lips.
Kiara stepped back, her pulse pounding. "I quit," she repeated, each word dripping with venom. "And I swear, both of you will regret this."
Her ex rolled his eyes. "You won't last a day without us, Kiara."
Jessy let out a pitying sigh. "Oh, sweetheart. You're nothing without us. Without me."
Kiara's nails dug into her palms. Her entire world had just shattered, but in the wreckage, something new was forming. They thought they had destroyed her. They had only created a monster.
She turned on her heel, forcing her legs to carry her out of the room, out of the place that reeked of betrayal. But as she reached the door, she paused.
With one last glance over her shoulder, she whispered, "Watch me."
Then she walked out, leaving behind the pieces of the woman they had broken.
Deep inside, Kiara swore, she had to burn their world to the ground. She would not let this be the end of her. She wouldn't let them win. Not here. Not ever. "They'll regret this." She said.
Kiara's heels clicked against the pavement as she walked aimlessly through the cold night air. The city lights blurred, her vision distorted by unshed tears. Every breath felt heavy, each step like dragging the weight of her shattered pride behind her.
"You're nothing without us."
"Without me."
"You won't last a day."
Their voices haunted her, looping in her mind like a cruel melody. She clenched her fists, nails biting into her palm as she forced herself to keep walking.
Then, suddenly, her legs gave out.
She collapsed onto a bench in an empty park, her body shaking violently. Her throat burned as she tried to hold it in, but it was no use. A choked sob escaped her lips, then another. And another.
Kiara buried her face in her hands, her entire world crumbling around her. She had lost everything: her best friend, her boyfriend, her career. And worst of all? They didn't even care.
Her phone buzzed in her lap.
For a split second, hope flared in her chest. Maybe, just maybe, it was him, calling to say it was all a joke, a cruel prank. That she wasn't worthless. That he still wanted her.
She grabbed the phone.
Email Notification: Your Resignation Has Been Processed. Best of Luck.
So fast, it wasn't even formal and just like that. She had been erased.
Kiara let out a humorless laugh, swiping away the notification. Best of luck! The irony stung.
A cold gust of wind hit her, but she didn't move. She was stuck, not knowing who to call or where to go. She sat alone in the cold.
The silence of the night only broken by the distant hum of engines. Kiara sat on the cold bench, numb to the world. The sharp buzz of her phone on the bench beside her startled her, but she didn't move.
Another call. She'd ignored them all. But this one didn't stop. With a trembling hand, she picked up and answered, her voice hollow. "Hello Dad?"
"Kiara!" Her father's voice was firm, commanding, and laced with barely contained panic. "Where are you? Why aren't you home yet?"
She wanted to lie, to pretend she was fine, but her breath hitched, and the pain spilled through. "They broke me, Dad. I have nothing left."
"Tell me where you are? I'll come pick you up." He asked. " I'm at the park just next to his flat." She said amidst whimpers.
There was a pause. "Stay there. I'm coming."
Not so long after, a black SUV pulled up beside the park. The driver got out, opened the door, and out stepped Mr. Miracle Kiara's father.
He rushed to her, wrapping her in his arms. "Kiara! I warned you that there was no good in him," he said, voice low and dangerous.
Kiara broke down. She sobbed into his chest, years of disappointment and shame flooding out. "I was nothing to them. Just a pawn."
Mr. Miracle's jaw tightened. "No one humiliates my daughter. No one."
He helped her into the car. As the SUV sped off into the night, Kiara leaned against the window, watching the city fade behind her.
_________
The night had been long for Kiara. Sleep, the only reprieve from the storm of her thoughts, remained elusive. Her usually soft bed felt like a bed of nails, each toss and turn stabbing at her chest.
Do I need sleeping pills? Why can't I sleep? she thought, desperation creeping in. She fought to hold back the tears, but it was useless. They came anyway, hot and unrelenting.
"Wow… that really hurts," she laughed bitterly, the sound hollow in the quiet room.
The weight of betrayal pressed on her heart. She hadn't expected her best friend to be capable of this. Trembling, she switched on the bedside lamp and reached for her phone.
Her fingers hovered over the screen before finally unlocking it. Tears poured freely as she gazed at the wallpaper, a photo of him and her. A flood of memories surged, only to crash against the bitter truth: all of it, everything they shared, had been just a game. She had been nothing more than a pawn on someone else's chessboard.
She hoped the game would continue; she didn't mind being his pawn as long as she still had him. But it was all gone. Clinging to the tiny hope that it all was a dream was nothing more than self-delusion.
Moving on means I have to forget them. With a heavy heart, she deleted every trace, every message, every memory tied to him. Slowly, a fragile peace settled over her. The decision was excruciating, but it was hers to make: she had to move on.
__________
The next day.
"Sir, I'm done parking everything as you instructed," the maid reported.
"Alright. Is she still asleep?" Mr. Miracle asked, not lifting his eyes from the newspaper. He took a slow sip of his coffee as he scanned the pages.
"Yes, sir."
He glanced at his wristwatch, it read half past nine. He let out a soft huff. "She'll miss her flight if she doesn't wake up right now."
"Should I go wake her?" the maid asked.
"No, I'll do it myself." He set the newspaper aside, drained the last of his coffee, and stood. "Such a troublesome girl," he muttered with a chuckle, shaking his head as he made his way upstairs.
_________
"Aahhh… guess that's all for now. Got to find out what the future has in store for me," Kiara murmured, still lying in bed. Her blindfold was still on, though she was wide awake.
A knock sounded at the door.
"Come in…" she said sluggishly.
"Kiddo, it's time to wake up."
"Dad?" She tore off the blindfold, blinking at the man standing beside her bed.
"Get ready, and quickly, or you'll miss your flight."
"Flight!!" she blurted, sitting upright. "Dad, what do you mean by miss my flight?"
"I'm sending you away," he said calmly. "You need time… but more importantly, you need to rebuild."
He moved closer, his tone softening. "There's a man in England I trust with my life, Esau Dankworth. He's King's Counsel, one of the sharpest minds in the legal world. You'll be training under him."
"I don't want charity," she protested, her voice trembling.
"It's never charity when it comes to my lovely daughters," he said gently. "I know you've always wanted to build your career on your own, but it only broke you, and I can't stand seeing you broken. You've never asked for my help before, but it's clear you need it now. Please, just this once… let me help."
Kiara nodded slowly, something flickering behind her eyes, hope. At least she hadn't hit rock bottom after all. Jessy was right; she had to run back to sweet Daddy.