Betrayal.
"When someone dared to break the trust you have given. It could be in the form of cheating, exposing of secrets, lying, etc."
However, would hiding substantial information from someone be considered betrayal, too?
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A few weeks later after Kassandra's birthday, SENTHIE didn't have the chance to rest. A couple of clients from Kassandra's guests had contacted and asked her for tailored fitted dresses. She would only come to Fashion Sen's every Saturday and Cecile on Mondays and Thursdays, while Kassandra had covered for the rest of the days that had not been mentioned without complaining or refusing because of Kenzo, Senthie had guessed. Kenzo wanted to help, so, Senthie told him to accompany Kassandra. It was an opportunity she had set for her to spend time with Kenzo. She was hoping her plan would work and Kenzo would be more comfortable around Kassandra, and it was a success. Kassandra had been calling Senthie every night after her shift and would tell her how was her day with Kenzo and how they got closer by each day. They were even texting each other and would call Kenzo by the nickname she gave to him. She would call him "Kenny." How cute, Senthie thought.
Six weeks had passed and Senthie could finally breathe. She had finished all the clients' dresses and was also paid in full. She couldn't help but feel to be in so much debt to Kassandra who had been the reason for her business booming. She thought that this would be all impossible if it weren't for her. Kassandra was indeed her lucky charm, she claimed. On the other hand, Senthie was also thankful to Cecile for helping her out finishing the dresses during the days she didn't come to the store, which were the days that Kassandra took over. Senthie was very grateful that she had friends that she could rely on. She had finally learned how to receive help from others, accepted that there would be some times that she would need help, and being independent didn't mean she was supposed to do everything on her own.
Senthie had decided to treat her friends, including Kenzo whom she was very thankful for, also, to dinner after closing Fashion Sen's.
"Your treat, are you sure?" Kassandra asked three times already which made Senthie nervous.
Senthie sighed with a bit of irritation deep inside but calm on the outside and jokingly said, "how many times do you have to ask that and how many times do you want to hear my answer? I told you it's my treat, do you want me to take it back?"
Senthie let her choose the place since she was the reason for Fashion Sen's successes, though Kassandra told her it was all Senthie's talent and she had just given her a little help to be discovered. But right now, Senthie was beginning to regret her decision of Kassandra leading the way. What if they were going to a very expensive restaurant? What if she wouldn't be able to afford it? What if they were heading to a bar? Senthie had never been there and would never plan to. She hated crowds full of bursting energy, it would make her feel drained and spent in just a few hours. She hated that idea and shook her head to brush off the thought.
"Are you okay?" Kassandra asked. She laughed as she looked over her shoulder to take a glance at Senthie. "Do you want to puke?"
They were riding in Kassandra's blue car for almost half an hour now. Senthie and Cecile were at the back, and in the passenger's seat, of course, it was Kenzo.
Senthie made a face and laughed. "Of course, not. I love long drives, so why would I want to puke?"
Kassandra laughed and glanced at the rear-view mirror. "Never mind that. But I hope you are prepared, for I will be leading us to a super fancy diner."
"Are you serious? I've never been in a super fancy diner!" Cecile squealed and then looked at Senthie. "I'm so excited, bes, but, uh, can you...?"
Senthie laughed, knowing what she meant even without completing the sentence. "If I can't afford it, then I'll just have to volunteer as their dishwasher for as long as they need me to."
"Don't worry about that, Sen. That won't happen. I'll pay for it instead," Kenzo offered, his face serious that made the ladies laugh.
"Of course, that won't happen, Kenny. She was just kidding!" Kassandra said, giggling.
Senthie nodded and Cecile still laughed at him and said, "you always take things seriously, Ken."
"Yes, he always does. But that is one of the so many good things I like about him," Kassandra stated while her gaze straight to the road. The atmosphere suddenly became awkwardly silent and, at the same time, there were as if flowers blooming everywhere surrounding Kassandra.
Kenzo smiled awkwardly as he placed a hand on the back of his neck. "Thank you."
Cecile whistled--a cat-calling one. "That was so cheesy, I cringed!" She fake-shivered and laughed.
"You look great together. You two would make a cute couple," Senthie said, intentionally. Indirectly saying that Kenzo should move on and give it a chance with Kassandra.
"I knew we look good together. Kenny's just taking it slowly... but we will be there...soon. Right, Kenny?" Kassandra responded hesitantly and glanced at Kenzo after.
Kassandra seemed to be hoping to hear him say the magical word, but Kenzo only gave her a small smile and then silence. Senthie glanced at the rear-view mirror to see Kassandra only with a gloomy face, not far from Kenzo's expression. They both looked hurt and disappointed which made Senthie filled with guilt.
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It was the first time KASSANDRA felt so rejected by a man. No man had resisted her charm before and it hurt her ego and heart when Kenzo just smiled in response to her. But she wasn't backing off, she would not let herself be humiliated like that. She would make sure that Kenzo would be head over heels for her, sooner than later. It was her plan all along, anyway. The real reason why she volunteered as the part-timer at Fashion Sen's was to get close to Kenzo and make him hers. That day when she was at the jewelry store across from Fashion Sen's, she had seen Kenzo talking to Jimhuesh seriously. She did not know what was happening at that time but Kenzo's pretty face got her attention. She observed the situation and wondered why Jimhuesh was also there, and his face looked as if something had irked him when he left, but her thoughts didn't heed any more interest in him and were only to Kenzo, the man that was currently talking to Senthie and Cecile. She figured the three were friends and so, the idea of her being a part-timer at Fashion Sen's was a step forward to her plan, but being friends with Senthie and Cecile was something she didn't expect.
At first, she only used the two as her stepping stone toward her objective. But as time went by as she spent time with them, she learned to genuinely care for them and was even surprised that they were actually the best friends she had ever had. But most unexpectedly, she never would have thought that the feelings she had for Kenzo were going to get deeper than just a stupid want after just him being at her side. He was such a gentleman, a kind soul, a thoughtful one, and a precious one in a million. She never would have realized that she was crushing on him until she began to admire him and adore him--even now that he was drunk.
Kassandra drove their way to a fancy KTV resto bar in Makati. They rented out a room, fully air-conditioned with two glass tables, the floor was made out of white marble and the walls in color black, so polished that they could even see a bit of their reflection. There were also massive black sofas, karaoke television and speaker, and dim red and pink lighting that perfectly blended the mood and atmosphere of the room. They all sang their hearts out except Kenzo who was just drinking the entire stay. Senthie and Cecile went off first after three hours of almost nonstop singing and eating chips. They also sipped a little bit of beer and even made Kassandra jealous since she couldn't drink at all for she would have to drive back home.
The two ladies decided to leave Kenzo with Kassandra when they saw how he didn't wanna leave yet. And so, they were alone, together. Kenzo still drinking and Kassandra with not even a sip of alcohol.
A few minutes later after Senthie and Cecile left, Kenzo started to mumble words Kassandra didn't understand. She scooted closer to him and leaned her head to hear him, and she could finally decipher what he was saying. Kenzo kept on muttering the word "why."
Kassandra placed a hand on his back and asked, "what do you mean why?"
Kenzo sighed heavily, grabbed the last bottle of beer, and chugged it down to his throat. Kassandra began to worry as she tried to gently grab away the beer and put it down on the table. Kenzo wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. His face flushed like a tomato and his eyes almost drooped as he turned his gaze at Kassandra who kept on asking him what was wrong while she was patting his back as if she was comforting him after a breakup.
"What's wrong? She really...drew the line. The end line," Kenzo mumbled as he laughed, sounding miserable.
Kassandra was never been so confused in her life until now. "What do you mean end line? Who's she?"
He tried to grab again the bottle but Kassandra didn't let him. She pulled it away and put it on the floor just an arm away from her and far enough from Kenzo. She shook her head. "No. Stop drinking and tell me what's wrong. Make me understand. What are you trying to say?"
He let his back fall on the back of the sofa and shut his eyes. "Sen will never come back to me again. She's pushing me away, I can see that, and it hurts so bad." He placed a hand on his heart and squeezed it as a tear fell on his temple. "I wonder why it still hurts, I already accepted that fact."
"What?" Kassandra's hands flew to her mouth as she gasped for breath. Water began to cloud her eyes and her heart felt like it was being torn apart into pieces. She shook her head, not wanting to believe what she just heard. "What are you talking about?"
Kenzo, as if she wasn't there, started to cry silently. He crouched and leaned his elbows on his knees as he covered his face with his hands. Hard breathing and sniffing sound only coming from him, whereas, Kassandra was still waiting for his response.
Finally, he spoke again. "I loved her so much, and I still do. I don't know if that would ever change. I highly doubt it and I'm afraid it'll last forever."
Kassandra's tears stream down her face as she stood up and went to the restroom. She tried to calm herself, even washed her face, but failed to do so. She felt hurt, fooled, humiliated, and extremely betrayed.
Water and tears dripping down from her drenched face, hands on the sink, piercing eyes on the mirror, she said, "oh, dear, Senthie has been fooling you all along. She played you! How dare she do this to me?! She has made me into a laughingstock. And Cecile? No doubt she's into this, too. How stupid of me to think they were even my friends!"
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Hello, Noomiells!
Thank you for reading this chapter. Hope you liked it. :D
Why do I love torturing Kenzo? 😭😭
Anyway, Kassandra finally knows the truth! What do you think she will do next?
Does she have the right to feel betrayed?
I would like to know your opinion. Please, let me know! :D