Chapter 26 Chapter Twenty SixGRACE’S POVIt’s my birthdayI’ma do what I likeI’ma eat what I likeI’ma k*ss who I likeIt’s my birthdayAs the pulsating beats of the chorus of Anne Marie’s ‘Birthday‘ reverberated through the stereo speakers, I found myself unable to resist anymore. As I brushed my hair, my head swayed with the rhythm as I l*p–synced every word, ful-ly immersed in getting the tone right.I’ma do what I likeI’ma wear what I likeI’ma party tonightGoddamn, it’s my birthdayEveryb*dy love meYeah, yeah, yeah, look at me, gimme money.Damn, it’s my birthdayI stopped to properly apply my l*pstick. I smacked my l*ps together and gave my- self a charming smile in the mirror. I straightened and admired myself in the mir- ror; my eyes lingering on the. n*eckline of the dress; the emerald n*ecklace Syd- ney made for me, my accentuated curves and the slit of the dress.“Damn! I look good,” I drawled as I swirled before of the mirror, my heart filled with immense joy. Joel is definitely going to love it!122711/7Chapter 26 Chapter Twenty Six+30 VouchersIt was a weekday but I had taken the day off dressed to the nines in the S*xy dress I recently designed. Joel had asked that we meet up later today but I havedecided to surprise him.I sl*pped my feet into my favorite heels and picked up my back. “All done!” Ichirped and reassessed my look in the mirror for the last time.I turned off the stereo. My eyes swept through the room one last time to be sure I wasn’t forgetting anything then I walked to the front door. After I’d locked the door, I brought out my phone and took a selfie. I smiled, impressed at howhot I looked. I was about to send it to Joel when I stopped. I turned off my phone and tucked it back in my bag.If I sent him the selfie, he would definitely guess that I was already on my way to his place which would ruin the surprise.I got in my car, turned on Anne Marie’s ‘Birthday‘ again. I sang out loud and bobbed my head to the music as I drove to his apartment complex.The security guard was waving at a kid walking a puppy when I got there, when. he saw me his smile faltered slightly.“Hey man,” I grinned at him, “How’re you doing today?”“Grace! I’m good.” he grinned, “You look really good.”The security guard at Joel’s apartment complex was a really nice man and he and I had become a little bit more than acquaintances since I frequent here of-ten.I blushed, “Thank you.”Then he looked up, “You here to see Joel?”I drew back and gave him a weird lookright?”“Ofcourse, who else? He’s around,He bit his l*ps and shook his head, “I’m not sure.”I waved my hands in the air, “No worries, I’d just ch*ck if he’s in or not.”12.272/7Chapter 26 Chapter Twenty Six+30 VouchersHis eyebrows creased and he looked like he was about to say something butthen his brows smoothed and he smiled. “Alright then.”I frowned as I proceeded up to his apartment, if Joel wasn’t going to be around, he usually informed me so what’s with the guard saying he wasn’t sure if he was in? I shrugged, maybe he stepped out for a bit and he didn’t see him re-turn.I paused at the door and smoothed down my dress and patted my hair. Thenwith a deep breath, I turned the knob and the door opened to reveal a shirtlessJoel, trembling and hunched over on his largest couch, slender fingers grippinghis shoulders.My heart momentarily skipped a beat then it started to beat rapidly as thescene made more sense.Joel’s hand clenched the side of the couch tightly, his back muscles flexing ashe vigorously thrust into the woman beneath him. Her legs were entwinedaround his hips and his face was buried in the curve of her n*eck, their harmo-nious moans gradually got louder by the second. Their shared moans faded in-to silence and their movements ceased as the soft thud of my bag hitting thefloor echoed in the room.My heart squeezed tight in my ch*st and for a brief moment, I couldn’t breathe as Joel’s sweaty face turned to me. He frowned and muttered something to thelady.I watched as he awkwardly detached himself from her and dragged up his trousers but he remained seated on the couch. The lady pulled down her gown then with her elbow propped up, she rested her head on her palm and faced mewith a scowl.“Who is she?” She asked in a.condescending tone.Again, Joel muttered something to her then he faced me, “Why are you herenow?”I drew back, shocked. “I just caught you cheating on me and this is the first.12:273/7Chapter 26 Chapter Twenty Six+30 Vouchersthing you say to me? You sit there and asked me why I am here,” I felt my heart burn with hurt anger.“|=”My voice quivered with hurt and disbelief as I interrupted him, the words catch- ing in my throat, “Joel, how could you do this to me?” With each syllable, the bit- ter taste of tears touched my m*uth, their salty taste staining my tongue. As I blinked and more tears cascaded down my cheeks, blurring my vision. I squint- ed and confronted him, my voice barely above a whisper, “Of all days, it had tobe my birthday?”Rising from the bed with deliberate slowness, he regarded me with a noncha- lant demeanor. “This isn’t the time we agreed on. Why did you come over now?” He spoke like I was some unwanted visitor or some intruder that just barged in-to his haven.With my heart heavy with betrayal, I blurted out, “Are you honestly blaming me right now?” I tilted my head back in a futile attempt to stop the tears from falling. A bitter laugh escaped my l*ps even as I sobbed. “I just wanted to surprise you,but I caught you cheating!”Joel sneered and the sound cut through my already shattered heart. “Cheat-ing?” He scoffed. “We never defined our relationship. There were no labels, no commitments. We aren’t boyfriend and girlfriend. How can you accuse me ofcheating when we were never exclusive?”I folded my hands over my ch*st and implored him, “Then what am I to you,Joel? If not your girlfriend, then what?”My heart shattered into a million pieces as Joel, the man I believed I loved and was hopeful that he might equally be head over heels in love with me, told meto my face that, “We’re just friends with benefits, Grace,” he declared coldly. “We’re simply f**k buddies. You scratch my back, I scratch yours. That’s all iteverever was.It felt like the air was knocked out of me and I instinctively recoiled, taking astep back. “f**k buddies?” I repeated, my voice hollow with disbelief. I hated12:27 L4/7Chapter 26 Chapter Twenty Six+30 Vouchersthe tremor in my voice, the relentless stream of tears that told of my pain.“What about the sweet nothings you whisper to me? What about the promises?”He didn’t even sound remorseful as responded and raised a stern finger. “I nev- er made any promises, Grace,” he stated firmly. Then he shrugged callously and dipped his hands into the pocket of his slacks afterward, “You read too much in-to our relationship. The words I said in the heat of the moment meant nothing. Ithought you were smarter than this.”My heart sank and it felt like my world crumbled around me as his words sankin, I felt utterly alone, hurt and deceived.“Darling, how have you let your taste degrade so much in my absence? To actu- ally fancy such a stupid woman!” My gaze riveted to the wench on the couch ast her shrill voice interrupted, piercing the already tense atmosphere like a coldknife.My gaze fixated on the woman sprawled on the couch, her presence was the cause of all of this in the first place. I pointed, a trembling finger at her and turned to Joel, “Who is she?”“Who is she?” I asked Joel, pointing a trembling finger at the woman.Before Joel could respond, she spoke up, her l*ps tilting to one side in a smirk, “I’m Sandra, the one he truly loves. I was out of town and he’s been waiting for me all this while. You’re just a fleeting distraction; a toy to pass his time whenev- er he was bored. Now that I’m back, you should realize your place and leave!”II felt my fists clench on their own accord, each if her words fueling the ache in my ch*st . Slowly, it morphed into anger. My ch*st rose and fell; more I stared at her, the more I wanted to tear her apart.“You b**ch!” I screamed and flung myself at her. I pulled at her hair and blindly bit into her n*eck. Her cry of pain reverberated through the room and soothe the ache in my ch*st a bit.I suddenly felt hands on my midriff and then inwa seeing pulled away from her. I slapped at Joel’s hands. “Get your hands off me, you cheat!”12:275/7Chapter 26 Chapter Twenty Six+30 VouchersI thrashed in his arms as he held me up in a strong grip. Sandra got on herknees and started to slap me then she started to scratch at my
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face until my face stung and I was crying and begging, my face hurting like it was being pricked with needles.“Please,” I cried, “I’m sorry, Joel, Just let me go. Please.”As I cried and picked up my bag in shame, I felt their gazes on me. “You should’ve just stuck to time, Grace. Then this wouldn’t have happened.”I staggered down the stairs, ignoring the stare of the guard and passersby. Mytears blurred my vision as I drove home.I literally dragged myself from my car to the kitchen where I packed a handfulof beers and wine I could find in the kitchen, both alcoholic and non alcoholic,my sobs echoing in the house as tears streamed down my face.***My face still hurt and my gaze was blurry. I shook the bottles my hand could find but they were all empty. My feet wobbled as I went to the kitchen and tookmore bottles from the fridge.I laid on the floor and more sob racked my b*dy when I exhausted the contentof the bottles again. Suddenly, I heard someone shout my name. They soundedso much like Sydney. Then she was holding me up and cradling my face.Even through my blurry gaze, I could see the tiny brown plaster on one side ofher forehead. “I’m sorry, the n*ecklace you gave me, I lost it at his place, but Icouldn’t go back for it.” I broke into another fit of tears and she hugged me toher ch*st again.She carressed my hair, “It’s okay. I’ll take you to the hospital first. And then I’llgo get your n*ecklace for you,” there was a pause then she spoke again, her voice hard and determined, “I will get justice for you.”