19. TASTE OF BETRAYAL

ACT THREE SCENE SIX

TASTE OF BETRAYAL

third person

PERSPECTIVE

ASHER GLANCES DOWN, a paper fell out of Sahar's bag. He picks it up, quickly walking after her. Just as he was about to call her name, he halts. He notices Luca and Sahar talking, she smiles, she laughs as Luca hands her a packet of tissues. Asher sighs, holding the paper in his hand in dismay. He got the memo, she doesn't want to talk to him. He wasn't sure why. Maybe because this was what she desired all along.

She didn't want his friendship. She just wanted her friend back. Now that Normani is back, there's no need for him to be a part of her life anymore. It truly did hurt, she helped him feel emotions he has never felt before, he felt like with her he became a better person. He smiled often, he spoke often and now, now he wasn't sure why. Why did he have to admire her so much? He should've known that she was going to deceive him soon.

He turns around.

He knew he shouldn't have asked for friendship.

He should've known he would end up lonely as usual.

Asher takes a seat outside. Pulling out the paper that fell from Sahar's bag. He glances at it motionlessly, it took only a few seconds for him to widen his eyes. Why did Sahar have a document on Jumin, a member of the billionaire bad boys club? He stands up abruptly, his mind was roaring with multiple questions.

He's stupid, so damn stupid. Normani is a girl who gossips, she constantly listens to conversations and does unnecessary digging into people's personal lives. Sahar is friends with her, it's a fact they must be working together. This all must be planned from the start, she sat near him on purpose, she spoke to all of them on purpose. She faked her care for him, she could care less about him.

Asher picks up his phone and dials Jumin's number.

"What?"

"Meet me at the entrance at the library, I found something on a girl named Sahar Glace."

"Sahar, the same one that Luca claims to like?"

"That one, she's also friends with Normani, the girl you kicked out of school."

"... I heard she's back, you had something to do with that didn't you."

"Just meet up with me, we'll discuss this in person."

JUMIN WALKS INTO THE LIBRARY in the deluxe velvet uniform that he customised. His mind was filled with fury, he was offended that Normani Blaze is back after cursing at him. He felt like his ego was being constantly stomped on and the person who brought this nuisance back was a member of the billionaire bad boys club? This surely is going to damage his reputation.

"You took your time."

"You deserved it for bringing that stupid girl back." Jumin retorts.

"That's not the topic of our conversation, we have bigger problems than that." Asher says, taking a seat on the exquisite leather chair his father ordered.

"What could possibly be bigger than that girl? She's out to get me for no reason!"

Asher slams the document of Jumin on the deluxe brown coffee table. "This, this is a huge problem."

Jumin picks up the paper. His eyes scanning the information. His lips quiver as he looks up to meet Asher's eyes. "W-Where did you find this?"

"It fell out of Sahar's bag."

"Why does she have this?"

"That's what I want to know." Asher says, sipping on his coffee.

"Why are you so calm? This girl has information on me and if she has information on me she must have it on everyone!" Jumin exclaims, he was absolutely livid. He couldn't believe that a person is going around with private details about him. "It's my privacy, I don't want to tell anyone, I want to keep this to myself - why do people like this even exist!"

"I just wanted to keep my sister safe," Jumin whispers, a tear sliding down his face. "This is her secret, she wanted to be like this, I don't want her to be treated differently and people knowing I funded her -" Jumin pauses, looking down at the document with a frown.

"Nobody is going to find out Jumin, I'll make sure of it."

"Kick her out." Jumin states bitterly. "Destroy her only income, she doesn't deserve her wealth."

Asher shakes his head. "No, I'll just teach her a lesson."

"What type of lesson?" Jumin questions.

Asher sighs. He wasn't sure.

A part of him doesn't want to ruin her. He admired the way she taught him about comfort, she taught him about friendship, she was his companion, such a companion that made him feel a lot less lonely. He never thought he could feel less lonely, the pure existence of Sahar allowed Asher to explore an area in his life he'd never thought he'd discover.

His heart. She made an impact on him. She made an huge impact on his life.

Letting her go would be difficult.

She has a place in his heart that he can't see her go.

He needs to let go. He needs to remove her from his life.

But he wasn't sure if he wanted to ruin her to destroy his pain.

Because then she'd be in pain.

And if she's in pain, he'd feel the same pain.

"I have a plan." Asher lies.

Jumin looks at him blankly. "Then tell me."

"It's a surprise. Keep what you heard to yourself."

Jumin furrows his eyebrows. "How could I keep that to myself? She knows something that she shouldn't know."

Asher slams his fist on the table. "I said keep what you heard to yourself, I'll deal with this."

Jumin shakes his head, standing up abruptly with the private document in his hand. "Do whatever, just make sure this secret never gets out." he says, leaving the private section of the library.

Asher places his face in his palms. He wanted to ask Sahar why. Why did she betray him? He always expected the bitter taste of betrayal but never from her. She seemed so interested in his life, she always paid attention to the way he spoke. She always knew what to say, she always knew her boundaries. She even seemed willing to break it for the sake of him.

"Why?" Asher whispers. He doesn't want her to go through anything, he doesn't want her to leave this school. He doesn't  want people to consume her mind with bitter ideas, he doesn't want her to contemplate her life. People in this school are cruel minded, they'll push a person to a point, a point they could never recover from.

Maybe he should deal with it the right way. He'll have a talk with her, maybe she'd tell him why she has that document about Jumin. She wouldn't lie to him; would she?

It was five o'clock.

Asher stood outside, his hair soaking wet from the dismal weather. He had no umbrella. Why didn't he have an umbrella? He was carrying two cups of Luwak coffee, the coffee that he shared with Sahar the first time they met.

He was drowning in his thoughts, he has never felt such betrayal before and that too from someone he placed trust in. That too, the first person he has ever felt a sense of trust for, someone he actually admired. His companion, his own companion left him with the grotesque feeling of betrayal.

He waits and waits.

Until Sahar walks out. She carries a black umbrella with her phone in her tight grip. She was talking to someone, it was him. Once again, Luca was next to her, smiling, laughing and pushing her around playfully. Asher watches them, two Luwak coffees in his hands, he didn't want her to talk to him without the expensive coffee. It was their thing.

And now it couldn't be.

Their thing is shattered.

Asher sniffles, he was bound to get a cold. He knew the consequences but he had a small hope. He hoped that Sahar would talk to him, they'd have coffee and solve their problems easily. That's how friends are right? They'd have a disagreement and then talk it out? Asher searched it up online, to fix a friendship, all you have to do is talk it out and address your mistakes. Asher wanted to admit to his mistake even though he doesn't know what he did wrong.

"Sahar." Asher calls, his throat sore.

Sahar notices him. Luca stands next to her, he looks at Asher's pathetic condition. He was completely drenched. Luca felt somewhat of a pity for his friend, he has never seen Asher in a position to wait outside in the cold rain for a person, that too a female. Luca moves his gaze to Sahar, he watches as she simply ignores Asher.

"Are you going to talk to him?" Luca asks.

Sahar looks at Asher with a longing gaze, her stomach growing with pity. She couldn't look at him, she looks away. She didn't want to give him attention, she didn't want to be his companion or friend anymore. He'll leave her soon, she'll leave him soon, their friendship wasn't healthy. They both constantly talked about problems in their lives, they never encouraged each other to do anything. It was pathetic.

"No."

Luca looks at her with a frown.

"Should I take you home?"

Sahar nods her head.

They both walk towards Luca's car, leaving Asher alone.

Asher watches as the car drives off. He was too caught up in the rain to notice a tear slide down his face. He didn't want to admit it but his heart did, his body most definitely did. He felt heartbroken.

His hands let go of the coffee, the not so warm coffee falling on his dress pants. The liquid slid down his dress pants, but he didn't care. His eyes were filled with melancholy, his mind was blank, his words were unable to come out. So this is the taste of betrayal, Asher has never felt so betrayed in his life.

what are your thoughts? do you feel sorry for Asher or do you believe he doesn't have the right to feel betrayed? what about luca and sahar? do you like them together?