Legally Cynical

An Instant Liking

Sam's POV

If there is one thing I know about my best friend is that, ironically, she is a romantic. Take her first marriage for example. She was completely in love. Yes she married out of convenience and money to be comfortable but there was passion and emotion there. She loved the way he was confident and at first only wanted her. The relationship was built on lies and I think she suppressed many emotions but the reason for divorce was of course him being a dick but it was because she wasn't enough in his eyes. It's bullshit but he went and cheated on her with a younger blonde keeping in mind she died her hair blonde for 2 years to be what he wanted. The girl was 18 and at the time she was 20. It wasn't until Beatrice was 21 that she found out. Telling the story she'd always leave that out. Beatrice felt as if she wasn't enough and it was hard for her. When I met her she put on a brave and a disassociated facade. In reality she was crumbling. She always tried to win in life and she lost and when she lost it broke her.

When I first saw her enter my dads firm she went to the office and was directed over to where I was sitting, perhaps to wait. She sat down elegantly in a black coat and placed her purse on her lap. She offered me a cigarette and I was shocked but accepted. She kept looking around as if she was waiting for someone to tell us to leave. I told her that my father owned the place and apparently it was an invitation for her to pitch a case. I listened. It sounded like a winning case and I could tell she wasn't just a gold digger but way more under the surface. Getting to know her my views hadn't changed. She took from the less deserving. People who didn't deserve their wealth. I took an instant liking to her for some reason. I told her I'd take the case and her face lit up. We were going to be friends. If we won cases she would pay me way too much and would always put money towards her dream home. She always donated to cancer research which was a charity she held close to her heart.

Ironically I was invited to the next two weddings. I believe I was a bad omen but she would've dragged me to the venues. Not to mention my boyfriend loves weddings. Her dresses after that were always extravagant. I knew that was her favourite part of getting hitched and once she knew she could take control of her weddings she always made them to her liking. My boyfriend loved her weddings and even dropped one of his university exams to attend the last wedding. The last one was the best because the second was more of an quickie than an event and the groom was very drunk.

I've seen Beatrice's highs and lows. We've cried together over our favourite romantic comedies and screamed watching our horror movies on Halloween. She has become someone I rely on. I've ended all three of her marriages and I have come out with great credibility thanks to her. I owe part of my career to that amazing woman. Just because someone can seem cold hearted and ruthless doesn't mean they are. She'd never take advantage of someone she loved. She barely lets anyone know who she actually is so its a guessing game to figure out who she has become for the new man. She was cautious and cynical of those around her. She had every right to be.

I will never forget the night we had after her second divorce. We drank the most expensive wine we could obtain at the time, which tasted like shit, and we watched Brooklyn Nine-Nine. At some point during one of the episodes she went onto her phone and started scrolling through the gossip section of the city which just talked shit about the local millionaires. On the first page she saw the new blonde called Becky walking down the aisle in a dress that was identical to the one she had worn on her day. Daniel had orchestrated the whole event to humiliate Beatrice. An interview with Daniel had stated that he used her for her body and it was just like a more official fling to him. He also said she was a gold digger who wouldn't make it in the world without a man earning money for her. The comments were calling her all kings of disgusting things. I watched as her heart shattered into pieces. Love has funny ways of making you fall for those you shouldn't. She had been in love with him. Was ready to spend the rest of her life with him. Frightened that as soon as she lost parts of her beautiful self he would leave her. Once she turned 20 it was like he had gone off her and he went for an 18 year old. I watched as tears threatened to fall from her gorgeous brown eyes.

"I'm getting tiered and I want someone to rely on." She has listened to Lily Allen that day because she was her favourite artist. Sometimes I think she took on the mentality of the song 'The fear' and rightly so.

"I know." I said holding her close "I know"

"Why would he do that to me? Why did i let my guard down? I'm never doing it again." She said wiping the tears from her eyes like they were something uninvited.

"Darling you just gave your heart to someone undeserving. Somewhere out there is a man who will write the most spectacular things for you in that fucking gossip section. Somewhere out there is a man deserving of your love." I said trying to reassure her.

"You were lucky. You have James and I think you two make the most perfect couple but I don't think its written in the stars for me. That's okay I know the person I have to become and if the world wants that side of me they'll fucking have it. Society doesn't bat an eyelash when a man takes advantage of a woman for her body but when a woman takes advantage of a man's wealth, the only thing worth taking advantage of, then society has a melt down. Make that make sense."

"You're right about that last bit but you were wrong about it not being in the stars for you. When you find I'm I won't hesitate to tell you that I told you so doll." She laughed and we sat in silence in each others arms for a while.

I said to myself that I was going to sue the living shit out of that magazine and I did.