The Whispers of Revenge

Chapter 2: The Price of Loyalty

The sterile white walls of the hospital room seemed to amplify the silence, a stark contrast to the vibrant life that had once filled Deborah's world.  Maricar, Janice, and Angela sat huddled together in a corner, their faces etched with worry and grief.  Deborah lay in the hospital bed, her breathing shallow and uneven, her eyes closed, a victim of Natasha's calculated cruelty.

"It's not fair," Angela whispered, her voice trembling with emotion.  "She was so happy.  Richard was so good to her."

"Natasha did this," Janice said, her voice tight with anger.  "She's been jealous of Deborah for years.  She couldn't stand to see her happy."

Maricar nodded, her gaze fixed on Deborah's pale face.  "I never understood why Natasha was so angry," she said, her voice laced with confusion.  "We were all friends.  We were supposed to be there for each other."

"I think she was always jealous of Deborah," Janice said, her eyes narrowing.  "She always felt like the outsider, the one who wasn't good enough."

"But why would she do this?" Angela asked, her voice filled with disbelief.  "Why would she hurt Deborah?  They were friends."

"I think she's been planning this for a long time," Maricar said, her voice growing colder.  "She's been manipulating things behind the scenes, using her allies to control events."

"But what about Richard?" Angela asked, her voice breaking.  "He was so good to her.  He loved her so much."

Maricar's eyes filled with tears, her heart heavy with grief.  "I know," she whispered.  "He was the best thing that ever happened to Deborah.  He was everything she ever wanted."

Suddenly, the door to the room swung open, and Natasha stood in the doorway, her face contorted with a mixture of fury and resentment.  Her eyes, once filled with a playful glint, now burned with a cold, calculating intensity.

"What are you doing here?" Natasha demanded, her voice dripping with venom.  "You're not welcome."

"Natasha, we're just here to see Deborah," Maricar said, her voice trembling slightly.  "She's our friend."

"Friend?" Natasha scoffed, her laughter echoing through the room like a mocking echo.  "You call yourselves friends?  You're all just a bunch of hypocrites."

"What are you talking about?" Janice asked, her voice rising in defiance.  "We were friends.  We were there for each other."

"Oh, really?" Natasha sneered, her eyes fixed on Maricar.  "You were all so quick to embrace Deborah, weren't you?  You were all so happy for her, even though she was dating Richard."

"What are you trying to say?" Maricar asked, her voice tight with anger.

"I'm saying that you were all jealous of her," Natasha said, her voice dripping with malice.  "You were all jealous of her happiness.  You were all so quick to turn your backs on me."

"That's not true!" Angela cried out, her voice filled with indignation.  "We never turned our backs on you."

"Oh, really?" Natasha said, her eyes narrowing.  "Then why did you all abandon me?  Why did you all choose to be friends with Deborah instead of me?"

"It wasn't like that," Maricar said, her voice trembling.  "We were all friends.  We just..."

"Just what?" Natasha interrupted, her voice rising in fury.  "Just what?"

"You love Richard, don't you?" Janice said, her voice cutting through the tension.  "You've been jealous of Deborah for years."

Natasha's eyes narrowed, her gaze fixed on Janice.  "Don't you dare," she hissed, her voice laced with a chilling threat.  "You don't know what you're talking about."

"I know you," Janice said, her voice unwavering.  "I know you better than you think."

Natasha's face contorted with rage, and she lunged at Janice, her hands reaching for her throat.  Maricar and Angela screamed, scrambling to pull Natasha away.  The room erupted in chaos, the sound of their struggle echoing through the sterile corridors of the hospital.

"Get out!" Natasha screamed, her voice hoarse with fury.  "Get out, all of you!  You're not welcome here anymore!"

Maricar, Janice, and Angela stumbled out of the room, their faces pale with shock and fear.  They had witnessed the final blow to their friendship, the moment when Natasha's jealousy and resentment had consumed her, turning her into a monster.

The whispers of Veridia, those insidious rumors that had chipped away at their bond, had finally shattered it into a million pieces.  They had lost their friend, their sister, their confidante.  And they knew, with a chilling certainty, that they would never be the same again.