Love is as strong as Death

Chapter 9

Valerie's POV

"Shut up!! Are you really that heartless, Val? What's wrong with you? Just because I left you, you decided to hurt my sister??"

"No, I didn't do it! I didn't even know she was your sister!!" I shouted, tears welling up.

"Shut the hell up!!" he yelled.

"Stop acting like an idiot, Machiavelli. You haven't even heard her side yet," Declan defended me.

"Vasiliev, my sister wouldn't lie about this... Why would she intentionally hurt herself?" Tyson growled. Both men appeared ready to attack each other. I placed my hands on Declan's shoulders to restrain him.

"As a spoiled brat, I wouldn't be surprised if she harmed herself!" Declan retorted, prompting Tyson to punch him. Declan immediately retaliated. Two guards quickly stepped in between them. Tyson wiped the blood from his nose and laughed wickedly.

"The whore's pussy is too good. You're hooked and blinded just like I was!" Tyson exclaimed, shooting me a glare filled with malice. "I don't have time for this. I'll deal with you later," he said as he took his sister away.

"Watch your words, Machiavelli!"

Whore.

He called me a whore, even though he's the only man I've ever been with.

I couldn't hold back my tears. My vision was blurred as Declan led me toward the entrance and into his car.

I was sobbing loudly now. The pain in my chest felt unbearable.

How could he say such things to me in front of everyone?

Declan dropped me off, and I hurried inside. Remie looked at me, eyes wide and mouth full of popcorn. "Hey, is someone chasing you?" She grabbed a pillow like it was a weapon. It seemed she had been binge-watching movies on Netflix. I plopped down on the couch, feeling exhausted.

"What happened, girl? I could have sworn you left looking like a princess, and now you're here looking like a hot mess. Did a prince chase you? It's not even midnight yet for your fairy godmother's dress to disappear."

When she noticed I was still silent, she stood up. "You cried," she said, observing me. I probably had red, puffy eyes and dried tears on my cheeks. "What's wrong?" I just shook my head.

"I'm calling Declan! He has a lot to explain about why you came back like this!"

It wasn't long before Remie came back, rushing to hug me. "Oh my goodness, I'm so sorry, V," she said, and I started sobbing again. "That jerk! Handsome face with an empty head. And that girl better hope she never crosses my path. I'll beat her up," she said angrily, rubbing my back.

Remie told me to freshen up. That night, she held me close as I slept, promising to protect me from any harm.

When I woke up, she was gone, probably getting ready for work. I checked the time and realized I was late. I quickly jumped in the shower and got ready for work.

I heard a knock and told the person to come in. "Where are you going? It's Saturday!" Remie laughed, making me chuckle.

How could I forget? I went to my closet and changed into something more comfortable.

I headed to the living room to turn on the TV, but I couldn't find the remote.

"Where's the remote, Remie?" I asked.

"Uh, maybe it's better if you don't watch TV today. Come on, we're going to have a blast together," she said, pulling me into the kitchen.

Then I remembered my alarm didn't go off. On Saturdays, I usually wake up early to go for a run.

"Where's my phone?" I asked her, and she grinned widely.

"No phone today. Don't worry, I won't be using mine either," she replied.

"Why?" I questioned.

She sighed.

"You're all over the news, V."

"Oh," was all I could manage to say.

"Don't stress, we're going to bake a cake! It's my grandmother's recipe," she said excitedly, but I couldn't match her enthusiasm. I felt emotionally drained.

The weekend flew by without my phone. Oddly enough, I enjoyed it. We ended up watching movies on my laptop.

_____

I walked into Redcorps, ignoring the whispers. When I reached my office, it looked like someone else was using it. Just then, the general manager, Simeon, came in and handed me a letter.

"What's this about, Sir?" I asked.

"Your termination letter," he said.

"My what?" I opened the envelope and skimmed through it. "But it doesn't give any reason, Sir," I said, looking at him for clarification.

"I'm sorry, I can't say. Think about who you offended during the weekend," that was all he said before leaving.

Tyson, I thought.

I packed my things and walked out of Redcorps with my head held high.

I could see paparazzi lurking around, waiting to pounce on me. I noticed someone wave at me. Remie? What was she doing here? I rushed towards her and quickly got into the car.

"Whose car is this?" I asked.

"My cousin's; he's loaded. I knew you needed me, so I asked him for it," she said, driving off and almost hitting a paparazzo.

"You're crazy," I laughed. "How did you know I'd leave work at this time, though?"

"It's all over the media. Some of your colleagues tweeted and included your picture. I waited nearby just in case," she replied.

I stared at her. We hadn't known each other for long, but she had proven to be more than just a friend.

"Thank you, Riri," I said.

"Ew, that's gross. Please don't call me that again," we both laughed.'