Perfidy ✔[Complete]

12 years later

I drove around, looking for a store to buy chocolates for my friend's daughter. This area was so new to me, although I should have come prepared. Spotting one, I sighed, relieved, and parked my car. It was a small run-down store, and not many people were around.

The door swished open and the first thing I noticed was the peculiar smell. It was not at all pleasing and I simply ignored it and looked around for some chocolates. I found some and brought them to the counter. I looked up at the man and stopped dead in my tracks. The man had a beard, and his hair was short and cropped. The same brown eyes, but devoid of emotion. In fact, the man looked dead inside. "James.." I said, my voice barely audible. The shock of seeing him crushed my confidence and took away all feeling of my body. I was numb all over.

A flash of recognition could be seen then a sudden hate. His arrogance had not left him, had it? "April," he said, smiling.

I opened my mouth to say something when I saw the ring on his hand, then shut it. I grabbed my bag in a hustle and turned around. "I'm not the same man I was, April." I came over my shock when I heard that sentence.

Without turning around, I responded, "Because you're married?"

I could hear him walking around the counter to me. I scanned the room with my eyes and to my dismay saw no one. Did he own this place? "April," he breathed down my neck. "Won't you forgive your only brother? After all, it's been years." He smelled like alcohol and drugs. That was the smell that had hit me when I had walked in. I sucked my breath in. He was still smuggling drugs, that asshole.

"I won't."

"But Julie and I miss you." Ah, Julie. How could I face her, and tell her that I had thrown every card, every clothing, every gift she had given to me? I saw movement from the corner of my eye and saw a lady walking towards me. She was wearing the same type of clothes as James. Her hair was long, up till her waist and she was very pretty. With a start, I realized that it was the same Julie I had known for years before. My gaze slid down to her thin fingers and saw a ring on her hand. She came to a stop right in front of me and smiled sadly.

"My April!" She pulled me by the shoulders and hugged me tightly. I didn't react. I was too shocked. She smelled like drugs as well, which confirmed my suspicions of their hidden family business. Could they still go back to jail if I provided enough evidence? "I can't believe it! I missed your company, love." She was saying it as if nothing but unfortunate events had caused us to drift apart. "We have so much to catch up on!"

"Are you actually kidding me?!" I snapped. I moved back and bumped into James. He was beaming with delight. "What is wrong with you?!"

"Wrong with me? April! You're my best friend! How can you not forgive me?"

"I am not! I can't-WHAT?" I shoved James, pushed the door open and let it slam behind me. I felt angry that being in jail had not affected them. You can only ever take a horse to a pond but you cannot make him or her drink the water.

I hated them, from the bottom of my heart. I hated that I couldn't do anything to change them. I hated them for the pain they had caused me. Because of them, I was on prescribed medication to reduce my stress and blood pressure. Forget it, April. Live the present not the past. Multiple times before, I had cursed God for giving me such a crap life, but without the past I wouldn't be the strong woman I was today. The past shaped me into being independent, smart and cautious. So, after all, everything does turn out alright. With a few minor problems.

Without looking back, I hopped into my car and drove off, not sparing the store a second glance.