Ophelia? (Entered In 2022 Wattys Award)

Dean's Betrayal

It's almost midnight. The dark surroundings and dark sky are looming over the earth. It's getting darker with every second passing by.

But it surely is not darker than Sandra's life. Hell is what she wants to describe as her life right now. Dark, ominous, painted with torture. Even her sighs scream pain.

She has run fast from her house and came to this park where she has been crying for so many hours. Because her home isn't home anymore.

It's been tainted, by Richard.

Her innocent cries have been suppressed there.

She doesn't know where to go in the middle of the night. But home is not the place where she wants to step right now.
So she came here. She wants to be alone away from her home, at least for some hours.
She needs some freaking peace which isn't available at home anymore!

" Crying won't help you but it helps me. It makes my day! "
Richard whispers in her ear. He followed her to the park.

Sandra is so emotionally distressed that his wicked remarks can't be tolerated by her at all. She becomes angry and pushes him hard on the chest.
" Just leave me, you demon! Stop following me everywhere!"
She screams.

" Oh! Easy, Ophelia! Easy! "
He laughs.
" By the way, I even love this side of yours! You are an amazing victim for me! Always giving me surprises! "
He says, still laughing keeping his hand to his chest.

Sandra removes her eyes from him. She can't bear to see him at all. She sighs. She wanted to be alone for some seconds for God's sake!

" I need to be away from him! He is making me crazy! "
Sandra mutters under her breath.

Suddenly she remembers someone whose presence always graces her with a smile and safety.

Dean.

" I need to share everything with him! "
She starts walking away from Richard. She doesn't even look back for once.

"Thinking about Dean? "
Richard's sentence stops her on the track.
"Want to share everything? Your plight, sadness... about me? "
Richard asks again.

Sandra looks at him with shock. How does he know what she is thinking?

"I know you pretty well, Ophelia! I know what you want and what you will do! "
Richard laughs loudly.

" Because I have cornered you like this way that you only have him left. "
He mutters under his breath.

" But alas! he is not what you think he is. He doesn't love you at all. "
His whispered voice doesn't reach Sandra's ears.

" So what? I will go to him. What the hell do you want? "
Sandra shouts at him.

" You think he loves you, right? Maybe he has soft corners for you, right Ophelia? "
He smiles. It holds a malevolent gesture.

" Wh... What about it? "
Sandra stammers at this sudden change of topic.

" Awe! You look so flustered! But alas! He doesn't like you at all! He is just using you, Ophelia! "
He says and sits at the bench where Sandra was sitting.

" Wh..wha..what do you mean? "
Her heart is jumping against her rib cage. She isn't ready for another heartbreak.

" I have asked you once. Are you sure he knows nothing? Remember? "
He asks her.

" Ye...yes! "
Sandra says promptly. He did say that when he threatened about hurting Dean.

" You didn't realize what I was insinuating."
He pauses, giving his words a significant dimension.
" He is just clinging to you because of me, dear! He has been looking for me, Ophelia!"
He drops a bomb that bursts into Sandra's heart.