Double Betrayal (Chapter One)

Chapter One:
May 5th 2004

The day was dark with black clouds hanging low in the sky. Ashley gathered her three young children, Declan, Donovan and Shannon into the house as thunder roared overhead. Shannon clung to her legs as lightning stuck and fat raindrops began to hit the windowpanes.

“Come honey, there is nothing to be scared of. God is just moving his furniture around for a change. Come, let’s go watch the rain.”

Holding on to Shannon’s hand, Ashley turned to call to the boys who were already watching the rain with glee and anticipation. Ashley smiled as she knew that they were already cooking up excuses to get their Daddy to bring them out for a swim in the nearby pond, which would fill up nicely whenever it rained. Ashley tried to hide her smile as the boys turned around and gave her big grins.

“Look Mommy! Heavy rain! It’s swimming time!” Young Donovan babbled with his childish charm, pointing at the window with his perfect little fingers.

“Yes dear…if you convince your Daddy when he comes home from work.” Ashley said, shaking her head at their gleefulness.

Ashley watched the rain with her three children as the thunderstorm grew louder. She began to daydream after awhile, dreaming of the days that were long gone, days when she was young and naïve. She was smiling to herself as she relived visually, the silly but wonderful days that she had with her friends when insistent knocking rudely jolted her out of her daydreams.

“Mommy! Mommy! The door!” Baby Shannon began to pull at her mother’s hand and trying to drag her to open the door. Poor little Shannon was in a dilemma for she loved to rush and open the door but yet she was duly afraid of the thunder outside.

Ashley got up and went to the door, wondering who would be knocking on her door in such a thunderstorm. Thinking that it was perhaps her husband who had arrived home early due to the storm, Ashley pulled the door open with a wide smile to welcome him home. However, she found instead her closest friend Natasha standing outside the door, almost wet through in her hurry.

“YO HO!” Natasha hollered joyfully at Ashley and Shannon, who had followed her mother to the door, but still clinging tightly to her legs.

“Aunt Nat!” shrieked Shannon as she rushed straight into Natasha’s wide open arms, wet as she was, completely forgetting that the thunderstorm was still going on. Natasha picked her up as she came in, throwing her coat at the sofa but missing it totally. Ashley laughed as she picked the wet coat up from the floor and hung it on the coat rack after fighting very hard to shut the door against the wind. The children were all greeting Natasha by then and telling her how wonderful it was to be raining. The living room was in total chaos as all three children talked at the top of their voices all at once.

Ashley smiled as she looked upon the scene. This always happened when Natasha came. Everywhere that she went turned chaotic. Ashley had always wondered how Natasha’s husband Chris managed to take it all in with ease, with Natasha and her three equally chaotic-creating children. Ashley was puzzled why Natasha came in the thundering rain with only a coat. Natasha’s face had told her that something was wrong, and Ashley was worried that something had happened to Steve, her husband.

“Don’t worry pal, it’s not Steve.” Natasha ensured her when she spared Ashley a glance while kissing the riotous children.

Breathing a sign of relief, Ashley went to the kitchen to get some coffee. Natasha had a special relationship with coffee and she could hardly do without it, especially if she was wet throughout. Coming out, Ashley saw Natasha shooing her children out of the living room, raising her voice so that she could be heard above their loud complaints. But the children obeyed and went off, leaving the two adults alone in the room.

“Well, Nat. What brings you here in this thundering rain?” Ashley asked as she handed Natasha the coffee and a towel to dry herself.

“What? I can’t come to see an old friend whom I am missing?” Natasha tried to look incredibly hurt.

“Coz not! But what with coming in the thunderstorm? You really miss me that much?” Ashley retorted, teasing her dear old friend. Natasha laughed with a twinkle in her eyes as they sat down on the sofa.

“You always make me feel like the whole world is perfect Ash! You know what, I am feeling better already. Just being with you soothes me.” Natasha said as she drank her coffee and looked at Ashley gratefully.

“What is wrong Nat? Why are you unhappy? What happened?” Ashley jumped to her feet and hurried over to sit beside Natasha, grabbing Natasha’s hands as she sat down.

“She is back.” Natasha said after a pause, as if reconsidering the idea of telling Ashley what was wrong.

“Who is back?” Ashley quizzed, as she had no idea what Natasha was saying.

“Allison. She is back, and she is looking for you, Ash, and me” Natasha looked at Ashley grimly as she squeezed her hands tightly.

“What…what does she want?” Ashley asked, trembling slightly at the mention of Allison’s name. Natasha sighed loudly as she held on to her friend’s hand tightly and began,

“I was going to the shopping mall with my kids earlier in the day when I bumped into Allison unexpectedly at the corner of the street. Naturally, I was shocked as she had not been back to the old town for almost 10 years. Allison appeared elegant and rich in her cashmere coat and Chanel bag. She was very calm when she saw me, as if she was waiting for me. When I asked her why she was back, she avoided the question but instead asked after you Ash, saying that it had been a long time and that she hoped to catch up with the both of us.”

Natasha stopped, trying to study Ashley’s face as she absorbed the news. After a pause, Natasha continues,

“She said that she wants to tell us about Ted, Ash, and that she will wait for us at the restaurant that we all used to go to tonight at 7 pm.”

Ashley was stunned beyond words. After all these years, why was she back? Ashley had tried so hard to forget that horrifying and totally humiliating incident totally and here it was, coming back to haunt her in the form of her high-school friend, Allison.

Ashley gripped Natasha’s hands tightly as she began hysterically,

“I don’t wish to go Nat. I don’t want to know. She is probably trying to open fresh wounds in me. You don’t go too; please…she might hurt you with something as well. I don’t want you to experience what I did Nat! I don’t!”

“Calm down Ash, calm down! I won’t be hurt by anything she said, Ash. I know you care about me, and I know you wish to leave things buried. But don’t you want to know what really happened that night Ash? Don’t you want to find out why Ted did what he did? You will have me with you Ash. I wouldn’t leave you no matter what happens. You are my closest friend, remember?” Natasha returned the tight grip on Ashley’s hands as she tried to soothe Ashley, who was shaking like a leaf in a strong wind.

In a lower voice, Natasha continued, “She won’t leave till she sees us Ash, and you should know that she mean it. I think she really has something to say. I can go by myself if you do not wish to go. It’s time we sort things out.”

Caught in a fix, Ashley knew she had to go. She would never forgive herself if Natasha was harmed in any way during the meeting with Allison. Reluctantly, she nodded her head in consent to go to this meeting with Allison.

“Come on Ash. We are in this together. We have to face this one day. You know that deep in your heart. We will brave this together. As long as we are together, she can’t hurt us. You do know that don’t you?” Natasha asked as she pulled Ashley into a hug. Ashley nodded as she tried her best to stop trembling.