Double Betrayal (Chapter Three)

Chapter Three
May 5th 2004

Ashley pulled away from Natasha to find her friend looking at her with an anxious face. Heavy rain was still pouring outside and the weather made the room looked darker than it should be. Natasha was very worried as Ashley had had a nervous breakdown after Ted’s death, and the news that Allison was back might triggered another attack. She had given Ashley time to adjust to the news but she was still very worried. Natasha looked grim and Ashley knew that Natasha was upset to be the harbinger of the bad news too.

“I'm alright Nat. I just…I just got reminded of it.” Ashley tried to pull herself together by sitting up rammed straight.

“I would go tonight Nat, I would come with you. We are in this together, back then and now too. We would be brave and face the truth, whatever it was”

Natasha nodded and stood up. She walked to the window and stood there staring out at the raging storm. Standing there, she relived the torture of the day she found out that Ted and Allison was having an affair. It was by pure chance that Natasha found out. Ted had told both Ashley and Natasha that he needed to get out of town to see his ailing grandmother for a few days. Allison had said that she was going to visit her aunt. However, in reality, both of them were going out of town for a vacation with each other. They thought that by getting out of town, both of them could hold hands and walk down the streets and nobody would know. Still, the two of them weren’t so lucky. They bumped into Natasha, who had gone to the next town for a shopping spree with her boyfriend Chris. Natasha was so shocked when she knew about the affair. She just couldn’t understand why Ted and Allison had done it. Ted and Allison begged her not to tell Ashley, for she would not be able to take the betrayal easily. Natasha was torn in the middle. They were all her best friends. How could she choose? After a long struggle, she chose not to tell Ashley because she knew Ashley would break down completely if she knew and that would not do, for their graduation was very near. Natasha even chose not to confide in Chris, for fear that he might force her to tell Ashley. Her heart was shredded to pieces by the bitter-sharp guilt that she carried when she saw Ted and Ashley dancing during the graduation ball, but she promised herself that she would keep the secret to herself till her death because Allison had promised not to look for Ted again. Natasha remembers the day she went to ask Allison to stop looking for Ted.

“Please, Ally. Don’t hurt Ash, she's innocent. Please leave Ted. You have Beaumont already, why are you hanging on to Ted for?”

“Nat, you don’t understand. I don’t love Beau. I'm with him because he refused to let me leave him. I love Ted, I really do. I couldn’t live without him. If you ask me to leave him, I would rather kill him and then commit suicide so that I can be with him in death!” Allison cried passionately.

“No Ally! You will kill Ash in the process too! You can’t!” Natasha was horrified at Allison’s selfish and murderous thoughts. “You know that Ted will have a happy family if you leave him, Ally. Ash can give him the happiness you can’t give him. Ted loves Ash…he doesn’t love you.”

“No Nat! He loved me! He told me that! He only loved Ash’s wealth, not her! Why is it that you always thought of Ash, and never of me? Don’t you realize that Ted can give me the happiness that Beau can’t give me?” Allison asked pitifully.

Twisting with guilt at the truth of Allison’s words, Natasha tried another attempt.

“Ally! Listen to me! Beau would kill Ted if he knows about this! Think of it! If you really love Ted, let him go. He wouldn’t have to die and I certainly do not believe that Ted loves Ash’s wealth. She is such a kind and lovable gal and Ted is my best friend too! I believe he is not such a person!”

As if she was shaken awake by Natasha’s cold slap of facts in her face, Allison said resignedly,

“You are right, Nat. I will have to leave him if I want to protect him. I promise you that I will not look for him again and I will brush him off when he comes to look for me. But, you must promise me to keep this secret to yourself.”

“Yes I will, Ally. I will. Take care of yourself. I am leaving now Ally.”

Natasha hugged Allison briefly and left. She did not know how to face Allison, not after what Allison said about Natasha not caring for her. It was true in a sense, for Natasha was always very protective of Ashley, treating her like a little sister. She knew that she was being very selfish and unfair to Allison but she felt that Ashley needed more protection than Allison. However, she did not dare to face Ashley either as Natasha felt that she had betrayed her as well and yet she could not do anything to prevent it…

Tears rolled down Natasha’s checks before she was jolted back to the present by Shannon’s innocent voice. She turned around to see Ashley still sitting rooted to the spot earlier.

“Mommy! Why are you crying?” Shannon ran towards Ashley on her short legs and fought to climb up onto her lap. Natasha turned back hurriedly to wipe off her tears as Ashley bend down and picked Shannon up automatically. Shannon used her tiny beautiful hands to wipe away Ashley’s tears and made her cry even more, this time for the gift that God gave her.

“Mommy!” The two boys came running up and hugged Ashley tightly.

“Don’t cry Mommy! We love you! Don’t cry! We went to the other room coz Auntie Natasha said she wanted to talk to you. We still love you!” Donovan shouted childishly as he threw his arms around his mother. Ashley gathered her three children close and tried to smile through her tears.

She comforted the children, “Mommy knows you children love me. Mommy loves you too! Mommy is crying because Aunt Natasha told me something happy. Mommy is not sad. And Mommy knows that my darlings will not abandon me.”

The three children looked at Ashley with doubt and then reluctantly smiled at her, each kissing and hugging her fiercely before running off as they heard the front door opening.

“Daddy!!!!!” Declan shouted out in relief when the door opened and Steve walked in, struggling to close the door against the storm.

“Well, my little knight! What tricks did you played on your Mommy today?”

“Mommy is crying!” Shannon reported primly. Upon hearing this, Steve dropped everything and rushed over to his wife immediately.

“What is going on?” He demanded, looking at his wife and Natasha, noting the red eyes and puffy noses.

“She came back, Steve, and she wanted to see us.” Natasha told him. Steve looked puzzled for a moment and then said,

“She? Allison is back? Oh God! What does she want with you two now?”

“She wants to see us, Steve. I have to go with Nat. I realized that I need to know the truth. Let me go, will you?” Ashley whispered to him as she hugged him tightly. Steve gave her a squeeze and said,

“Yes, my sweetheart. You go ahead. Do you want me to come along too? We can leave the kids with Mum.”

“No, Steve. Let us go alone. I think we have to sort it out ourselves.” Ashley said bravely.

“Alright dear. I love you.”

“I love you too, Steve! I love you too!” Ashley mumbled as she leaned in for a comforting hug again.

“Don’t worry Steve; I will bring her home safely.” Natasha said in a strong voice. Her earlier tears were hidden by a strong protective emotion when she saw how affected Ashley was. Moreover, the guilt that Natasha carried within her heart all these years was acting up again.

“Yes, I know you will Nat. But be careful, both of you. I don’t want to see either of you hurt.”

Ashley kneeled down and gathered her children around her.

“Mommy has to go to the town tonight darlings. Be good and listen to Daddy okay?” The boys nodded their heads but Shannon wanted to go along.

“No Shannon. Mommy has to go and do something tonight; Mommy will bring you out another night okay?” Unwillingly, Shannon nodded her head.

“You will be alright Mommy?” Declan asked uncertainly. Ashley smiled at her eldest son. He was so considerate and she knew he was worried because he had never seen her cry before.
“Yes Declan. I will be fine. Enjoy yourselves with Daddy tonight