A Fate So Cruel : Book 1

The atmosphere was calm, and the smell of rain was still fresh in the air. What remained of the rain was now turned into small ice cubes suspended from the few cars in the parking lot. It was gloomy and icy, but it didn't stop Simone from completing her mission. She was determined that she would see her plan for victory. "Simone, I'm not sure about that," Leah was chatting nervously. She used to talk to get out of things that were reckless. Simone locked eyes with Leah's dark brown orbs. Simone wasn't about to let her best friend walk away. “Yes, you do. This douche cheated on you.

You wanted revenge.” Simone was a very strong and impulsive person, but Leah was as well. Therefore, bringing them together was never a good idea. When Leah told her that her boyfriend was cheating on her, Simone was already formulating a sneaky revenge plan. She hated Leah’s boyfriend from the very beginning and couldn't wait for the day to kick him out of their lives once and for all. Leah took a deep, calming breath. “Yeah, you're right. I'm just freezing my butt off.” “Yeah, me too.” They both hunched over behind a car. It was a nice, quiet part of the city, so they had to be careful. They were aware that getting caught was not an option. It sucks that the offices have security cams. Kenneth, the infidel boyfriend, was once again detained at his office. He didn't know Leah knew about his unfaithfulness. It was a win-win situation for them. Leah stared off towards the building he worked in. “He's probably with some girl now.” “He's the boss. That 'some girl' just wants a raise. Having him out of your life is honestly something to celebrate. Come on. We got some damage to do.” Simone threw her sack of supplies over her shoulder and headed towards his polished mustang. He loved his car more than anything, and that was why this pay back was so sweet. Leah pulled out a key from her purse and started her intricate art design on the top of the car's hood. Simone tore open a bag of sugar and drained it into his gas tank, laughing like a maniac. Simone then took a step back after puncturing two of his tires. Leah carved numerous words describing the object of a slut all over the car. Simone clapped her hands in approval. “I think we out did ourselves this time.” Leah felt a newfound glory after getting back at the dirt bag, who broke her heart. She couldn't believe she wasted half a year with him. Simone grabbed two bats from her sack and handed Leah one. “Not quite yet.” They both snickered in delight before positioning themselves on either side of the car. They counted down in sync. “One, two, three.” The windows shattered to a million pieces, and the custom detailed paint chipped. The alarm went off immediately. It was loud; there was no way Kenneth wouldn't hear it. Hell, the whole block probably heard it. The dents on the car looked costly to fix, and they were counting on it. “I'm betting he'll cry.” Simone could just imagine it and couldn’t help but snicker to herself. Kenneth came down and out of the building in a matter of seconds. Leah and Simone both grinned ear to ear as he approached. “What the hell happened here?” he shouted, taking in the view of his damaged car. “Would you believe us if I said the bat slipped?” They figured he was too busy holding in his tears to respond to Leah. Kenneth was gawking at his precious car, dumbfounded. Minutes later, Kenneth’s face turned bright red with rage. “Why the hell would you do this to me, Leah?” Leah crossed her arms over her chest to gain better leverage. She understood his anger, but it didn't compare to the betrayal she felt. She also knew for a fact that he could easily afford a new car. “No. Why don't you tell me how you could cheat on me?” There was no reason for him to wander. Leah was a terrific girlfriend, or so she believed anyway. His eyes glazed over. “What are you talking about? I never cheated on you, baby.” So, he was going to play denial and stupid. Simone felt sick to her stomach. He was breaking down and acting all emotional. Damn, he was a good actor. “It's too bad your lies don't grow more brain cells. But brains aren't everything.” Kenneth glared at Simone, like a cat would a mouse. “You put her up to this. You’re nothing but a little jealous whore.” “You really should stop calling yourself that. I've already started to believe it.” Simone wasn't scared of him, though he was stupid if he thought she would be. “Leah, baby, you can't let her break us up. We're more than that.” A week ago, she would have believed him. They were perfect for each other, but she figured it wasn't good enough for him. He had cheated on her multiple times with numerous girls. His pleading made Jules roll her eyes and snort. “Simone didn't tell me anything. Jessica, your assistant, dropped me a hint after quitting on you. Remember her?” Kenneth knew he should have fired the little snitch a long time ago. “Look, let me explain.” “Don't bother. We're through.” Leah took the bat, flipping her hair, and turned to walk away. “The hell we are. What about my car?” “It looks so much better than before, if you ask me,” Simone chimed in. “I don't think we're going to have a problem with that. And if we do, I'm sure your boss won't mind hearing about how you shagged his wife.” Leah had plenty of secrets on him that he wasn’t aware of her even knowing. Kenneth’s eyes grew scared. “How?” “Your little assistant was very informative. Apparently there was a lot more to you than even I knew.” Kenneth cursed. There was nothing he could do. There was no way he was going to lose his job. “Damn you both!” He yelled in frustration. “Is there an issue here?” a fourth voice came from a cop walking out of the shadows. He was a patrol cop just doing his rounds. Kenneth bit his lip to keep from spilling and confessing to the cop. Leah raised her brow, daring Kenneth to say a word. “No. There's no problem here.” Kenneth sounded defeated and exhausted. The cop gazed over the messed up car and wasn't sure what to think of it. “How did this happen, exactly?” Kenneth answered reluctantly. “It happened last week. It was some stupid kids playing a prank.” The cop nodded, giving them all the once over. “Alright. You all drive home safe.” He left shortly after. Simone and Leah decided it was their time to go. “You're going to regret this, baby. I was the best you ever had.” Kenneth was beyond delusional if he believed that. Simone almost puked with disgust. “Only you are dumb enough to believe that.” Leah threw her arm over Simone and walked away with more respect for herself than she had before. “Thanks for doing this with me.” “Are you kidding? I've been waiting to can that jerk since the first day you introduced him to me. I thought he was a snake from the beginning but gave him the benefit of the doubt.” Simone snorted. Leah’s weak smile was hard for her to see. Simone knew all too well it felt being cheated on. “Hey,” Simone bumped her side against her in hopes of getting Leah's attention. “What are you thinking?” “I can't help but wonder, was it me? Did I do something wrong?" Leah was blaming herself. “No. Don't you dare? You did nothing wrong. You are a great person, and he was just a two faced liar. Kenneth doesn't deserve a person like you. You deserve so much better and more.” Simone pulled her into a hug, and Leah instantly felt better. “Thanks Simone.” She pulled away. “It's late. I better get going.” “Yeah. I'll see you tomorrow.” They both headed in the opposite directions inside the mall parking lot. It was the place they decided to meet at, since it was only a block away from Kenneth's work. Looking around now at the sketchy empty lot, Simone was starting to think it may have been a bad idea. Simone pulled her thin coat a little tighter as the cold breeze hit her face. She was a few feet away from her car when she noticed a tall figure leaning against a black BMW. He was facing away from her, toward the deserted streets. She tried not to think much of it as she came closer to the mysterious figure. Her curiosity got the best of her, and she glanced up at his face. The parking lot was dark, but there were a few lights around the area. She could easily tell the man was very handsome. His jaw line was strong and demanding. His muscular arms were crossed over his broad chest and were lightly flexing through his thin, black V-neck shirt. She couldn't help admiring his body, but the fact that he was just in a shirt in the middle of December shocked her. He had to be freezing, but he was not showing any signs that he was. Strange, she thought. Glancing up, he was now looking in her direction. She quickly dropped her gaze to the keys in her hands and turned to face her car door. Just as she was placing the key in its slot, she heard footsteps coming towards her. “Hello,” the man’s voice was warm and silky. She gathered her courage to face the mysterious man, even though her instincts told her not to. He stood a foot taller than her 5 foot 6 inch frame. His dark, sparkling blue- gray eyes were gazing down at her with intrigue. “Hi,” she replied, admiring his gorgeous features up close. He looked unreal, like something out of a book. The colors of his eyes were something she had never known existed on a human. His beautiful lips turned into a breathtaking smile at the tone of her voice. He didn't say anything in return. He swept his eyes down her face, taking in her golden eyes, soft lips, and faintly pink cheeks. Her nose was red from the cold. She narrowed her eyes in suspicion. “Is there something you needed?” Simone maybe figured he might have had some kind of car problem, since he was out late and waiting in the blistering cold. “Actually, there is. What is your name?” His low voice spoke with ease. “My name is none of your business.” He smirked at her comment and took a step closer. She wanted to step back, but her back was already pressed against her car. “Please, can you tell me your name?” He asked more politely. She didn't understand why he wanted her name, but she knew better than to give it to a stranger. He could be a killer. “Jessica.” His eyes grew accusingly. “You're lying, love.” She raised her brow, challenging him. “Am I?” He chuckled softly, and she found herself enjoying listening to his voice. He leaned in. His eyes now pleading, making his face look even more adorable and boyish, “Please tell me your name, beautiful lady?” Beautiful lady? Was this man for real? Simone shook her head in disbelief because his pleading pulled her in, and she told him. “Simone." His eyes grew warm as he took in her name. “That's a very intriguing name.” “Thanks.” She turned to her door to escape his stare. “Simone?” His voice went silky, like he wanted something. Nothing in his tone made her think he was a threat. “Yes, stranger?” “You shouldn't be out by yourself this late at night.” She had to look back to see what kind of expression was on his face. She was excellent at reading people and smiled when he seemed to look sincere. “I can take care of myself, but thanks, any way…" “Damien.” He replied. “Damien?” she repeated. “The name suits you.” He raised his brow in a questioning, curious fashion. “How so?” “Might sound weird, but you look like an old soul to me; like you might have seen a lot. Damien isn't used to that much anymore. It's a nice name, though.” Damien chuckled and shook his head, staring at Simone with what seemed to be fascination. “You're special.” “That's what guys say to girls when they want to get in their pants. But that won't be happening here, good sir.” He laughed, and she could feel his breath on her neck. She wasn't scared of him; after all, she still had her bat in her backpack. “I like you, Simone,” he said as he trailed his nose down her neck, making her shiver a bit. She didn't know what to say, and she didn’t seem to have the will power to move. She couldn't explain it, but it felt like some sort of force was holding her captive. Her body in explicitly went limp, and she blacked out as fear crawled into the ripples of her brain.