Falling For My Mysterious Saviour

THE RUMOURS

Warrick’s P.O.V.

“You told me that we will get the money after she disappeared. Then why on hell you are still empty hand?” Valerie yelled at me and I glared at her. “It was your plan to take her there and kill her. It was you who told me that we would never be caught. Now I am in dipshit because her mother has launched a missing person complaint and also has got a stay order on her bank accounts even on her every asset”, I yelled back while towering her small frame. “There was no problem with my plan. She is dead and there is no clue out there who could prove that it was us. It’s you who cannot convince her mother”, he pushed me hard on my chest making me stumbled back on my feet a little.

“You hit me?” I screamed while looking at her angrily. “So what? You ruined my life and I can’t even hit you?” she spat in anger while throwing her hands in the air. She was now shooting daggers on me through her eyes. Before she could say anything to me, I stormed towards her and pinned her to the wall while clutching her neck. She immediately started gagging while trying to remove my grip from her neck. “It’s you who spread your legs in front of me. It’s you who seduce me. It’s you who want me at first”, I gritted my teeth while leaning my face up to her level. She widened her eyes in shock.

I threw her across the room and she screamed in pain. I didn’t bother to look at her and stormed out of the house. She could take care of herself. I went straight to Toby’s bar. We were still pissed because my joint account with Mariam was frozen and I had a little money left in my personal account. My business was not going well and I wanted help so badly. I could easily borrow money from Mariam and I was sure that she would give me every single penny that she had saved till now without any complaint. She loved me blindly and never doubted me while on the other hand, I took advantage of her innocence and her trust in me. Valerie and I were in this relationship for the last three years behind her back. Among us, only Mariam was the only one who succeeded in achieving her dreams. Both I and Valerie were struggling in our professions. I didn’t know what I saw in Valerie that I agreed to her every demand. The only reason behind my betrayal to Mariam was that Valerie gave me that pleasure and satisfaction that Mariam never gave me.

Yeah… call me a d**k. I went behind her back because Valerie offered me her body and I could say that she was a goddess in bed. I was blinded by her charm and the way she took care of my needs that I agreed with her plan of killing Mariam. I didn’t hate Mariam and honestly, I cared for her so much. She was my first love and the best friend that one could dream of. I didn’t want her to die and that was the reason that I did not agree to that trip. I remembered that I and Valerie fought over this matter so many times but she didn’t give up and then like in the past, she used her body to convince me and being an a****le I agreed.

“Another shitty day”, I heard Toby’s voice and looked up. I didn’t realize that I already had finished so many drinks by now. “Yeah”, I said in a low voice while taking a sip of my whiskey. The bitter liquid burnt my throat again but I felt relieved by now. “Any news on Mariam?” he asked me and I shook my head in no. I never confirmed Valerie’s story about Mariam’s death. She told everyone that Mariam went to early morning bird watching one day and didn’t return. The local police found her torn clothes deep in the forest but were not able to find her body.

“They are still searching for her”, I said and gulped down the whole content of the glass. He sighed and then filled my glass again. Toby was my friend and ran a bar successfully here. He knew about my business situation and often lends me money. He was in her early thirties and happily married with one child. “I met her mom in the morning today. She is still a mess”, he said in a sad tone and I felt my chest constraining again. “She has gone through a lot in her life and the news of Mariam’s death has broken her the most. Still, she is holding herself strongly. I heard that she gave me a proof to the police about Mariam”, he said in a low voice and I snapped my head towards him. I widened my eyes in shock and immediately stood up. “What are you talking about?” I immediately asked him and he jerked his head back a little in confusion. “I thought you know about this?” he questioned back and all the effects of the alcohol in my system immediately washed up.

“I… I didn’t meet her recently.. so”, I paused and felt sweat on my forehead. Toby took a long breath and then spoke again, “I heard that she is telling everyone that she got a call from Mariam that she is fine and very badly injured. Maria went to the police and gave them the recording of her conversation with Mariam. My friend there in the station told me that the number is not in use but that voice did belong to Mariam”, he told me without looking at me as he was looking to his glass. I felt my world spinning hard. It couldn’t be true. What if Mariam was really alive? What if she knows about us being involved in her k********g and her present condition?

“Hey, Warrick… are you alright, buddy?” I heard Toby’s voice and looked at him. He was now looking at me with a worried look. “Why are you so sweaty suddenly?” he asked me and I immediately touched my face. I took my handkerchief out of my pocket and swiped my whole face cleaning the sweat. “Uhhh… nothing.. it’s just… I… I… I”, I stuttered and he put his hand on my shoulder and squeezed gently. “I know you are overwhelmed, Warrick. It has been over months since Mariam is missing. This sudden news can startle anyone. But”, he paused and then removed his hand from shoulder and pursed his lips into a thin line.

I knitted my brows on him while noticing the change in his facial expressions. “You don’t know perhaps… but you and Valerie are the talk of the town now”, he again looked at me and I widened my eyes in shock. How could it be possible? I was always cautious about my meeting with Valerie. Then how on earth it could be possible that we were exposed? “What? What are you talking about? There is nothing between me and Valerie”, I was so nervous that I almost yelled in the end. “Seriously Warrick? You think that all of us are so dumb, huh? When Valerie was telling everyone that you two are going to engage soon as you are completely torn and broken with Mariam’s sudden death and she can’t bear to see you like this?” he also yelled at me and now the people around us were looking at us.

I was shocked to know what he was telling me. I balled up my fist as I wanted to kill Valerie right now. “She thought that everyone around is dumb and blind. We can see how you two are growing up in each other since Mariam’s death”, he gave me a dirty looking while looking at me from head to toe. I stood up from the stool and finished my last glass. “I don’t know what you are talking about, Toby but I think … I need to talk to Valerie… She has to stop spreading rumours about me and her”, I said and Toby scoffed while looking away. I cleared my tab and then stormed out of the bar without looking at anyone in my way. They all were giving me a look that I didn’t want to see now.

I took a deep breath and exhaled through my mouth when I reached the parking area of the bar near my car. I was alone in the parking area and I leaned on the frame of my car. I put my forehead on the top edge of the door and closed my eyes. There was a storm inside my mind right now. Valerie was Mariam’s cousin and her best friend too. Mariam always trusted her with all her will. I didn’t know why Valerie hate her so much that she wanted her dead so badly. I only had a vague idea about a property dispute between Valerie's father and Mariam's mother but didn't know the whole story. We didn't need to kill Mariam. I knew her well. We could tell Mariam about our relationship and I was sure that Mariam would never come between us. I was pissed on Valerie more than I was before. That damn woman was complicating things for me more than I thought. I needed to have a clear chat with her now. I opened my car and hopped inside. I knew where I needed to go now.