Chapter 3
Lies & Lunatics
Hillary Beck
Itold a white lie to my friends and rushed out of the restaurant. The girls had been a bit confused by my attitude change. After all, a minute ago I was happy and laughing, and now I was worried and filled with panic. All I could think about was that I had to get to Gale. I had to get to him and tell him what I heard. I have got to let him know who’s behind all this!
“Gale!” I shouted, running into his office. “We have to talk—”
I trailed off, noticing how dark his room was. He had pulled the curtains in front of the giant windows, and he sat there at his desk, his laptop open in front of him.
“Gale?” I said, sensing something was wrong. “Everything okay?”
“I trusted you,” he said in a soft voice. “I believed you. I thought you loved me. Tell me, was it easy? Was it easy just playing with my feelings like that? Every time I came after you, did you laugh behind my back? Did you go to your friends and tell them how you are making a fool of me? Or are they all unaware of your true self as well? Are they also taken in by your false promises and words?”
“What are you talking about?” I asked, confused. “Gale, I have something to—”
“I loved you,” he said. “I really did. I thought you were special. I thought you and I had a connection I had never experienced before. When we lay in bed all night, wrapped and intertwined together, I was so happy. I felt as if I had finally found my soulmate. I thought everything was going to be okay. That with you by my side, I could overcome all the obstacles in my path. That we would be together, in each other’s arms, madly in love with each other. But I was wrong, wasn’t I?”
“Gale, please—” I said, feeling thoroughly confused.
“Tell me,” he said. “Did you feel any regret about what you were doing? Or was the greed for money so strong you didn’t even care?”
“What are you talking about,” I said, unable to understand what was going on. Why was he talking like this? Why was he saying all these words? Why was he hurting me?
“I am talking about this,” he said, turning his screen towards me. I walked towards his desk, my heart in my throat, watching the clip play over and over again. A video of me sneaking into the office, stealing the Durrick file and running away with it.
“Gale,” I whispered. “I can explain everything.”
“What else have you done?” he asked softly. “What else have you caused? How long have you been working against me? Did you really want money so badly that you resorted to this?”
“No, Gale, let me speak,” I said. “I had no choice. They took—”
“If Daniel hadn’t shown me this,” he said, cutting me off. “I would have continued trusting you, loving you, and you would have continued working behind my back. You would have continued playing me, and you would have enjoyed every second of it, right?”
“Gale, you can’t trust Daniel!” I almost scream. “He is involved with Stella. He is the one who put her up to this! He has planned everything! He wants to ruin you completely! He has been the one who has been against you! He brought Stella back into your life! He gave her all those materials to blackmail you! He is trying to destroy you and—”
“Really?” he said. “You will go after Daniel to save your ass? You will blame him for things you have done? I didn’t realize you could stoop so low, Hillary.”
“Gale, I promise you I am not lying,” I said. “Just give me a minute, I will explain everything—”
“I don’t want to hear any more of your lies,” he said. “You are fired.”
“Gale, please!” I shouted. “Let me explain—”
“I don’t want to see your face here!” he roared at me. “You’re a liar! I loved you so much, Hillary, and this is what you did to me? I will never forgive you for this! Please, just stay away from me! Get the hell out of here!”
“Gale…” I whispered, tears falling from my eyes. “Gale, I—”
“Leave!” he shouted. “Or I will have you thrown out!”
My heart felt like it had shattered into a million pieces. I hadn’t expected Gale to treat me like this and not given me a chance to explain myself. How could he shut me off so easily? I looked into his eyes, and I couldn’t see my Gale inside them anymore. Instead, there was this furious man who was burning with hate for me. Someone who didn’t even give me the chance to defend myself. Disappointment and sadness filled my heart. I had thought that he would have more trust in me by now.
A sob escaped me, and I said, “It’s so easy for you to doubt me, isn’t it? You know, as a lawyer, you should at least have given me a chance to defend myself. I guess I was wrong about you. I love you. I really, truly love you.”
I turned around and barged out of his office, well aware that everyone was looking at me. I walked to my desk and started to pick up all my things, as Mrs. Payne looked at me with a smug expression. I stuffed whatever I could into my purse, and marched out of there, tears streaming down my face.
I couldn’t believe it. It was all over. Daniel had won. And I had regret in trusting and loving Gale.
