Isabella's POV

Music blasts from the in-house where Juliet works part-time and I stroll in, shrugging off my tote bag and glancing around for her in the bar.

There is a low-class club attached to the back of the bar and Juliet works inside mostly. She is charged with the duty of offering drinks to the clients inside the clubhouse.

Not finding her in here, I know she must be inside the clubhouse, probably trying to persuade one of the men for a tip.

My emotions are all over the place and I am trying so hard to calm myself down and search for a reasonable excuse for her actions.

There is no excuse for what she did. No excuse for not informing me beforehand.

I didn't tell her about my decision to become Jayden's wife over the phone because I wanted us to meet in person before telling her.

She convinced me to give it a try and I wanted to see the proud smile on her face after revealing my decision to give it a try to her.

To give being a billionaire's wife a try. For just a year.

But now, she has ruined it all.

She went behind my back to see Jayden after I informed her that I won't be going to work today and I would tell her the reason when we meet.

What was she thinking?

After I told her, there would be no sex involved, she showed her disinterest and I never thought she would want to give such a thing a try. If she had continued to show interest, I would have helped her convince my boss instead since I didn't like the idea initially.

But now, I like the idea. In fact, I love the idea.

I have been given a taste of wealth and I am not letting go for anything in the world. Not even Grandma can dissuade me from going ahead with this.

Someone bumps into me, an offensive stench attacking my nostril as he offers a low-tone apology before sauntering again, leaving me struggling with my bag which almost fell off my hand.

Juliet knows how much I hate coming to this place. This was where I met Frederick who was offering me the opportunity to become his mistress as he called it but I called it slut.

Frederick frequents here and he is the richest of all here. I wonder why he patronizes low-class clubs like this.

I drape the jingling curtains aside and enter the club, the music louder than before.

I scan the entire place, for the sight of Juliet but she is nowhere to be found. I take a step forward, muttering curse words to myself.

I need to find her as soon as possible and get the hell out of here. I need to ask her some questions and give her a piece of my mind.

She didn't just try to get Jayden from me, she also spilled the beans concerning everything I told her about him.

What type of friend does that?

I am furious with her and I won't be calm until I gave her a piece of my mind, then we can continue with our friendship.

"Hey", someone calls from across the room, waving at me with a light smile on her face.

Juliet. My best friend. The only girl who taught me a lot of things about men that I know nothing about. My partner in crime. My confident counselor.

I approach her, my face without a smile. I can't possibly fake a smile when it isn't from the depth of my heart.

I have never been faced with a situation like this before. I don't have to pretend. I don't like it. Most especially, faking a smile that isn't genuine.

She reads my expression and the smile vanished. "What happened?"

"Can we see?" I fold my arms when I am close enough for her to hear me with a whisper. She is sitting on the table across from a pot-bellied man watching me intently.

"Now?" She demands with a furrowed brow and I nod.

She examines me for a while before whispering into my man's ears. He nods and she steps away from him.

I turn back abruptly to take the exit when I bump into someone again. This time, it is someone I know.

"Hey, baby", he grabs my waist instantly.

"Frederick!" I grit my teeth in irritation. "Stop it!"

I really need to stop coming to the place. In fact, I need to put an end to coming here. Jayden will be damn furious if he sees me here or I cause a scene here because it will be connected to him the moment I become his wife.

My boss hates attention. This is something I have observed in him for over a year since I started working with him and I need to put that into consideration once we get married.

My lifestyle needs to change. The places I go to, the dresses I will be wearing, the way I speak, and many others.

It dawns on me now that there is more to being a billionaire's wife. It doesn't really matter if it is just for a year or forever.

"I haven't seen you around since the other time", he lets go of me, surprising me. Juliet steps beside me.

"Hey, Fred."

"July", he smirks at her, his mustache twitching with mischief. With arms akimbo, he turns to me.

"You should give him a chance, you know?" Juliet whispers into my ears, and I raise a brow at her.

"What?!" I exclaim in disbelief.

I can't believe this. Juliet told me a week ago to accept Jayden's proposal since it is far off than Fred's and now she is saying the total opposite?

Grabbing her hand and fuming in anger, I walk past Frederick and move out of the clubhouse and out of the bar. We both step outside as the evening air hits my face, making my unpacked hair fly all over my face.

"Hey, what's wrong?" She questions with curiosity written all over her.

I fold my arms and watch her, trying to figure out if this is true and if Juliet is actually backstabbing me. Her face is devoid of emotions and I can't find any look of guilt on her face.

"Why did you go to Jayden's office without informing me?" I ask, without beating about the bush.

She falls silent, opens her mouth to say something, and then closes it back before sighing.

Finally, I see the guilt. Suddenly, it is replaced with a not-too-sorry look. The remorse isn't there.

She shrugs. "I thought of giving it a try."

"A try?" I shout, unable to contain my anger anymore. "A try when you knew I was going to take the offer?"

"You didn't take me you would", she argues quickly.

"I didn't?"

"Yes, you didn't", she stands her ground with a defiant look on her face.

"You were the one'', I poke a finger at her chest. "who was urging me to give it a try. You said I was the right person for the job and you even called me a billionaire's wife."

She raises a mocking brow before snorting.

"Why did you even go there? Why did you tell him all those things for crying out loud", I whine when she isn't offering any form of explanation.

Silence creeps in and my heart begins to pound harder than before.

This is my fear. My greatest fear. Betrayal from my very best friend.

It is happening already.

"Juliet", I call, hoping she would say something at least to ease my temper.

She looks away instead with a nonchalant attitude.

"Juliet, aren't you going to say something?"

"What do you want me to say?" She barks at me.

"Say something at least", I stamp my feet on the floor. I can't imagine losing her. I can't imagine losing my only friend. She is the only one who understands me the most. I need her now more than ever.

"Maybe I will when you tell me why you accepted him without letting me know first", she flashes me a wicked smile.

My head is spinning. It is surreal. Juliet and I are having our first real fight and there is no possibility that this can be resolved.

I can't believe she isn't feeling remorseful and apologizing for her mistakes. Instead, she is standing her ground and making it look like what she did was right.

Gulping loudly and accepting the fact that Juliet has finally exhibited her true color, I step away from her and walk past her.

"Good riddance!" I hear her mutter, huff, and walk away as a lone tear rolls down my eyes.

****

What do you think of Isabella's so-called best friend? Is their differences reconcilable? If you were in Isabella's shoes, what would you do?

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