Not What It Seems Ch. 09

"Get in."

"No!"

"Get the FUCK inside now."

She stared at him, willing him to stop. "I'm not going to fucking repeat myself." He said dangerously.

The journey was painful. He was driving so fast, she was surprised no patrol officer stopped them for going over the limit. He didn't talk to her, his eyes remaining on the road. Alin was too shocked to talk. His behaviour was so different from how he treated her last week. She couldn't comprehend why the sudden change.

When they finally got back to the apartment, he slumped on the couch and started to drink. Alin looked at him, but still he remained quiet. "J-Jared w-why are you doing this? What have I done wrong." She whispered.

He laughed bitterly and took a big gulp of his drink. He got up quickly and went into his study. When he came out, he was holding a brown A4 envelope.

He loosened his tie, "You want to know why." He threw the envelope onto the floor. "Take a look inside."

She bent down to retrieve it, hot tears unable to stop falling, why did he have to treat her with no dignity again? She didn't see the shift, but it hurt even more that he could change with a click of his fingers. Alin took out the content of the envelope. A stack of photos. Looking at the first one, it took her a few seconds to register it.

She gasped.

"I'm sure you're as shocked as I am. We both didn't see it coming. You? You didn't expect to get caught." His fury was rising alongside pain. The burn inside him...he could no longer distinguish whether it was the former or latter. "I didn't expect to get played like a fucking idiot."

"It's not like that, I-"

He pressed his hand against his head, his head hurt...everywhere hurt. "But it fucking is! Why would you do thisme?"

"Nothing happened! You have to listen to me, we went to dinner and then I went to his apartment to pick my old stuff up-"

He walked closer to her and unexpectedly grabbed her already painful wrists and backed her against the wall, Alin looked up at him, she was breathing hard, frightened at what he would do to her. He was possessed, as he pushed her harder against the wall. He leaned his forehead against hers and whispered, "How could you do this me?" his softly spoken words contradicted his actions.

"You have to b-believe me that those photos...it's not what it seems-"

He kissed her hard on the lips all of a sudden. Darting his tongue out and trying to get her to yield to him. He pushed her skirt up and pulled down her panties.

She put her hand on his trying to stop him, she shook her head, "Jared- John wanted to, he wanted to, oh god I had to call Ryan to pick me up because of John w-wanted to touch me"

He looked at her with both lust and disgust. "So you're crying rape now? Using Ryan as an alibi? How low can you fucking stoop?"

"Why can't you believe me?" He looked at her intently. Her eyes. It told him a different story...but the pictures.

Again he kissed her forcefully and used one hand to undo his belt.

She managed to turn her head and whisper, "P-please don't do this in anger-"

His hand spread her legs forcefully and he used his leg and placed it between hers, immobilising her.

She could feel him hard and hot against her, "Jared, please stop this." She said through her tears, her words becoming intelligible. "J-Jared...p-please." She closed her eyes. Squeezing it shut so that the tears wouldn't fall.

Even through his lust, Jared looked at her. He didn't expect to see desire from her but, nor did he think she would be so afraid of him. He let go the tight grip in her arm and moved away from her. She dropped to the floor, curled up in a ball and cried.

His heart clenched. He was a monster. But he couldn't stop himself. It seemed the demons that haunted him for the past five years were back again.

I love you, fuck Alin. I believe you...instead he stated harshly, "Fucking whore. You let Haltor touch you, but when I do, you cry."

She looked at him pleadingly, but still he didn't stop. "You make me fucking sick." He grabbed his jacket and walked towards the door. As he opened it, there was a moment where he wanted to run back to her, beg for her forgiveness and hold her until the sunrise. Of course, he chose to leave her crying on the floor. Romantic notions were for fucking idiots. He was not about to make the same mistakes again. He banged the front door shut.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

He didn't come home Saturday night. Alin felt stupid. After what happened, she still wanted to forgive him. She still thought in the back of her mind, he'd come back to her. She finally got out of bed. She had to pack. She had to move out of this apartment. Though the happy memories they shared were short, it was engraved in her mind forever...but it was nothing other than memories, he had changed. In fact maybe he hadn't change, which was ultimately the problem. He never believed her. He always thought she was a conniving, manipulative bitch.

Jared stayed in a suite. Drinking and smoking heavily. His secret vice, the guilty pleasures he was willing to give up for her. Fuck that. He threw the half empty glass across the room and watch it shatter. It felt good. The pictures were yet to be released, but he knew it was going to be Monday. Haltor knew how to play his cards right. Releasing the pictures over the weekend would not have had much of an impact, however Monday, when reporter, journalists wanted to interview about the success. No, his girlfriend making a fool out of him was the best way to show what a fucking moron he was, cancelling out his success in anything else.

Alin called Ryan to tell him she wasn't feeling well so was not going to go to work on Monday. He didn't fail to hear her strange tone. It was obvious she was lying. He had tried to press her, but she kept skirting around the problem. Ryan stopped quizzing when he figured she might have had a spat with Jared.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"Jared, what are your reactions to the pictures? It was rumoured you and Alin were engaged. Are you splitting up again?"

"Jared, is it true that John and Alin are back together?"

"Guests at Fred Price's dinner said you and John had a fight. Was it over Alin? Was it because she spent the night with him?

"Get the fucking securities to get them off the premises. And cancel all meetings today. I don't want to see anyone today." Sara nodded as Jared entered his office. "and Sara, please make me a cup of coffee." She smiled weakly at him. He was a nice boss and she'd seen all the pictures in the newspaper today. In fact everyone at the office has. The reporters and paparazzi were still hanging outside the building. She had never seen her boss so out of control.

He slammed his fist on his desk, just as Sara re-entered with coffee, "Mr Valentine, I know you said you don't want to see anyone today, but Mr Harris is here."

He sighed, "Send him in."

He was not in the mood to get a lecture from Ryan.

"I'm not in the mood." He stated as Ryan closed the door behind him.

He sat down and looked at him, "Is this why Alin didn't come into work today? Jared, those pictures are not-"

"Real?" he snorted. "Trust me they're fucking real."

"Yeah they're real I know, that but it's not what you think. That fucker wouldn't leave her alone. She agreed to go with him. You know what Alin's like she always sees the good in people. That prick wanted to rape her. It's blatant that he somehow set this up and decided to sell the pictures to the press." Ryan said and looked at him sincerely.

"Ryan, I appreciate it buddy. You sticking up for her, but how'd you know she wasn't using you? She's a conniving bitch. Manipulative. Whatever. She loves to play the innocent card. She stayed the night with him! You don't have to cover for her. You know how much she crippled me five years ago-"

He shook his head, "Fuck! Cut it out Jared! If you thought that about her, why'd you fucking insisting in being in her life these five years? Why'd you ask me to help her out? Why? Because you fucking love her! You guys need to sit down and fucking talk. Stop being a dick."

"You don't know her like I do!" Jared shouted back, but in the back of his mind, a feeling told him he was very wrong.

"Jared, I don't know why you insist on distrusting her. Jared...what happened five years ago. She never did it. I don't know who did, but Alin would never betray you. Never. I just really can't wrap my head round this self-proclaimed intelligence of yours can't seem to think outside of the fucking box, and actually work out that she's not capable of loving anyone but you-"

"Stop." He held up his hand, "Ryan, I don't need this right now. How can I trust her. how can I? We would have been happy all these years if she hadn't betrayed me-"

"If you never let go what happened five years ago, you two can never move forward."

He sighed, "Maybe we weren't supposed to move forward. It's easy for you to say forget about it. But I can't...if she weren't guilty why'd she leave me?"

"Oh my fucking god." Ryan said in frustration. "Because you were fucking Faye Morlan behind her back."

"What? She never listened to my side of the story. That bitch was stirring shit up!"

Ryan shook his head, "Seriously, for an intelligent guy, you can be a fucking idiot sometimes. If you think Faye Morlan was stirring shit up, how'd you know someone isn't stirring shit up between you two this time? I'm telling you, she never stayed the night at Haltor's. If she did, I'd be the first one to tell you! Besides she...fuck sake I saw her wrist when I went to pick her up. She left his place at eleven. She never lied. That fucker left marks on her. He wanted to rape her! But because you never trusted her, she didn't want you to know. "

Guilt hit him hard. He had accused her of crying rape.Fuck,he thought. Ryan was right. How the hell could he trust the reports? Even Tao was sceptical about it. Most importantly, why the hell did he not believe her?

"Jared, Alin actually called me again before I came today... she wants more time off because she's moving out-"

"Ryan, I have to go."

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"This is HGLive bringing you the newest update. Over five years ago, Alin Fanning was engaged to the tall, dark and handsome Jared Valentine, then they split up over allegations she was unfaithful to him. She hooked up with John Haltor the heir to a $8.5billion fortune...wonder what she saw in him." The presenter smirked "Then she split up with him over allegations she cheated on him with Jared. Now? People's have just released exclusive pictures that Alin stayed the night at John's place-"

Alin switched off the TV, and carried on packing her things. In the past two days she had managed to find a place to rent. This afternoon when she called Ryan about moving, he had shot her down telling her she could stay with him. She declined his offer, because she didn't want to take advantage of his hospitality. She really wanted to get out of this place, all the bad memories. She couldn't believe she let Jared walk all over her again. After vowing that she would never be like her mom, but inevitably because she loved him so much, she let him treat her with no respect or dignity. In the past few days she hadn't been feeling well. She wasn't sure if it was because she lost her appetite or because she caught a bug.

Just as she bent down to retrieve one of her bags, a sudden nauseous feeling hit her and she felt sick. She ran to the bathroom and leaned herself against the toilet trying to empty the content from her stomach.

Jared came home and immediately went to their bedroom. He saw suitcases. Fuck. What else did he expect? Of course she wanted to move out. He treated her with absolute no respect. He heard crying in the bathroom and rushed in. Alin was sitting on the floor and throwing up. A thought crossed his mind. Jared wanted to kill himself. He was so fucking stupid.

"A-Alin...are you p-pregnant?"

She froze. Taking a deep breath, she took a tissue to wipe her mouth and turned round to look at him. Her expression was cold but she smiled at him. It wasn't a warm smile, but it was almost mocking him.

"I'm pregnant?" she smirked, but the tears in her eyes almost contradicted her cold behaviour towards him, "Y-you a-actually think I'm pregnant?" She laughed bitterly, "No, maybe you think I'm stupid, but that's the worst thing that can happen to me. You would've never given a damn if I was pregnant or not. If anything that would work for you, to seek your so called revenge from me. Because you were so wrapped up infuckingme, you didn't care about anything else. I've been on the pill for the past few months because my worst nightmare would be havingyouas the father of" she slapped her hand against her chest emphasising her point, "mychildren." She didn't want to see him, though she knew she loved him, every time she thought back to how he treated her, she couldn't forgive him. The mere sight of him made her so sick.

"I'll be out of here by tonight." She whispered, the conflicting motions exhausted her.

"Alin, can we talk?"

She laughed bitterly, "Now you want to talk?" She shook her head as tears slid down her cheeks, "I don't understand how one minute you can be so rational and the next...no, there's nothing to talk about." She got up carefully and Jared tried to steady her but she pulled back from him forcefully.

"DON'T TOUCH ME!" She screamed. "Didn't you say I was a whore? Why thehellare you touching me? Didn't you say I made you sick?"

"Alin, we can get through this, let's talk-" he pleaded the sudden thought of losing her made him desperate. He couldn't live without her.

"I've got absolutely nothing to talk to you about!" Alin walked back to the bedroom and grabbed her suitcases. The other items she'd have to pack later. Jared went in the room with her.

"Please,Alin, please listen to me, I was told you stayed the night at that bastard's house, but then Ryan told me everything-"

She looked at him with disbelief in her eyes. "S-so because R-Ryan told you?" Frustrated tears started to form, "That's w-why you finally know I was telling the truth? You just don't trust me, do you? The first time when we split it up, I played a part in not trusting you. But after all this time, after everything we've been through you cast me aside as if I-" tears fell. She couldn't control it. Why did she have to show him how weak she was? "after all t-this time I thought you would know that I'm not that type of person, I thought you know that I lo-" thatI love you so much,she wanted to say, "W-we were never meant to be together." Alin swallowed the hard lump in her throat, willing herself to carry on, "because we don't trust each other. N-no YOU don't trust me. These past two months you've humiliated me, you've treated me like your sex toy-"

"Alin, it's not like that-"

"How can you stand there and d-deny it? If R-Ryan didn't come to my defence, right now you would be talking to m-me as if I..." Alin paused hiccupping between words, she furiously tried to wipe the tears from her eyes with the back of her hand, but it just kept falling, "T-to you I'm just a c-cheap piece of m-meat."

He shook his head furiously, "I love you. I'm sorry for how I reacted. I know it was Haltor behind this-"

"You just don't get it," Alin whispered, "It's not about who was behind this...it's the fact you've never believed me. I...we were never meant to be."

Alin started to walk past him but he knew he couldn't let her walk away from him. He hugged her from behind, holding onto her tightly.

"Alin,please.I beg you, you can't leave me. I love you. I can't live my life without you."

She wanted so badly to stay in his arms forever. To let him prove to her he was sorry...

Gently, she removed his arms around her waist.

She took a deep breath, "Idon'twant to end up like my mom."

"I'm not like your dad-"

"If you truly say you love me, Jared, let me go. Because I can't take you turning on me like that again. I can't take you suddenly treating me as if I'm nothing to you-"

"I won't!"

She took her bags and suitcase and moved to the front door, once again Jared pulled her back, and hugged her tightly, stroking her hair.

"Alin, I love you. Please giveusa chance. I love you so much." He whispered again and again.

She closed her eyes, trying hard to block out all the images of the happiness they shared. But she couldn't let those times they shared cancel out what he had done to her, "L-last time you told me- you told me you would never hurt me again. You promised me. But you did."

Pushing away from him gently, she spoke softly, her voice quivering, "G-goodbye, Jared."

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*