My Contract Marriage With An Obsessive Billionaire

NATASHA'S POV

My hands shook as I looked down at my phone, eyes wide from shock.

No, no it couldn't be.

I closed my eyes and opened them again, but no matter how much I wanted to deny it, the ugly truth was as clear as day.

I was currently staring at a video of my boyfriend and my best friend in bed together.

The truth made me weak in the knees, and I instantly felt sick. My body quivered with a mix of anger and pain, but I couldn't afford to break down.

"Hey Tasha are you alright?" My boss's head peaked through the break room door, her brows furrowed in concern. "You've been in here for a while now."

Forcing a smile, I tucked my phone in my pocket. "I'm fine boss....but can I leave early today?"

My boss stepped into the room, her expression unconvinced, "Are you sure you're alright?"

"Yes." The lie slipped off my tongue so easily. "I just need to leave for an emergency."

"Alright, dear." She answered, "I can hold down the fort while you're away."

"Thank you."

I quickly set my apron aside and rushed out of the coffee shop, pulling my phone out of my pocket.

The video was sent to me by a private number, and it also came with the address of the hotel, which meant they were still at the location.

I didn't have time to process who could have sent the text, I just took a cab and went.

My heart thumped loudly in my chest, and even despite what I saw, I desperately wished it wasn't true. It was pathetic, yes, but how else would I react?

I and John have been together since high school, and Winifred has been my best friend since we were kids. It didn't make any sense, they were the closest people to me, so why would they betray me like this?

"Where is room 101?!" I yelled as soon as I entered the hotel, the receptionist was startled as I faced her. "Where is it?!"

"Ma please calm down.." she reasoned, but it was far beyond my capacity to calm down.

"Just answer me-" I was cut off by the buzz of my phone and my lips parted in awe at the text that just came in.

'Second floor, last room on the left' it read.

It took me a minute before I could understand that it was a direction to the room. My body moved on its own, breaking into a run with my lip between my teeth.

"Please please..." I silently begged as I reached the door. "Please be a lie."

I raised my hand to knock, but the door flung open before I could.

My heart dropped to the pit of my stomach as John and Winifred stood before me, hand in hand.

John's eyes widened in shock as he met my gaze. "Natasha?! What are you doing here?" He quickly let go of Winifred's hand, but Winifred held onto him.

The simple gesture dug in deep like a knife to my chest, and instead of shock, Winifred held a nonchalant expression.

"How did you find us?" Her voice lacked any remorse, and she looked different from the girl I've known all my life.

I ignored her and glanced at their joined hands, stumbling back as if I had been hit in the gut. But this was much more painful than a punch.

"So it's true...." My voice cracked as I spoke, tears brimming at the corner of my eyes. "You guys have been messing around behind my back?"

"Tasha we can explain..." John started, but I held up my phone in his face to silence him.

"Explain this?!" I gaped, hitting play on their video. "How do you explain this John?!"

"Shit." He cursed under his breath. "How did you...."

"Oh please, Tacha." Winifred stepped in front of John, raising their joined hands. "Since you've caught us, then there's no need for pretense. I and John are together now."

I swallowed the lump in my throat. "I can see that." My gaze sharpened as I looked between them. "But what I can't see is why you both would betray me."

"Tacha don't listen to her." John scrambled, letting go of Winifred's hand to reach for mine. I slapped his hand away before he could touch me, my lips curled in disgust.

"To hell with you John! I gave you everything! You took a debt in my name and I dropped out of college to work just to pay it off!"

"Tasha please..." he dropped to his knees, and Winifred threw her head back and laughed.

"Stop with the act John." She rolled her eyes, then she faced me with a sly smirk on her face. "Sorry to break it to you Tasha, but he took that loan to support our child."

What the hell?

"Child?" I couldn't believe my ears. "What child?" I looked down at John, but he said nothing, his head hung low.

"John, what child is she talking about?!"

John and Winifred had a child together? A few days ago he was talking about how he wanted us to get married, and now I find out he had a child with my best friend.

"Answer me, John!" I demanded, my voice quaking with anger and hurt.

The tension in the air stretched out like an elastic spring, and Winifred chose to speak on behalf of John.

"I was getting tired of pretending," She shrugged, crossing her arms against her chest. "We both know I was the one who liked him first in high school, but you sidelined me and stole him for yourself. I have hated you since then, and I only hung around to see Karma find its way to you."

"Winifred...." my lips quivered as I said her name. I couldn't believe I was fooled for so long, thinking she had my best interest at heart.

"So none of what we shared was real?"

Winifred offered me a mockingly sweet smile. "No, it wasn't. Open your eyes, Tasha. John used you, he was only with you because you kept giving him all your money, but since you couldn't give him what would make him stay, he came to me."

My brain worked to put the pieces together. "So because I didn't want to have sex before marriage? Because I chose to keep my virginity? Is that it?"

"Face it, Tasha, whatever you and John had is finished. I don't know how you got that video, but I'm grateful for it. Let's go our separate ways from now on." Winifred concluded, holding a triumphant expression.

A few seconds of silence passed, and the only thing I could hear was the sound of my uneven breaths.

"John..." I glanced at him, at the man I had dedicated my life to for the past fifteen years, at the first love.

Being the coward that he was, John remained silent and I took it as my cue to leave. I turned and ran, not stopping until I was far away from them.

I didn't know where I was going, but I ran as fast as my legs could take me. I just needed to get away, to escape from this harsh reality. The world faded around me as I stumbled through the streets, gasping for air.

Eventually, I found my way to my apartment, the one I once shared with John. Tears flowed down my cheeks as I tossed everything that belonged to him into the trash, and then I threw myself on the couch and sobbed, cursing at myself for being so stupid.

My phone buzzed in my pocket, but I ignored it, knowing it would be from John. It buzzed again and again, and I angrily pulled it out, but I was surprised to see that it wasn't John.

It was another text from the private number that sent the video.

It read; 'I know you're hurting right now, but I can make you feel better if you will let me. Meet me at the bar near the city hall if you're curious."

My brows furrowed in confusion, dread seeping into my stomach and settling there.

Who was this person?