Chapter 3 You Were Right

To escape from where Faye and her lived, Camilla had spent the last few days holed up at her brother KJ’s place, still fuming over the fight with Faye. The lighthearted banter she usually enjoyed with KJ couldn’t distract her from the gnawing pit in her stomach. She had been right about Vanya all along, but it had cost her the most important friendship in her life. KJ finally returned from outside, tossing his jacket onto the chair as he walked in. “You still here? How is it going? You and Faye?” her brother asked. “She’s still not picking my calls or replying my text.” His eyes narrowed. “Camilla. Let’s say you’re right about her boyfriend of what you told me before. So, what’s the plan? You can’t hide out here forever.” Many thoughts swirled in Camilla’s chest. None of them sounded nice enough to be voiced out. Violence didn’t yield positive results the first time. She had to try a different, more logical tactic. But what? Before Camilla could respond, her phone rang. If it was Faye, she didn’t want to talk to her. Not when her best friend didn’t give her a chance or care for her wellbeing. What if her parents—Mum, was the caller? She wouldn’t be surprised if KJ told them she was currently crashing at his place. She glanced at the screen and felt her heart stop—it was Faye. She let it ring until the call ended. Almost immediately, it rang again. She didn’t want this fight to escalate, so if Faye was calling to scream at her for the sake of it, she wanted no part of that. On the third ring, she picked up. “Who’s that? Faye?” KJ mouthed, and she nodded. “What’s she saying?” Camilla shrugged. Faye hadn’t spoken a word, and she wouldn’t say anything until her friend did. A sniff, followed by a quiet sob from the other end of the phone, made her break that promise. She sat up straight. “Faye, are you okay?” “Cam. Cam. Oh my God. You were right. You were right about everything.” That voice, the sadness in the words. She rushed to the door, shoving her feet into her footwear. Her friend had been crying. “Faye, what’s going on? Talk to me.” “Vanya is everything horrible you said he was.” Camilla’s blood boiled at the sound of Vanya’s name, but she pushed her anger aside. Right now, Faye needed her. “I’m coming over,” Camilla said, grabbing her purse and heading for the door. KJ shot her a questioning look, but she waved him off. “I’ll explain later.” When Camilla arrived back at the condo, she found Faye sitting on the floor, her eyes red and puffy from crying. The apartment was a mess—clothes and tissues strewn everywhere. Without a word, Camilla rushed to her friend’s side, pulling her into a hug. Faye clung to her, sobbing uncontrollably. “He broke up with me, Cam. Vanya... he’s marrying someone else,” Faye sobbed. “I’ve been such an idiot.” “You’re not an idiot, Faye,” Camilla said softly. “You were in love. You trusted him. This is all on him, not you.” Faye pulled back slightly, wiping her eyes. “But I should have seen it. You tried to warn me, and I didn’t listen. I feel so stupid.” Camilla shook her head. “No. Don’t blame yourself. He’s a liar, and he’s good at it.” Faye looked away, her voice cracking. “What am I supposed to do now? How do I move on from this?” Camilla’s fists clenched. Move on? No. She wasn’t about to let Vanya get away with this. “You don’t have to move on yet,” she said, her voice firm. “We’re going to make him pay.” Faye looked up, confused. “What do you mean?” “I mean, he’s getting married, right? We’re going to crash his wedding. Expose him for the snake he is. We’ll make sure everyone knows exactly what kind of man Vanya is.” Faye shook her head, horrified. “Cam, no. I can’t... I don’t want to do that.” Camilla’s eyes narrowed, her determination growing stronger. “You don’t have to do anything. But I’m not going to sit here and let him get away with hurting you.” Faye’s shoulders sagged, exhausted. “I just want to cry and forget about him.” Camilla stood, pacing the room, her mind racing. Forget? How could Faye even think of moving on without getting justice? No, this wasn’t over. Not for Camilla. “You rest,” Camilla said quietly, turning toward the door. “I’ll take care of it.” While her best friend slept, she cleaned up the rooms. All done, she returned to the living room to get Faye’s phone and rewatch Vanya’s story. Vanya’s Instagram story was full of cosy pictures. Camilla had a tough time believing he would switch so fast. What if she called to blast him? That was too easy. They needed to do something more that would leave a longer and lasting impact. Yes, that’s it! She thought to herself while her fingers typing something fast. “Faye was cheated on by Vanya. Get me an invitation for the bastard’s wedding.” Camilla’s fingers hovered over the phone screen, her heart pounding as she sent the message. If anyone had the power to get them an invitation to that wedding, it was Calvin Kyle McKenna, her brother. There was no turning back now. The plan was in motion, and it was only a matter of time before everything unraveled. Her phone buzzed. The response was quick. "You’ve got it. Wedding’s this Friday. Black-tie. Be careful, Cam." Friday came faster than Camilla thought it would. Calvin had tried and failed to talk her out of her plan for revenge. And neither was Camilia successful in persuading Faye to take the revenge herself. So she would go alone. Thankfully, everything she needed for the wedding was in her bag. Calvin was in his car when she walked out of the building. He honked, and his hand shot out of his vehicle to wave her over. Getting inside the car, she stretched her hand to her twin. “Where is the invitation card?” Calvin tried to speak, but she shook her head. “Don’t even try to convince me.” “If you get into trouble, I’m not bailing you out.” “I won’t.” Grumbling, he pulled out two cards and dropped one on her outstretched palm. “Where’s Faye?” “She didn’t want to come,” Camilla replied. “You should, too. If she’s not going, and she was the person who was wronged by this Vanya guy, I don’t see what you’re going to do there, Camilla.” After his tirade, the only thing she did was grin. He sighed. “You’re lucky Angel was on your side. If you get into trouble, don’t call me.” She clicked her tongue. “I’m serious.” He pinched the bridge of his nose, his forehead breaking into lines. “I didn’t like the story I heard about these guys. None of them were good. Mafia. Drugs. Vanya is not worth this shit, Cam.” “Okay, okay, Vinny. Enough. This isn’t one of Hana’s story. It’s real life. I’ll be fine.” Her sister-in-law was a writer, a great one, at that. But her brother had to learn to separate real life from fiction. “Are you ready?” Calvin turned the key in the ignition. Sweat gathered on Camilla’s palms. She brushed them over her dress and nodded. “Yes.”