Evan (P.O.V.):

"Excuse me, there are some final things that we have to finish up." The interviewer said.

"Just give me five minutes," I said, looking around. "It's really important."

He sighed, looking unsure of what he should do at the moment.

"Please," I said.

"Alright, Mr. Owens." He said. "I already told you to consider this job yours. You got five minutes, but please hurry up."

"Thank you."

I left the room, looking for Faith.

Shortly before the interview was over, I saw her sitting right where I told her to sit, then next thing you know, she was not there.

I called her number many times, but it still says unavailable.

"Where the hell is she?" I muttered to myself.

The hall started to become full of people, making it difficult for me to find her.

I returned to where she was sitting to ask the people around her if they had seen her.

Every person that I asked said that they didn't see her.

"Excuse me," I said to a lady by the water machine.

"Yes." She replied.

"Have you seen a girl that looks about five foot, two inches? She has green eyes and brownish-black hair."

"Is she wearing a black dress?"

"Yeah, she's wearing a black dress. Have you seen her?"

"I saw her running into the bathroom like ten minutes ago."

"The bathroom?"

"Yes."

I sighed heavily, realizing that I couldn't walk into the girl's bathroom just like that.

"I know this is too much to ask, but she's taking too long, and I just want to make sure that she's okay," I said. "Can you please check if she's in there?"

"Of course." She said. "I will go check it for you."

"Thank you so much."

She nodded her head, heading into the bathroom.

I stood outside the bathroom, pacing back and forth.

It's been ten minutes since Faith entered the bathroom, and she is still not out yet.

Something is definitely up.

The lady came out of the bathroom.

"Is she in there?" I immediately asked. 

"No, she's not." The lady said. "I checked every stall, but she's not there."

I clenched my teeth, feeling frustrated.

"However, I found this." The lady said, handing me something.

I looked at her confusedly, taking it.

It's Faith's pendant.

The last memory that she has of her mother.

The pendant, for which she punched me in front of the whole school.

Faith is not in the bathroom, but her necklace proves she has been there.

Something must have happened, or she must have been struggling with someone, and that's when she dropped her pendant on the bathroom floor.

And I know who that someone is.

Now, it's time that I put an end to her game.

~*~

I got to the Larson house but got stopped by security.

Unlike the last time that I came here, the house had security guards everywhere this time.

"You can't go in." One of the security guards said.

"I'm here to see Brittany Larson!" I growled.

"You're not allowed in this house." He said. "We were strictly instructed not to let you in this house."

"What the f*** do you mean by t-"

"What is this commotion?" Brittany interrupted, approaching me.

"You crazy b***!" I exclaimed angrily. "What the f*** did you do to Faith!?"

She smirked, crossing her arms over her chest.

Her security guards immediately surrounded her.

"Why the f*** is it hard for you to understand that I do not love you and I never will!" I said. "You can never have me! No matter how low you stoop!"

"Oh, I already do!" She said. "I already have you. I don't need to work hard to get you because you were mine, are mine, and will always be mine! As for Faith Davis, I have no idea where the hell she is!"

I clenched my fist in anger, walking towards her.

Her security guards came in front of her again, protecting her.

"You're crazy!" I yelled. "You're a psycho, and I will never be with a psycho like you!"

"I don't believe that!" She exclaimed. " I don't! Or else why were you with me these past two years? I'm your first love, and no matter how many people you date, first love will always be the most important! That's why I will never let you go! I'm your first love, and that's why you were with me for two damn y-"

I started to laugh, shaking my head.

She unfolded her hands from her chest, looking at me seriously.

I continued to laugh at her stupidity.

"That's where the misunderstanding kicks in," I said, putting my hands in my pocket. "Do you seriously think I dated you because I was in love?"

She looked at me confusedly.

"It's wrong of you to think that," I said. "The only reason why I got in a relationship with your dumb a** is so that my so-called father can bag a deal with your parents and get in a partnership with them. It was all for the money. I was only using you. Later on, when we dated for a long time, I started to like you. I actually did. But, I never loved you. I'm only in love with one person, Faith."

She clenched her fist in anger.

"How dare you!?" She snarled. "Do you know who I am!? I am Brittany Larson! At the snap of a finger! Snap a finger, and boys will be in line for me! And you dared to use me! Me! You dared to use Brit-"

"Who gives a f*** who you are!" I interrupted. "You can be whoever the f*** you want! Nobody gives a sh*t! At least I f***ing don't! I don't care who you are because you're irrelevant to me! You mean nothing to me!"

"I will not leave you! I won't! And now, I will make sure that Faith Davis suffers! I will not leave he-"

"If there is even a small scratch on her body, I will not leave you, Brittany Larson. I swear on everything I love that I will not leave you this time!"

"If I were you, I would choose my words wisely. If you piss me off, then you won't be able to find her. You need me to find her, so choose your wor-"

"24 hours."

"Pardon me?"

"I will not only find her in the next 24 hours but also put an end to you and your games."

"Oh really? Is that supposed to be a challenge?"

"You can take it whatever you want, but I know that my love is true, and it's only for her. Nobody else. Especially not you. I will find her in 24 hours and send you behind bars. Even if your parents buy the police this time, I will use my power and money to make sure that you're behind bars for good."

"I accept this challenge. Let's see just what you can do, Evan."

She raised her eyebrows, crossing her arms over her chest.

I smirked, walking away.

~*~

Right after I left Brittany's house, I started to search for Faith.

I looked everywhere possible that Brittany could have held her captive, but I couldn't find her anywhere.

The sun started to set, and it got dark outside when I pulled into my driveway.

I ran my hands through my hair, pulling my phone out of my pocket and calling Faith's friend.

"Wow!"She exclaimed upon answering. "The Evan Owens has called me today! Why has Evan Owens called Mary Stephenson the geek?"

"Look, I need a favor," I said. "I'm not interested in talking to you, but I need a favor."

"Attitude! And that too when you need a favor from me?"

I rolled my eyes in annoyance.

"Anyways, what is it?" She asked.

"I need you to call Faith's house and tell her grandma she's with you tonight," I said.

"Why? What's wrong? Where is she?"

"Why do you care?"

"Because she's my friend, I must know what's happening before I lie to her family. Plus, for what reason will I lie to her grandma?"

"Look, Brittany...She...She kidnapped Faith.."

"What!?"

I sighed heavily.

"Yeah," I said. "She came with me for my interview. And she was there. Right in front of me. I took my eyes off her momentarily, and she was gone."

"What do you mean by she was gone!?" She asked angrily. "You took her there, and now you don't know where she is!"

"I'm looking for her. It's not like I'm just sitting around uselessly. Her family will be worried soon. There's already a lot of tension in her house. If they know about this, then they will be furious. I was hoping you could call her grandma and tell her Faith will be with you tonight. If she asks why she didn't call, tell her that her phone broke."

"What if she wants to talk to Faith at that moment!?"

"Tell her that she's sleeping! Just make some excuse."

"But, what if she asks why Faith is staying over at my house, and that too on a school night?"

"Figure something out!"

"I can't do t-"

"If you want things to not be further complicated in her life, call her family."

"What's the guarantee that she'll be back by tomorrow?"

"I will find her by then and drop her home."

"Where will you look for her!? She's kidnapped! How the hell will you find her by mo-"

"That's none of your business, so don't worry. That's my problem, not yours. However, if you want to do something to help Faith, then don't let her family find out about this kidnapping."

She stayed silent for a while.

"Fine, but keep me updated." She finally said. "I want to know everything on t-"

"Yeah, this conversation is done," I said, hanging up.

I sighed heavily, putting the phone in my pocket. 

"Faith is kidnapped!?" I heard from behind me.

My eyes widened as I turned around.

Ray looked back at me with widened eyes.

"Evan, what is this!?" He exclaimed. "What am I hearing!? Is Faith kidnapped!? How!? And who did it!? It's...It's...It's Brittany huh!?"

I rolled my eyes, putting my hands in my pocket.

"It's her, huh!?" He asked again. "I knew it! It's her! It's your crazy girl-"

"She's not my girlfriend!" I interrupted.

He scoffed, shaking his head.

"First, she trapped Faith in a smoke, and now she has kidnapped her!" He retorted. "And you know what!? All of this is your fault! It's all your fault! She's in this situation because of you! If you weren't part of her life, then that psycho wouldn't have been after her! She's doing all of this for you! All of it is for you! Why don't you accept her already and leave Faith's life? Let her be already! Just let her live in p-"

"Are you done!?" I interrupted again.

He looked at me angrily.

"Why do you care if she's trapped in smoke or kidnapped!?" I asked, annoyed.

"Because she is my friend!" He said. "Unlike you, I'm Faith's friend! A good friend of hers! The good guy in her life! The kind that never puts her life in danger! I'm a good friend! That's why I care!"

"Well, take your concern crap somewhere else. Don't irritate me with that sh*t! I'm already irritated, so do me a favor and stop bothering me!"

"I knew it! Evan, your behavior towards Faith can never change! You have always been planning her downfall! You have always been planning to ruin her life! You've convinced her that you changed so that she doesn't suspect you, and now, when you got the chance, you have plotted with that evil girlfriend of yours to kidnap her!"

"You seriously think that I would stoop so low!? Like seriously!?"

"I just don't think, I know! I know you inside and out! I know that you have something to do with all this! And that's precisely why you are so relaxed! You're not even making an effort to look for her! But it's okay! Faith doesn't need you! She doesn't need anybody as long as she's got me! I was here for her, I am, and I will always be here for her! I will look for her myself! I will find her and make sure that you guys never hurt her again! And you two better stay the hell away from her this time! You better, or you will see a side of me you have never seen! "

I rolled my eyes, looking away.

I can also talk and tell him off, but Ray is not worth it.

He's not worth me wasting my time or my energy.

If he was my best friend, then he would have known and understood the fact that I would never do something as cheap as kidnapping Faith.

I agree I'm a scoundrel and a rascal, but in my way.

And kidnapping has never been my style of revenge.

He knows it, yet he's still acting like this.

He always looks for ways to make me this evil person who wants nothing but Faith's destruction.

I indeed did.

Things are different now.

I don't feel that way anymore.

I want nothing but for her to be happy.

I agree that all this is happening because of me.

Brittany is doing all this for me.

That's why I have to stop her for good this time.

As for Ray, he's damn irrelevant at the moment.

Every word that's coming out of his mouth means nothing to me.

"Look at you!" He exclaimed, pulling me out of my thoughts. "You don't give a damn! You're so relaxed! Like, what the hell, Evan! But I will ruin your plan! I won't let you succeed in whatever you are planning! I will find her, and that too alone!"

I raised my eyebrows, feeling annoyed.

He looked at me angrily one last time and stormed off in his car.

I rolled my eyes, walking into the house.

I seriously need to do something.

There has to be some way to find her.

Brittany is a psycho who has lost it.

Who knows what the hell she is planning?

What if she hurts Faith?

I don't trust her at all.

I have to do something or the other to find a way to look for Faith.

If anything happens to her, then I can never forgive myself.

Where could she have held her? Where the hell can she be?

I sighed heavily, sitting on the couch.

"Evan, your home!" Dianne Owens exclaimed, sitting next to me.

I rolled my eyes, scooting away from her.

"How...How was...How was your day?" She asked nervously.

I ignored her, feeling annoyed.

"How was your interview?" She asked. "Frances said that it's really important. Did you get i-"

She stopped as soon as I looked at her very annoyedly.

She looked down in guilt.

I know every one of her facial expressions, especially when she feels guilty.

I know what kind of face she makes when guilty of something, and now, she is guilty.

It's not the 'I've never been there for my kids' kind of guilt.

It is more of the 'I know something that is Dave-related, but I can't tell' kind of guilt.

I am sure that she knows something.

She continued to look down.

"What do you know?" I asked, startling her.

"What...What do you mean?" She said, avoiding eye contact with me.

"Don't feign innocence! You didn't come here to know about my day! It's obvious that something is up! What the hell do you know!?"

She stood up immediately.

"Don't...Don't be silly..." She said, looking around. "There's no such thing as that...Dave is waiting for me...I just wanted to know about your day...He's waiting, so please excuse me..."

"Wait!" I exclaimed, stopping her.

She still had her back to me.

"You always say that your kids mean a lot to you and you care about them, but the truth is that you don't give a damn about me or Lisa!" I said. "You've never said or done anything that proves you care for us!"

She immediately turned around, shaking her head.

"Evan, that's not true!" She exclaimed, shaking her head. "You guys do mean a lot to m-"

"Stop lying!" I interrupted. "To me and yourself! If I meant anything to you, then you wouldn't be acting shady with me!"

"Shady?"

"Yes, you're acting shady and shallow! If you cared, then you wouldn't have been faking it! You would have told me what's going on! Why are you avoiding my eyes? And why is guilt written all over your face!?"

"I'm...I'm...I'm not being shady, and I'm also not guilty of anything..."

"I know that we don't have any mother and son relationship, but all I know is that I can sense it when you're guilty of something. I can hear it in your voice, and most importantly, I can see it in your eyes and from your facial expression. If there's any possible way that things can ever get back to normal between us, please tell me what's wrong with you. If you can't, then I guess this relationship can never be mend-"

"Please don't say that! I thought you knew nothing about me, but I can't tell you...I can't tell you how happy I am to hear you say all this...I really am...And I want things to be fine between us..."

"Then tell me what the hell you know!"

She wiped her tears, nervously looking around.

I looked at her anxiously.

It looks like my little emotional drama worked on her.

There's no way I will ever accept her as a mother.

I really don't give a damn about that.

I only care about Faith; now she knows something to help me.

She fell for everything that I said, and that's all I need because if whatever she knows has anything to do with Faith's kidnapping, then I need to know it so that I can save Faith.

"Evan...Dave..He...He..." She said nervously.

"He what!?" I asked impatiently.

"I heard him talking on the phone with...I heard him talking on the phone with Brittany Larson...It's them...Both of them...They kidnapped Faith..."

"What!?"

"Yeah, I just heard by chance...The moment he went silent was when I knew that he was planning something...And it's the kidnapping..."

I clenched my fist in anger.

"I don't know where he has kept her, but all I know is that he is the one who has kidnapped h-"

Before she could finish talking, I ran upstairs to confront Dave Owens.

My whole damn life, he has been depriving me of every good thing that happens to me.

And now, he wants to do the same with Faith.

All the other things came and went in my life, but Faith is different.

She is the most important thing in my life.

She is the best thing that happened to me.

And I will not let him ruin things.

I knew that he was up to something.

Ever since his suicide drama, I have been suspecting him.

Something has always been off, as he hasn't been himself for a while.

He got too silent and didn't talk to anybody or act like he always does.

The servants made mistakes regarding the food and cleaning the house, but he would still not reprimand them.

He stopped paying attention to me altogether.

It's not Dave Owens to ignore me.

No matter what happens, he is always all up on my business.

Seeing his silence, I started to suspect something was wrong.

There's no way that he would behave so calmly after such a big embarrassment.

It's been a week since I exposed him to his guests and partners.

He's all over the news, and nobody wants to do anything with him.

He's slowly losing his reputation and hasn't said anything to me.

That's precisely why I have been suspecting him.

I knew he wouldn't be sitting idly at a time like this.

He was planning something, and today, he has proved it.

"Yes, postpone the meeting to next week as soon as possible!" I heard him exclaiming as I got closer to the room. "It's imperative for me to return to the top again!"

I kicked the door open, angrily walking into the room.

His eyes widened as soon as he saw me.

"Where is she!?" I asked angrily.

He raised his eyebrows, still holding the phone on his ear.

"Yeah...Yeah..." He continued. "Yeah...Yeah, we need to do that for sure. We have a reputation to save. We must save my re-"

"WHERE THE HELL IS SHE!?" I yelled.

He removed the phone from his ear. 

"Shhhhh...." He said. "Evan, can you step outside for a while? I'm having a serious discussion  here, so run along and return later."

He smiled big, turning his back to me and getting back to his conversation.

I angrily pulled his phone out of his hand.

"Evan!" He exclaimed. "What the hell do you think you're do-"

I smashed the phone on the floor, breaking it into pieces.

His eyes widened.

"My...My...That's my phone." He said. "I...I...I had so many important messages and data...So many things were stored in there...It's...All of it is gone...You've done this to my laptop before, too, and now...Now, it's my phone...How dare you!? Huh? How dare y-"

"We both know how daring I can be." I interrupted. "Now, before I go on ahead and do something much worse, tell me where she is."

"Tell you what!?"

"Don't feign innocence! You know very well what I'm talking about!"

"Stop being a freak and tell me what you're talking about! Everything has been going well lately. Lisa and I have been cool with one another since she donated her blood to me."

I rolled my eyes.

"And I thank the lord for that!" He continued in disgust. "I thank him that Lisa's blood matched mine and not you or your filthy mother! My business has been improving! I want nothing to do with Dianne and you, so I will cut both of you out of my life for good! You guys are doing your own thing, and so am I! There's no complaint, so I don't know what the hell you're ta-"

"Enough of your bullsh*t!" I said. 

"Excuse me?"

"What do you think I am!? Dumb to believe every word that's coming out of your mouth!? Or do you think I am Dianne Owens to believe everything you say!? Do you seriously think that I believe you have moved on from the drama that went down the day of the party!?"

He sighed, crossing his arms over his chest.

"I am aware of the fact that Dave Owens never moves on from anything." I continued. "I know that now you want revenge more than anything."

"Revenge?" He asked confusedly. "For what!?"

"Revenge for the video that I released that day! Revenge for your partnership breaking, your guests walking out on you, and Dave Owens's reality is all over the news!"

"I don't know what you're talking about. I have forgotten all that. I've moved past that. It's all in the past, and now I'm working on becoming a better person. Trust m-"

"Wow! What a speech! And that too from the Dave Owens! If I'm not wrong, Dave Owens never moves past anything! No matter what, he always finds a way to destroy anything that comes in the way of his reputation and his business! So now you expect me to believe you have forgotten everything happening to you these past few days!"

"I told you that I'm becoming a better per-"

"Where is Faith Davis?"

He raised his eyebrows.

"Faith, who?" He asked.

"Where is Faith Davis!?" I asked again, feeling annoyed.

He looked at me in disgust.

"Ew, Evan!" He exclaimed. "Faith Davis! What kind of name is that!? It sounds so ordinary and filthy! Who even names their child that kind of name!?"

I rolled my eyes in annoyance.

"I don't know who that is." He continued. "What do I look like to you!? I don't associate with people like that! Faith Davis!? Ugh! It's so disgusting and ordinary! Also very, very fil-"

"Enough!" I interrupted, startling him. "Her name is none of your business! Whether it's ordinary or not, it's none of your business! I'm aware of the fact that you and Brittany Larson have kidnapped Faith! You always want revenge, and I knew you would do something this time, too! The only reason why you have been silent these past couple of days was because you were planning the kidnapping!"

"How can you put such a big accusation on me!? Kidnapping!? That's so down-market and filthy! I would never use that to take revenge on somebody! And you dared to accuse me! Dave Ow-"

"At this moment, my only enemies are you and Brittany Larson. Brittany Larson is an obsessed b*tch who wants to have me at any cost. As for you, well, I have ruined the reputation that you have been building all these years. You've seen the news, right? Dave Owens is everywhere. Everyone is talking about what kind of person he is and how he entered the business world. After all that embarrassment, there's no way that Dave Owens would sit back and relax without doing anything to save his reputation."

"Enemy!? Evan, I am not your enemy! I am not! You might be my enemy and ought to do everything to destroy me even though I am your father, but I am not like that. I am not ought to destroy you. Even though you have wronged me, I am not looking forward to doing the same to y-"

"What do you want?"

"Pardon me?"

"What do you want me to do in exchange for her?"

He looked at me silently.

"I will do everything you want me to," I said. "Anything that you say, but nothing should happen to her."

He started to laugh, pouring himself a drink from the mini bar in his room.

"Evan!...Evan!...Evan!..." He exclaimed, sitting down with his drink. "You just know me so well, huh!? The whole world can get fooled by Dave Owens, but you can't, huh!?"

I rolled my eyes, putting my hands in my pocket.

"Now, I think we have messed around too much." He said. "You have played enough games, and I have stayed too silent. We should stop these cat-and-mouse games. Let's talk about it, and we will see how this deal will work o-"

"This is not a damn deal!" I growled. "This is about Faith! It's her life we are talking about! And I will not let you make a deal out of it! Tell me what you want quickly, and release her!"

"Ah! You know me so well! I'm impressed that you're improving in the deal-making process! But how do you know that she's with me!? I mean, how can you even prove it!?"

"I know she's with you. I don't need to prove it. You and Brittany Larson are the people who have kidnapped her. "

"How can you be so sure that it's m-"

"Your wife, Dianne Owens, has testified that you did indeed do this kidnapping."

He stood up with widened eyes.

"Dianne!?" He exclaimed.

I sighed, rolling my eyes.

"That backstabbing, filthy woman!" He said. "She just does not stop cheating me! In fact, she's getting much worse! How dare she!? She dared to double-cross me like always! I see that she's flying too high nowadays! She has always lived off of me and my money all these years, and now, suddenly, she's rebelling! First, she humiliated me in front of my guests by sneaking Italian food into my house and eating it behind my back! Now, she has started to eavesdrop on my conversations so that she can go and snitch it to my enemies behind my back! Dianne has finally proved that she is cheap and filthy! She is a backstabber that isn't worthy of being trusted! No wonder why she has given birth to somebody like you! Both of you traitors are alike! Her filthy blood is running through your veins! That is why you're so evil and vile! It's all in the blood! It is all seriously in the bl-"

"Are you done?" I interrupted.

"Pardon?"

"Can we move on if you are do-"

"STOP DOING THAT! I HATE IT, SO QUIT DOING IT!"

I rolled my eyes, looking away.

"Stop this calmness!" He said, standing up. "React, damn it! Just react! I said all that to make you upset so that you can react, and you're so calm! Stop it and react!"

"I won't react to anything you say," I said. "I would never react to anything you say. It's just not worth it."

"Oh, so you won't react to anything, huh!?"

I ignored him, feeling annoyed.

"We'll see about that." He said, picking up the corded phone on his table and dialing a number. "Yeah, it's me... Dave Owens. Yeah...Oh really?...Yeah....Oh well, she's dumber than I thought...Okay...Then tell her that it's her misunderstanding...Yeah, my son doesn't care anymore. He didn't react to this kidnapping. He is as calm as the ocean. He's not freaking out or doing anything to help this damsel in distress. Tell her that Dave Owens's son no longer cares for her. And if she can't get it straight through her head, then I permit you to teach her a very good l-"

I pulled the phone away, throwing it to the floor like the other one.

He chuckled, shaking his head.

"Evan, just how many phones will you break, huh!?" He asked. "Do you think you can stop me by breaking every phone in this house!? I want you to react, so react, damn it! I want a reaction! Give me a reaction! I need a reaction right now! Just react already! React right n-"

I grabbed his collar before he could finish talking.

"WHAT THE HELL IS YOUR PROBLEM!?" I yelled. "WHAT THE HELL DO YOU WANT FROM ME!?"

His eyes widened with fear.

"I...I...I...I want...I want you...I want you to take your hands off my collar now!" He said nervously. "I'm...I'm...I'm your father and...and...and I...I...I... I will not tolerate you disrespecting me like this!"

"Why!?" I asked. "I thought you were dying for a reaction! You wanted a reaction, which I'm giving you now! I'm reacting just like you wanted!"

I tightened the grip on his collar.

"Now...N-N-Now...Now you have given me a reason not to spare that filthy g-"

"Her name is Faith." I interrupted. "And nothing should happen to her! She shouldn't even have a small scratch on her body! If she does, then I swear, I will burn this whole place down! I will turn this entire mansion to ashes! I will not leave you if she has a single scratch on her body; you know I mean it! I will destroy everything that belongs to you! Every single thing!"

His eyes widened with every word I said. 

"I don't just boast like you!" I said. "I do everything that I say! I'm a man of my word, and we both know that! Your reputation is, anyway, already ruined! You only have a couple of partnerships and people who still trust you blindly, but I can also ruin that! I will ruin what is left of your reputation!"

"Are you threatening me!?" He said. "Are you seriously threatening Dave Owens!?  What the hell do you think of yourself!? You're living off of me and my money, but yet you dare to threaten me!"

"Yes, I do! What will you do about it? What can you even do!? Nothing! You can't do sh*t because that's just how you are! You're like this dog who always barks but never bites!"

"Oh, so now you're calling me a dog! Evan, how dare you!? How dare you call me a dog! Do I look like a dog to you!? Do I look like that ugly, filthy creature to you!?"

"ENOUGH!" His wife yelled, walking into the room.

I clenched my teeth in anger.

"Evan, let your father go!" She exclaimed, angrily pulling me back.

I rolled my eyes in anger.

At this moment, I can't calm myself down.

I don't know how to control my anger.

I want to hit something or, even better, knock Dave Owens out.

My anger goes from zero to one hundred real quick, and he's not doing a good thing by antagonizing it.

"Are you out of your mind!?" His wife said. "You grabbed your father's collar!? Your father! Evan, are you insane!? Who does that!? Who grabs their own father's co-"

"Shut the f*** up!" I interrupted. "Stop repeating the same thing! Sh*t, he may be your damn husband, but he's not my father! Do you understand!? This man is not my f***ing father! So you can get the hell out of  here with that father sh*t!"

"And I don't even want to be your father!" He said. "I don't! You're my enemy! My worst enemy! There is no way I will consider my enemy as my son! That's just disgusting! Today, you have grabbed my collar! Who knows what you'll do tomorrow!? I can't trust my enemy! You might even murder me!"

"That's exactly what I will do if you do not tell me where the hell you have kept Faith!"

His eyes widened.

"Evan!" His wife exclaimed. "How can you even say something like that? Will you kill your fat-"

"YES, I WILL!" I yelled angrily. "I WILL KILL HIM, AND I'M TELLING YOU THIS FOR THE LAST TIME, MRS. DIANNE OWENS, DAVE OWENS IS NOT MY FATHER!"

"Yelling that he's not your father will not change anything! He is your father, and nothing can change this truth! He's your father, and you're his son, so don't cross your limit. Learn to respect your f-"

"Oh, shut it, Dianne!" He interrupted. "Do you think supporting me before your son will get my forgiveness!? Because you're wrong if you do! I can never forgive you for your act of betrayal! You're a witch! You're evil, vile, and filthy! And by betraying me, you have broken every wedding vow you took at the time of our wedding—the worst day of my life! The day that I let a dirty creature creep into my life! You've proved that you are truly a traitor, and this evil son of yours has taken after you! He's evil like you! Both of you want nothing but my destruction! You people want to ruin me!"

"Dave, it's not like that. Please, don't...Don't say that. You know I never wanted to hurt you. I can explain the whole Italian food thing. Just give me a ch-"

"No way, you dirty thing! You don't deserve a chance! Consider yourself lucky that I still keep you in a small corner of this luxurious house! If it weren't for the small reputation I am still trying to save, I would have already kicked you out of my house for betraying me and breaking my trust!"

"Dave, I didn't betray you. I kept my love for Italian food a secret since you don't like it. Trust me, I d-"

"Trust! Dianne, ew! That's disgusting! That word does not suit you at all! I would trust anything and anyone in this world—even Evan! But I would never trust you! And you didn't keep a secret! You've kept me in the dark all these years! I see you've been flying too high nowadays! You've been thinking too highly of yourself these days! Not only did you lie to me about Italian food, but you have also started to eavesdrop on my conversations and pass it on to my enemies! You've started to tell Evan things! And he's not just any enemy; he's my worst enemy!"

She started to cry like always, shaking her head.

"I'm not here to see this drama," I said. "I'm here to know what the hell you want so that I can he-"

"Save your damsel in distress!?" He interrupted.

I rolled my eyes in annoyance.

"Oh, Evan!" He exclaimed. "You just know me so well! You know me more than anybody in this world! Dianne's irrelevant, so let's think of her as a piece of furniture sitting in my room and moving on to the real business!"

His wife looked up at him sadly.

"Don't look at me like that with those big evil eyes!" He said. "You're not the victim here! If anything, I am the one who you and your evil son have destroyed, so mind your own business and stand to the side!"

She looked down, feeling embarrassed.

"As I was saying." He continued, looking back at me. "This whole kidnapping was not supposed to be out this early. I clearly instructed that dumb Larson girl not to confess, but being the dumb person she truly is, she told you. And to top it all off, Dianne has snitched and once again betrayed me, damaging our relationship more."

Dianne Owens sadly looked up. 

He scoffed at her, looking back at me. 

"Last week, a lot of things have happened." He said. "At the party, things were said and done—very bad. And now, I cannot even show my face to anybody. I am everywhere. Dave Owens's reality is all over the news channels, newspapers, and magazines. You have finally managed to feed my reputation to the dogs. You are truly a man of your word. You seriously destroyed the empire I have been building for so many years. You have done it!"

"So what?" I said. "I ruined your reputation. I fed it to the dogs. But, so what? What do you want me to do about it?"

"You made the mess, so now you must clean it up."

"How?"

"Pardon me?"

"How the hell do you want all this to be fixed? It's all damaged. Your reputation is gone now. It's ruined. There's no fixing it. It's too late to do an-"

"There is no such as too late for Evan Owens. Evan, come on! I know, you know, we both know that nothing is ever impossible for you. I know that there has to be something that you can do to fix this. As much as I hate you, and you're my enemy, I have to admit that you're a genius. You're a very smart kid. Nothing escapes your eyes and that evil brain of yours. Now, I know there has to be something you can do to tackle and fix this situation."

I sighed heavily, running my hands through my hair.

"Fine!" I said. "Everything will be back to normal by tomorrow morning."

"I also want Jeff Wyatt out of the business world." He said.

"That's not possible."

"Why not!?"

"There's no way to get him out. People are investing in his company. He is at the top, and there's no bringing him down. It's way too late."

"'I've said that nothing is ever too late for you. I know you can do it."

"Well, you're wrong this time. I can't do anything to bring him down. I really ca-"

"Then I guess that girl means nothing to you."

"What?"

"If that girl meant anything to you, then you would definitely do something to stop Jeff Wyatt and save my reputation."

"Are you trying to blackmail me through Faith?"

"Take it as whatever you want, but I want Jeff Wyatt to go down. I want him to be stopped, and if you don't want anything to happen to her, do as I say. Save my reputation and stop Jeff Wyatt. All it takes is one phone call, and she's fin-"

"Fine!"

"Pardon me!?"

"I will do as you say..."

"I'm sorry, but your voice trailed off a little. I didn't hear it. Can you repeat it?"

I rolled my eyes.

"Hey!" He exclaimed. "At this moment, you're the helpless one, not me! So don't disrespect me! Talk to me respectfully and say it the right way! If you want her safe, apologize and say it correctly!"

I scoffed, shaking my head.

"I said to apologize!" He growled. "Or else that girl will no longer stay safe!"

"Touch her, and you will see the worst of m-"

"Than apologize! Apologize for everything you have done and how you have disrespected me."

I looked away angrily.

"Fine!" He exclaimed, pulling his wife's phone out of her hand.

"Dave, what are you doing!?" She said sadly, sticking to the phone.

"Dianne, give it!"

"Dave!"

"Dianne, give me the phone!"

"Dave, what are you doing?"

"Dianne!"

"Dave!"

"I said, give it!"

When he saw that she was not giving up, he forcefully snatched it and pushed her to the floor.

"Ah!" She said when she fell.

"I told you to give it, Dianne!" He said, dialing a number. "I told you, but you never listen! That's why I had to push you! That place where you're sitting is where you truly belong because you're just like trash lying on the floor to me! How dare you boss me over a phone that I spent my money on! What the hell!? It's my money and my phone! I can take it back whenever I want!"

She stood back up, adjusting her dress.

"Stubborn lady!" He said. "I just can't explain how irritating you are, Dianne! You seriously bother m-...Yeah, it's me. Listen, there's a slight change in plans. There's a serious problem here, so I need you to call Brittany Larson, and she knows where to take it from th-"

"Fine!" I interrupted.

He looked up at me.

"You want an apology, then you got yourself an apology!" I said.

He smirked, hanging up.

I looked at him angrily.

"I'm waiting." He said.

"I'm sorry for how I have behaved and talked to you," I said. "It was wrong of me, and I apologize for it."

"And?"

"I will do whatever you say."

"And what is that?"

"I will save your reputation and stop Jeff Wyatt."

"And what if you don't?"

"Then you can punish me however you want, and I won't say a thing."

"Good! Very good! I'm so happy today!"

He gave his wife her phone back.

"Dianne, I'm happy today!" He exclaimed. "I'll forget your act of betrayal for today and let you sleep in my room. You can leave the guest room tonight. You can't put your filthy self on my bed, though. You can sleep in a corner of the room or something, but it will still be better than the guest room."

She ignored him, looking down.

"As for you." He said, looking at me. "I want more than an apology."

"What else do you want!?" I asked angrily.

"Don't look at me with those angry eyes. Remember, you're helpless, not me. Don't even think about being smart with me."

I clenched my fist, trying to keep my cool.

"I want you to bow before me for every mistake you have made." He said. "If you want that girl to be safe, then bow down and ask for forgiveness for all the acts of betrayal you committed till this day."

"There's no way that I'm going to b-"

"Remember, all it takes is one phone call for me to ruin your new hobby, and you know I'm not kidding. I will actually do it."

My phone rang, startling me.

I answered as soon as I saw that it was Faith's friend.

"Evan!" She exclaimed. "I received a video of Faith, and things don't look good. I can't hide this any longer. I will have to tell her family."

"What kind of video!?" I asked concernedly.

"She's yelling for help, and these guys they're...All of them are...They're...Th-"

"They're what, damn it!"

"They surrounded her with weapons...I can't take this kind of risk...I...I...I have to tell her grandma and her dad...This is your fault...Brittany is doing all this for you...Faith is in this mess because of you, and I have to tell t-"

"Look, calm down! Nothing is going to happen to her. I promise you that, but this has to stay between us."

"But, sh-"

"She'll be back tomorrow morning, and that too safely. Just keep this between us, please."

"Fine, but if she's not back by then, I must let her family know."

"Thank you."

"Alright, and I will send you the vid-"

"Don't."

"What?"

"Don't send it to me."

"Why?"

"Look, just don't. I have to go."

"Bu-"

I hung up before she could say anything else.

I can never see Faith in pain.

And as much as I would like to see her at the moment, I can't at a time when she's suffering.

She's in this mess because of me, and now I don't know how to get her out of it.

She's crying for help.

She's scared and alone.

Meanwhile, I can't get myself to bow down in front of Dave Owens.

He wants me to bow down, but my ego is so big that it would never allow me to bow down in front of him.

How can I bow down in front of Dave Owens?

I feel so helpless now, and it's not a nice feeling.

"So I suppose the video has been sent out?" He asked, pulling me out of my thoughts.

"You did this, huh!?" I asked angrily. "How dare you!?"

He sighed heavily.

"Remember, you're helpless, not me." He said. "Think twice before you do anything. That girl is nothing but ordinary trash to me. I can hurt her as bad as I want, and through my money, not a soul will find out. It will be as if she didn't even exist. She will truly cease to ex-"

"ENOUGH!" I yelled, throwing my phone on the floor.

It broke to pieces when it hit the floor, the glass scattering everywhere.

"Whoa!" He exclaimed. "Dianne, Evan just destroyed his phone! He just destroyed his most prized possession! He never lets it out of sight; today, he has dared to destroy it! And that too for this girl! She must mean a lot to him to even break his phone for her! He can't even hear one word against her! His blood boils! Could it be, though!? Could it be that your filthy son is finally in love!?"

I clenched my teeth and my fist in anger.

"Now, let's do this the right way!" He said, sitting in his chair. "All I'm asking is for you to bow down, and she will be okay, or else...Well, you know the rest."

I hesitantly knelt, bowing my head in front of him.

"That's more like it!" He exclaimed. "Now, you're doing it right! Next, touch my feet and beg for her life!"

I closed my eyes, trying to remain calm.

*****

'You have ruined her life. You really have destroyed her life.'

'We ain't rich. We are very simple people. The last thing we need in our life are problems caused by rich people.'

'My granddaughter's life is in danger because of one of you rich people.'

'Your ego became so out of control up to the point where you have always insulted and humiliated her in front of everybody.'

'She almost died because of you so many times.'

'I'm fine, and as long as you're with me, then nothing can harm me.'

'I can never live with myself if you lose this opportunity because of me.'

'Evan, are you insane? This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Your dream. Your career. How can you even talk about postponing it?'

'I will sit here and promise I won't move until you're done.'

'I checked every stall, but she's not there.'

'You have always been planning to ruin her life! You've convinced her that you changed so that she doesn't suspect you, and now, when you got the chance, you have plotted with that evil girlfriend of yours to kidnap her!'

'Unlike you, I'm Faith's friend! A good friend of hers! The good guy in her life! The kind that never puts her life in danger! I'm a good friend! That's why I care!'

'All of this is your fault! It's all your fault!'

'She's in this situation because of you! If you weren't part of her life, then that psycho wouldn't have been after her!'

'She's doing all of this for you! All of it is for you!'

'Why don't you accept her already and leave Faith's life?'

'Remember, all it takes is one phone call for me to ruin your new hobby, and you know I'm not kidding. I will actually do it.'

'This is your fault...Brittany is doing all this for you...Faith is in this mess because of you.'

'They surrounded her with weapons...'

*****
"I'm still waiting!" Dave Owens exclaimed, interrupting my thoughts.

I immediately opened my eyes.

"The clock is ticking!" He said impatiently.

"Your problem is with me," I said slowly. "She has nothing to do with this feud between us, so please, leave her out. I will fix what I have ruined. I promise you that, but you'll have to let her go. Please, I'm begging you."

"I was yearning for this day! The day you're on your knees, begging in front of me. And now, I finally got to see that day! But you're wrong! This girl has everything to do with my reputation being ruined. I mean, you did do it all for her. I insulted her, so you destroyed me. She's the reason for everything that has happened. Now, I have one more condition. If you truly want me to leave her alone, I want her to leave your life!"

I looked up with widened eyes.

"That's right!" He exclaimed. "If you want to save her, then you have no choice but to no longer be with her. I will forgive you for everything you have done and leave her alone. I won't bother her again, but you must leave her for that to happen. I will not let an ordinary girl ruin my reputation any longer. I don't need people taunting me because my son is with some ordinary girl. Get her out of your life, and she will be released in the blink of an eye. It will be like all this has never happened."

********

'I know Ray is my best friend, and he has done a lot for me, but I never give anything up for anybody.'

'I don't live my life according to how others want me to.'

'I live my life according to how I want.'

'I live it on my terms.'

'Just like you can't imagine not having me around, I can't imagine not having you in my life.'

'So no, I would never leave you. Not for Ray. Not for anybody else.'

********
But, when it comes to your life being in danger because of me, then I have no choice.

Even though I don't want to, I must leave your life.

I don't want anything to happen to you because of me.

And Ray has been right all along.

Everybody has been right so far.

I'm the reason for every bad thing happening to you so far.

I have always been ruining your life.

Ever since I met you, I have been, and now, I have to make things right.

I need to stop putting your life in danger, and there's only one way to make this possible.

I will have to make this deal with Dave Owens.

I've always had one principle: I would never live my life according to how people want me to.

I will always live my life on my terms.

Nobody will tell me what to do or how to live it, but Faith has become more than an enemy.

I've always tried my best to ensure I don't have any weaknesses in my life.

Even though I tried a lot, I got a weakness. 

Faith Davis is my biggest weakness.

She's my biggest weakness; I hate it because I feel helpless.

I feel like I can't do anything.

Today, I will have to make a choice, though, to let her be in my life so that she faces danger every single day or let her go so she can live a life where she isn't in any danger.

"So what have you decided!?" Dave Owens asked once again.

I cleared my throat, standing up.

"What is your decision!?" He asked. "Are you staying with this girl and putting her life in danger, or are you leaving her and saving her life? What's it going to be!? Are you leaving, or is she losing her l-"

"I'm going to leave her." I interrupted.

He sat up in his seat, raising his eyebrows.

"Oh really?" He asked.

"I...I will leave her..." I said. "I will stop Jeff Wyatt and fix your ruined reputation...I will do it all, but nothing should happen to her. You need to release her, and that too now. And if there's even a slight scratch on her body, then I will forget everything and directly attack you. Trust me, nothing in this world will stop me from attacking you if she's hurt. I'll keep my promise as long as you keep yours."

"'I've been waiting for this day since forever! The day that I finally defeat you! You've made my life miserable! You have always found ways to ruin me with your evil plans! I have lost so many deals and partnerships because of you! I've lost millions due to you!"

I shook my head at him.

"Evan, we might be enemies, but we always had one similar principle in life!" He said. "Our principle has always been never to have a weakness or fall in love in life! No matter what, don't fall in love or have a weakness because those two things will lead to your downfall! That's exactly what has happened to you now! You're doomed for good as you have done both! You fell in love and developed a weakness for this ordinary creature! This love and weakness has led to your downfall! I have finally destroyed and defeated you by making you beg for my forgiveness and for that girl's life! I have managed to defeat y-"

"Yes, you have," I said. "You won, and you're right...I...I have lost...I've fallen in love with the girl you call an ordinary creature because she brings out the good in me...She makes me feel like a good person, and I can do anything for her...She means everything to me, and I can lose a million times for her, so yes, you have finally managed to defeat me. Congratulations!...Celebrate!...Throw a party!... Do whatever you want!... You finally defeated m-"

"No, you haven't." His wife interrupted.

He turned around to look at her.

"Excuse me!?" He said. "What did you just say!?"

"I'm talking to my son, not you, Dave." She said calmly.

"Pardon m-"

"Enough of that, Dave! Enough of it! I have had  enough of you!"

"Dianne, are you talking to me?"

"Yes, I am talking to you! I am talking to the man who has ruined the lives of my kids! The man who has deprived me of the chance to love and care for them!"

He looked at her in shock.

"Dave, I have never done anything to hurt you." She said, beginning to cry. "Since the day I married you, I have supported you in every decision that you have made. Whether it was bad or good, I supported you. All I had in mind was what you like and what you don't. I have always made you a priority in my life. Everything else came second--even my kids. They have hated me their whole lives, and it's only because of you. It's unfair that I spent my entire life serving you, and there hasn't been a day where you talked to me respectfully. You have never talked to me like a human being. You talk to me like I am your servant or your pet. You have always treated me like trash. I still haven't said anything about it. I went along with it, hoping things would improve with time. But, as time passed, you became more mean and insolent."

She sighed, wiping her tears.

"But I've had enough!" She said. "I have tolerated you enough! You have ruined my relationship with my kids! First, you were out to break Lisa and Johnathon's relationship! And now, when my son finally finds somebody who understands him and brings out the good in him, you're hell-bent on ruining things for him!"

He continued to look at her in shock.

"Do you know what your problem is, Dave?" She continued. "Your problem is that you can't see people happy. You only find joy in ruining people's lives, but I will not let you do this. I will not let you ruin things for Evan. Evan did not lose today. You did not defeat him because you will have to release Faith."

He silently looked at her.

Then he started to laugh out of nowhere.

"You!" He exclaimed, holding his stomach from laughing hard. "You, Dianne! Will you stop me? You? A person who's been living off of my money all these years? What the hell do you even think you are? Do you seriously think that I am afraid of you? A foolish, filthy woman like you! What the hell can you even do? Huh? What the hell can you even d-"

"I will expose you in front of the whole world." She interrupted.

"Pardon me?"

She started to chuckle, shaking her head.

He looked at her in confusion.

"Dave, why do you forget that before this Italian food drama, you and I were very close partners?" She said. "I know everything about you. From the time you stepped into the business world up until now. Dave, don't forget that I know every single secret of yours. I know things about you that nobody else is supposed to know. Things that the world will be very shaken upon knowing. If you're rich today, then you have done it by lying to people, cheating them, and using them. You haven't done it with honesty, and you know that if the truth comes out, then you can even get ar-"

"What do you want!?" He interrupted.

She raised her eyebrows.

"What the hell do you want!?" He asked again.

She sighed, crossing her arms over her chest.

"I want you to release Faith and leave my son out of your damaged reputation." She said.

"Dianne, I cannot do that!" He said. "Dianne, please! I'll do anything you say, but not this! You know, I need to fix my reputation! I'd be doomed if I didn't! And I need Evan to fix this! Only he can do this! Trust me, Evan can fix this! I know that he is the only person who can fix my reputation! Please, I beg you! Let me do t-"

"No! My son will not do anything. This is your problem, and you can fix it yourself. Evan will be with that girl if he wants to be with her. You may have controlled me and made me live my life according to the way that you want, but I will not let you do the same thing to him. You need to leave my son out of all this, Dave. I've never gone against you or done anything to hurt you. This time, I will not stay silent while you ruin my son's life."

"Dianne, please! Please, don't do this to me! Ask me anything, but not this! I need him! That's why I kidnapped this girl! I won't find another opportunity like this! After this day, I will never get the chance to make Evan save me and my reputation! Please, let him fix this for me! Don't ruin this opportunity! I'll release her, but only after Evan helps me! And I know he would never help me for free! I can only get him to help me by blackmailing him! The Lord blessed you with an evil but genius son, so let him help me with his intelligence! Everything is now in your hands! If not anything, for old time's sake, let him do this for me!"

She walked up to him, pointing at her cell phone.

"Call your people and make sure that Faith is released." She said.

He looked at her sadly.

"Dave, you're not the only one who can threaten and use people." She said. "I can do it as well. I have enough dirt on you to expose you to the world, but I won't."

His eyes lit up with hope.

"I won't." She said. "I won't do that to you if you leave my son out of this and also leave that girl. Leave them alone, and I promise I won't say anything. Your reputation is already messed up. If I open my mouth, you have no idea how ugly things will get. It will get so bad that you will end up committing suicide this time. But I won't say anything if you leave these kids alone. Save what's left of your reputation, as it's better than not having anything. Trust me, you do not want the truth to come to light. It won't be good for you or whatever is left of your reputation. You will lose the little partnerships and deals that you currently have."

He hesitantly looked around.

"I don't need your help." I said, feeling annoyed."I can handle all my problems on my own, and I don't need your help in fixing t-"

"Evan, shut up!" She interrupted. "Not just Dave, but I am also sick of you talking to me like I am trash. I am your mother, and I will no longer tolerate you disrespecting me like that. I will not stay silent to your taunts and insults. I know, and I've seen what you can handle. I'm not doing you any favor, I'm doing all this for the girl who has supported and helped me!"

I rolled my eyes, putting my hands in my pocket.

"No matter how much you hate me, the truth will not change that you're my son." She said. "I will always love you even though you hate me. You're my son, and I care for you."

She looked back at her husband.

"Forget calling them, just give Evan the address." She said. "They shouldn't know that he's on his way there."

He hesitantly wrote down the address, handing it to me.

"Evan, call the police there as well." She said. "Once Brittany Larson is caught red-handed, then she will face serious consequences, and this time we'll...No, actually, Dave will make sure that she doesn't buy the police. Isn't that right, Dave!?"

He clenched his fist, looking at her angrily.

"I will never forget this day, Dianne!" He growled. "I will never forget the day you dared to go against me and threaten me! This day will stick with me till I die! It will never leave my mind! It will always be fresh in my mind! The only reason why I'm tolerating all this is because you have dirt on me, but once I clear this mess up, then I will not spare you! I will ruin your life! You and this bastard will not last long! I want to see how long you can save him! I will start with you and then ruin your son, and you won't be able to stop me! Dave Owens will rise again! I won't remain helpless for long if that's what you think! My bad days will soon be gone, and I will be the one controlling you guys like puppets!"

"You can do whatever you want." She said. "It's not like it's the first time you ruined me. You've done worse things to me. You have made my life miserable so many times that I won't mind if you do it once more, but I will not let that happen to my kid. I have treated my kids wrong. Now, I will improve things, and you can't stop me this time. If you try to, don't forget that I have always been your partner in crime, and I know all of your secrets. Nobody knows you like me, so don't you dare forget that."

He clenched his teeth.

"I will not leave you!" He growled, storming out of the room.

She sighed heavily, putting her hand on my shoulder.

I shrugged her hand away, putting my hands in my pocket.

She put her hand down, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Evan, go and help Faith." She said. "I will call the police and inform them."

I rolled my eyes, walking out of the room.

~*~

The police and I met at the same place and drove to the address Dave Owens gave me.

I don't trust him at all.

Dave Owens was acting all mighty and high.

He made me ask him for forgiveness and beg in front of me.

He was on cloud nine and feeling proud.

Then, suddenly, everything changed.

He ended up begging his wife, and this is a first.

Dave Owens begging in front of Dianne Owens is something that I have never seen before.

She's always afraid even to open her mouth in front of him.

She never has a say; today, she has spoken against him.

Not only that, but she has even dared to threaten him.

Whatever it is that she has on him has to be too good.

She has to have a profound secret of his that he wants to protect.

The moment she said it, he was afraid.

He instantly did everything she said.

I can never forget the insult that I went through today, the kidnapping that he did right under my nose, scaring Faith, making me beg in front of him, and blackmailing me.

He has dared to do all that with me, and now, right after I make sure that Faith is safe, I will come back for him.

I will make him feel the helplessness that I felt today.

He will feel like he has no way out.

Whatever dirt that she has on him will have to come out.

I will have to find out what kind of crime Dave Owens committed that even the mention of it has scared him.

Now, I have to know what it is.

Then, using that, I will make him do what I want.

I will get my revenge for everything that he has done today.

"Are you sure Brittany Larson is behind all this?" The officer asked.

"Yes, I am," I said. "The officer in charge last time was paid by the Larson's. The same thing shouldn't happen again."

"Don't worry, Mr. Owens. I have worked for your family for years, so you can trust that things won't go wrong."

When we reached the place, it looked odd and deserted.

The police immediately surrounded the place.

They got to their respective place and got ready to knock on the door.

"Don't knock," I said.

"Why?" The officer asked.

"They will be alerted, and if we want solid evidence against Brittany Larson, then she can't be alerted. They will probably escape, and I want to end all her games."

He nodded his head and ordered the other officers to break the door open.

They all opened the door together.

The men that Faith's friend was talking about are surrounded in the area, laughing and joking.

And so was Brittany, who was sitting on a chair with a knife in her hand.

They all started to run but were cornered by the police.

I looked around for Faith.

She's sitting on a chair in the center of the room and tied up.

She has fear on her face.

I have been restless to see the look on her face ever since I met her.

And now that she has the look of fear on her face, I am not happy about it.

I hate it, and I hate that I am the reason for everything happening to her.

Her hair is a mess, and her eyes are red from crying.

I immediately went over to her and opened the rope.

"Faith, I'm so sorry," I said, helping her stand up. "I'm so sorry that you had to go through all this because of m-"

She hugged me before I could finish talking.

I sighed in relief, wrapping my arms around her.

"Are you okay?" I asked.

She remained silent, hugging me tight.

"What's wrong?" I asked, pulling away. "Are you okay? Did they hurt you?"

She cried, looking down.

"Faith, what's wrong!?" I asked, feeling frustrated. "Did they touch you or hurt you in any way?"

She shook her head, continuing to cry.

"Then what's wrong!?" I asked.

"I'm...I'm..." She said, still crying. "I'm sorry that...I'm sorry that I broke my promise...I hope you...I hope you didn't mess up your interview because of me..."

I sighed heavily. 

"Faith, your life was in danger, and all you can think about is that stupid interview," I said.

"I can...I can never forgive myself if you walked out of the in-"

"Faith, come on! How can you be thinking about that at a time like this? Do you know how worried I was? I thought you were scared, and all you can think about is that dumb interview."

"I was...I was scared and alone, but...I knew that nothing would happen to me because you would come..."

"And what if I was even a little late?"

"Than I would have killed you. Even after I died, I would have come back only to take you with me for not coming on time."

I scoffed, wrapping my arms around her.

Her concern for me shows what kind of person she is.

Even after everything that has happened to her, she can only think about my interview and career.

She's a good person, and I'm not.

I'm a very messed up person, and a messed up person does not deserve a good girl like Faith.

She truly deserves better.

"EVAN, WATCH OUT!" Faith yelled, pulling me out of my thoughts.

I fell to one side of the room, and she fell to the other as she pushed me away. 

The knife that was in the air fell on the floor.

It would have hurt one of us if we didn't move on time.

Brittany went to pick up the knife again, but the officer grabbed her before she could.

"Let me go!" She exclaimed. "I will kill that b*tch! She stole my Evan from me!"

I stood up and went over to Faith, helping her up.

"Are you okay?" She asked, looking around me. "Are you hurt anyw-"

"I'm okay," I said.

"Evan, are you sure you're o-"

"SHUT UP!" Brittany interrupted. "'JUST SHUT UP! I TOLD YOU TO STAY THE HELL AWAY FROM MY EVAN! HE'S MY EVAN! MY EV-"

"And I told you that you can do whatever you want, but you will never have Evan," Faith said. "Evan was mine, is mine, and will forever be mine. Get this through your sick head and get out of our lives."

"I'M EVAN'S TRUE LOVE! HE LOVES ME, AND I LOVE HIM!"

"It's not love! It's an obsession! Don't call your insanity love!"

"THIS IS LOVE! EVAN IS THE LOVE OF MY LIFE, AND HE WILL ALWAYS BE MINE!"

"He was never yours. Even when you were dating him, he never belonged to you. If he truly belonged to you, he wouldn't have been with me today. You've tried everything possible to hurt me or to kill me, but my Evan...And I repeat, my Evan saved me every time."

"JUST SHUT UP! SHUT THE F*** UP! HE'S NOT YOURS! HE'S ONLY MINE! HE IS ONLY MY EVAN! EVAN LOVES ME! I KNOW HE DOES! HE ONLY LOVES ME! EVAN, TELL HER! TELL HER THAT YOU ONLY LOVE ME, AND YOU'RE ONLY MINE! TELL HER THE TRU-"

"24 hours," I interrupted.

She looked at me confusedly.

"I told you I would find her in the next 24 hours and end your game," I said. "It's not even past 24 hours, and I have already found her. Brittany, your game is over, so now, you can get the hell out of our lives."

She shook her head, beginning to cry.

"What the f*** are you people waiting for!?" I asked angrily. "Do you need a special invitation to arrest her!?"

The officer nodded his head, getting his handcuff ready.

"EVAN, I LOVE YOU!" She yelled. "I LOVE YOU SO MUCH! YOU'RE ONLY MINE! DO YOU HEAR THAT!? YOU'RE ONLY MINE!"

"Brittany Larson, you have the right to remain silent." The officer said, putting the handcuffs around her hands. "Anything you say can and will be used against you in court. You have the right to an attorney. If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be appointed for you."

She struggled to release her hand.

"We will take care of these guys and Ms. Larson." The officer said. "Don't worry."

I nodded my head.

They left the place with Brittany and her men.

"Wow," I said. "Brittany is damn weird and a complete psycho."

Faith shook her head, biting her bottom lip.

I sighed heavily.

"Let's get the hell out of here," I said, taking her hand.

~*~

"Evan, I'm okay," Faith said after I dropped her home. "I'm just going to tell Grandma I felt homesick, so I came home."

"Faith, please take care of yourself," I said. "You have to be careful with the people around you. Please, watch out."

She sighed, nodding her head.

"I've never been as scared as I was today," I said, putting my hand on her cheek. "It's when things like this happen that I realize you mean everything to me."

She smiled, putting her hand on top of mine.

"I'm okay." She said. "Nothing has happened to me. See, I'm not hurt anywhere."

I sighed, removing my hand.

"Faith, I'm so sorry," I said. "I'm the reason for everything happening to you."

"Evan, it's not your fault." She said. "It's n-"

"Yes, it is. It's my fault. Everything happening to you till this day is my fault."

"No, it's not."

"Really?"

"Yes."

"Then what about when I made you work for me? When I controlled you and used Ray's accident to hurt you? I made you clean my lunch off the floor, follow me everywhere, and clean my room."

She sighed, shaking her head.

I angrily turned my back to her.

"Then I hurt you with the pendant," I said. "And even though it wasn't the real pendant, I did it only to hurt you. I brought back all your wounds and the pain that you've kept inside you all these years, and that, too, in front of the whole school. After that, I spiked your drink and injected you."

"Evan, I kn-"

"No, you don't know how damaging the photos I planned to do were. Things got worse from there because then there was the acid attack that my psychotic ex-girlfriend has done on you. For days, she has threatened and attempted to hurt you with acid, and she did it all for me. She didn't stop there, though. She kept doing many things to hurt and kill you."

Faith sighed, running her fingers through her hair.

"And she did all this only for me!" I exclaimed, "She did it all because she is f***ing obsessed with me! Now do you see how all this is only my fault! All of it is my fault!"

"Evan, listen to me." She said, turning me around to face her. "We've talked about this so many times. You've apologized so many times, and I have already told you that your apology is more than enough for me. I don't need anything else; everything Brittany has done is not your fault. It's not your fault that she is obsessed with you. All of this has nothing to do with y-"

"Yes, it does. All of this has everything to do with me. It started with me, so why wouldn't it? Everything happening to you to this day has to do with me. Even this kidn-"

"No, it doesn't. This kidnapping has nothing to do with y-"

"Dave Owens ordered it."

Her eyes widened.

"What!?" She exclaimed confusedly.

"Yes, Dave Owens is the one who was working with Brittany to kidnap you," I said

"But why? I've...I've never done anything to him, so why would he do t-"

"Because he doesn't want you in my life. He doesn't want us to be together. His reputation is too important to him. He wanted to blackmail me into leaving you and fixing his ruined reputation. That's why he has done all this."

Faith sighed heavily. 

"See, your life will never get simple as long as I'm in it," I said. "You can never live peacefully with me in your life. And in a way, everybody is right. Your grandma, Ray, Dave Owens, your friend, and Brittany. They're all right when they say that I have destroyed you and ruined your life. All I bring into your life is pain and suffering. I can't ruin your life any more than I have already done. You deserve good people like Ray."

"What!? Ray!? Evan, what's wrong with you!? Are you insane!?"

"No, I'm not. Ray is truly the good person in your life. He's the good guy. Unlike me, he's the guy who never does anything to ruin your life. He never puts your life in danger."

She looked at me with confusion, pain, and shock.

I clenched my fist, turning my back to her.

****

'We ain't rich. We are very simple people. The last thing we need in our life are problems caused by rich people.'

'Your ego became so out of control up to the point where you have always insulted and humiliated her in front of everybody.'

'She almost died because of you so many times.'

'You have always been planning to ruin her life! You've convinced her that you changed so that she doesn't suspect you, and now, when you got the chance, you have plotted with that evil girlfriend of yours to kidnap her!'

'Unlike you, I'm Faith's friend! A good friend of hers! The good guy in her life! The kind that never puts her life in danger! I'm a good friend!'

She's in this situation because of you! If you weren't part of her life, then that psycho wouldn't have been after her!'

****
"You shouldn't be with somebody like me," I said, returning to reality. "I only know how to put your life in danger, and I have done it so many times. You deserve somebody like Ray. And you know what? Ray is a nice guy. He cares for you. We both know he has genuine feelings for you and is a great guy. He's the good guy in your life, and he will never put your life in danger. You deserve to be with somebody like h-"

"Enough!" Faith exclaimed, grabbing my arm and turning me around to face her. "What are you trying to say!? What do you want to say!? Are you saying that you're bad for me!? We shouldn't be together!? I should leave you and be with Ray!? Is that what you are trying to say!?"

I sighed heavily.

"Evan, you're sick!" She said in disgust, pushing me away. "You're sick in the head to even think I will ever be with Ray!' What do I look like to go from you to Ray!? Is that why you're standing there and praising him for me!? So that I can leave you and go to him! Wasn't it you who said that no matter what Ray says or does, you will never leave me!? Not for him! Not for anybody! And now, you want to leave me because of what Ray and others said to you! I told you that we both have said and done bad things to each other! We've always been enemies, but I thought we put everything behind us! I thought we moved past that!"

I looked away, crossing my arms over my chest.

"I can't believe you would even think of something like that." She said, starting to cry. "How can you even think I want to be with Ray?"

"Because he's a good person!" I said. "Ray is the good guy in your li-"

"I don't care! I don't give a damn if he's a good guy! He can be as good as he wants, but he's not you, Evan! Ray's not you, and I'll never be with him!"

I ran my fingers through my hair, feeling frustrated. 

"Faith, I always put your life in danger," I said. "You're always in a mess because of me. I've ruined your life, and you know it's true."

"You're right!" She said. "You have ruined my life! You have always been ruining my life, and you've done it again today! I realized something when I was alone with Brittany today. Through her bullsh*t, she has made me realize that what I feel for you is so deep. I couldn't wait to meet you to tell you."

She sighed, wiping her tears.

"But, forget it." She said. "Just forget it! I don't want to say anything to you now! Now, I want nothing to do with both you and Ray!"

"Faith, listen to m-"

"I don't want to listen to you!"

I rolled my eyes, feeling annoyed.

"Continue to roll your eyes like that because that's what you're best at!" She snarled. "Don't you dare talk to me, call me, or come near me again."

I sighed, reaching for her hand.

"Don't touch me!" She exclaimed, pulling her hand away. "Don't you dare touch me! Especially after everything that you have said today!"

"Faith, I'm only trying to protect you," I said. "I just don't want to hurt you anym-"

"You already have! You've already done it by saying all that."

"I didn't mean to hurt you. You know I would never hurt y-"

"Go the hell!"

I raised my eyebrows.

I'm just trying to make sure that she's no longer in danger because of me and she's disrespecting me.

I'm Evan Owens, and I don't appreciate her talking to me like that.

I'm not going to stand there and listen to her while she disrespects me like that when I only want to protect her.

"Excuse me?" I said.

"Go to hell, Evan!" She growled.

I clenched my fist in anger.

She looked back at me in anger.

"Fine!" I exclaimed.

"Fine!" She said.

I rolled my eyes, turning my back to her.

She walked into the house, slamming the door.

I was trying to be the good guy for once.

I don't want to leave her, but everybody is right. 

I'm bad news, and I'm not good for her.

I will only continue to freaking ruin her life. 

I will always end up putting her life in danger.

I only wanted to be nice and selfless for once.

What did she do in return?

She has insulted and disrespected me.

This is precisely why I never do anything nice for people.

"F*** my life," I muttered, heading home.

~*~

When I got to school the next day, my mission was to ignore Faith.

I don't want to see or talk to her.

Staying away from each other is best for both of us.

If I want her to be safe and not in danger, I must stay away from her.

Jake and I were heading to my locker when the unfortunate happened to me.

Faith Davis is in front of me with her pregnant friend and Wilhem.

"Hey, Ev!" Wilhem exclaimed, walking towards me. "What's up, m-"

"Mason!" Faith interrupted.

He turned around to face her.

"We don't talk to bad people." She said, looking straight at me.

He looked at her confusedly, while Jake looked at me with confusion.

"Are...Are you talking about Ev?" Wilhem asked.

"I don't want to say names." She said. "But, I'm pretty sure whoever it is knows it."

I rolled my eyes, feeling irritated.

He hesitantly nodded his head.

They got ready to leave but stopped when I cleared my throat.

"Wilhem!" I exclaimed, startling him.

"Yes, Ev!" He said immediately.

"Tell her that I want to talk to her."

"Yes, sir!"

He turned around to face Faith.

"Faith, Ev said that he wants to talk to you." He said.

"Well, tell him I don't want to talk to him." She said, looking away. "I'm not interested."

Wilhem nodded his head, turning back around.

"Ev, Faith said she doesn't want to talk to you." He said. "She said that she's not interested."

"Tell her I am also not interested in talking to her," I said. "I just want to return something."

He turned around again.

Jake chuckled softly but stopped when I looked at him.

"Faith, Ev said that he's also n-"

"Tell him to keep whatever it is." She interrupted. "I don't want it."

He scratched his head, turning back around to me.

"Ev, Faith said to keep i-"

"Oh, trust me, she wants this." I interrupted.

She rolled her eyes, crossing her arms over her chest.

I pulled her pendant out of my pocket, holding it up.

Her eyes widened as soon as she saw the pendant.

"Mason!" She exclaimed. "Tell him I need my pendant now!"

He confusedly nodded his head.

"Ev, she said that she wants her pe-"

"Tell her that it's too late," I said. "It was her fault for showing attitude in the first place. Now, she can kiss her pendant bye."

Wilhem laughed out loud, turning back around to face Faith.

She gave him a stern look.

He turned serious, clearing his throat.

"Faith, Ev said that it's too late n-"

"Snatch it!" She interrupted.

"What!?"

"I said, snatch the pendant from him. You're a man and my friend, so snatch it!"

He nervously nodded his head, looking at me and the pendant.

He seems to be looking for the opportunity to snatch the pendant from my hand and run away.

Jake and I exchanged looks, smirking.

"Wilhem, I dare you to lay your hands on this pendant," I said, holding it before him. "I dare you to f***ing snatch it from me. I dare you to try it, and then you'll see what happens."

He gulped, taking a step backward.

"Ev, I would...I...I...I would never do that to you..." He said nervously. "Why...Why would I do that to you?..."

"Mason!" Faith exclaimed, pulling his arm and turning him around to face her. "Why are you letting him control you like that? Take a stand! For once, stop being a follower! Stop being his b*tch!"

Wilhem gasped, putting his hand over his mouth.

"You need to stop acting like a puppy dog!" She continued. "Don't tolerate his bull, and don't let him control you like that!"

"But, I'm only being a loyal friend to Ev." He said sadly.

"That's right," I said. "Tell her the truth. Tell her we are friends, and that too, before you became her friend."

"The only reason he and Jake have made you a part of their elite group is because they felt like you had the balls to finally stand up to somebody when you caught Connor by the collar." She said.

Wilhelm looked at Jake and me in disappointment.

It looked like Dave Owens had just found out about his wife, and I betrayed him badly.

He looked agitated.

"That's not true!" Jake exclaimed. "He's always been a part of our group."

"That's right," I said. "Wilhem's always been a friend."

"Is that why you left him hanging on the Hamlet project or why you beat him up to pulp when you thought he was Mary's baby daddy?" Faith asked. "I'm sure friends are supposed to know each other very well, and you wouldn't have acted that way if it was Jake."

Wilhem sadly looked down.

"Faith is right..." He said slowly. "You people have always been treating me wrong...Always and I...I...I never did you guys wrong."

"Come on, Wilhem!" Jake exclaimed. "Are you going to let a girl get in between this bond of ours?"

"Mason doesn't need you guys," Faith said. "He's got real friends. You guys have always been fake with him."

"Faith's right," Wilhem said.

Faith smiled, raising her eyebrows at me.

"You guys have...always been treating me wrong..." Wilhem said. "But, who am I kidding? Ev's always going to be my best friend!"

Wilhem came over and hugged Jake and me. 

"I always need these two!" He said. "No matter what! Even if they deceive me every single day of my life, they will still be my boys!"

Faith's smile disappeared and turned into a frown.

Her friend smacked her palm with her forehead, shaking her head.

"Mason!" Faith exclaimed. "I told you they only like you because you went against Connor."

"Well, I am glad Ev has noticed something about me and welcomed me to the group." He said happily.

"Mason, stop being his little puppy dog!"

Wilhem immediately walked back over to Faith and her friend. 

"I'm not!" He said. "It's just that Ev can never be wrong in my eyes. Mr. Perfect can never be wrong in my eyes."

"Perfect, and him?" Faith asked. "Tell me something, would you ever give Mary up for somebody else?"

Everybody got quiet.

"Oouu..." Jake said low enough for me to hear. "What did you do to her this time?"

I rolled my eyes, putting my hands in my pockets.

"No!" WIlhem exclaimed, breaking the silence. "I would never give Mary up. No matter what, I will continue to fight for this girl till I take my last breath. I would never stop fighting."

Faith's friend blushed, smiling.

"What a loyalty," Faith said. "And that's exactly why these rascals don't deserve to be your friends."

Jake scoffed, chuckling.

I sighed, scratching my chin.

"Anyways, I want my pendant back." She said.

"Yeah, Mason." Faith's friend said. "Please, get Faith her pendant back."

He smiled at her, nodding his head.

"Don't worry." He said. "I will set him straight now and return her pendant from the bad guy."

He started to walk slowly like he was in a movie.

He walked with this weird style and acted like he was going on some big battle.

After what seemed like a million years, he came up to me.

"Bad guy, huh?" I said. "And just who are you calling the bad guy?"

He gulped, looking nervous.

"Ev, I didn't mean it like that." He said low enough for me to hear. "I just really want to impress Mary, that's all. But I don't think you're a bad guy. You're the hero. I look up to you and don't think you're the bad guy."

"What do you want then?" I asked.

"Ev, I'm begging you...I'm pleading with you to give me the pendant. I will give it to Faith, and Mary will like me for going against you...It's not real, though...It's only to impress her...Please...I'm begging you to give me the pendant."

He looked at me sadly and desperately.

"Well, it's Evan Owens to help the needy," I said, handing him the pendant. "Here you go."

He smiled big, taking it.

"Thanks, Ev!" He exclaimed.

Then he started to go backward.

"That's right!" He exclaimed, loud enough for Faith and her friend to hear. "You better give it back! You know I won't leave you! I'll finish you like I did with O'Brien! That's right, you better be afraid!"

I sighed, shaking my head.

Faith and her friend smiled, exchanging looks.

Wilhem gave Faith her pendant back, winking at her friend.

I've had about enough of his drama, and I hope that's the last I see of him the rest of the day.

Jake and I got ready to leave, but Ray came, getting everybody's attention.

"Can I have your attention, please?" He asked everybody in the hallway.

Everybody stopped what they were doing, giving him their utmost attention.

I haven't talked to him since our fight about Faith's kidnapping.

I felt he wasn't worth my time, so I told him nothing.

But Ray's my best friend.

We have grown up together.

Faith's all we've been fighting about nowadays, and it's not right.

At some point or another, we have to talk.

We need to talk about Faith and clear our misunderstandings regarding her, or else our friendship will be ruined for good.

And that won't be right, so we need to fix things between us.

"I have an important announcement to make," Ray said. "A lot has happened in our school this past year. There have been a lot of fights and drama. There have been happy, sad, and disappointing moments. In between all this, I wanted to tell somebody special how I felt about her, but I never got to."

I started to get a weird feeling about his last statement.

I have a feeling that I know where it's going, but I hope it's not what I'm thinking.

"There's this girl I have been thinking about for a while now." He continued. "Ever since I saw her, all I see is her. She's always on my mind. I think about her all the time. I think I started to feel this way the night that she saved my life from a drastic accident that involved both of us. And which, by the way, happens to be our very first meeting."

Faith looked at me.

She had fear and confusion on her face.

It's like she's calling me to do something and stop what's happening, but I don't know what to do.

This is my best friend, and I hoped to tell him how I felt about Faith at the right time.

I didn't think he would ever do this, though.

The whole thing just caught me off guard.

"Anyways, I realized I like this girl; she means a lot to me," Ray said. "I have been crushing on her for a long time now. I like the way she talks, the way she dresses, her simplicity, and most importantly, her confidence. Nobody can ever break her. She's never afraid to fight for what's right and go against the wrong people--even if her life is in danger. As time passed, I realized that whatever I felt for this girl was deeper. I have officially fallen in love with this girl and want to be with her."

Faith kept her eyes glued to me, shaking her head.

Ray walked to her, pulling a rose from his back pocket and kneeling in front of her.

"Faith Davis, would you give me the honor of becoming my girlfriend?" He said. "I am in love with you and want to be with you. Will you be my girlfriend?"

I closed my eyes, clenching my fist in anger. 

His words echoed in my ear like crazy as I tried to control my anger. 

Jake nudged me.

I opened my eyes, looking at him.

"What's going on with Ray?" He asked low enough for me to hear. "Why is he playing games with you?"

I looked back at Faith.

She has different facial expressions.

She seems angry, sad, lost, alone and hurt.

Her eyes are still glued to mine.

They're looking for help and answers, and I'm afraid I can't help her and don't have the answers she's looking for.

Now, what will she say to Ray?

*** End Of Chapter ***

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