Chapter Six: Final Decision

The jealousy was also vice versa. Taya had envied Ella since they were in high school. Ella was the Goddess of art, or so their college friends called her. Taya was never as brilliant as Ella when it came to art. She was only a common student in high school but she studied really hard so she passed exams with good scores every so often. Many preferred to be friends with Taya than Ella because Ella was quiet and kept herself to herself most of the time but Ella's creativity was beyond this univers, though. She ended up being a very talented fashion designer standing in front of Taya at the moment while Taya ended up being an employee in an automobile company she literally just quitted.

Ella had been Taya's trustworthy friend. They had kept no secret and whenever Taya had a trouble or something happened in Taya's life, Ella was the first person to know.

Unfortunately, Ella had broken Taya's dream of marrying Lucas shortly before the wedding day. That was what caught up in Taya's mind. Taya had never been aware of this, not even yesterday when she knocked on Ella's door and cried her heart out in front of Ella who acted as if she were a guardian angel. She didn't even know since when the affair had started.

"Thank you for all your practical advice!" Taya muttered through her clenched teeth.

"Poor, Taya! You had to witness such a very beautiful moment of me and Lucas." Ella turned and caught Lucas' lips with hers, briefly yet passionately and Lucas accepted the kiss just as passionate, before Ella continued talking, "we are in love, you must be able to see it because we have nothing to hide, anymore." Ella ridiculed Taya in a way that triggered Taya to choke Ella's throat but Taya's self control was impressive. Ella stepped forwards just in an attempt to dare Taya to step back but Taya didn't move an inch. Taya was still standing steadily, having no fear in her eyes.

Eye to eye with Ella, Taya spoke, "You are not more disgusting than this coward!" She pointed her finger to Lucas' face. Her eyes glared with flame of anger and disappointment.

Ella laughed while grabbing Lucas' arm, holding it like no one could touch. Lucas on the other hand stood like a statue, staring at Taya who had no desire to just glance at the man.

"Innocent little Taya has finally learned something, that not everything can turn out to be perfect."

Hearing such statement coming from Ella, Taya got woken up by the words. Probably, Ella was right. As soon as the tears welled up in her eyes, the blonde woman uttered, "Just be happy you two!" Taya turned around and departed. She didn't even know what to say.

Walking across the lobby of the studio, looking down as if her head was too heavy, Taya was in a complete defeat. Michelle who witnessed Taya depart secretly regretted letting her in. Despite her guilt, Michelle thought she did the right thing. Sooner or later, Taya had to discover the truth that her best friend was a snake, or so Michelle thought.

Ella was a very professional employer but personally, Michelle had never looked up to her at all. Working with Ella all the time, everyday, made her know Ella like no other. Michelle never let anyone knew about Ella's true color except today. For Michelle, it was just too much, besides, Michelle thought it was unfair for Taya if she kept covering the affair of her boss with Taya's fiance.

Michelle ran after Taya who walked to her car.

"Ms. Cage!" The petite, brunette girl called Taya while keeping to run. Taya who held the door of her car, about to get in, turned to look at Michelle while wiping her tears off of her cheek. She was honestly ashamed of herself being betrayed ridiculously by her so trustworthy friend. 

Michelle stopped right before Taya, "I am sorry." Michelle felt really bad but it was the truth Taya had to discover, eventually.

"Not your fault, Michelle." Taya forced a smile upon her face and patted Michelle on her shoulder. She continued, saying, "thank you for letting me in." Taya's voice shook and husky from the hard effort of swallowing back her disappointment and blinking back tears. The blonde woman finally got in her car and quickly made her way down the streets.

She clenched onto the steering wheel till her knuckles turned white. Perhaps, if she were Mike Tyson, she could have been breaking it due to the tightness of her clench. Ironically, Ella was right about everything, Taya thought. She should move out of the city as soon as possible. She should start a new job and should get a completely new life. But the only thing Taya wanted to do now was drive straight to nowhere, ahead. She was constantly drawn away into her own deep thought while driving.

After an hour of driving, Taya decided to pulled up into a vacant gravelled parking lot of an abandoned garage. Inside her car, with the machine was still alive, she burst into tears, crying her pain out as she couldn't bear it anymore. Her heart was heavy and so her mind. There was a big hollow inside herself that was visible only to herself.

She still couldn't process everything. Taya sobbed, propping her head against the window. For good ten minutes, she cried and sagged, cursing and regretting everything that thrown into her life at the moment. She regretted most about being friends with Ella for she was a worst hypocrite in Taya's life and Lucas, she didn't even want to hear his name. Just thinking about him made her sick to the stomach.

Wiping her tears off for the thousandth times, Taya straightened up, she turned on the car machine and revved it. She backed out from the parking lot. Roughly, she turned around till her tires screeched. In seconds, she had already moved down the street.

***

"Moving out of the city?" Sophia looked beyond worried, standing next to Taya's closet.

"Yes." Taya simply replied she kept collecting her clothes and stuff into her backpack and case.

"Are you really sure about it, Taya? You didn't even tell me and your Dad that you broke up with Lucas and now you are packing up like this?"

Taya merely quiet, having no desire to open her mouth and speak.

"Say something!" Sophia was beyond pissed about what currently happened. She was the one who was super excited about her daughter's wedding. She was a kind of woman who liked to show off to her friends and indeed liked to gossip. Despite that preference of a lifestyle she cared about Taya and concerned too. After all, she was her mother. Such reality was bad on her too and she wanted nothing but a clarification from her daughter about what actually happened.

"Just please! Mom, I am no longer a child who can be told as you like. I am 30 and I am broken and I am tired and I am sad!" Taya threw her last shirt into the case, closed and zipped it roughly. She wanted to cry again but instead, she ended up inhaling deeply.

"But you need to talk to me about how could you two break up? Tell me exactly!" Insisted Sophia.

"I have told you I can't be with someone who stomps on my head like I am a useless plastic bag!"

Sophia sighed and crossed her arms on her chest. "Taya, I need more of an elaboration! I'll call Lucas, now." More of a fake threat because Sophia wouldn't do that.

Taya wasn't interested in talking about Lucas anymore. She turned around, walked to the door. Packing up made her thirsty, or not packing up that made her thirsty. It was her mother's questions and insistence.

"How about your job?" Asked Sophia.

"I have resigned." Replied Taya. She opened the door, about to walk out and get herself a glass of water but there was her dad standing before her. He looked at Taya with a father's concern in his eyes.

There was deep silence between the two before Mr. Cage pulled his daughter into a hug. "If you wanna go, just go!" That was all came out of Mr. Cage's mouth while stroking Taya's head like a little Taya back in the past.

"Do what you think is right!" Added Mr. Cage, still holding Taya tight. Only her father understood her even in silence.