A Rough Battle

Vivian’s POV

I don’t know why, but I allowed Belinda drag me all the way across town all in the name of shopping.

“We really shouldn’t be doing this,” I told Belinda who took out her purse and began to apply some makeup on her face. “Gosh, Bel, in a taxi?” I said and laughed.

Belinda would never cease to surprise me. She was always doing weird things, and when confronted about it, she would call it spontaneity. 

“A girl has to look pretty all the time,” Belinda said defensively.

I watched her apply mascara on her eye lashes and shook my head in bewilderment. I also noticed that the driver was throwing us, Belinda especially, glances from time to time, but I said nothing. Belinda was never worried about how she was seen or perceived, and I stopped doing the worrying for her a long time ago.

“You had your makeup done before we left your apartment, Belinda, and you spent an hour on it!” I said.

“Yes, but that was some minutes ago. If I could retouch my makeup every passing second, trust me, I would,” Belinda said as she applied some lipstick on her lips. “We are going to this fancy boutique, and you have to look like the money you are going to spend there, otherwise those high-handed salesgirls would give you attitude,” Belinda schooled me.

I laughed and shook my head. Belinda acted as though I did not know any of these things, but I just let her have her way this time around.

“Well, it would have been better if we were going to spend our own money,” I said.

“Hell no, Vivian. The money is always sweeter when it is coming from the wallet of an ex-husband. Trust me, girl, now that he knows that if he embarrasses you, you are going to come for his money, he is going to act according,” Belinda said.

“Technically, he did not embarrass me. Georgia made the statement in an interview, not him,” I said, but Belinda blew it completely out of proportion.

“There you go! You are freaking defending him again!” Belinda was getting upset again. “Holly molly, this man has you wrapped up in his fingers, and it is disgusting to see,” Belinda said.

“Stop being dramatic, Belinda. I am only stating the fact, nothing else. Syrus was not even present at the time of the interview. It was just Georgia and her interviewer,” I explained, already exasperated that we were going down this road again.

“Okay, fine,” Belinda finally agreed with me. “But I still insist that he embarrassed you, because that was just an extension,” Belinda said.

“Oh gosh,” I said as my hands clasped my head in frustration, making Belinda laugh. “You know what, you are right. After all we are going to spend his money, aren’t we?” 

“Yeah, I am always right!” Belinda squealed, feeling like a super-heroine already.

It was a long drive but we eventually arrived at one of the fanciest boutiques in the city. 

“Belinda, their clothes would be freaking expensive!” I whispered to Belinda as we entered the boutique, but as usual, she was too stubborn to even listen to me.

Belinda turned to me defiantly and asked, “Would you rather spend that jerk’s money on anything else?” 

I swallowed and said, “No, of course not,” because Belinda was right. From the look of things, I might end up taking only one or two dresses. I honestly wasn’t interested in shopping or doing anything at all with the money, but since it would get it out of my account, I welcomed it. 

As we turned to proceed into the boutique, an unpleasant familiar voice floated into our ears.

“By the jerk, you mean Syrus?”

We turned and saw Georgia and Bonnie coming out of the boutique. They had obviously had a full round shopping spree. 

“Yes,” Belinda looked at them and answered fearlessly. 

I had opened my mouth to deny it, but Belinda beat me to it, and she stood in front of me, so there was no way I could have said something before her.

“And who might you be?” Georgia asked

“And who is asking?” Belinda asked Georgia in return.

I wanted to pull Belinda away. There were a ton of other fancy boutiques that we could go do; it didn’t have to be the very one Georgia and Bonnie were shopping at, but then again, the whole scene looked like a battle field, and for once, I wanted to see Georgia being ridiculed.

Georgia gasped. “Oh, she doesn’t know me?”

“She probably lives under a rock,” Bonnie said sarcastically.

“No, I am not, because I could roll out a list of very popular people around effortlessly, but you see this wannabe, I have never heard or seen her anywhere,” Belinda blew hot.

It was a lie, but it got to Georgia so well that I caught her face flinch at Belinda’s demeaning words.

“So this is who you are hanging out with now? An uncouth lady?” Bonnie threw the question at me, but Belinda was way more prepared for both of them than I would ever have imagined. 

In fact, I had no idea that Belinda could be so antagonistic without even prepping for it.

“Does it hurt to see her with someone who stands up for her unlike what your so-called brother could ever do?” Belinda fired at Bonnie.

Bonnie opened her mouth to give a response, but Belinda was far from done.

“You are so used to bullying and shit that you do not even realize that it actually sucks. You claim to be someone of importance, meanwhile you are walking around town and living under the shadow of a wannabe. Aw, I feel sorry for you, and for you as well, Georgia, since you have to break a home to find joy.”

My mouth dropped open in shock as well as Bonnie’s and Georgia’s.

Belinda turned to me and said triumphantly, “Vivian dear, let us go and squander that JERK’s money on some hot-looking dresses.” 

Then Belinda dragged me into the store, leaving them stupefied.