Chapter 3: A Tamed Pet

SCARLETT

Trevor cocoons his arms around her, delicately observing her dress where the coffee had spilled. My heart feels uneasy at the way he looks at her.

He knows me better than anyone. He should know I’m not one to start trouble and definitely not at my place of work.

Even after the incident, I didn’t go after Ashley to create any trouble for her, she apologized on her own accord, even though I knew it wasn’t genuine.

So why would he believe I spilled coffee on her just cause they’re having brunch?

Trevor shifts his gaze to me and my heart sinks. I cannot believe it. The warm and soft glint his eyes had a second ago when he was looking at Ashley is gone, replaced by a cold and hard stare.

“Apologize to her now,” He orders, raising his voice slightly, “it’s one thing to throw a tantrum with me, but you are above bullying my friend, Scar.”

What? He’s not even going to ask for my own version of the story? He’s just going to believe her?

“I’m not apologizing to her because that’s not what happened,” I reply firmly.

Amelia gasps, clutching her hands over her mouth like I just told the lie of the century. “I knew you were a hateful person Scarlett but I never took you for such a liar.”

I don’t fucking care about these mean liars. I just stand there and look at Trevor. I only care about his attitude.

Trevor comes over and pulls me toward Ashley: “What is wrong with you Scarlett? Why are you still so jealous of Ashley? How many times do you want me to tell you there is nothing going on between us?”

I glare at him, trying not to blink. I know tears will fall if I do.

This is the man I have loved for my whole adult life. The man that I thought understands me and cares about me.

I don’t know when exactly I lost that man, but it was definitely after the incident.

“I’m sorry Ashley, I didn’t mean to spill the coffee on you,” I say, humiliation and anger washing over me when I see Trevor’s satisfied nod as if I’m some tamed pet. But this is my place of work and I only did this because I don’t want to give them the satisfaction that they can cost me more.

“What’s going on here?” Evelyn’s voice comes from behind me.

“What kind of staff do you hire here?” Amelia replies rudely, glaring at Evelyn, who seeing how sophisticated Amelia and Ashley are, instantly cowers.

“I’m sorry miss, is she causing any trouble?”

“Look at what she did to my dress. Do you know who my father is? Aurthur Barnes. Your biggest investor. You have to fire her right now or I’m reporting this to him,” Ashley says with an air of authority and hearing her father’s name, Evelyn bows.

“I’m sorry, Miss Barnes,” Evelyn says apologetically. “Scarlett,” Her tone hardens. “Get your things and get out of this establishment right now.”

I almost do not believe what I’m hearing. Evelyn glares at me and Ashley smirks victoriously.

I turn to look at Trevor: “And you are just going to stand there and watch her bully me like this? I’m your gir–”

“You are a waitress,” Trevor cuts me off before I could finish the word girlfriend, “besides, does such a petty job even matter to you?”

He pulls me to the side and whispers on: “You are making me look bad, Scar. You need to make your choice between being my girlfriend and being a waitress.”

Tears well up in my eyes and I rip my name tag from my chest, stomping it on Evelyn in anger and walking away from there as fast I can, before the torrent starts pouring from my eyes.

I can’t believe those harsh words came out of Trevor, the one boy I thought that loved me despite what I have. He is supposed to be the boy who wants to make his own name without the help from his rich dad, not the boyfriend who would look down on me when I’m trying my best to help out my family.

Did he really not care about wealth, or just because I had it?

********

I don’t know how long I cried when I got home, so much so that I dozed off, but I woke up to a soggy pillow, hearing someone frantically knocking on the living room door, drawing me away from the song I had on repeat all day.

‘What Was I Made For? by Billie Eilish.’

I drag my sad pitiful self to the living room. The bright side of all this? I get to spend more time with Dad tomorrow.

“Who’s there?” I ask, walking up to the door.

“It’s me baby, open up,” a familiar voice says and my heart races at the rich baritone but at the same time it sinks to the pit of my stomach, registering who the owner is.

“Go away Trev, I don’t want to see you,” I reply.

I want to see him. I want him to hug me and hold me in his embrace, to tell me all of this is just a nightmare and that when I wake up, our life will go back to what it used to be. But I don’t know if he is still the same boy I fell in love with.

“Please baby, I know you’re angry but you have to let me explain. I love you Scarly…..Only you,” His voice is soft and I can hear the sincerity in them.

I’m unable to stop myself and I open the door and the moment he steps inside, he rushes me with a deep kiss and I feel…..I feel nothing.

Just two muscles of flesh, exchanging saliva. No flutter in my heart or stomach, no desire in my core or a hunger for more and certainly no pleasure.

I pull away from him. His touch is not what it used to be anymore and the image prevalent in my mind is the one of him, balls deep inside Ashley with her claws digging into his back.

I can never forget it. I thought I could, but I guess I was wrong.

“Baby….” He says softly, trying to come close to me again but I put my hand up to stop him.

“Why do you always choose her over me?” I ask, not intending to cry, but the surge of emotions push water out my eyes as the words leave me.

“That’s not how it is, baby. I need Ashley but it’s you I love,” He replies.

I push him away when I heard her name from him.

“Look, you know how mom and dad are not willing to invest in any more of my business ideas, Ashley’s dad is. That’s why I have to stay close to her and make her happy until I can secure a deal with her father. Please baby, try and understand.”

“At the expense of our relationship? You’re treating me like this because of money?” I ask, breaking down and slumping into a couch.

The Trevor I knew rejected his parents’ help in starting his own business. Who is the person in front of me that’s sucking up to a girl for money from her dad?

“Tell me Trevor, do you even care about me anymore?” I ask, trying to keep my voice steady. “My dad has been in prison for over three months, three good months. Have you ever asked me how I’m dealing with it? If I’m comfortable living in this shack with my aunt? Have you?”

My voice breaks in and out as I ask him in tears, the pain is unbearable as I think about these past few months and the one person that should have been there for me neglects me all because of a deal, a deal he isn’t even sure of.

Trevor frowns deeply. “Is emotional blackmail really the card you want to pull right now?”

His words stun me. How is explaining my plight to him emotional blackmail?

I look up and my teary blue eyes lock with his cold brown ones. “I’m not trying to blackmail you Trev, it’s just….you haven’t been there. It’s unlike you,” I say truthfully and painfully.

I miss how he usually dotes on me and cares for me but at the same time I can’t help but feel that just returning back to his old ways is not going to solve our issues. It’s more about what he has done and how I can’t let it go and yet, can’t let him go.

“You’re overreacting Scarlett. Everything that I am doing right now, I am doing for the future. Our future, and I need you to put selfish interests aside and support me like a good girlfriend would,” Trevor replies coldly.

Am I really overreacting? Am I being selfish?

Or is he just too blinded by this deal he wants, that he doesn’t see how his present action is already costing us the future he’s talking about? I love him, with or without money, why can’t he see that?