Chapter Twelve
Juliette went to the university next morning. Damian hadn't come. With no friends around, the university didn't feel like fun anymore. Still she attended the classes and spent her free time in the library. During lunch break, she went to the coffee shop outside the campus. She didn't want to face the other students apart from her classmates.
Classes were over and she walked towards the campus gate. She was thinking whether to go to Xavion's house or office to find out what was wrong with him, when someone pushed her towards a corner.
Looking around, her facial expression changed into one of disgust for standing all around her were Candice and her minions.
"Missing Xavion?" Candice asked with a laugh and all her minions laughed along with her.
"Obviously, he's my boyfriend, " Juliette said and started to move away.
Veronica blocked her path. "What's the hurry bitch?" She said.
"Forget Xavion, he's mine now. He's tired of your shy girl tactics. He's a hot blooded man. All he needs is a good fu*k which a dumb virgin bitch like you can't give him. I give him what he wants, I fu*k him all day and night, I stay at his house," said Candice.
Juliette just pushed Candice to walk past her. She would never believe her. She knew her Xavion. He loved only her and no one else. Candice snatched her mobile phone and gave herself a missed call with it. Juliette snatched it back.
"You want proof? Check the photographs that I'm sending you of Xavion and me. He will never return to you bitch. He's mine and we will marry soon," Candice said while working on her mobile.
Juliette received a few notifications in her chat. Maybe Xavion messaged her? Checking her phone, she found a few pictures from an unknown number.
Clicking the pictures, Juliette froze at the pictures of a naked couple having sex. The man's bare back was towards the camera but his hair and upper physique did look like Xavion's. The girl was Candice with her face towards the camera. The house was actually Xavion's. She shut her phone and stared at a grinning Candice.
"I don't believe you. Just get lost," she said.
"You don't believe me? Why don't you come over to Xavion's house and find out for yourself?" She said and Juliette nodded. She would do just that.
"You could also come down to his office. He has made me join him and I spend the whole day there with him, on his lap. Drop down any day and see for yourself, " she said, with a maliciously victorious look on her face.
Juliette didn't want to hear her lies anymore. She didn't believe a word she said but she wanted to check the photographs again.
"I'm leaving regular classes and joining his classes from tomorrow. He wants me to," she said smugly.
She just walked away as they laughed at her and made fun of her. She went to her apartment and sat slumped into the couch staring at the photographs. They indeed were of Xavion and Candice. The background was also of Xavion's house. If they wouldn't be true why would Candice ask Juliette to visit Xavion at his home as well as his office?
She would have to find out for herself what the truth was and why Xavion had been avoiding her. So she cooked just for herself and finished her chores and assignments. It was time for Xavion to return home. He didn't come to her apartment, so she took a cab and went to his house.
She got down and paid the cab driver. Then walking along the paved pathway, she went up to the front door and rang the bell.
The door opened after nearly five minutes by none other than a towel clad Candice. Juliette simply stared at her in shock. What was she doing in Xavion's house?
"Hey bitch, you really came? I asked you to stay away," she said in almost a whisper.
Xavion came down in only a pair of sweatpants,"Who's it?" He asked.
The moment he saw Juliette, he froze. "It's just your ex, honey," said Candice. Xavion's eyes widened.
Juliette couldn't take it anymore, from both their lack of clothes it was clear what took them so long to open the door. She turned and ran down the pavement towards the main gate and out of the mansion premises.
"Julie, wait," said Xavion but she couldn't hear him. She was blinded by her tears. Her heart was breaking. Candice was right then? She didn't want to think anymore. Hailing a cab she climbed in and went back to her apartment.
The moment she closed the door of her apartment, sobs wracked her delicate frame and she collapsed on her bed, sobbing her heart out. He dumped her and moved on? How could it be? Those photographs were real after all.
A huge thunderstorm started outside, it broke trees and washed the city out but it was nothing compared to the storm that was washing over Juliette. She had no meaning left in her life anymore. Unable to control herself, she fell unconscious when there were no more tears left in her.
She gained consciousness very late the next day. It was already 12 noon and she picked up her exhausted, frail body and went to the bathroom. Maybe a shower would make her feel more human.
After a shower she felt a fever coming on. She lay in her bed as fresh bouts of tears just poured out of her eyes. If he just wanted a good fu*k, she would have given it to him. She loved him. He had her soul. He could have just done it with her. She wouldn't have complained. When she went back to sleep, she didn't know.
She woke up in the evening, too dizzy to do anything. So she just warmed a glass of milk and drank it with a few cookies. She had to gain her strength. She would go to Xavion's office tomorrow and confront him. She wanted to know why he played with her feelings?
The next day, Juliette went to Xavion's office at around 12 noon. She lied that she had an appointment and walked into the elevators. She went up to the sixteenth floor which she remembered Xavion mentioning once. The receptionist in front of his chamber had gone for lunch, so she went up to his door and just opened it without knocking.
She straight went inside and froze. Xavion was sitting at his desk with Candice sitting on his lap, sucking each other's faces. Xavion looked up and he stopped and stared at her, not knowing what to do.
"Julie?" He asked as if he had seen a ghost.
Juliette came to her senses. Candice's sentence rang in her ear.
He has made me join him and I spend the whole day there with him, on his lap.
It was absolutely true. There was nothing more to see or hear. Fresh tears trickled down her cheeks as she turned around and ran out of the room.
"Julie wait, listen to me," said Xavion, getting up and running after her. But Juliette had already gone down the elevator and out of the building. She was out of his life forever. She swore to herself that she would never ever love anyone in this lifetime.
She went to her apartment and sat like a statue the whole day, her brain not functioning any more. She had to go on with life. She just ate cereal and milk and went to sleep. She would go to university and carry on with her life. Maybe she wouldn't ever love like she loved Xavion but she would just go on.
So the next day, Juliette went to her university and concentrated on her studies more. She went to the college cafeteria alone and remained alone the whole day. Damian never came back to college and she didn't try to find out. Maybe he knew his friend had dumped her and wanted to avoid her. She didn't call Angela as she was pregnant and had a lot of problems on her plate.
So when the weekend arrived, Juliette just went home to Travis Springs. Thankfully, her father and Jayson didn't ask about Xavion and she was saved. She returned to college and the whole week went by. She kept on with her monotonous life.
She didn't see Candice or her minions in college as they all shifted to Xavion's batch. However Candice did send her a few more photographs of her and Xavion.
She didn't see Xavion after that day at his office. He didn't once come to tell her that what she saw was not the true picture. She expected him everyday. One month passed by and Juliette lost all hope. Her mid term exams were due the next month and she spent her free time in the library.
She got down from her car which her dad gifted her the last time she went home. As she walked from the parking lot to her apartment someone called her,"Julie, wait."
She knew that voice. She would recognise it even if she died and went to heaven. She walked faster and into the elevator. She heard Xavion's footsteps but thankfully she started the elevator and went up to her apartment just in time, closing her door as Xavion came up the stairs.
"Julie, listen to me, please. I can explain," he said, pleading with her.
She closed her door and locked it without a word. It had been a month and now he had the time to come and talk? Why? Did Candice stop giving him good fu*ks?
Xavion banged her door for nearly five minutes but she didn't open. Her neighbour opened his door and glared at him,"Let go son," said the middle aged neighbour.
Xavion turned around and with drooping shoulders went back to his car and left. Juliette fell to the floor sobbing. Why did he have to come back after a month? Why couldn't he just leave it? She had accepted that she wasn't good enough for him. She was trying to move ahead. Why couldn't he be happy with Candice?
She freshened up and tried to focus on her studies. Her exams were near and she wouldn't waste time thinking about Xavion. He was dead for her the day he moved on with Candice.
Xavion came nearly every two days and banged on her door for some time and left. He tried to talk to her but she didn't have anything to talk about. She saw the truth with her own eyes, not once but twice. Then there were the photographs that Candice sent her. They didn't let her forget his betrayal. So whatever he had to say now had no meaning whatsoever. She couldn't forgive him, so she didn't bother opening her door. She just cooked for herself and went back to her studies.
Angela called up the next day and spoke about her life. Her dad still wasn't accepting their relationship. Damian was staying with her at her aunt's place and went to a college there since this university was a bit far from her aunt's place. Her pregnancy was progressing well. They had their first ultra sonography and could hear their baby's heartbeat. They hadn't announced her pregnancy to her father as she was scared of his reaction. Her brothers were equally perplexed at her dad's behavior. They liked Damian and had no objection to her marrying him. She also informed her that Xavion was at the hospital. He had injected drugs last night. She didn't say anything. She was not interested. It was not her headache. Candice would do the needful.
She disconnected the call and sat numb for hours as silent tears fell from her eyes at the news of Xavion's condition.
She loved him and couldn't stay away. Picking up her car keys and handbag, she went to the hospital to see him.