~Amanda~

Climbing up the staircase, I found Xavier waiting outside, fiddling with his unlit cigarette while his lawyer was explaining something to him.

I was never able to make him stop smoking.

I pretended not to see him and walked past him, glad that he didn't notice me.

Or so I thought.

 I felt something grab my arm. "Not so fast."

"What do you want?" I asked with a stern voice, not acknowledging his lawyer.

"You're quite the actress Amanda," he muttered, bringing the cigarette to his lips.

"You're quite naive," I replied, rolling my eyes.

He chuckled, balancing the cigarette between his lips, trying to tempt me.

"Could you stop that," I hissed, taking the cigarette and dropping it.

"You see Amanda I still know your weaknesses and desires," he started, smirking at me. "I can tell you do too," he ended with a lower voice, running his hand through my hair.

"Of course, that's why it was so easy to hand you in. I had to remember everything about you, even though it took a lot of effort."

He leaned closer making me smell his signature perfume and whispered in my ear, "keep lying to yourself," before standing up right.

His whisper had an unseen edge to it that made me tingle in a little surge of nerves.

With a quick recovery, I leaned towards him and said, "in your dreams."

He shook his head running his hand through his hair before he mumbled the word "stubborn".

He let go of my hand but I found myself still standing in front of him.

"If you really love me you'd give everything up," he blurted, surprising me.

"It's impossible to give it up, because I don't actually love you," I snapped before walking away from him.

I went into the court room, head held up high, putting up a facade.

I greeted our lawyer and settled next to him.  He was known for his power and manipulation, one of the main reasons my mother picked him.
 
The rest filed into the court room while I settled in.

The second the judge started speaking, I zoned out and focused on irrelevant things, not listening to anything being said.

A while later, I heard my name being called several times and a weight on my shoulder, making me snap from my thoughts.

I looked up confused, seeing everyone staring at me.

"Say it," my mom pressured, giving me a smile.

"I-I-"

"She says yes," my mom answered for me.

"Let her say it," Xavier snapped and I closed my eyes, taking a deep breath.

 The judge banged his hammer against the prosceanum arch repeatedly demanding both my mother and Xavier to order, making me more nervous than I was.

I tried to convince myself that I had to do it and avenge my father. I tried remembering my dad in the coffin, but instead I remembered Xavier telling me how much he loved me. 

"Amanda," my mother said through gritted teeth.

Why was it so easy for her, my heart was breaking.

I dared not open my eyes and look at Xavier for I knew I wouldn't be able do it.

"Yes," I whispered, betraying both Xavier and my heart all over again.

"Mr. Anderson will be jailed for twenty four years after miss Lopez signs the papers," the judge declared.

"What?" I mumbled, confused.

I looked to my left and asked the person next to me to repeat what the judge had said thinking I hadn't heard him right. Unfortunately, she repeated the same thing, making my heart race.

I glared at my mom and I said, " you told me three years."

"He has to pay," she simply replied, not sparing me a glance.

Rage and betrayal built in me making my blood boil.

"No," I yelled, slamming my hands on the table. "I cannot accept this."

"Miss. Lopez please," my lawyer urged.

"Calm down," my mom hissed.

"I did not sign up for this," I stated, before getting my bag and walking out despite my mom and almost everyone calling for me.

Once out of the court room I leaned on the wall holding my head, thoughts and emotions clouding my head.

My mother lied to me, I should have known.

The door opened and my mother came out with a not so happy face. "You were fine all those months ago. What happened now?"

I didn't answer, not because I was ignoring her, but because I didn't know the answer.

"You're disappointing me," she sighed.

"I did everything you asked. You promised me it'll just be three years," I explained to her, "I followed the script and did everything right yet YOU betrayed me."

"You did more than you were asked. You thought I didn't know?"

I looked at her confused.

"Do you need me to spell it out for you?"

Apparently, she found out I spent the night with him.

"It was for the plan," I tried to convince her and myself.

"Yeah right," she mocked.

"Why'd you do this?" I asked, surrendering.

"You wanted it too," she defended.

"I did...he killed my father and hurt me."

"Then go with it."

"It's too much, we both know what dad was and besides it's not fair." I shook my head.

"I didn't know you were so weak. Neither I nor your father were ever threatened by anything."

"Weak? I'm weak? I pretended I still loved him got the information out and trapped him. You call that weak?" I said, feeling offended.

"You didn't pretend because you still do and that makes me wonder how could you still love him."

"I-I-"

"You know what? Whatever I tell you now won't make any difference anymore."

"But mom-"

"Do whatever you want," she concluded before leaving me lost.

-Help me get betrayal to the top 10❤
Betrayal made the #31, thank you so much❤
(I'm so sorry for the delay but I've been so busy with uni stuff)

Final chapter will be posted in a few days, keep up♡