Desperate are those who play God for their own desires and goals. How does one person change so much, in such little time, in under a year? When everything looked clearer, he realized the mistakes he made. Being out of character on stage was the last thing he wanted to do. Playing the perfect savior, he could've had it. He felt defeated, betrayed, and alone. Defeated because of a battle he failed to win, betrayed because after loving something so much she was disloyal ... and alone because when you've been defeated and betrayed all you ever feel is alone.

All the money in the world and still it wouldn't be enough to buy her heart for she was a soul lover. She was a blind woman who loved something she couldn't see but feel, a humble and ever-growing feeling that never boiled over, a feeling that was never heightened by lust but by memories of precious moments that a picture could never capture.

Lily watched the Beckingham house. It felt cold and unloved, she felt unattached from the eeriness it carried. It was like she'd grown corns on the back of her feet and on the knuckles of her toes. Like her shoes had annoying little pebbles inside that made them difficult to walk with. And if walking wasn't a problem, maybe the bottom was torn, flapping with every step she took, threatening to expose itself if she ever made the wrong one.

"Lily." She heard and to its call, she came.

She first laid eyes on William who watched her like he had something to say her, he was restless but composed. The second person in the room was Isobel, sitting beside her lover proudly for the first time in a long time, her face flushing a bright red like the sun was at the tip of her nose. Then it was Mother, Lily, and Jodi both eyed each other as if they held a skeleton the other didn't already know about.

Jodi sat up, setting herself with moody pouts and occasional grits. The last person she wanted to see that morning was Isobel Stalker, she didn't once look at her. How could she with the things she just heard? She needed a break. That's why she called Lily, to ask for a drink.

"Coming." She said, trying her hardest to seem forthcoming. She was still curious and bothered as to why Isobel came to the Beckingham manor. She was even more so when her friend told her she didn't come to see Lily. But she knew, Lily knew from the time she saw them share hands like they were born that way.

"Thank you." Jodi said, taking a long burning swallow. "Lily." This time it was harsh and agile.

"Yes." She wanted nothing to do with this family, let alone be included in their affairs.

"Oh, how funny I find it~" She said~ "that my son has gone and chosen a tramp for a lover. How foolish could he be? What led him to such a decision?" She gazed at Lily before saying. "Or who?"

"Pardon me!" Isobel leaped from her seat in true rage. "He didn't choose a tramp for a lover just like he didn't choose a drunk for a mother! Take that back you, you-" She was frustrated and almost out of breath.

"Really? " Mrs. Beckingham stood up with folded arms. "So you mean it just happened?"

"You talk like you were born on the highest throne in England, Jodi but you were nothing but a poverty-ridden woman like me."

"Stop!" William looked at them, serious and without expression. "Both of you."

"No. She has gotten away wi-"

"I said to stop, Isobel." When his voice deepened, Isobel felt a grim interference on the tails of hair attached to her porcelain skin.

Jodi scoffed, watching William take Isobel upstairs. Lily excused herself, she sat quietly in the kitchen on the little chair beside the stove.

"Why must I run in circles?" She expressed deep thoughts out loud. "At this point, I know something bad is bound to happen, I'm just not sure I want to know what it is."

Lily wandered in the garden, the place where she first met the Beckingham boy. It was a good productive day, considering the state of mind she was in then, but she didn't understand why she felt pain every time she thought about it. Was the lad she met that day this William? He was so pure, so perfect, so different. It seemed like a dream, someone like that couldn't possibly exist... Then she figured it out, he didn't. It was a convincible delusion, a magic trick used to capture one's attention. It tricked them into thinking this was the perfect scenario. William scared her but she was more worried about Isobel, she was in it deeper than Taylor. Lily knew that Taylor was an old-time friend of Williams, she wondered if he had the desire to kill Isobel it would surely be without mercy. "How could he do this?" She mumbled, worrying to the point it soaked some strains of hair onto her forehead.

"How could he do what?"

Lily jumped, shocked to hear Isobel's voice and even more so when she found that the girl was right beside her.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

She wasted no time in saying. "You can't do this. Don't. I'm begging you, please. Find someone else, not him. Just not him."

She grabbed her arm but Isobel shoved her, surprised that she begged for a man that wasn't her husband. "Lily." She said. "I was happy for you, actually finding someone like Jacob. If you don't stop this, I'll tell him everything."

It was so hard to swallow and speaking wasn't easier. "Isobel, you have to understand. I didn't mean to. It was William, he made me do it."

"Oh, please. Shut up. Just shut up, Lily! It's you, it's all on you." She drowned in regret but she knew she had to say something. "You were supposed to be my friend, the one I loved deeply, the one I would die for. What happened to that girl who used to be the one to curl under me when she was scared of Betsy, huh? You were supposed to be the good one but no, you slipped and now you want to take all of us down with you? I didn't think... that you'd have the audacity to do that to Jacob and on your wedding day."

"What?" Lily froze. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Of course, you don't. You said you'd forget it ever happened, didn't you? But for William, it rested on his conscience this whole time. Why did you do it? To Jacob, to William, to me? Why? Why did you have to kiss him?"

Lily felt someone had slipped her something medicinal, something that allowed her to wake from this fantasy slumber. She never knew someone could be so malicious with their words. William had taped her mouth shut, all she could do was snivel in defeat.

"That's not true." She was helpless, silenced by someone who never stopped fabricating their stories. His insincerity made way for a vacant slot in her heart. She cared for him and trusted him and this was what she got from it. He was going to break Isobel too but how could she save her?

"Isobel." She said, calmly looking at her. "William is not the one for you, stop fooling yo-"

She felt a tight wring against her cheek, stinging from Isobel's hand.

"Stop. I don't want to hear what you have to say, I don't. Listen to me, Lily, I love that man and I would do anything for him, anything. So before you attempt to get in the way of that, I'm telling you... Stay away. You hear me?"

Isobel felt so betrayed, she couldn't stand the thought of Lily taking William away from her. She was scared of this since the beginning and if she had to show some tough love, she thought it would work. She gave a long reprimanding sigh then gave in to their friendship, casting a hug upon Lily. "I'm sorry I slapped you... but you're not thinking straight." She watched Lily, nodding. "I was happy for you, all I'm asking is you do the same for me."

Lily stared blankly, stammering. "But he, he, he~" She wanted to tell her friend the dreadful secret she kept but she knew the hold William had on her and Isobel. She bowed her head saying finally~ "He won." She almost gave up, almost gave in to the theory that William had her in the palm of his hands, but she knew someone that could possibly change Isobel's mind so she paid him a visit.

"What father wouldn't want to protect their daughter?" She said, saddened by his decisions.

"What father wouldn't put his daughter's needs first?" He asked. "This is what she wants, Lily girl. I'm afraid me can't change that. Marrying William is gonna' to make her happy. Stop worryin', Lily. Go home with your husband and be happy."

William and Isobel must've talked to him- she thought. He never acted this hostile before but it seemed like he had a lot more to hide than just the bundle of money she saw fattening his mattress. There was nothing she could do now.

Crushed and tired, she went straight to bed crying until she filled the pillow with tears. It was only a short time later when Jacob came home. He too was tired but he didn't want to just go to sleep without checking on her. When he did, pulling the covers, her skin was burning hot and she was very pale. He instantly slipped on his coat and ran out to fetch his sister, maybe she could tell him what the matter was.

"Jacob?" Lily turned her head, weakly.

"No. It's me, it's Tammy."

"Lily." He held her hand.

"I think she's stressed, something must've made her worry to the point she got sick."

"It's that house." He watched his wife's face in despair. "I'm sure of it. Ever since she's been back, she has been distant and depressed and, and she's been having these nightmares all the time."

"I'm fine." She sat up, letting Tammy cushion some pillows behind her.

"No, you're not. You're getting thinner every day and it's only been a week."

"He's right," Tammy added. "Something's on your mind." She watched her, remembering the girl she first saw months ago. She ran her hair to the side.

"I, I" She thought about it, it made her stomach turn; she saw her again, Taylor's cold face on the gray-coloured concrete, she memorized everything. She saw it in front of her, what she had to do to get rid of the body. It was gruesome, it was upsetting.

"Quick, Jacob!" Tammy yelled. "Bring a bucket. Hurry!" He scurried down the hall, unbothered by his sore foot, and got one just in time. "It's okay, Lily." She rubbed her arm.

It was hard to look at her like this, he needed answers. He wanted to know the truth. "I'm going over there."

"No!" She managed to say, surprising both of them. "Jacob, you can't!"

"Then tell me what's going on?" He went to her side, touching her face. "Please."

She glared at them both then bit her lip. "It's my friend, Isobel. She's going to marry William but they all treat her horribly. And I feel helpless, there's nothing I can do for her or to stop her." Lily learned that night, lying repeatedly never made it any easier. She hated it, just the thought made her heave.

"Oh, Lily." Tammy cringed, rubbing her back with the bucket at hand. "You're going to be okay. You're going to be fine."