John's POV

Lights flashed in my face from every angle and I felt my hands shake a bit; my mouth too. I hoped that the reporters and the spectators wouldn't notice. Everything had to go according to plan.

I looked to my right to see my Mandy and my parents, who were beside her, wearing sad faces. Yet, there was this little trace of joy in their faces that they couldn't hide; not from me, at least. I couldn't help but wonder if I had made the right decision. Lisa was my wife; a lady who loved me with all of her heart. I did love her too. She was carrying my baby; our baby. Was there a better way things could have been done? It was no use crying over spilt milk. The deed had already been done. There was no turning back the hands of time.

My mind flashed back to when it all began; about a month ago, when Mandy just returned from her study abroad. As we spoke, I felt a different kind of energy; something that helped me escape from the weariness that I felt.

I had been married for three years and while we loved each other and were at peace, there was no denying the fact that I spent a lot of that time acting as a mediator between Lisa and my parents who didn't want her as my wife. I spent so much love and energy. It was draining, even though I did my best to hide it from Lisa. I didn't want her to feel bad.

When Mandy returned, I had a lot of issues in my company and when I told her about it, she offered to help without any hesitation. It felt good having someone who could help me, rather than someone who always needed my help. She offered to help my company with her skills and finances too and I was very grateful for that.

What was better was that my mom seemed okay with her. They didn't have any issues at all. She was even keen on having her around, so much so that I began to suspect that she had other plans up her sleeves. I knew my mom so well.

Then one fateful night, just as Lisa retired to bed and I decided to stay up a bit to finish some work before joining her, Mandy came to me at the dining table. She looked so hot. I'd always admired her killer curves. Back then, it took a lot of self-control to not try to touch her inappropriately whenever we played around. That night, she wore very sexy lingerie and pulled up a seat right next to me, and sat. "There's something I've always wanted to tell you," she said to me.

I dropped my pen on my book and bared my hands to show that she should carry on. "I've always loved you, Johnny," she began. "For so many years, I've loved you so much. I did my best to show you but you always seemed to not be interested. It broke my heart when you chose Lisa and not me. That was why I travelled immediately after the wedding. I couldn't bear seeing you both together. I was heartbroken."

I was beginning to feel uncomfortable. It wasn't the kind of talk I wanted to have at the time. I mean, I was married and my wife was pregnant. This was also her best friend. It just didn't seem appropriate to me so I placed my hands on the table and tried to stand up but Mandy placed a finger on my head and motioned for me to sit. Then she ran her fingers through my hair and down to my ears and my neck, forcing a soft moan from my lips.

"When I heard on the news that your company was facing a crisis, I knew I had to come back. I couldn't stop thinking about what would happen to my Johnny if the company were to go bankrupt"

"But, I'm not your Johnny," I rudely interrupted.

"Oh, yes, you are," she reiterated. She was so confident and I was slowly submitting to her subconsciously. I wanted to tell her to leave immediately but I couldn't. It was as if I was drawn to her words; like I was bound to do whatever she said. As she touched her lips and placed those fingers on my lips, my mind went to crazy places. This was a very sexy woman, in very sexy lingerie, speaking in a tone that oozed confidence and utter dominance. It was a dream come true for me and I slowly began to accept how powerless I felt at that moment.

"I want to help you Johnny; me and my family"

"Your family?"

"Yes, I talked to my parents about it and they've promised to offer you a better life if only you'd be brave enough to make the right choice."

"And what could that be?"

"Get rid of Lisa and have me instead as your wife!"

*

Mandy's POV

"Kids aren't permitted to fall in love."

That was always my mom's favourite line to me when I was younger. I had walked up to her one day after school, as she came to pick me up. "Is it okay to be in love with someone?" I innocently asked her, hoping that I'll get a positive answer, despite knowing the obvious.

"No, my love," she said to me, before proceeding with her soon-to-be favourite line. "Kids aren't permitted to fall in love. When you do get older, then you surely can."

It was heartbreaking but I couldn't say that I didn't understand her. Yet, although she said what she said, I couldn't deny the fact that I was in love with Johnny. Well, if it wasn't love that I felt for him, then I was in whatever it was, with him.

I loved the way he smiled, the way he talked, the way he walked. He had a wonderful voice too. He'd sing songs to Lisa and me and we'd stare at him in awe. He was everything I wanted. I never stopped wanting him. As we got older, I loved him even more and I knew we had to end up together.

I thought about telling him once or twice but I didn't want to look cheap. I just kept mentioning it in subtle ways, hoping he'd get the hint. He didn't. Such a shame. Then, I heard he was going after Lisa. "Not again! I screamed as I got home that day. Lisa always had a way of taking things from me, even the love and affection of our teachers. She seemed to be the perfect one and while I did love her as my friend, I was also very jealous of her. How could she get all the nice things when she was worth nothing?

When they got married, I had to leave so I could clear my head. I never gave up. I waited for the opportunity to strike and once I saw that chance, I knew it was time to get home.

I always knew that Johnny had a weak mind. He had a mind that I could control. The only problem was his mother, her fierceness had no limit. Yet, with your back against the wall, options are always quite limited. When I showed up as the saviour of their drowning empire, it only took a few attempts of persuasion and threats to get everyone to fall in line.

I remembered the look on Johnny's face when I proposed that we take Lisa out. He felt really bad but he knew it had to be done. It was either her or his company. He chose his company.

That morning, as I made breakfast, I added a substance to the tea so that she'll not be able to save herself from the accident that was bound to happen. I made Johnny tamper with the brakes of the car as soon as Lisa went to bed the previous night. It was a perfectly executed plan and the result was just as we had planned.

As I snapped back to reality. I was faced with lots of cameras and numerous questions from the press. I reminded myself of the pain I felt when she stole Johnny from me and I broke into tears. Mrs Sarah came across to me and placed my head on her shoulder, using a white handkerchief to dry my tears.

After a few seconds, I lifted my head from her shoulder and walked to one of the reporters, who gladly placed the microphone in front of me.

"I loved Lisa with all of my heart. She had been my best friend since I was a child. It's a shame she had to leave this way, but I promise to be here for her family during these trying times." I paused a bit and wiped off a few drops of newly formed tears that flowed down my cheeks. "The funeral will be held in a week. We appeal to members of the public to stand with the family. I can't"

I began to sob once more. I had to make my supposed sadness believable. Deep down though, I was excited. I was very happy that she was gone. Yet, anxiety kept growing in me. No one knew for sure what happened to her. I hoped that she was gone for good, but was she?