Raymond pulled the car to a stop in front of Mandy's building and turned off the ignition.  He got out of the car and walked around to Mandy's side.  "I'll walk you up," he said and helped her out of the car.

"It's not necessary."  She looked behind her and saw her building's security guard watching them through the glass door.  "Chan is very good at his job."

"I would feel better if I walked you up myself," Raymond told her and walked ahead of her only stopping to give her an inquiring look, "Well?  Are you coming or not?"

Knowing that it was useless to argue with Raymond, Mandy followed him in.  She greeted Chan and after some small talk about the late hour hurried towards the elevator bank.  "It's seems like a long time ago when you use to take me home," she commented softly.

"Yes, it does feel like a long time ago," Raymond agreed.  The elevator arrived and he stepped back to allow Mandy to enter first.  The ride up to her fifth floor apartment was short and in silence.  On her floor, Raymond waited for her to unlock her door before saying, "Well Goodnight Mandy.  Thanks again for going with me."

"Goodnight," Mandy said.  She took a step into her apartment but turned back around.  "Wait Raymond," she gushed out.

Raymond looked at her with a questioning look.  "What?"

Mandy couldn’t seem to meet his gaze.  She stared at her twirling hands and asked softly, hopefully, "Do you think there's any chance of us ever being together again?"  There, she said it and it felt great to ask the question that had been in her mind for the past couple of weeks.

Raymond was stumped by the question.  The truth was he hadn't thought about her at all.  The only person that had been occupying his thoughts every day and night was Charmaine.  Seeing her tonight and how happy she was with Ben diminished any last traces of hope that she would ever return to him.  "I don't know," he told Mandy frankly.  "A lot of things had happened recently and I'm still trying to come to terms with it all."

Mandy looked up at him and fervently said, "I'm not asking that we get back together now, this instance.  I just want to know if there's any possibility of that happening at all in the future."

Raymond mulled over the question.  Was there?  He wondered to himself.  Mandy had been by his side through his mother's illness and his breakup with Charmaine.  She was the one who nursed his mother back to health and also kept his life in some sane order while he lived the darkest days of his life.  She did so much for him and he didn't deserve her.  She was too good for him and yet he was also aware that she loved him, and only him.  Looking at the glimmer of hope in her eyes something familiar tugged in his heart.  "I would be stupid to say no," he answered honestly.

Mandy broke into a smile, the smile lighting her entire face making her even more beautiful than she already was.  "That's all I needed to know.  Thank you."  She turned and was about to go into her apartment when Raymond took a hold of her hand and held it firmly in his.  Stunned by the intimacy, she looked up at him.

Raymond gently pulled her forward.  "Thank you for everything," he whispered hoarsely and then bent and dropped a soft kiss on her lips.

"Goodnight Raymond," Mandy said softly when Raymond released her.  "I'll see you tomorrow?"

Raymond nodded, "I'll call you during my lunch break."

After giving him a sweet smile, Mandy walked into her apartment and shut the door.

Raymond stood in front of her closed door for a few seconds.  He brought his fingers to his lips and a small smile formed on his face.  It was time to move on.

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Charmaine heard Ben get up.  She remained still, pretending to be asleep.  She felt his mouth on her cheek and swallowed the bile that immediately came to at his offensive touch.  The alcohol on his breath lingered in the air above her nose and she swallowed another impulse to vomit.  When she finally heard the door open and close with a soft click, she opened her eyes and pushed herself up.  She stared down at her body.  Bruises covered her arms and legs.  A harsh reminder of what he had done to her.  Covering her face with her hands she let herself go and cried.  Long heart wrenching sobs filled her.  The memory of what he had done kept repeating in her head and she slammed her fists into the mattress with torment and frustration.  Ben had her.  Brutally.  She didn't think he could ever stoop this low but she had been wrong.  And the price she paid for being wrong was high.  The details of her continued to flash unwanted through her fragile mind.  She can't escape from it and the reality of it pushed her further into depression.

As the seconds ticked, Charmaine's emotions slowly wrapped together and numbness filled her.  There was a place she can go where she won't have to suffer anymore.  A place where she would be free and happy.  With the decision made, she slowly slid out of bed and slipped into the nightgown Ben had carelessly discarded from her only moments ago.  She walked on wooden legs into the bathroom and stopped in front of the mirror.  She looked pitiful with her red rimmed eyes, small bruises scattering across her face and tiny cuts on her lips.  Tearing her gaze away from her reflection she took out a razor blade and slashed it across her left wrist and then the right.  The pain was intense but gone just as quickly as it came.  She watched with anticipation as blood seeped from the cuts dripping onto the marble floor.  Calmness swept through her and with that feeling filling every core of her being, she serenely returned to her bed and lay down.  It will all be over soon.  Her pain, her loss and her suffering will no longer burden her.  It was with his thought that she smiled contently and succumbed into unconsciousness.

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Ben had taken a steamy shower, letting the hot scalding water punish him for what he had done.  He can't believe he had forced himself on Charmaine.  How can he possibly be so vicious and cruel to the woman he loved more than anything and anyone in the world.  Recalling the terror on Charmaine's face as she fought him off tortured him endlessly.  He closed his eyes as the pain of the scalding water pricked at his burning flesh.  Her ceaseless crying echoed repeatedly in his head and his stomach churned with revulsion.  He made a low animal groan and punched the wall next to his bed.  A picture swung and then dropped to the floor with a thud.  Hell!  If he had a gun he would shoot himself right now for what he had done.  He had been so blinded with jealousy that he took it out on the last person he ever wanted to hurt.  His lovely Charmaine.  She will never forgive him for this and how can he blame her.  When he saw her with Raymond, all reasoning left him.  All he could think of was that Charmaine was his and only his and he wanted her to know that as well.  He hadn't planned on her.  After saying their goodnights he had retreated into his own room with the intention of drowning his jealousy and anger with a bottle of brandy.  The more he drank the angrier he got.  Visions of Charmaine and Raymond flitted non-stop through his head and he went to her room to seek her out.  What happened afterwards, he didn't want to think about ever again.

"Ben?" Kenneth called his name from behind the door.  "Are you alright?"

Ben opened the door for Kenneth, "I'm fine," he replied tautly.  "What are you doing up so late?"

"I actually just got home and heard a noise from your room."  Kenneth noted the tension on Ben's face, not to mention the overpowering stench of alcohol emanating from him and knew something was wrong.  "What happened?"

"Nothing happened!" Ben snapped.  "If you don't mind I'm tired and would like to sleep."

Kenneth searched his brother's face and saw something on it that alarmed him.  "Something did happen!" he exclaimed and Ben's face flushed with guilt.  "What happened?" Kenneth repeated.

Ben's eyes darted nervously around the room.  "I…Charmaine…"

"Charmaine!"  Kenneth left Ben's room and went to the door of Charmaine's room.  Giving it a soft knock, he called her name, "Charmaine?"  Silence greeted him.  He knocked again, louder.  "Charmaine?"  Still no answer.

Ben had followed Kenneth and was standing outside of Charmaine's room.  Fear filled him at the silence behind the closed door.  Pushing Kenneth aside, he pounded on the door, "Charmaine?  Open the door!  Charmaine!"  When there was still no answer, Ben kicked the door open.  The room was pitched black.  He found the light switch next to the door and flipped it on.  Light filled the room and he could see Charmaine lying on the bed.  Relief surged through him.  She was asleep.

Kenneth, however, had an uncanny feeling that something wasn't right.  They had been pounding on the door.  Surely if she had been asleep the loud banging would have woken her up.  "Charmaine?" he said her name softly as he made his way over.  Still no response.  "Charmaine?" he tried again as he walked closer and closer to the bed.  He stopped at the foot of the bed, his eyes widening with horror.  "Call an ambulance!" he shouted.

Ben ran to his side and saw the pool of blood on both sides of Charmaine.  "Charmaine!" he shouted and patted her face.  It was cool and her lifeless body scared him like nothing ever can.  "Charmaine!"