Its a rainy day, the clouds look angry and ready to cry. Its also a slow day at the town bank and Betty Thomas just wishes she could be home already. She checks her watch and sees that there’s still about two hours left on her shift. She sighs, knowing it’ll be the longest two hours of her day. She turned to the two big doors of the bank, seeing them open, meaning another customer.  “Oh, God, why…?” she sighs.

A man walks in, money radiating off his person, but being as poor as a church rat. He has on a fancy suit, gray and perfectly tailored, with also perfect hair, not a strand out of place. Not to mention, he held a very fancy briefcase, indicating he could be a lawyer or something like that but obviously working in a court of some sort. He did lie for a living, but not in court. He makes his way over to Betty’s window, a mischievous smirk on his face. Betty doesn’t know this man, but he knows her. Betty hadn’t lifted her head from her window, hoping this certain customer would go somewhere else, she’s sadly mistaken.

“Ahem,” The mysterious customer clears his throat to catch her attention. She lifts her head, feeling a little dumb struck. She hadn’t expected the next customer to be so much of an attractive man.

“Um, hello..” she barely squeaks out. She comes to her senses and puts on a bright smile. “How may I help you?”

The man chuckles, knowing of her sudden attraction towards him. Everything was going according to plan. “Well yes, actually, I’d like to make a deposit,” he flashes a charming smile.

Betty can’t help, but to stare. His blue eyes like a flowing ocean, devouring her in their waves. Then, the little dimple that appears, when he side smiles. She realizes that if she continues this little staring contest, she could lose a customer and possibly her job.

“Oh, why, yes, of course, um d-do you have an account here?” she stammers. She begins tensing up, her fingers drumming on her desk.

“Yes, I do.” Tom notices her biting her lip and smirks, feeling a little triumphant. He knows he has everything in the bag.

“Okay, um, how much would you like to deposit?”

The man opens his brief case and pulls out a check handing it to her. Betty, seeing the amount, her eyes widen a little. He notices and laughs to himself.

“Um, your name?” she asks, zoning out more at the sight of his eyes darkening to the shade of the sky at sunset when its at its perfect pinks and blues, cooperating with the beautiful honey orange of the sun.

“Tom, Tom Anderson.”

“Okay,” she takes his check and starts to fill out a form.

“So, are you usually this spacey?”

“Oh, um, what?”

He chuckles. “It’s okay, I understand. You’re a very beautiful woman, I found myself spacing, too, a little.”

“Oh?” she feels her cheeks go red and tries to force herself to not smile. She runs her fingers through her hair and looks everywhere but him at this point.

“Yes,” he charmingly smiles again, his perfect white teeth making an appearance and both dimples showing as a blush on his face suddenly appearing, deepens. Betty feels her heart and stomach begin to pull away from her body.

“What’s your name?” he breaks her out of her trance.

“Oh, what?”

He laughs. “My dear, how did you graduate high school?”

“Uh.. hard work,” she giggles, her face turning beet red.

“I guess so, but uh what’s your name?”

“Betty, uh, Betty Thomas. What’s your’s?”

Tom looks at her funny, waiting for her to come back to earth. She does, and her face looks as if it were bleeding because of how red she seems to be getting.

“Never mind, um, Tom..?” she bites her lip again, fingers beginning to drum once again.

“Yeah, so um..” he starts to say, but gets cut off, suddenly.

“You’re all set, by the way,” an even more stammering Betty is the one who cuts in.

“Oh, well thanks. Anyway, uh, I was wondering.”

“Yes?” she feels herself leaning in not really trying to. She ended up getting so close that she could smell his intoxicating cologne. It was a mixture of vanilla and flowers; she almost fainted at the smell, but kept her “strong” stance.

“Seeing as how you really are attracted to me,” he charmingly smiled, as she drummed her fingers against her desk and blushed, hating herself for being so obvious, “would you like to go out sometime?”

“Yes!” she practically shouted, not really wanting to at the same time. People stared and Tom felt a little embarrassed. “Oh, um, sorry. Uh, yes I’d love to.”

“Okay, I’ll call you, I guess.”

           “Um, yeah, I’ll give you my number,” she pulls out a piece of paper and eagerly writes her number down.

            Tom chuckles and Betty’s face goes red.

            Why is he laughing? she thought, anxiously.

           “Ever heard of hard to get?” he says, and smirks down at her.

            She giggles, not really knowing of what else to do and feeling extremely embarrassed. She realizes, she just made herself look desperate. She feels guilty, but then loses all care towards it, because after all she is desperate.

           She’s 28, no husband or kid;  she might as well jump at the first amazing chance she gets. Tom, in her perceptions, is that amazing chance. Betty, to Tom, is an escape, falling right into his trap.

~;~

           He called her that night, eager to make the date plans. Betty was just as eager.  Surprisingly, both of their reasonings were very different. They made the plan to meet up at a movie theater, on the next night at seven o’ clock. After that, they’d go for dinner and after dinner is whatever they wanted to do. Betty was overjoyed; a guy, an actual good guy, wanted to waste his time with her. Of all people, all beautiful and definitely more interesting and tolerable people, he chose her.

All kinds of thoughts started running through her mind. Maybe he’s the one! We’ll get married and have five kids and be happy forever! I will forever be Mrs. Betty Anderson! Oh, Our kids will be beautiful! Someday, I’ll finally be taken away from this boring life of the bank and mother calling to see if I’m married yet and I won’t be hurt anymore! All because of Tom! She was so fully overjoyed that she couldn't help, but to call her mother and rub it in her old, ugly face, as she called it.

           Tom, on the other hand, didn’t have parents or siblings to call about the sudden end to desperation. He wasn’t thinking about what his "future kids" would look like or giving anyone his last name. He was too busy thinking about his plan going into perfect action. Betty, as said before, didn’t know Tom; she hadn’t seen him before in all her life. Tom, though, knew Betty, he knew every little detail about her.

Her small, boring apartment, her many, upon many heart breaks from the past, down to her old mother, forcing her into bad relationships, just so she could get married. He knew it all. He also knew that the bank she worked at and, not to mention also hated, gave her the key to the money vault. She is a trustworthy worker and her boss thinks highly of her; he has the key, but usually leaves it in Betty’s trustworthy care. Tom knows this and revels in the knowledge of it.

          Tom just got out of jail; the deep dimples in his cheeks and boy next door smile meant nothing when it came to his insides. Before jail, he was a horrible gambler and dedicated drug addict. The police caught him one day when he was trying to get a fix. He was kind of happy to go to jail, though. Aside from the health care benefits, free food, and free place to sleep, he had tons of street debts to pay. Being the horrible gambler and dedicated drug addict, one would think that you would learn to pay for stuff on time. Tom didn’t and when he got out of jail, he was jumped. The police never got to know who did it, but Tom knew. Luckily, he had insurance to pay off his injuries, but unlike paying off his debts like a smart person would do, he decided to be greedy. This is where he decided to put his plan into effect. Of course he didn’t come up with it, though. A friend he was currently living with gave him the idea.

           “Quick money, man. It’s complicated, but it could work,” his friend Marty had said. “A friend of mine knows the owner of the bank.”

          “Okay and?”

          “Well, there’s this girl there, named Betty or something, he thinks of her highly apparently.”

          “How does any of this apply to me? You’re not making sense,” Tom started scratching the back of his neck, feeling a bit agitated at Marty’s run around.

        “He trusts her with the vault key, man.”

         Tom then leaned in, obviously more interested. “What do I do?”

         “Simple. Trap her.”

         “Explain.”

          Marty scratched his scalp, getting dandruff and grease under his fingers. Tom was his best friend and he loved him like a brother, but his stupidity could make one commit murder.

        He sighed. “Okay, listen. You trap her. It’s really simple how, like for example, you could kidnap her and gunpoint, but that would be risky because not everyone is stupid like you.”

      “Hey! I’m not stupid!” Tom smacked Marty upside the head.

      “I could or could not help you, Tom, it’s your choice!” Marty replied, getting angrier by the minute and rubbing his temples like he had a headache. He was slowly getting one, an excruciating one, at that. 

      “Come on, man, please. I need this right now.”

      “Okay, okay. Well, like I said gunpoint is too risky, but something would be to gain her trust, somehow.”

      Tom still looked confused, running his fingers through and sticking his bottom lip out like his mom took away his favorite lollipop.

       “I have to baby step you through everything,” Marty sighed. “Become her friend, follow her around, or...OR get in a relationship with her and make her fall in stupid love!”

         “What..?”

         “Okay, it’s simple. Just find some stuff out about her, like figure out what makes her blush or go all gooey inside.."

"Sounds gross, man," Tom cut in, disgust flooding his features.

"MAKE HER FALL IN LOVE WITH YOU, IDIOT! Before that, though, you need to know things, so research her, THOROUGHLY. Be her own personal stalker and when you've figured everything out, you meet and charm her, get her into a trap."

"What is any of that going to do for me?"

Marty sighed. He realized that it was going to be a long night of explanation. He ran his fingers through, his slick, greasy hair, standing up and pouring himself drink.

"I don't see how you graduated high school," Marty said and sipped his drink. "But how this is going to help you is she'll be so in love with you, that she'll be blind to anything you do. Not to mention, she'll do anything for you. Example A: you make yourself seem to be in a money crisis, like lie and say you have a kid or somethin' and tell her you need money, like really need it."

"You think she'll buy it?"

"Of course, she'll buy it. Chicks will do anything when they're in love."

"Oh, true, but how do I go about 'stalking' her," he replied, using finger quotes and raised an eyebrow in a questioning manner, when he said stalking.

"Well I will help you out with it, but mostly just get to know the people that know her, and figure out and follow her daily routines. Also, my buddy who knows the owner kind of knows her, too. I could get information out of him."

"This could work."

~;~

            Marty figured out some more connections from his friend. Tom, actually deciding to be smart and used them wisely and met people that knew Betty. Examples would be her mother, her best friends, previous exes, etc. Most of them were found through people and/or many long hours of google and libraries. Tom found out mostly everything needed to know, like interests, hobbies, love life, and not to mention, her favorite flavor of laffy taffy (that was to seem like extra perfect in her eyes).

           Everything was perfectly set for their first date. Perfect cheesy, romantic comedy. Her favorite restaurant at the perfect place. Just everything perfectly perfect. Even the date went perfectly. She laughed at all his jokes and fell for every cheesy line. He bought her flowers and "coincidentally" knew and ordered her favorite food at the restaurant. He was chivalrous and charming, which Betty automatically fell for. He walked her back to her apartment and their goodnight kiss made her feel like she was on stars. She fell on her bed, wanting to walk up to Heaven and thank God in person.

           Betty definitely and obviously isn't the brightest and not to mention, not the best keeper of her own heart.

~;~

           It only takes Betty three months to fall helplessly in love with him. Mostly because Tom has done everything "right". He buys her flowers every monday (one of her exes told him she likes that). He cuddles with her when it's raining (her mother used to do that when she was little). He buys her banana laffy taffy when she's sick (her best friend always does this, apparently). Not to mention, he goes with all the romantic cliches of kissing her when she's non expectant, not fighting with her and only cuddling when she's on her cycle, complimenting everything she does, and just everything he can possibly think of. By their "third month anniversary", he's sick of it. Also, his debts and the money goons are starting to catch up to him. If he didn't get the money soon, he'd either kill himself or get killed.

           "Dude, I need the money! I need it now!" Tom went to Marty's job, while Betty was at work for more advice.

          "What..?" Marty asked scratching his head and walking away from his deck to the bathroom, indicating that Tom follow.

         "Richard! A-and his money g-goons! They've caught up t-to me!" Tom stuttered.

         "W-what?! Are you serious?!"

         "Yes!"

         Marty ran his hands through his hair and sighed out, heavily. Tom red-faced and fidgeting, was starting to want to cry.

         "What do I do, man?" Tom sobbed out, after a few minutes.

          "Okay, dude, don't be a little girl! This isn't Germany so I can hit you if I want, but listen," he put his hand on Tom's shoulder and looked him in the eyes. "You need to lie to her."

        "What do you mean? Lie to Betty? What should I say?"

        "Okay, are you sure she's in love with you?"

        Tom nodded, unsure of where this was going.

       "She'll believe anything you say, right?"

        "I-I guess, I mean she believes me when I say, 'I love you.'"

        "Okay, then, tell her this."

         Marty is a fast thinker and had already came up with a plan. He pretty much ripped off a family crisis that was already happening to him, but gave it to Tom. Tom, listening intently, had already dug his phone out of his pocket and texted Betty for a date that night. With the lie in mind, he knew exactly what he'd say.

       While leaving the bank, Tom gets a sharp punch in the gut by a dark figure. Tom, gasping in pain and for air, gets shoved in a dark alley by this dark figure.

       Realization hits him and he scrambles into some trash cans, making a thud sound when he hits his head on one. The dark figure is one of Richard's goons.

       "W-what d-do you w-want?!" he stutters in fear.

       "Well you know, some weed mostly but my wants aren't why I'm here, Tom," he steps out of the shadows, bright green eyes, illuminating the sunlight, stare into Tom's soul. This is the same guy that jumped him when he got out of jail. "Richard wants his money."

        "I know.."

        "Oh? Well then, where is it?! I did you a favor when you got out, Smart One," Mr. Green Eyes cracked his knuckles. "Kicking your butt gave you insurance money. Where's that?!"

       "It's up your's, thats where," Tom spat the words at him like venom. At that moment, a fist was plunged through the air and almost through Tom's midsection. He gasped for air and Green Eyes laughed.

        "Well, wherever it is, you need to find it, because Richard is tired of waiting."

         "How much?"

          "Oh, you forgot? Hehe, poor stupid Tommy Boy," he smirked. "Drugs, you owe $35,000, the gambling $25,000. That comes to the total 50,000, Tom."

         "When does he want it?"

         "He says you have four days, no more, no less."

         "Okay, I'll get it to him, then."

         "You said that last time."

         "I was high last time, but this time, I have money so tell him, it's a deal."

         "Don't disappoint him and, uh," he then kicked Tom in the face, "remember me."

         Tom layed there for a moment, blood pouring from his mouth, and thought about his life. He hated where it was going and he didn't know what to do with it. He also hated himself for using some poor girl, when he could just be a man and take the beating.

          He was too much of a wimp to do that and he knew it.

~;~

          "Betty-Booty..?" Tom called to Betty, while cuddling her that night. He had gotten out of the alley and cleaned himself up a bit. He and Betty's date was to cuddle since it was raining. "Betty-Booty" was a pet name, she loved pet names.

        "Yes, Tom-Tom?"

        "You know I love you, right?" he tightened his grasp on her and trembled a little. This is wrong, he repeatedly told himself.

        "Yes!" she reached up and pecked his lips, smiling immediately after. Kissing him was like Heaven's joy to her.

       "And you love me?" he looked at her, pain in his eyes.

      "Baby, of course," she noticed the look and faltered a bit. "Are you okay?"

       "Honestly," he sighed, "....no, I'm not."

       "What is it?!"

      "Well, uh, remember my niece, Brittany?"

       "Yeah, why?"

       "She's in the hospital.."

        She gasped and a tear fell from her eye. She always a bit too emotional. "WHAT HAPPENED?" she shrieked at him.

       "I know, I know," he fake whimpered. "Calm down. It's just....oh.....God..."

      He mustered up some fake tears and began to sob, hysterically. "Th-there...was a c-car accident..!"

     "Oh my gosh!" she started sobbing with him, also hysterical.

      "There's surgery, ....e-expensive surgery..." he already regretted blurting it out. "I..I need your help.."

       "WHAT DO YOU WANT ME TO DO? I'LL DO ANYTHING!"

       He looked at her, hating himself already for what he was about to ask.

      "Well her parents can't afford the surgery and she'll die if she doesn't have it. Babe..." he put his hand on her shoulder, looking at her lovingly. Her eyes were begging to help and he hated her for it. "...I need money, well they need money, but i don't have it to give."

       "How much," she asked, desperately.

        He sighed, another tear falling from his eye, but this of shame and disappointment.

     "50,000 dollars. They need it by the twelfth."

     "Baby, I don't-" she started, but got cut off by his finger on her lips.

      "I know, but...the bank..."

      "I can't...... I can't.... do that..!"

      "Baby, PLEASE, she could die..." he started fake crying again. I should die...

      "Well, what do you want me to do?! Break in?!"

      "You have the key, don't you?"

      "Well....yeah...but you don't. .." she paused, hoping he'd say no. The way he squeezed her hand and the look in his eyes, made her think otherwise.

      "Please.."

       She looked at him, seeing the hope and slight disappointment in his deep blue eyes. She knew she'd hate herself for it, she could get caught fired, go to jail, but he was worth it. He was worth everything to her. She'd do anything for him and he knew this.

      He could see in her softening brown eyes and loosening expression, she was agreeing. She loved him too much to not. She bit her lip and ran her fingers through her hair.

      "The twelfth, u said?"

      "..yes.." he grimaced. How can you be this dumb?

      "Okay...so Thursday? That's the twelfth, right?"

      "Yeah."

      "I'll do it tomorrow night, when I'm locking up. I'm usually alone by then," she chewed on her lips, a mix of emotions plaguing her mind.

     "Okay, um, I'll be at your place around the time you get home, then."

    "Yeah.."

     He sighed, eyes watering again. "Why are you doing this for me?"

She sighed, looking at him, lovingly.

     "I love you and I'd do anything for you. You should know that."

     All he could do at that moment was kiss her and kiss her, passionately. This time with real emotion. Her love for him made him almost love her. Her love for him made him want to protect her. Her love for him almost made him want to quit his lies and deceit.

~;~

      Getting the money wasn't the hardest mission ever. The bank emptied out and they did have guards, but they usually came around, when Betty was home. She even had access to turning off cameras, so she was in the clear and had no worries.

      She did have one worry, though. Just a nagging thought in her mind, telling her she's being used. Crisis like these happen to people, they happen all the time, but stealing the money.... Tom is a good guy, he wouldn't lie to me. He loves me, I love him, simple as that. What if he doesn't, though? NO..NO..NO..IT'S NOT POSSIBLE, but...

...

      As planned, Tom was waiting for her. She had put the money in her purse. She gave it to him quickly and he shoved it in a duffel bag under some clothes. He decided to spend the night, so there would be no suspicion of the duffel bag late at night. Betty ended up crying herself to sleep with a very ashamed Tom cuddling her. That night was truly a test of her love.

      Weirdly enough, they grew closer in the next days that passed. Tom paid his debts and actually found a job. He even got a little more fond of Betty, more than he used to be. Things and lives were getting normal. He even moved out of Marty's to go to Betty. Everything was getting better, nothing at all perfect unfortunately. Tom was growing fond of Betty, but another thing was how promicuous and greedy, he actually was.

       He started cheating on her, already tainting the fresh start at life he had. Marty warned him against this, ''you got what you wanted from her, leave her alone. This'll just lead to disaster...' he had always said. Tom never listened and just did what he wanted. Two idiots together was never good, luckily Betty was the smarter one and she started to get suspicious.

       They fought constantly, and little did Tom know, but goons were after him again. Richard was also getting suspicious. Tom was apparently living better and the money he got couldn't have been his own. He wanted to know where it came from. He got Green Eyes to search for it.

~;~

      "WHERE DID HE GET IT?!" Green Eyes had gone to Marty. He was currently slamming him into a cashier at his job, embarrassing poor Marty in front of everyone.

     "I DON'T KNOW!" he tried to ease away.

      "YOU DO KNOW. And, you listen to me, you tell me where it is or...or..." he started searching around for items to shove in an area of Marty's face to cause pain. He found a ketchup bottle. "....I'LL SHOVE THIS IN YOUR EYE OR...UP YOURS!"

      "OKAY! OKAY, BETTY, IT WAS BETTY!"

     "BETTY, WHO THE HELL IS BETTY?!"

     "HIS GIRLFRIEND."

     "WHERE IS SHE?"

     "The bank! NOW CAN YOU LET ME GO PLEASE!" he was thrown down. For more humiliation, Green Eyes poured ketchup all over him.

       Marty was fired that day.

...

       Green Eyes went to the bank immediately after that. He immediately found her to be the second teller by her nametag. She was finishing up a customer, holding a huge smile. If Betty ever decided to dye her hair brunette, she'd still be a blonde because of her smile and always dazed eyes.

        Green Eyes made his way up to her, his stride reeking danger.

      "Hello, Sir!" she faked, harshly, all her white teeth on display. "How may I help you today?"

     "Well, first, uh, Beautiful, cut the crap," he smirked.

      She frowned. "Um okay...?"

     "So, you know Tom, right?"

     "Yeah...I..I...do," she started fidgeting with her fingers. "Why?"

     "Where did you get that money?"

     "What..."

    "The 50,000, don't play dumb now," his fingers drummed on her desk. "You gave him 50,000 to pay off his debts, come on, you know you remember," he snapped his fingers in her face.

    "Can you not?!" she swatted at his fingers. "And, I gave him no money for any....DEBTS!"

    "You gave him money, though. Where is it, hot stuff?"

    "I don't know what you're talking about!"

    "Yes, you do, you gave him money, 50,000 and you know where you got it, too, but when you figure it out, call me. Name is Tony."

    "Next customer, please," she called, desperately.

    "Don't forget. I can find you, easily," with that, he felt in a confident, but dangerous stride.

     His green eyes burned like a mark on her soul. He also proved her suspicions.

~;~

She took a sick day and went home fuming and on fire. A plethora of thoughts were running through her mind. Her vision was blurry and she wouldn't stop shaking. She could barely get her key in the door, but when she did, the sight on the couch forced a frustrated cry to erupt from her lips.

On the couch was Tom and a redhead, making out, heatedly. Betty grabbed the girl by her hair and threw her on the ground, she backhanded Tom, causing a red mark on his face. She, then, started her rant.

"HOW COULD YOU LIE TO ME?! YOU TOLD ME THAT MONEY WAS FOR YOUR NIECE. SOME GREEN-EYED CREEPY GUY AT WORK TELLS ME YOU PAID DEBTS. WHAT DEBTS?! YOU LIAR!" she backhands him, once again. "I'M GOING TO KILL YOU BUT FIRST, I'M CALLING 911!"

At that moment, the redhead scrambles out of the apartment like someone called her in a blood-curdling scream.

"HEY, HEY, HEY!" Tom barks and grabs Betty by the jaw. "Who got the money out, huh? You or me? You did, you did it all. They'll find the cameras and evidence. If I go down for this, you will, too. Do you want that?" He then smiles, victoriously.

"How could you?!" she cries as tears started running fiercely down her cheeks.

"I would've died..."

"You could've said so! But you lied to me!"

"Please don't call the police," he pleaded, almost crying.

"And go to jail with you? No, thanks," she was sobbing now.

"I love you.."

She looked at him. More tears fell, but she didnt cry. She laughed, pretty hard, too. "Get out," she giggled out.

She walked out of the living room, then and went in the room, slamming the door.

~;~

He stayed in the living room, thinking and over thinking and planning. He didn't what to do, he was starting to freak out. He realized there was only one thing he could do. He was thinking like Marty, fast. He didn't like his plan, but it was all he could do.

She had been asleep for awhile, he checked on her. He went in her kitchen; he was going to bring her water. Not just water, though, he spiced it up with sleeping pills to "end her misery". She couldn't tell the police, she just couldn't. He knew he'd regret this, but at least it has a better outcome than jail showers.

He went to her room, glass in hand, shaking with anxiety. He shook her, gently waking her.

"Wh-why are you still here...?" she stuttered and yawned.

"I brought you water," he held it out in her direction.

"I don't want your water!" she replied, fiercely, tears spilling from her eyes already.

"It'll make you feel better, I promise."

With all her anger, she still trusted him and took the glass, but hesitantly. She drank, thirstily, dehydration leaving her.

"...why did you...do this...to me..?" she softly sobbed.

"Shh, shh, go to sleep.." he petted her hair. The sleeping pills were fast active so she was already dozing off.

"I..love...you...." she breathed, sleepily as her pulse slowed down and her hands went aloof.

"Goodnight, Betty-Booty," he whispered and kissed her hand as it went cold. He stood from the ground to find some paper and a pen. He was staging her suicide. It was going according to plan, all that was left was her suicide note and then a call to the police.

He wrote it quickly and faked hysterical on the police call. It was an easy case. Tom came home to find her suicide, went hysterical, and then called police. There wasn't even a trial.

He moved back in with Marty and got back into his old ways. He ended up shot one night by police. That proved you can't really teach a dog new tricks. He had gone back to his old.

The shot by the police caused his death.

Unfortunately, he didn't die with a clear conscience or heart, like he sort of wanted.
…

The Suicide Note:

If this is being read, I am no longer here. I took money from the bank and my boyfriend cheated on me. I can't deal with it anymore. I meant to run, but I couldn't. I loved him.

Love is deceitful, nothing more.

Goodbye love. I'm done being your toy.

Betty...