Phoebe Walkman had come to Lake District from the city of London. She had had a job there as Sales Representative in a textile company.

She had a steady boyfriend, Richard who was not employed. They had known each other for a very long time and had been lovers for just as long.

She had been the one footing the bills and caring for him. In fact she did everything for him but found out that he was not as faithful as he claimed to be. He was busy milking other girls like her. promising to love them for all eternity.

She confronted him one day after her friends had told her of his activities.

'Richard baby', said started one day after a steamy love making.

'Hmmmm?' he murmured obviously sated.

'Carol and her friends told me something the other day but I refused to believe them because I know my man and my man could never do what they had accused him of'.

Richard could not believe that Carol had gone ahead and told Phoebe about him.

'And what may that be?'

'She said something about having caught you with different girls at different occasions and that you had seen her as well but had seemed unremorseful. She Confronted you on a couple of occasions and you asked her to mind her own business'.

'Really? And what was your reaction to that?' Richard asked. His feelings for her had grown cold. He had other options now. He knew he was lazy but his goodlooks and charisma had always attracted the ladies to him and made them make alot of sacrifices for him. He could afford to let Phoebe go. There were others in the line. Yet he still wanted to play his cards well. Because a hundred geese laying the golden egg was better than just a few but he would sooner get rid of anyone of them that wanted to burst his bubble.

'I told her that I didn't believe her and that you could never do such a thing to me. We both have come a long way. But she insisted I ask you about it. I am just trying to fulfill all righteousness. Tell me sincerely, why would Carol lie about this? She's never done this before'.

Richard decided to play Carol game against her.

'What you don't know baby is that Carol has been jealous of our relationship for a very long time now. She has wanted me to herself. I can't tell you everything. It is just that I like her alot because she is your friend. But I could not betray you that way and definitely not with your friend but she would not have it. So, if she sees me speaking to a girl, she assumes the worst.

She's even asked me why I would speak to another girl when she was there ready for me but I had ignored her,thinking that my own baby Phoebe does not even stop me from socializing, how would this jealous wench do that?

I did not know that the matter was as serious as this. Now it is not enough that she wants us to be secret lovers,she now wants to come between us,drive a wedge, so that she can be with me without interruptions. How disloyal can this girl be? Richard wailed.

His acting was so impeccable that Phoebe had not known what to do. She could not believe that Carol could do such a thing. But then again, one can really not know the thoughts that lurk in the hearts of people.

Since Ralph had jilted Carol,she had been unable to find another man to call her own. Could it be then that she had been eyeing her own man,plotting to make him hers?

Could Carol have cooked up this story of Richard's unfaithfulness just to break them up and claim him as hers?

She did not know what or who to believe. Both of them had been so convincing.

She had had to start seeing her boss on the side to be able to meet the riding demands of Richard. He didn't know this of course and she wanted it to remain that way. She was doing all this with the hope that she and Richard would eventually get married. She was not getting any younger.

She decided to be diplomatic about it and carry out her own investigation.

Richard seeing her indecision, tried harder to convince her through emotional blackmail.

'I can see that you do not believe me. That is the kind of love you have for me, is that not so?

You claim to love me but you do not trust me. We have been seeing each other for how long now? Many years. Yet the first news you heard about me, painting me in a bad light, you believe instantly. You believe your friend over your fiance? Wonderful!'

He made to get up from the bed feigning anger and Phoebe had to placate him.

'You got it all wrong. Just like I have been with you for a very long time now, I have also been with Carol since forever. All these are confusing. I do not doubt either of you and yet I cannot ignore what both of you have told me. I just want to digest it but if it makes you feel any better, I do not think you are being unfaithful to me. With what money would you care for the girl or girls? You couldn't be keeping another girl by the side, using the money I laboured for to take care of her. That would be the height of wickedness and you are incapable of that. Rest assured that my faith is in you'.

Richard lay back on the bed but decided that he had to start looking for an alternative accomodations where he would have enough privacy and where it would not leave him stranded in the event that this fool be ame wise to his activities and throw him out because he knew that he'll had no fury than a woman scorned.

To take her mind off their discussion,he drew her into his arms again and started stoking her breast.

She moaned with pleasure, forgetting the discussion they had been having.

By the time Richard took her nipples into his mouth, she was as wet as a soaked wool.

Richard who had an appointment with one of his money breeding ladies, immediately thrust his penis into her and started driving them both to the abyss of mindless pleasure.

Phoebe continued her illicit affair with her married boss.She made money from him because he gave her enough money to take care of herself. They often went on business trips and in such trips, hey had fun with each other. The man could never get enough of Phoebe and was not ready to give her up. Phoebe who had entered the relationship so as not to fail Richard, found that she enjoyed all the attention as well. And the money came in handy. Apart from Richard, she had material needs of her own that nobody cared to fulfill. She was the one taking care of everyone. It felt good being care for for a change but she still did not want to lose Richard. His lovemaking drove her wild. She felt that her body was used to his kind of sex that others fell short where his was concerned.

Whenever Phoebe went on such trips, Richard had time to be with as many of his female friends as he wanted. He prayed for more such trips in fact. Not just for the opportunity it accorded him to cruise with his girl uninhibited but Phoebe always came back from such trips loaded.Her boss must be very generous.

It was on one such occasions that Carol had seen him and he was going to teach that witch a lesson of her life.

Richard organized for a group of boys of questionable character to ambush her in a secluded area near a lake surrounded with mountainous hills,there they were to rap her.

She was on her way from somewhere one day, when she was abducted and taken to the arranged place and the boys were going to take turns with her. It didn't matter if she was raped to death. They had been paid handsomely for this and they were to get sexual satisfaction from it as well. It was not a bad deal at all.

When Carol saw what was going on and what the men had in store for her, adrenaline pumped I to her bloodstream,she was infused with a strength she did not know she possessed and fought like like a rabid dog.

How she did it, she could not really tell but she got the rag with which she was gaged out of her mouth and screamed. Her wail echoing through the hills.

Some young men who were not too far from there heard her cream and thought it must be some sea gulls or any other kind of animal. But when the scream came again and this time calling for help.

'Help me please, help meee'.

Then the sound was muffled. The young men came running towards the sound and after searching for a while, they were going to give up because the voice was no longer guarding them to where it came from but a movement caught their eye and they motioned on one another to keep quiet and moved stealthily towards the movement.

They going a young lady bound and gaged. She was in a state of half nudity. They untied her but before they could do anything further, they were attacked but they were mountain men and fought their attackers fiercely, the drugs the attackers had taken was already wearing off. They hadn't known that other girl would be this much trouble,else they would have asked for more money.

Seeing that they were overpowered,they ran off leaving the men with the helpless girl.

The young rescuers finished untying Carol and removed the gag from herouth.Her throat was patched but she managed to thank them.

'Are you alright?'

'I am now. If you hadn't come when you did,I do not know and do not want to imagine what would have happened to me. Thanks alot', she said.

'We were just being human and performing our duty to humanity. Anyone else could have done that'.

'You are mistaken. Not all would have risked their lives to save money and my dignity'.

'Don't think about that now. Hope you are not hurt in any way?'

'No just feeling a little cramped where I Was tied but I shall live,thanks to you'.

'Enough thanks for one night. If you can get up and walk, we shall accompany you away from this place. There may be more of such beasts who attacked you lurking around'.

Carol shivered and stood straight. She walked briskly as though trying to run away from that area.

The young men asked her what she had been doing there and she narrated to them how they had abducted her on her way from work and brought her there through some crooked path.

She asked their names.

'It would be impolite of me not to know the names of my rescuers'.

'I am Tim'.

'I am Mac' .

'And I am Palmer', the one who seemed to have done most of the job said.

He was staring at Carol strangely. Carol blushed and looked away. She liked him. This guy called Palmer.

'Snd what is yours?' he asked.

'I am Carol. Carol Pitts.

They got talking and his other two friends gave each other a sign that they should walk faster and give the couple a little privacy to get to know each other better.

Carol and Palmer exchanged contacts and addresses and promised to call each other.

By this time,they had got close to her house.

Coincidentally, Phoebe was coming towards them, she had gone to see Carol and tell her of her discussion with Richard but had not met her at home. She had tried calling her but her mobile was unavailable . She had waited a bit and was just on her way home when she met them.

They introduced themselves as Carol introduced Phoebe to them.

'Please take better care of your friend. She was nearly molested by a mob of drug addicts just now'.

'What?'

'Its okay. I was rescued by these young men. But for them, I might have been raped to death.But we can talk about all that later.

Thanks once more Tim, Mac and Palmer. Hoping to hear from you'.

They smiled at each other and Phoebe did not miss that. She was happy for her friend. She was finally going on with her life.

As soon as the young men left, Phoebe dragged Carol into her room after hastily unlocking the door.

'Tell me exactly what happened. Don't leave put any detail'. She Implored.

'There's not much more to tell. I was on my way back from work when I was abducted. I was taken unawares be ause I hadn't been expecting it. They gaged me, so my shouts was muffled. They took me through a path I cannot recall to a mountainous area and the five of them were going to take their turns with me. They said something about sharing the amount the person who sent then had given them. But when they started unzipping my cloths and theirs, I knew I had to do something. desperate situations called for desperate measures.

I did not know where the strength came from, maybe from the survival instinct. But I managed to get the gag out my mouth and screamed. They immediately clasped their hands overy mouth and we're going to strangle me. They removed their hands only when the Gaga was firmly in place again. But that split second when I screamed, alerted these young men who came running to my rescue.

The gang hid,leaving me alone as a trap and as soon as these young men got close, they jumped on them, fighting them. I was scared for them but they fought them off fiercely, beating them mercilessly until they ran off.

I wish I had been able to get the name of the person who wanted to do this to me'.

'Do you suspect anyone?'

'I have been going through my mind, thinking of who would want me dead or ruined. I cannot remember who I must have offended so much that they would want to do that to me'.

Phoebe could not believe it but her mind went straight to Richard. Could Richard had done this to Carol as a way of asserting his revenge on her for spilling the beans?

If he were indeed responsible, then it meant that what Carol had said was true. She didn't even want to consider that until she had found enough evidence but for now she would just play it by ear.

She also did not ask Carol if she thought Richard was responsible. They just spoke about other matters and Phoebe left now even mentioning the reason for which she came visiting.

A couple of days later,still carrying out her investigation, Phoebe lied to her boss lover that she was not feeling well and needed to visit the hospital for checkup and needed about two days absence from work.

'Do you need to ask? But I hope it is really a matter of your health and not that you are going to be with another man?' her boss had asked.

'Of course not. But thanks for giving me the permission'.

Phoebe told Richard her live in lover, that she was going on a business trip with her boss and Richard could not contain his excitement.

'That good. Go ahead!' he said and then caught himself at the look in her eyes.

'What I mean is that,it would not be good for you to refuse going on the trip. You could lose your job you know, and we do not want that's. He amended.

'Oh!' was all she said and prepared for the supposed trip.

She went and lodged in a hotel from where she disguised herself and spied on Richard and his activities.

She had hardly settled down to keep watch when she saw Richard, his arms round a pretty girl, going into their apartment.

She could not believe this. There must be another explanation, surely?

She waited for sometime but they did not come out. She was moved to go through the front door but held herself in check. They came out sometime later, with his arms still round her and she took snapshots of them.

She followed them and heard Richard telling the girl, when next they would meet and where.

After seeing her off, He called another girl presumably and from the discussion, she was angry that he had neglected her for long.

He told her that he was short of funds and that he had missed her.

Phoebe could not believe her ears.

They made arrangements and soon he and the other girl went to their rendezvous and she tagged along at a distance taking pictures and seething with jealous anger and bitterness.

What had she not done for this ingrate and he does this to her once her back was turned?

She felt that she had seen enough for the day. She was near bursting point. She would continue with her surveillance the following day. She went back to her hotel to eat and test.

The next day, the story was not much different except that he had actually spent the night with another different girl in her own bed.

She had left her surveillance and had not known that there had been a third girl or maybe this was even the fourth?

She could take it no longer but she still wanted to know how far he was going to go.

So afterwards, when he had seen the girl off and invited another to come at a given time with his goodies as he called it, Phoebe in her disguise, came out and knocked at the door.

He opened the door in his boxers.

'Hello pretty? How may I be of assistance to you?'

'I am actually new in this area and must have lost my way. Sorry but could you make me a cup of coffee, please?'

She had specifically requested for coffee because he made sure it was never lacking in the house since he was addicted to it'Of course do come in'.

He made her the coffee and started a conversation with her.

'Such a beauty like you should not have to go through difficulties. You must be employed somewhere, I think?'

'Yes, I am a doctor'.

'That's good but ate you comfortable being that?'

'What do you mean?'

'I mean in terms of the remuneration. Because if not, I can get you a lucrative job'.

Phoebe nearly laughed out loud. He was just too obvious but she could imagine how a naive and vulnerable female we ould fall into his trap.

'I have no complaints about my payments. And zi love caring for people. Medicine is my life's calling'.

'That's okay then. I would like for us to be friends. Real friends. You just said you have no one close to you here since you relocated recently to this area. I want to be your friend and all'.

'But won't your wife or girlfriend object?' she asked.

'I do not have a girlfriend. They previous girl ran off with my friend. So I am being careful. But you look trustworthy enough'.

They spoke at length with Phoebe getting angrier by the second.

She had to leave before she revealed her true identity to this cheat.

She promised to call back at a certain time the following day and they bade each other farewell.