It was his promotion. His big moment. And I couldn’t wait to celebrate it with him.
The bouquet in my hand was wrapped in white silk. I chose peonies because Dustin prefer giving it to me on special occasions. For lunch, I’d ordered Wagyu sliders and truffle fries from that pop-up bar he couldn’t stop talking about.
I even wore the black satin dress he said made his heart skip. I could already picture it—his surprised smile, the tug of his arms, the familiar kiss behind my ear.
The elevator chimed as it stopped at the 16th floor of Montenegro Media Tower. Dustin’s office was at the far end of the hallway.
“Congratulations, love,” I whispered, rehearsing it like a line in a play.
His secretary’s desk was empty. Strange. But I pushed the thought aside. His door was slightly ajar.
Perfect, I thought. This’ll be cute.
I stepped closer. Reached for the handle.
And froze on the spot.
A woman’s soft, flirty laugh slipped through the crack in the door. My pulse raced. A cold knot twisted in my gut.
“Come on, Dustin. Don’t act like you don’t miss it when I fix your tie.”
I knew that voice…
Bianca.
My cousin.
My childhood plus-one.
The one who used to copy my handwriting because she said it looked expensive. The one who always wanted what was mine.
Something inside me cracked. But I managed to push the door open anyway. Neither of them moved.
“Oh,” Bianca said with a grin, her voice sticky-sweet and poisonous. “Heleina! What a surprise. To whom do we owe this sudden visit?”
My throat tightened. “Am I interrupting something?”
Dustin straightened like a schoolboy caught cheating. “Heleina—I didn’t know you were coming today.”
I almost broke right there. But I didn’t. I walked inside slowly, like nothing in me had just collapsed. I set the bouquet and lunch on the side table with shaking hands.
Bianca hopped off the desk and smoothed her skirt. “It’s not what it looks like.”
“Really?” I laughed weakly. “But why do you seem defensive, dear cousin?"
Bianca crossed her arms. “Oh, yeah? Maybe you’re just overreacting.”
Dustin tried to step in. “Babe, we were just talking—”
“Do you always lean in that close when you talk?” My voice cracked. God, I hated that.
Bianca gave me a hard look—like I was a tantrum in heels. “You’re always so emotional, Heleina. It's exhausting.”
I swallowed hard. “Sorry. Am I boring you while you seduce my boyfriend?”
“Ex,” she corrected casually. “Let’s be real. Dustin’s been halfway out the door for months.”
I turned to him. He didn’t deny it. I stared at them. The scent of peonies filled the room. Sweet. Wrong. Mocking. I picked up the bouquet. Stared at it. Then gently, quietly, dropped it into his trash bin.
Dustin took a step toward me. “Heleina—”
“No.” My voice was barely a whisper. “Don’t.”
I backed away and walked out.
And the moment the elevator doors slid shut, I let go. Hot tears came before I could stop them. I realized, I was trying too hard ignoring the red flags I’d been collecting like secrets.
The sky had opened up by the time I stepped out of the building. Rain soaked the silk of my dress, my hair clinging to my neck. I didn’t care. I walked straight into the storm like it could wash the betrayal off me.
I wasn’t thinking clearly. I stepped off the curb.
Then everything exploded. A horn blared. Brakes screamed. Pain hit me like a wave—white-hot and disorienting. I fell hard, my elbow slamming against the pavement. I tasted blood. The world spun sideways.
Someone was shouting. A man knelt beside me. “Miss? Are you okay? Don’t move—don’t move!”
I blinked up, trying to breathe. Trying to understand how everything had gone so wrong in one day. My pride was shattered; my heart was cracked.
And I was lying in the middle of a the street like every cliché I used to laugh at. I reached into my soaked purse and pulled out my phone with shaking fingers. There was only one person I could call.
“Andrew,” I gasped when he answered. “I—I need a favor.”
“Heleina?” My eldest brother’s voice sharpened. “What happened? Are you hurt?”
“I need… I need to you arrange my marriage to someone.”
“What?”
I paused, coughing through tears. “I don’t care who it is. Just—make it someone powerful enough to ruin Dustin’s life by existing next to mine.”
“Heleina… if I make this call, there’s no going back.”
“I won't. Let me marry this guy before I die.”
I closed my eyes, letting the phone slide against my hand.
