The bitterness of whiskey burned down my throat, but it wasn’t enough to numb the pain twisting in my chest. I sat alone at the corner of the dimly lit bar, the glow of neon lights reflecting against my untouched glass.
Ryan’s betrayal was still fresh, a wound that refused to stop bleeding. The image of his cold, indifferent expression as he stood beside Lauren, defending her, choosing her—it was a memory I couldn’t escape.
How did it come to this?
My phone buzzed on the table, pulling me from my thoughts. I hesitated before picking it up, my fingers trembling slightly as I unlocked the screen.
A message.
From the private investigator I had secretly hired among Ryan’s staff.
“Mrs. Brooks, I have the information you asked for. Ryan and Lauren have been seeing each other for over a year now. Their relationship started long before the pregnancy. I’ve attached the necessary documents, including their private exchanges and records of the trips they took together.”
A year. A full year.
My vision blurred with unshed tears as I scrolled through the messages, the receipts, the undeniable proof of their affair.
The business trips. The expensive gifts Ryan had showered me with every time he returned home.
I had thought it was love. Thought it was his way of making up for the disappointment we felt whenever yet another pregnancy test turned negative.
But now, I saw it for what it truly was.
Guilt. Ryan had been cheating on me for an entire year.
He had been coming home from her bed and lying beside me, whispering words of love as if they meant something.
I tightened my grip around my phone, nearly crushing it in my palm. A sharp exhale left my lips as I forced myself to pull away from the despair threatening to consume me.
This wasn’t the time to break. I would never let them see me broken.
With shaking fingers, I dialed my lawyer’s number. The line rang once before a familiar voice answered.
"Alicia?”
“Draft the divorce papers,” I said, my voice steady despite the storm raging inside me.
There was a pause. “…Are you sure?”
“Yes.”
I was on my fourth drink when I overheard a conversation a few feet away from me.
“He’s looking for a bride? Just like that?”
“Yeah, apparently. Tyler Wright is desperate for a wife. Said he doesn’t care about love, just needs someone to play the role.”
Tyler Wright. My head snapped up at the name, my vision sharpening as I turned toward the direction of the voices.
And then I saw him. Sitting at the VIP section, a glass of bourbon in his hand, his expression unreadable.
Ryan’s biggest rival. The man my parents had originally arranged for me to marry before I had stubbornly chosen Ryan instead.
I had once given up Tyler for the love of my life. And look where that had gotten me.
A slow, dangerous smile curled my lips as an idea formed in my mind. I grabbed my glass and stood up, making my way toward him with steady, deliberate steps.
His gaze lifted as I approached, recognition flashing in his eyes before suspicion settled in.
I slid into the seat across from him, resting my glass on the table. “What do you say to marrying me?”
Tyler’s brows shot up, clearly taken aback. “Excuse me?”
I smirked. “After all, we were supposed to be together, weren’t we?”
He leaned back, amusement flickering in his sharp gaze. “You’re already married.”
“Not after a week,” I corrected smoothly.
Tyler studied me for a long moment before letting out a short laugh. “You’re serious?”
“Deadly.” I leaned forward slightly, my tone turning almost playful. “I heard there’s an upcoming elite gathering next week.” I tilted my head. “And you’re the host, aren’t you?”
His eyes darkened. “What are you getting at?”
I held his gaze, my smirk unwavering. “Turn it into our wedding venue.”
Tyler let out a low chuckle, shaking his head. “And what exactly do I get out of this?”
I lifted a brow. “You need a bride. That’s me.” My voice dipped lower, turning sharper. “And let’s not pretend you don’t want to get back at Ryan. He stole that business deal from you last year, didn’t he?”
His smirk widened, his interest piqued.
I leaned back, raising my glass to him. “So? Do we have a deal?”
Tyler exhaled slowly, his smirk turning into something unreadable. Then, with a nod, he raised his own glass.
“Yeah,” he said. “We have a deal.”
A slow satisfaction spread through me as I clinked my glass against his.
“See you at the altar, then.”
When I arrived home, I was greeted with a sight that made my stomach churn. Lauren sat comfortably on my couch, one hand rubbing her belly as she stuffed food into her mouth like she was a damn queen.
Her lips curled into a satisfied smile as she looked up at me. “Oh, you’re back.”
I ignored her, stepping past her toward the stairs. But then she spoke again.
“I’m sorry, you know. About what happened.”
I stopped in my tracks.
She sighed dramatically. “I didn’t mean to ruin your marriage, but—”
I turned sharply. “But you knew he was married,” I snapped, my voice cutting through the air. “Yet you still spread your legs for him.”
Lauren smirked. “Well, he wanted me. What was I supposed to do?” She tilted her head. “And now, I’m carrying his child.”
I clenched my fists, my body shaking with rage. “Aren’t you ashamed?”
Her smirk widened, turning cruel. “You should be the one ashamed, Alicia.” Her voice dripped with mockery. “You couldn’t give him a child. You’re useless. Pathetic.”
Something inside me snapped. I lunged at her, and she retaliated, her nails digging into my skin as we crashed against the furniture.
“Bitch!” Lauren hissed.
“You ruined my life!” I screamed, shoving her back.
In the chaos of our struggle, we stumbled toward the balcony, neither of us willing to back down. My breath came in ragged gasps as we grappled with each other, our movements frantic, desperate—
Then suddenly—The world tilted.
A scream tore through the air.
And then—
Nothing.
Darkness swallowed me whole.
