The world outside moved on as if nothing had happened but for Sarah, time had shattered just like the wine glass she had dropped the night before.
She sat in her small apartment, numb, as the city buzzed beyond her window. The betrayal still clawed at her chest, a relentless ache she couldn't shake. She had spent the night tossing and turning, replaying James’ cruel words over and over. "You never matched my status." "Chloe does." Sarah’s fingers tightened around the coffee mug in her hands. She had given that man everything, her loyalty, her trust, her damn heart, only to be tossed aside like she was nothing. Her phone vibrated on the coffee table. Olivia Lee. Sarah let it ring. She wasn’t ready to face work, to pretend everything was fine. But Olivia wasn’t the type to let things slide. The phone buzzed again. A message this time. Olivia: "Are you seriously ignoring me? Where the hell are you?" Sarah exhaled sharply and typed back. Sarah: "Not in the mood today." The reply was almost instant. Olivia: "Get your ass to work." A bitter laugh escaped Sarah’s lips. Dragging herself off the couch, she grabbed a wrinkled blazer from the armrest and threw it on. Fine. If work was the only thing keeping her from spiraling further, she’d go. By the time she reached the office parking lot, her hands were trembling. She took a deep breath, forcing the emotions down. No one could see her like this. Stepping into the building, she adjusted her blazer and lifted her chin. If James expected her to crumble, he was in for a surprise. But the moment she entered, all eyes were on her. The whispers. The stolen glances. The undeniable shift in atmosphere. Sarah’s stomach twisted. What the hell was going on? She strode forward, her heels clicking against the marble floor, determined to ignore them. But as she passed, the murmurs only grew louder. "She doesn't know yet?" "God, that’s brutal." "I’d be mortified if I were her." Sarah’s jaw tightened. Whatever it was, she wasn’t going to stand there like a fool. As soon as she reached her desk, Olivia was already waiting, arms crossed, an unreadable expression on her face. "You look like hell," Olivia said flatly. "Good morning to you too," Sarah muttered, dropping into her chair. "So? You gonna tell me why half the office is staring at me like I grew two heads overnight?" Sarah asked Olivia blinked at her, then exhaled sharply. "You haven’t seen the news, have you?" Sarah frowned. "What are you talking about?" Sarah’s fingers hovered over her keyboard. A strange feeling settled in her gut. "What news?" she asked warily. Instead of answering, Olivia reached over and tapped the screen. "See for yourself." Sarah’s heart pounded as she opened her browser. And then she froze. There, plastered across the screen, was a headline that made her stomach lurch. BREAKING NEWS: JAMES TURNER AND CHLOE HARRISON – A SECRET ROMANCE EXPOSED Beneath it were photos. Pictures of James and Chloe, her best friend, wrapped in each other’s arms. Laughing. Kissing. Whispering in each other’s ears like they were the only two people in the world. Sarah’s blood turned to ice. Her breath came out in short, uneven gasps as she clicked through the images. Some were taken at a rooftop restaurant, James holding Chloe close, their lips inches apart. Another showed them walking hand in hand at a luxury resortone she and James had planned to visit together. And then there was the worst one. A video. Her hands shook as she clicked play. "Chloe, baby, you know you’re the only woman I’ve ever wanted," James' voice was smooth, sickeningly sweet. Sarah’s pulse roared in her ears. "And Sarah?" the reporter asked. James smirked. "We were never meant to be. It was bound to end." Sarah’s hands curled into fists. Every single part of her body screamed. Chloe giggled in the video, tilting her head toward James. "Some people just don’t belong in our world." Sarah slammed the laptop shut. The office was dead silent, every eye still on her. Waiting for her reaction. Waiting for her to break. Olivia’s face darkened. "Sarah, listen to me—" She had known James and Chloe betrayed her, but seeing it on the news? Seeing them flaunt their affair like she never mattered? That was a new level of humiliation. She needed air. She needed to escape before she suffocated in this nightmare. Without a word, she grabbed her bag and stormed out of the office. --- Sarah didn’t remember how she got home. One moment she was pushing through the whispers, the next she was in her apartment, her back against the door, gasping for air. Her vision blurred. Her entire world had just imploded. She had braced herself for the pain when she caught them in the act. She had told herself she was done crying over them. But this? This was different. This wasn’t just betrayal behind closed doors. This was public humiliation. The entire city now knew that James Turner, the man she was supposed to marry, had been screwing her best friend behind her back. And he didn’t even have the decency to deny it. Sarah let out a bitter laugh, but it quickly turned into something more raw, something broken. She grabbed the nearest thing, a framed photo of her and Chloe from years ago and hurled it across the room. The glass shattered against the wall. Just like her heart. A strangled sob escaped her lips, and she sank to the floor, clutching her chest as if that would somehow keep the pain from tearing her apart. Betrayal burned through her, white-hot and unforgiving. How could she do this to her? How could they do this to her? The weight of everything crashed over her, pressing her into the floor. She wanted to scream, to claw at her own skin just to rid herself of the ache. But all she could do was sit there. Broken. Alone. And with nowhere to hide from the world that now knew her pain.Back at the banquet hall, the music played on, and laughter echoed across the grand chandelier-lit room but something felt off.Elysia returned from the restroom, adjusting her silver dress as she scanned the crowd. Her brows pinched together when she didn’t immediately spot Sarah. She weaved through the sea of guests, moving quickly, checking corners and the lounge near the bar.Still no sign of her.Her smile began to waver.She turned sharply and headed straight to her brother.“Brother,” she said, tugging at Elliot’s sleeve. “Have you seen Sarah?”Elliot turned to her, clearly distracted. “She was just here.”“Well, she’s not anymore,” Elysia said, her voice a little more urgent now. “I’ve checked the whole place.”A flicker of something unreadable passed through Elliot’s eyes. He set his drink down immediately.“Let’s go,” he said, already walking.Elysia followed closely, her heels clicking hurriedly behind him.They didn’t speak on the drive home, both hoping she’d be there.Th
Sarah stood in the corner of the room, alone again after Elysia left for the restroom. Her eyes scanned the crowd again, searching for Elliott. He was speaking with a group of men in suits, wine glass in hand, cool and unreadable. She waited, hoped he'd spare her a glance, a sign or anything.But he didn’t even look at her.The humiliation had settled like fire in her chest, burning hotter with each passing moment.She couldn’t take it anymore.She walked out of the banquet hall, her heels clicking against the marble floor, each step she took was fueled with anger. As she stepped into the cold night, the air felt sharp against her flushed cheeks.She glanced down the street, considering calling a cab. She could make her way back to the penthouse alone. She didn’t care what Elliott thought, that's if he even noticed she’d left.Just as she reached for her phone, the screech of tires ripped through the silence.Two black cars pulled up beside her, their tinted windows gleaming under the
The next morning, Sarah arrived at the office for the first time as Elliott’s personal secretary, expecting to at least have something to do. But as the hours dragged on, she found herself sitting idly in his office, doing absolutely nothing. She wasn’t given any work, no one directed her anywhere, and Elliott had barely acknowledged her presence since they arrived.She sighed, tapping her fingers on the desk impatiently. “Why am I even here?” she muttered under her breath.The only sound in the office was the soft ticking of the clock and the occasional flipping of pages as Elliott worked through some documents. Sarah was bored out of her mind. She had imagined that working in one of the most prestigious companies would be an exciting experience, but instead, she felt like a piece of furniture placed there for show.She glanced at Elliott, who remained focused on his work, showing no signs of including her in anything. Sarah frowned, frustration bubbling inside her.“This is ridiculo
Elliott sat at his desk, flipping through documents with a sharp, calculating gaze. The floor-to-ceiling windows of his office showcased the towering skyline, but his focus remained unwavering. His assistant had informed him minutes ago that his mother was on her way up.When the heavy oak doors swung open, Vivian Remington walked in, her heels clicking against the polished floor. She exuded elegance, dressed in an emerald green suit, her hair neatly styled, but her expression was anything but composed. Her face was set in a deep frown, her sharp eyes locked onto her son the moment she entered.Without waiting for an invitation, she sat across from him, placing her handbag on the desk with a thud.“So, it’s true,” she began, her voice laced with irritation. “You really went through with this ridiculous marriage.”Elliott didn’t bother looking up. He flipped another page in his file before responding in his usual calm, detached tone. “It’s already been done. There’s no point in discuss
After the dramatic confrontation with James, Sarah felt suffocated by the weight of everything. the banquet hall with murmurs and watchful eyes felt constricting. She needed a moment alone. Spotting a waiter passing by, she gently stopped him.“Excuse me, where’s the bathroom?” she asked.The waiter pointed toward the hallway to her left. “Just down that corridor, Miss.”She nodded, muttering a soft thanks before making her way through the lavishly decorated hallway. The sound of clinking glasses and polite laughter faded as she distanced herself from the main event.Once inside the restroom, she leaned against the marble countertop, exhaling deeply.Her reflection stared back at her from the mirror her perfectly styled hair, flawless makeup, an elegant dress hugging her frame. To anyone else, she might have looked poised and composed, the image of a woman who belonged in a place like this.She had spent years loving a man who betrayed her, wasted time on a friendship that was nothing
Sarah and James’s eyes met, and in that instant, she saw panic flicker in his. He wasn’t expecting her. His face went pale, his expression twisting as if struggling to process what he was seeing. For a moment, he just stared, his body rigid, his mind clearly racing. Then, as if something snapped, his lips parted, and he barked her name.“Sarah.”His voice was sharp, filled with disbelief, cutting through the conversations around them.He took a step forward. “What the hell is going on?” he demandedSarah kept her expression calm, refusing to give him the satisfaction of a reaction. Instead, a smirk curled her lips, subtle but intentional.Sarah raised an eyebrow. “You’ll have to be more specific than that.”His jaw clenched, “Why are you here? Why are you with another man?” His eyes flickered to Elliott, but he didn’t hold his gaze for long. The weight of Elliott Remington’s presence was suffocating. Instead, James returned his attention to Sarah.“You’re my fiancée,” he said, voice