Dream's Over: Back to Reality

"Serena… What is this… supposed to mean?" Silas asked.

"It's all there on the wedding invitation."

I met Silas' gaze with an unreadable expression, offering no further explanation.

He turned the wedding invitation over in his hands, scanning it again and again, before letting out a cold chuckle. "Really, Serena? Is this your idea of a joke?

"You're quite the actress, huh? Choosing the same wedding date as mine and your groom is even... Levi Harrison, that cripple.

"I know you're still upset, but I've told you. I helped Vivian out of a difficult situation. Once everything is settled, I'll divorce her. Is it really so hard for you to understand?"

Before I could respond, a soft knock sounded at the door.

Vivian Turner stepped in with her eyes rimmed with red.

"Silas, maybe we should just forget about all this. It's fine… I can marry Levi. It's just that I…" She trailed off, and her face was etched with quiet sorrow.

Silas' gaze softened after seeing her pitiful expression. He stepped toward her, placed a comforting hand on her back, and comforted her with unbearably gentleness. "Don't say that. I told you I'd help you, and I will."

I had no interest in hearing how Silas was going to coax Vivian. I'd given him the wedding invitation—there was nothing else left to say. Besides, I had other business at the office.

Without another word, I stepped around them and headed for the door.

"Serena, where are you going?" Silas called after me.

I didn't answer.

Behind me, Vivian's soft, pitiful voice floated through the room, followed by Silas' low murmurs of reassurance.

He wasn't going to come after me.

Even though I had already made up my mind to let him go, the reality of it still left a dull ache in my chest.

Silas and I had known each other since childhood. We grew up side by side, and our friendship naturally evolved into something more. Our families were close, so our parents started planning our wedding when we reached adulthood.

But Silas was ambitious. For the past few years, he had used work as an excuse to postpone the wedding, claiming the company needed his full attention.

At first, I supported him wholeheartedly. I even put my own family's business on hold to help him build his.

Everyone envied us. To outsiders, we were the golden couple—the perfect match.

Then, Vivian came along.

She was a struggling student my parents had sponsored. Years ago, they nearly hit her with their car on the way to the airport. They later found out she came from a difficult background, saw how hardworking she was, and decided to help her financially.

Never did they expect to raise a snake in their own home.

After college, she joined Grant Group.

At first, Vivian and Silas had no real interaction. But one day, while Silas was visiting my house, Vivian happened to show up to borrow money from my parents, claiming her father had fallen gravely ill.

Silas barely hesitated before handing her the cash himself. And after that, he made her his secretary.

As time passed, I noticed their interactions had become increasingly intimate. They even started spending time together without me.

Not too long ago, Grant Group held an annual gala. Back then, Vivian was practically glued to Silas' side, laughing at something he said.

I stepped forward and lowered my voice. "We're engaged. If people see you two acting this close, they'll talk. How is she supposed to find a proper boyfriend afterward?"

Before Silas could respond, Vivian turned to me with wide, wounded eyes. "Serena, I know you're Silas' fiancée, but… I'm his secretary.

"If we happen to stand a little closer sometimes, it's nothing but pure friendship. How could you assume something so… dirty about us?"

Pure friendship? Anyone with eyes could see what she was after.

But instead of distancing himself, Silas' expression darkened. "Serena, must you always think the worst? Do you have any idea how hard Vivian has worked?

"She's new to the company, just got promoted, and is already facing backlash. I was only offering a little comfort—why do you have such a problem with that?"

He shot me a displeased look. "If it weren't for our parents arranging this engagement, do you really think I would have chosen to marry you?"

I stood frozen as he turned and walked away with Vivian right beside him.

And in that moment, I knew. Everything had changed.

The whispered promises he once made to me were gone, and the tenderness in his eyes no longer belonged to me.

I heard murmurs from the other guests.

"Isn't Mr. Grant supposed to be marrying Ms. Walker? What's he doing with that secretary?"

"Can't you tell? Ms. Walker has a terrible temper—who could stand that? That secretary, on the other hand, is soft, sweet, and easy to be around."

"But their engagement is public knowledge, right? The Walker family even promised to throw in an entire subsidiary as part of the wedding gifts."

"If Mr. Grant backs out, the Walker family will lose their dignity."

Even strangers could see what was happening. And so, I wasn't convinced that Silas couldn't.

The truth was simple. He just didn't love me anymore.

And that was fine.

…

I dropped my resignation letter at HR and headed for the elevator. As I passed the emergency exit, hushed voices drifted from behind the door.

Through the small glass window, I saw Vivian leaning into Silas with her eyes filled with adoration.

And Silas… He wasn't exactly pushing her away.

She lifted her face and parted her lips. In an instant, Silas' gaze flickered.

For a moment, it seemed like he still had a sliver of restraint—he pressed his hands to her shoulders. "Vivian, we can't do this. We—"

Before he could finish, Vivian closed the distance, pressing her lips to his.

At first, he resisted. But then, slowly, he began to kiss her back.

Like a starving man, he took her in, pulling her closer as if she were the air he needed to breathe.

"Silas, I'm sorry… I just can't help myself. I love you too much. I only regret not meeting you sooner."

"Vivian, I…"

I didn't need to hear the rest.

I glanced down at the ring on my finger—the one Silas had made himself when he proposed at 18 years old.

It meant nothing now. After slipping it off, I tossed it into the trash can by the elevator.