Easy, Mr. Bigshot

At 10 at night, I unlocked the door and stepped into the house at Derry Garden Residences. As I flipped the light switch, the crystal chandelier in the living room turned on. It cast a soft glow and bounced my reflection onto the floor-to-ceiling windows.After tonight, this enchanting space was to be our marital home. Liam Mercer, my dashing fiance who worked as a manager, had a kindness in him that left me smitten. I was lucky to be blessed with such a loving man. But according to tradition, we were forbidden from sharing a bed on the eve of our wedding. Liam honored this, opting to stay here while I stayed at the home of my best friend, Summer Hunley.As I was running through a mental checklist for tomorrow before turning in for the night, a feeling of dread washed over me. I had forgotten my bridal veil. I then decided to sneak into our new place without telling Liam to pick it up and surprise him.I pondered the journey that lay ahead of us and smiled. A lifetime of happiness a

"Rina, you've gone too far! How could you hit Julia? When did you become so aggressive?" Liam turned to face me, his eyes ablaze with anger and blame toward me.A sharp pain tore through my heart. I looked at Liam as I paled. It was clear that Julia mattered more than I ever did. But I'm his fiancee, and our wedding was scheduled for tomorrow. Yet here he was, enjoying an intimate moment with another woman in our new home. And this woman is none other than my closest friend since college."Get out, Julia! This is my home. Get out! Now!" I rushed forward, my grip tightening around Julia's arm, driven by an urge to throw her out of the house."Enough! Rina, you're going too far!" Liam cut in, shoving me to the floor while cradling Julia protectively against him.The sting of hitting the ground paled in comparison to the ache in my heart. Picking myself up, I locked eyes with Liam and mustered a grim smile. Right then, I understood my worth in his heart. It was far less than that of a

It was a night of chaos, fueled by fiery passion.When I woke up, I felt like I had gone ten rounds with a boxer. Cursing Jethro silently. Just how wild had he been last night? The man was a beast!Sitting up, I glanced down at the plethora of love bites across my chest and the bruises on my arm. Was that really necessary, Jethro?"How was my performance last night? You satisfied?" a sultry, deep voice broke the silence.I jumped, turning to see Jethro's handsome face looking at me with a gloomy expression. A jolt of panic hit me, and I hastily wrapped the blanket around myself. Despite initiating last night’s affair, having a stranger stare at my body was still awkward."Trying to act innocent now, are we? You weren’t holding back last night."Jethro stood up and approached me, his tone full of disdain and contempt. His arrogant demeanor got under my skin, making me feel like some kind of cheap woman.I shrugged him off, snatching my clothes off the floor and getting dressed. "

The problem was clear. I was his girlfriend and today was supposed to be our wedding day. And yet, he had the audacity to say such things to me. I never dreamt the man I had loved all these years would stoop so low."Thank you, Rina..." Liam murmured, his voice tinged with hesitation. Maybe he felt guilty over this.Thank you? What a joke!Seeing the visible relief on his face, I felt a piercing ache in my heart. This was the same man who had sworn to make me happy forever. And here he was, thanking me for calling off our wedding. The situation was both ridiculous and pathetic."Get out. I never want to see you again." I pointed toward the door. I was almost shouting. I feared that I would lose control and confront him about his betrayal."Didn't you hear her? Get out!" Enraged and irritated, Summer smacked Liam with a broom.After he left, I felt like an empty husk. I sank to the floor, my eyes devoid of life. It would be a lie to say that it did not hurt having dedicated seven

Seeing the disdain on Summer's face, Julia grew furious. "Watch your tongue, Summer. Liam and I are truly in love. If Serena hadn't been in the way, we would've gotten together long ago.”Summer rolled her eyes, her expression one of pure disgust. "Shameless women like you always claim 'true love' when they're clawing their way up. It's all nonsense. You seducing your best friend's fiance only proves you're as low as they come."Julia's eyes flashed as she glared at Summer. "And who are you to call me shameless? Tell me!""Isn't it obvious? Some people want to play the temptress, yet act like saints. It's just sickening," Summer retorted, meeting Julia's glare without flinching.Their argument drew the attention of passersby.I tugged at Summer's arm. "There's no point getting angry over people like them. Let's just go.""Liam, they're bullying me. Aren't you going to do anything?" Julia whined, clinging to Liam's arm as if her life depended on it."Rina," Liam called to me, a n