Chapter 1. The anniversary Betrayal

I woke up this morning feeling happier than ever because today was Luke's and my one-year anniversary. We've been dating for a year now, and I must say it has been the happiest year of my life.

Without wasting another second, I jumped out of bed, took a quick shower, and got ready for school. I couldn't stop smiling as I imagined spending the day with Luke.

The delicious smell of pancakes drifted upstairs, making my stomach growl. I hurried downstairs and found my mum in the kitchen, flipping my favorite pancakes.

"Good morning, Mum!" I greeted with a bright smile.

"Good morning, my baby. How was your night?" Mum asked, planting a gentle kiss on my cheek.

I smiled. "It was great."

Mum still didn't know about Luke. He wanted us to keep our relationship a secret until the time was right. He said he wanted to finish school first before meeting my family, and I respected his decision. After all, I trusted him with all my heart.

I finished my breakfast quickly and left for school. I wanted to see Luke before classes started, especially since today was our anniversary.

Luke was in his final year, while I was in my third year. Usually, he would be waiting for me or at least send me a text, but this morning, there was no sign of him.

I waited patiently, scanning every corner of the campus, but he never showed up.

That's strange, I thought.

I reached into my bag, took out my phone, and sent him a message.

Me: Good morning, babe. Where are you? I've been waiting for you.

A few seconds later, my phone buzzed.e

Luke: I'm sorry, babe. I won't be coming to school today. There are some issues at home that I need to take care of.

I frowned as I read his message. I felt bad for him and wished there was something I could do to help.

Then I remembered the gifts I had bought for our anniversary. A smile spread across my face.

Maybe I'll surprise him instead, I thought.

After classes, I'd go to his place with the gifts. I was sure seeing me would brighten his day.

Surprisingly, I didn't see my bully at school that morning either. She always made sure to pick on me before classes and even after school.

Her name was Lucy. She believed I had stolen Luke from her, so she never missed a chance to insult or threaten me. Every time she saw me, she'd warn me to stay away from "her man."

I never took her seriously. Luke had always told me he didn't love her and that she was just obsessed with him. I trusted him completely, so I never imagined there was any truth behind her words.

As I was about to leave the school gate, I heard someone call my name.

"Matilda!"

I turned around and saw my best friend, Anna, walking toward me with her arms folded across her chest.

"So, you've completely forgotten about me?" she asked, pretending to be angry. "You didn't even call me today."

I smiled apologetically and hugged her.

"I'm so sorry, Anna. Today is Luke's and my anniversary. I've been so excited that everything else slipped my mind."

She sighed and shook her head.

"You really love that guy, don't you?"

I nodded with a smile.

"I do. In fact, I'm on my way to surprise him with the gifts I bought for him."

The smile on Anna's face disappeared.

"You're going to his house?"

"Yes. Why?"

Anna looked away for a moment before meeting my eyes again.

"Matilda... I don't think Luke is at home."

"What do you mean?"

"I saw him earlier today."

My heart skipped a beat.

"You saw him? Where?"

Anna hesitated, as if she wasn't sure whether she should tell me.

"I saw him at Royal View Hotel."

I frowned.

"That's impossible. He told me he was at home because of a family problem."

Anna took a deep breath.

"Matilda, I've been trying to warn you about Luke for a long time. He's not the man you think he is. I've seen him with different girls before, but you never believed me."

I swallowed hard and forced out a nervous laugh.

"No... there must be some mistake."

Anna gently held my hand.

"I wish there was. But if you don't believe me, let's go there together. Then you'll see the truth for yourself."

Without saying another word, I tightened my grip on the gift bag, praying with all my heart that Anna was wrong.

We arrived at the hotel a few minutes later. My hands trembled as Anna and I walked through the glass doors.

I forced myself to stay calm and walked up to the reception desk.

"Good afternoon," I said politely. "I'm here to see Luke Patrick. Could you please tell me his room number?"

The receptionist checked her computer for a few seconds before looking up at me.

"Room 307," she replied with a smile.

I thanked her, and Anna and I headed toward the elevator in silence.

As the elevator climbed higher, my heart pounded harder with every passing second.

A part of me desperately hoped Anna was wrong. Maybe Luke was meeting someone for a school project or helping a friend. Maybe there was a reasonable explanation for everything.

I held the gift bag tightly and whispered a silent prayer.

Please... let this all be a misunderstanding.

We found Luke's room and stopped in front of the door.

As we got closer, my heart began to race. I couldn't explain it, but something felt terribly wrong. A strange feeling settled in the pit of my stomach, as if my heart was trying to warn me.

I stood there, frozen, clutching the gift bag tightly.

"Matilda," Anna called softly. "Knock."

Her voice pulled me out of my thoughts. I took a deep breath and knocked three times.

No response.

I frowned and glanced at Anna.

"Maybe he's not here after all," I said, turning to leave.

Just as I took my first step away, a faint sound came from inside the room.

I froze.

Then I heard it again.

Someone was moaning.

My heart skipped a beat. My hands started trembling, and the gift bag nearly slipped from my fingers.

I slowly turned to look at Anna. She lowered her eyes, unable to meet my gaze.

At that moment, I knew.

Whatever was waiting behind that door was about to change my life forever.

Fortunately, the door wasn't locked.

With trembling hands, I slowly pushed it open.

The moment I looked inside, my world shattered.

A tear slipped down my cheek as the gift bag fell from my hand, its contents scattering across the floor.

I couldn't breathe.

I couldn't think.

I just stood there, staring in disbelief.

The noise of the gifts hitting the floor caught their attention.

They both turned toward the door.

When I finally saw the other woman's face clearly, my heart broke all over again.

It was Lucy.

The same Lucy who had warned me to stay away from "her man."

Luke's eyes widened in shock.

"Matilda..." he whispered.

He hurried toward me, panic written all over his face.

"Babe, it's not what you think. Please, let me explain."

I couldn't say a word.

My eyes drifted to Lucy.

Instead of looking guilty, she leaned back with a smug smile and smirked at me as if she had won.

The tears I had been holding back finally spilled down my face.

Everything Anna had tried to tell me...

Everything Lucy had said...

It had all been true.

And I had been too blind to see it.

I wiped my tears and looked Luke straight in the eyes.

"So... this was the family emergency?"

He opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out.

I laughed bitterly, even though my heart was breaking.

"Happy anniversary, Luke."

Without waiting for his reply, I turned and walked away.

Behind me, I heard him call my name over and over again.

"Matilda! Please, wait!"

I didn't stop.

Some betrayals deserve an explanation.

Others deserve a goodbye.

End of Chapter One.