Chapter 1 The Beginning of the End

Emily adjusted the delicate gold bracelet on her wrist as she passed the corner office. The low murmur of conversation from Mike’s colleagues reached her ears, pulling her to a halt when she heard her name.

“Did you hear? That girl Mike had a crush on in high school is back from overseas,” one of them said, his voice low but intrigued.

“Yeah, and I heard she’s stunning. If I were Mike, I’d be tempted too,” another replied with a quiet chuckle.

“Things might get messy, especially since he and Emily are supposed to be engaged soon,” a third added.

Emily froze. Her fingers tightened around the papers in her hand—design drafts for their engagement rings. The words swirled in her head like smoke, suffocating her thoughts. Engagement delayed? Tempted? Stunning?

Then, another voice broke through the haze. “Oh, and get this—they left the bar together last night. Word is, they went straight to a hotel.”

“Shh!” someone hissed, their voice urgent. “Keep it down. The boss doesn’t want this getting out.”

Her heart thudded painfully in her chest, the drafts crumpling slightly under her tense grip. Unable to stop herself, Emily walked forward, step by step, until she reached Mike’s office door. It was slightly ajar.

Through the narrow gap, she saw them.

A woman stood far too close to Mike, her manicured fingers lightly resting on his chest. Her head tilted slightly, her lips almost brushing his. Mike, standing there in his sharp black suit, didn’t move away. His expression was soft, familiar—a look Emily hadn’t seen directed at her in a long time.

Her breath hitched as the realization struck her like a slap. They were seconds away from kissing.

From the hallway, the whispers continued, faint but unmistakable.

“Did you notice her outfit? It looks just like Emily’s. Same style.”

“Yeah, but that’s Mike’s first love, isn’t it? Maybe Emily’s been copying her to get his attention.”

“Come on,” another voice cut in, exasperated. “Don’t start rumors. Emily and Mike have known each other forever. She doesn’t need to copy anyone.”

The words hit Emily like daggers, sharp and cruel. Her mind raced, memories of the past two years flashing before her eyes. The late nights Mike dismissed with vague excuses. The way he’d quickly close messages when she entered the room. The charm he used to smooth over her doubts. Every time, she’d convinced herself she was overthinking, being irrational. They were childhood sweethearts, their families already saw them as a done deal.

Weren’t they?

Her feet stumbled back, her heel catching on the carpet, but she didn’t care. Her chest ached, a raw, hollow pain spreading through her. Yet this time, it wasn’t just disappointment—it was resignation.

This isn’t love,she thought bitterly, her grip tightening on the drafts in her hand. This is convenience. For him, for our families, for everyone but me.

The papers she held trembled, the intricate designs of their engagement rings mocking her with every step she took. The voices of Mike’s colleagues, their laughter and casual comparisons, echoed in her mind as she walked out of the building.

She stepped outside into the crisp evening air, the chill biting at her cheeks, but it didn’t clear the heaviness pressing on her. The designs in her hand crumpled as her fingers curled into a fist. She stared up at the darkening sky, the weight of the past two years dragging her down. There was no sense of freedom, no relief.

All she could feel was the desperate need to escape—to run from the heartbreak, the whispers, and the endless expectations that suffocated her.

But as she walked away, her steps quick and unsteady, one thought lingered painfully in her mind: How did it come to this?