Chapter 1- The Night Everything Fell Apart

Elena's POV 

The shameless moans of a woman were the first thing I heard.

My hand froze on the doorknob. My brain tried to convince me I was imagining it. That maybe the TV was on…..That Liam wasn’t doing what I thought he was doing.

That Liam hadn't left me waiting for him at the restaurant for hours just to fuck a woman in our own home

But then I heard it again.

Her laugh.

Camilla’s stupid, high-pitched laugh that I could easily recognize.

No. No, no, no.

My best friend and my boyfriend.

No way.

I pushed the door open before my body could stop itself.

And there they were.

Liam was inside her.

His hands gripping her hips like he’d die if he let go.

Camilla’s head thrown back as she arched her back,moaning his name like it was the only damn thing in the world.

For a full second, I couldn’t breathe.

The world just…..stopped.

Like everything around me blurred out, and all I could hear was the sound of them fucking right in front of me.

My brain kept screaming, move, but my feet wouldn’t. It was like I was paralyzed.

Then Camilla turned her head slightly, saw me standing there, and instead of shame, she smiled.

That smug, fake influencer smile she always had.

“Oh my God, Elena,” she said, breathless. “You weren’t supposed to see this yet.”

“See this yet?” I repeated, my voice breaking. “What the hell does that even mean, Camilla?”

Liam groaned and sat up, dragging a hand through his messy hair.

His face looked annoyed, not guilty. Not sorry. Just… tired.

“Elena, calm down,” he muttered.

“Calm down?” My voice cracked. “You’re literally fucking my best friend!”

He exhaled like I was being unreasonable. “You weren’t supposed to find out like this.”

Camilla giggled from behind him. “Yeah, we were gonna tell you after dinner. But, you know, plans change.”

My stomach turned. “Tell me what?”

Liam glanced at her, then back at me, like they’d already rehearsed this.

“Camilla’s pregnant,” he said flatly.

My world shattered.

“What?”

“She’s pregnant,” he repeated, standing up. “And… we’re getting married next week.”

I just stared. I didn’t even know what to say. I felt like my brain was trying to reboot and failing miserably.

“You’re lying,” I whispered.

Camilla raised her left hand and wiggled her fingers. A diamond ring glittered under the ceiling light. “Nope. He proposed last night.” How the hell did he get money to buy a diamond ring?. He told me his family cut him off.

I laughed…. this weird, broken laugh that didn’t even sound like me. “So the dinner… the text… the restaurant…”

“Yeah,” Liam said. “That was the plan. We were going to tell you together. You know, so you could stop obsessing over me.”

“Obsessing?” I blinked. “Liam, I loved you. For six years….”

I couldn't believe that a few hours ago I was going to tell him the truth about my life. That I was a heiress, a Carter in fact. 

“Exactly.” He snorted. “Six years, and you couldn’t even let me touch you without freezing up. You think a man can live like that?”

My throat burned. “You said you understood…”

“I lied,” he cut in coldly. “You made me feel like some charity project. Always acting like you saved me because I was ‘cut off’ from my family. You thought that made you special, didn’t you?”

“What are you talking about?” I whispered.

Camilla smiled, her voice dripping fake sympathy. “Oh, honey. He was never cut off. That’s just what he told you so you’d keep wiring him money.”

My heart stopped.

“No… no, that’s not true.”

“It is,” Liam said, completely unbothered. “My parents never disowned me. That money you sent every month?” He shrugged. “We used it to buy a house in Italy. For our family.” He said whilst touching Camilla's stomach.

I felt my knees give out… I had gotten that money partly from my father and partly from a business I wasn't too proud of. “You used my money?”

He smirked. “You fucked a man for it and lied about your virginity. We both know you didn’t earn that waitress cash on your own.” My stomach turned. He knew about my pole dancing job. I didn't tell anyone…. anyone except…. Camilla!!!

“How do you even….”

“Oh, please,” Camilla cut in. “You think anyone is dumb enough to fall for your virgin bullshit. Poor, sweet Elena, pretending she’s middle class while throwing around whore cash like she’s Mother Teresa.”

“Shut up!” I snapped.

Camilla just tilted her head. “You know, Liam told me about your mom. Said that’s probably why you’re so needy. Mommy issues make girls desperate for love.”

How dare they bring my dead mother into this.

My whole body went cold. “Say that again.”

“Face it,” she said sweetly. “You were easy to replace.”

I saw red.

I grabbed the nearest thing…a glass candle holder and hurled it across the room. It smashed against the wall, shattering near Liam’s head.

He didn’t even flinch. He just sighed, annoyed. “You’re embarrassing yourself…..and you're very unhinged too…I'm glad we're over.”

“Embarrassing myself?” My voice broke. “You lied to me! You used me! You….”

“I told you,” he snapped. “You were never enough. You don’t turn me on, Elena. You never did.”

Something inside me cracked. “I gave you everything I had!”

“And that’s the problem,” he said, his tone colder than ice. “You gave too much. You don’t know when to stop.”

Camilla laughed softly behind him. “God, this is painful to watch. She’s still in love with you.”

“Get out,” Liam said suddenly.

“What?”

“You heard me. Leave.”

I looked at him, waiting for him to laugh. To take it back. But he didn’t.

He just wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her close like I was invisible.

My voice shook. “You’ll regret this, Liam.”

He smirked. “I doubt it.”

Camilla grinned, resting her hand over her stomach. “Don’t forget your shoes on the way out, sweetheart.”

That was it.

The moment I realized the version of me that loved him… died.

I walked out. My legs moved, but I didn’t feel them. My vision became blurred as my ears rang. 

By the time I hit the front door, I was sobbing so hard I couldn’t see straight. I ran outside, my mascara and my makeup already ruined 

The sky looked wrong like it understood what I was going through. 

“Six years,” I whispered to no one. “Six fucking years.”

I thought of the nights I stayed awake for him,the sacrifices, the lies I told my dad. The way I believed every word Liam ever said.

And all for this.

My phone buzzed in my pocket.

Liam was calling me.

I picked it up, my voice shaking. “What do you want?”

He sighed. “I just wanted to say… don’t come to the wedding if you’re going to make a scene.”

Then he hung up.

That was the last straw.

I threw the phone into the street, screaming until my throat burned. The rain started pouring, soaking me to the bone. I didn’t care.

My vision blurred. I stumbled forward,

crying so hard I couldn’t even see the headlights coming.

All I heard was the blaring of horn and the screeching of tires. 

And then pitch black darkness.