Chapter 1

I didn’t know that one night could ruin everything.

If I had known, I would have stayed home.

I would have ignored the invitation, ignored the dress laid neatly on my bed, and definitely not ignored the voice in my head telling me that I didn’t belong there.

But it was my sister’s engagement party. And she has been there for me even during times I didn’t know I needed someone. And she wanted me there, that alone was enough to make me go.

Getting to the venue, it was everything I expected elegant, expensive, and perfect, Just like her.

I stood at the edge of the room, fingers tightening around my clutch as I watched her from a distance . She moved effortlessly through the crowd, smiling, laughing, glowing under the soft lights, People loved her.

They always did.

“Try not to look like you’re about to run away” Her voice came from behind me, soft and familiar.

I turned, forcing a small smile. “I’m fine.”

She studied me for a moment, her eyes gentle but searching, like she could see through every thought I was trying to hide.

“You don’t have to be nervous,” she said, adjusting a loose strand of my hair. “Just stay close to me, okay?”

I nodded.

That was easy enough, staying close to her had always been easy.

The night went on.

Music filled the air. Glasses clinked. Laughter echoed around me, Everything felt normal.

Until it just didn’t anymore..

At first, it was just a strange heaviness, like my body was slowly sinking into itself.

I shifted my weight, blinking a few times as I tried to focus on the people around me. The lights seemed brighter, the noise louder.

A little too loud

“Are you okay?” I didn’t even notice when she walked back to me.

“I’m fine,” I said quickly, even though I wasn’t sure if that was true anymore.

She frowned slightly, her hand resting lightly on my arm. “You look a little pale. Maybe you should sit down”

“Yeah… maybe.”

But I didn’t move, because something felt… off.

Not enough to panic.

Just enough to make me uneasy.

I stepped away from the crowd, needing space, needing air.

The hallway outside was quieter, dimmer. My heels clicked softly against the floor as I walked, each step slower than the last.

Why do I feel like this?

I pressed a hand against my temple, trying to steady myself.

“Hey…” the voice made me freeze, it was low, calm,

unfamiliar.

I turned slowly.

A man stood a few steps away, his face partly hidden by the dim lighting.

“Are you okay?” he asked.

I opened my mouth to answer, but the words came out weaker than I expected. “I… I just need a minute.”

He stepped closer, not too close, just enough to feel his presence.

“You don’t look fine,” he said quietly. “You should sit.”

I hesitated.

I didn’t know him.

I shouldn’t trust him.

But my head was spinning, and the ground didn’t feel steady anymore.

“I can take you somewhere quieter,” he added.

Somewhere quieter.

That sounded right.

That sounded safe.

“I think… yeah,” I whispered.

That was my mistake.

The walk felt longer than it should have.

Or maybe it was just me.

My steps were uneven, my thoughts slipping through my fingers like I couldn’t hold onto them.

“I don’t feel right…” I murmured.

“You just need to rest,” he replied.

His voice was steady.

Too steady.

The door opened.

Then closed.

The room was quiet.

Too quiet.

I tried to focus, tried to stay present, but everything felt distant, Blurred, Wrong.

I knew something wasn’t right.

I just didn’t know what.

“Relax,” he said softly.

And for a moment… I did.

But my body didn’t feel like mine anymore, it was longing for something and I really couldn’t explain what it was… My thoughts were too slow to fight, everything that followed felt like a dream I couldn’t wake up from.

The next morning, I woke up in unfamiliar sheets.

My head throbbed.

My body ached.

And the memory of the night before came in fragments, broken, incomplete, but enough to make my chest tighten with panic.

I turned slightly.

He was there!

He was sleeping peacefully like he was meant to be here!

It was real.

Not a dream.

Fear hit me instantly.

I grabbed my clothes, my hands shaking as I got dressed as quickly as I could.

I didn’t look at him again, not to even know how he was!

I couldn’t.

I just needed to leave.

The hallway felt different in the morning.

Too bright. Too real.

I walked back toward the main hall, my heart pounding harder with every step.

And then I saw her.

My sister.

Standing in the center of the room.

She was smiling, happy and I was going towards her and almost immediately I froze!

Because she wasn’t alone anymore, Her hand was wrapped around his arm.

And this time…

I could see his face clearly.

My heart stopped.

My breath caught.

My entire world came trembling.

Because the man I had just left in that room…

Was her fiancé.