The night everything changed

Cassandra’s POV

“Get out of my office! I don’t want to hurt you!” Killian roars, his voice laced with a venom I have never heard from him before.

I stare at him, my heart sinking deeper into my chest with every passing second. This is the same man who used to hold my face in his hands and promise me forever. Now, he can’t even look at me without disgust contorting his features.

It had all started the night before. I was at his place, waiting for him to return from work like I always did. I remembered sitting comfortably on the couch, holding up my phone to record a quick video of myself. Then, everything went pitch black. A sharp, violent pain exploded at the back of my head, and consciousness slipped away before I could even scream.

When I opened my eyes again, I was lying naked in bed beside a stranger who was completely unclothed. My head throbbed violently as I tried to process the nightmare. Before I could even pull the sheets over my body, the bedroom door swung open.

Killian stood in the doorway.

I would never forget the look in his eyes. He didn't ask what happened. He didn't give me a single second to explain. He just stared at me as if I had turned into a stranger overnight. Since that moment, he has refused to speak to me. And now, standing in his office this morning, I am desperately begging him not to throw away everything we have built.

“Killian,” I call softly, my voice trembling despite my desperate attempt to hold it together. “Please, I can explain. I swear I didn't sleep with that man. I was set up!”

“Don’t lie to me, Cassandra. Get the hell out!”

My lips part, but no sound comes out. His eyes, which used to soften whenever they met mine, are cold, distant, and painfully empty. I search them for even a trace of the man I love, but there is nothing. It is as if my presence has been erased from his memory.

“Killian, I didn't do it! I have proof—just let me show you!” I plead, taking a step toward him.

“Damn it, Cassandra, stop lying!” Killian slams his palm onto the desk with a deafening crack.

I flinch so hard my whole body jerks.

“I saw you with my own eyes!” he spits, his jaw clenching tightly. “You brought your lover into my house and fucked him in my bed! I should have listened to my parents. I should have listened when they said you weren't good enough for me. You're nothing but a slut and a pathetic liar.”

The words cut deeper than the blow that knocked me unconscious. My eyes burn, and before I can stop them, hot tears spill over my lashes.

“It was a setup,” I whisper, my voice breaking into soft sobs. “Please, Killian, just listen to me. I don't even know who that man was! I swear on my life, I didn't—” I reach out, trying to touch his arm.

“Don't you dare touch me!” he snarls, recoiling.

My fingers curl back into my palms as another wave of tears blurs my vision.

“Please,” I choke out, digging frantically through my bag for my phone. “Let me just show you...”

“Security!” Killian calls out coldly.

My heart shatters. Within moments, two heavy footsteps echo as security guards enter the office.

“Get this woman out of my sight,” Killian commands, turning his back on me.

“Miss Cassandra, please come with us peacefully,” one of the guards says sternly. “Don’t make us drag you.”

I stare at Killian's back, silently praying he will turn around and put a stop to this. But he doesn't. He doesn't look at me once. I allow the guards to usher me out, my legs trembling so badly they can barely support my weight. I keep looking back until the office doors shut, sealing him away from me.

Outside Hawthorne Enterprises, the crisp morning air hits my tear-stained face. I walk toward the gates with my head lowered, feeling the crushing weight of every stare and the sharp whispers of the staff following me like shadows. I am no longer welcome in a place where I used to bring him lunch, where we spent countless late nights together. A wave of nausea hits me as the memories flood back.

“Cassie!” someone calls out.

I stop and turn to see Calista, my best friend hurrying toward me, the sharp click of her heels echoing across the marble floor.

What is she doing here? I wonder.

Her face is twisted with deep concern as she closes the distance between us. We have known each other since childhood; our families were tied together because her parents were wealthy business partners with Killian's family, while my mother worked as a maid at the Hawthorne villa. Back then, Killian, Calista, and I used to play together in the gardens, and till we both grew up, we were inseparable weaving our lives permanently together.

“I heard what happened,” Calista says gently, reaching for me. “Are you okay?”

That single question shatters whatever fragile composure I have left.

“No, I'm not okay, Cali... I'm not,” I sob, burying my face in my hands.

She immediately pulls me into a warm embrace, rubbing my back slowly.

“He didn't believe me,” I cry against her shoulder. “He wouldn't even let me explain!”

“How did you find out about this?” I ask after a moment, pulling back to wipe my nose.

“The whole family knows already,” Calista sighs softly. “But I know you didn't do it, Cassie. I know who you are.”

I close my eyes tightly. His family already knows. The same people who smiled at me when I was just a maid's daughter, only to turn cold the moment Killian introduced me as his girlfriend. They made it clear every single day that I wasn't worthy of their son. And now, this. I have to figure out who is behind this frame-up.

“How did that man even get into the house?” Calista asks, her brow furrowing. “Why was he in bed next to you?”

“I don't know,” I whisper, wiping away my tears with trembling fingers. “All I know is that I was set up. But I have proof! I checked my phone this morning, my camera was still recording from when I was making that video. It captured everything. The attack, the man walking into the room... all of it.”

Calista’s eyes widen in visible shock. “You... you have video proof?”

“Yes! It’s all on my phone,” I say hastily.

“Oh...” she mutters, her voice dropping.

I pause, studying her closely. “Why do you look so surprised?”

For a split second, an odd, uncomfortable flicker crosses her expression before she quickly forces a small laugh.

“Come on, Cassie, I'm not surprised! I'm just relieved. I'm so glad you have something to prove your innocence, that changes everything!”

I search her eyes for another moment, but the faint flicker of suspicion in my mind quickly dissolves under the weight of my panic. I grab her hands, holding them tightly.

“Please, Cali, help me talk to him,” I plead desperately. “You're his best friend. He’ll listen to you. Just convince him to give me five minutes so I can show him the video.”

“Of course. We’ll figure this out together, don't worry, sweetie,” Calista promises, giving me a reassuring smile.

“Thank you, Cali.”

She squeezes my hand before letting go. “I think you should go home for now and rest. I'll call you once he calms down, and then you can come over to his place tonight to talk.”

I nod numbly. We share a brief hug before I turn and walk away.

I sit in my car outside the complex for nearly an hour, staring blankly through the windshield. The thought of going home terrifies me; I can already picture the unbearable disappointment on my parents' faces. They have probably heard the news by now, my phone is already filled with missed calls from them, though not a single one from Killian. I rest my forehead against the steering wheel and exhale a shaky breath. Killian never stays angry with me for long. Even when we had terrible arguments, his temper usually faded within thirty minutes. But this is different. This time, I can feel him slipping away forever.

By the time I finally gather the courage to drive home, hours have passed. I can't hide forever. I need my parents, and I need to tell them the truth. Whoever has done this to me isn't going to stop until every piece of my life is destroyed.

When I pull into our driveway, an eerie silence hangs over the compound. My stomach instantly knots. It is never this quiet at home. I step out of the car, my heart hammering against my ribs as I approach the front door. With every step, a cold dread creeps up my spine.

I push the door open and step inside and for the second time today, my entire world shatters into pieces.

My phone slips from my paralyzed fingers, crashing onto the hard floor with a deafening thud.

“Ahhhhh!”