Chapter 1: Shattered Vows

Chandria's POV

“Hey, Daniel. Are you coming to our fourth anniversary celebration tonight? You know we planned this, right?” I asked eagerly, my heart fluttering with excitement.

“Yeah. I'll be there.” His voice was distant. Detached. Odd, but I shook it off.

“Okay, see you. I love you.”

“Okay.”

He ended the call before I could respond. My lips parted, ready to say something—anything—but all I heard was the empty beep of the disconnected line.

No "I love you" back. No warmth in his tone.

I stared at my phone, my fingers tightening around it.

Was he distracted? Tired? Or was something wrong? Doubt crept into my chest, whispering unwelcome thoughts. Four years together, and yet, lately, he felt distant. Cold. Maybe I was overthinking. Maybe tonight, everything would change.

Forcing a smile, I shook off the unease. He promised he’d be there. That was enough. Right?

Tonight was special. I just knew he would propose. I could feel it.

I placed my phone on the vanity and checked my reflection in the mirror. My long, dark hair cascaded in soft waves over my shoulders, and my makeup was flawless—just enough to enhance my features without looking overdone. The red dress I wore hugged my curves perfectly, its silky fabric clinging to my body like a second skin. I wanted this night to be unforgettable.

I grabbed my purse and left my apartment, my heart thudding with anticipation.

The restaurant was warm, filled with the soft hum of chatter and clinking glasses. Golden chandeliers bathed the space in a gentle glow, and the scent of roasted lamb and fresh bread filled the air.

I sat at our reserved table, my fingers tapping lightly against the polished surface.

A waiter approached. “What would you like to order, ma’am?”

I shook my head with a polite smile. “I’m waiting for someone.”

Minutes passed. Then an hour.

Excitement slowly turned into unease.

Where was he?

Just as I reached for my phone, I heard footsteps.

“Chandria.”

I turned with a bright smile—only for it to freeze on my lips.

Daniel stood before me. But he wasn’t alone.

Beside him was a woman.

My stomach twisted painfully. My fingers clenched around the edge of the table as I stared at her.

“C-Catherine?” My voice barely came out.

Why was she here? Why was she with Daniel?

I looked at him, searching for an answer. “W-Why is she with you?”

He glanced at her, then back at me. The words that followed shattered my world.

“I want you to meet my fiancée.”

The restaurant fell into silence—or maybe it was just my mind, drowning everything else out.

“W-What?” My breath hitched. My legs wobbled. I clutched the table for support.

No. This had to be a joke!

“What do you mean… your fiancée?” My voice trembled. “We’ve been together for four years, Daniel! You said you had something important to tell me tonight. You were going to propose, right?”

Catherine’s sharp laugh cut through the air. I reached out, desperate as I stood up.

“Daniel!”

But she shoved me back. Hard!

“Back off, bitch. Don’t touch my man!”

I stumbled, my heels slipping on the polished floor. My back collided with the table, sending glasses and plates crashing to the ground. Gasps erupted from nearby diners.

Pain shot through my palms as glass shards dug into my skin. But nothing compared to the agony tearing through my chest.

Catherine stepped closer, towering over me as I sat humiliated on the floor.

I knew her.

How could I forget?

She was my tormentor. My nightmare. The girl who made my college years hell.

And now, she was Daniel’s fiancée?

I turned to him. The man I loved. The man I trusted.

But his eyes… they were cold. Indifferent.

He didn’t flinch. He didn’t move to help me.

Tears streamed down my face. My heart pounded violently. Four years. Four years of love, of promises… destroyed in a second!

“You never stood a chance,” Catherine sneered, smirking. “We’ve been planning this for a long time. Everything… was a game to him.”

Her words cut like knives. My body trembled as I shook my head. “No. That can’t be true…”

I turned to Daniel, pleading. “Tell me she’s lying! Tell me you love me!”

He scoffed, eyes filled with disgust. “Don’t be so fucking naive, Chandria.”

Each word was a dagger. My heart cracked, piece by piece.

“This was all just a game,” he continued. “A way to make you realize how worthless you are. Do you really think I could ever love someone like you?”

Air fled my lungs. My vision blurred.

Daniel stepped closer. “Didn’t you notice? I never really cared. And yet, you still clung to me. Pathetic.”

My lips trembled. “But I—”

“You can’t even conceive a child.”

The final blow.

Pain exploded in my chest, unbearable and suffocating.

Beside him, Catherine laughed, linking her arm through his. “Let’s go, darling.”

“Yeah, let’s get out of here.”

I watched, horrified, as they turned their backs on me.

No. No. This wasn’t real. This was a nightmare!

“NO! WAIT!” I screamed, voice raw with desperation.

Daniel stopped. For a second, hope flickered, thinking he would finally listen to me.

Then, he spoke. “Enough!” His tone was ice. “I never cared about you, Chandria. You were nothing but a worthless piece of trash I wanted to discard.”

He snapped his fingers. “Guards.”

Two men in black suits appeared beside me.

“Throw her out.”

My eyes widened in horror. “N-No! Please!” I struggled, but their grips were ironclad. “Daniel, don’t do this!”

He didn’t even flinch.

The guards dragged me away. Other people in the restaurant whispered, their eyes filled with pity and amusement.

We reached the back alley. Without hesitation, they shoved me to the ground.

My body hit the cold pavement, pain shooting through me.

One of them sneered, kicking over a garbage bin. Filth spilled beside me, the stench making me gag.

“Stay out of Sir Daniel’s life,” the other warned. “You don’t belong near him!”

Then they left.

I lay there, curled up and broken, while tears streamed down my face. The cold pavement beneath me seeped into my skin, its rough surface biting against my arms and legs.

My body trembled. My breath hitched in ragged sobs, my fingers clenching into the filth-strewn ground as if grasping for some semblance of stability. How had everything fallen apart so quickly?

I was betrayed. Humiliated. Destroyed.