chapter 1

Emily POV

I was nervous as I got ready for dinner with Williams. He had said he had something important to tell me, and I couldn't help but wonder if it was what I was hoping it would be.

We had been together for eight months, and I had started to daydream about the possibility of a future together.

As I put the finishing touches on my outfit, I took a deep breath and tried to calm my nerves. I told myself that I was probably overthinking things, but I couldn't help but hope he would ask me the question I'd been waiting for.

I couldn't deny that I had strong feelings for Williams. Even though we had only been together for eight months, I had fallen head over heels for him.

He was charming, funny, and sweet, and I couldn't imagine being with anyone else. I felt like a teenager with a schoolgirl crush, and the thought of him asking me to spend the rest of my life with him made my heart flutter. I was ready to say yes, no matter what.

I arrived at the restaurant a few minutes late, feeling flustered. I had gotten caught up at the nail salon, where I had my nails done, especially for the occasion.

I was starting to feel silly for getting so worked up over the possibility of a proposal, but I couldn't help myself.

As I walked into the restaurant, I scanned the room for Williams, feeling butterflies in my stomach. When I spotted him, I felt a mix of emotions. I was excited to see him, but also nervous about what might happen next. I took a deep breath and walked towards him.

As I approached the table, I noticed Williams was with someone. It was Sophia, my best friend.

At first, I was hopeful that this meant Williams was about to propose to me. It crossed my mind that perhaps Williams had invited Sophia to be present for the proposal. Maybe he wanted her to be a part of such a special moment in our lives since she was such a close friend to me.

But as I sat down at the table, I noticed something: Williams and Sophia were holding hands.

I felt a wave of shock. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. I did not know what to think or how to react.

“We’re getting married." Sophia announced, ‘With a straight face.

My heart sank, and I felt like I was going to be sick. I turned to Williams, hoping that this was all some kind of horrible joke, but he just nodded in agreement.

I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. My mind was spinning, and I felt like I couldn’t breathe. Sophia’s words were like a punch to the gut. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing.

‘What do you mean, you’re getting married?’ I stammered, my voice trembling. ‘I thought we were... I thought we were happy.’ I looked at Williams, pleading for him to deny what I was hearing, but he just looked at me with a blank expression on his face.

“We’ve been seeing each other for a while,” Sophia continued. “We know this must be difficult for you to hear, but we didn’t want to lie to you. We care about you, and we don’t want to hurt you. We feel like this is the right time, to be honest. We’re in love, and we’re getting married.”

I looked at Sophia and then at Williams, trying to make sense of what was happening. ‘Please tell me this is a joke,’ I begged, my voice breaking. I could feel the tears welling up in my eyes.

This couldn’t be real. This couldn’t be happening. But the looks on their faces told me otherwise. I felt like I was going to pass out.

The restaurant had gone quiet, and I could feel all eyes on me.

I was crying and shouting, and I could feel my face turning red with anger and embarrassment.

I could hear people whispering, and I saw a few of them taking out their phones to record the scene.

I was mortified.

I felt like I was about to explode. In a fit of rage, I slapped Sophia.

"You're being ridiculous," Williams snapped, his tone sharp. "This is no way to react. We're trying to be honest with you. You're just making this more difficult than it needs to be.

"Are you okay?" Williams whispered, placing his arm around her protectively. "I'm so sorry that she reacted this way," he mumbled, looking at me with disappointment.

I stood there, frozen in place. I felt like I couldn't couldn't catch my breath. Tears welled up in my eyes, and I felt a wave of emotions wash over me. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. I felt like I was trapped in a nightmare and I couldn't wake up.

I didn't regret slapping Sophia. She deserved it. I felt betrayed and hurt by both Sophia and Williams. I couldn't believe that Sophia would betray our friendship like that. And I couldn't believe that Williams would so easily leave me for someone else.

I was angry and devastated, and I couldn't help but wonder if I had done something to drive him away. Had I been a bad girlfriend?

I fled from the restaurant, dashing out the front door and into the cool night air.

I didn't know where I was going, but I knew I had to get away from that place.

As I ran, I could hear Williams calling out, but I didn't turn back. I just kept running until I reached the end of the block.

****************************

I lay in bed, looking at the photos of Williams and Sophia on my phone. They looked so happy, so in love.

I felt like I was disappearing like I didn't exist anymore. I cried until my eyes were swollen and I couldn't cry anymore. All I could do was stare at the pictures, trying to understand how this could have happened.

The memory of Sophia's squealed reaction, when I told her about Williams came flooding back to me.

"OMG girl, I'm so happy for you!" she exclaimed. "He's so handsome, tall, and rich. This time will be different - you guys will end up together!" she had said with a smile.

At the time, her words had made me feel hopeful and excited. But now, they just made me feel foolish and betrayed.