3.

Ethan lowered his gaze in disapproval. “Let her go,” he said, his voice fuming in anger. He looked out of the window as Lyra alighted from the vehicle.

“Thanks for the ride.”

The vehicle sped off as she waved goodbye.

An hour later…

Lyra reached Liam's house which was nearby, she needed to freshen up before embarking on a journey to her house.

Lyra clutched the spare key she had to unlock Liam's apartment door.

Inserting the key in the keyhole, she jerked at a ringtone from her phone and accidentally pushed the door open. The caller's number wasn't saved on her phone so she ignored the call.

The unlocked door appeared strange. “Liam would never leave his apartment door open especially when he's at work,” Lyra's brows furrowed, and she walked in with raised shoulders.

Lyra gasped, dumbfounded at what her eyes met - pink heels at the front door and a masculine black shoe.

She swallowed a non-existent lump in her throat.“Erm…it could be his mum,” She assured before letting her negative thoughts take over.

Lyra shut the door behind her, waking in.

“Mrs. Ashford?” she let out, her soft voice not audible enough.

The scattered living room made her heartbeat cease for a moment. ”Could it be a thief?” her thoughts ran wild as she heard indistinct chattering from Liam's bedroom.

Lyra took a fire extinguisher from the kitchen as a tool of defense, in case the thief she assumed tried to strike.

Her footsteps towards the bedroom door were quiet, and she tiptoed. She gently pushed the room door open, her eyes balled out at Liam's favorite pants on the bed and a female's dress.

The fire extinguisher slipped from her hand to the bed. Liam's voice and female giggling became audible from the bathroom. “Yes, baby. Do you love that?” Liam's voice brought tears to her eyes.

“Not really! Not until you stop running after that poor wrecked lady, Lyra,” Diana responded.

“Come on baby, I told you several times that I only crave to have a night with her. Since she was playing hard to get, I had to engage her,” Liam responded.

“But she's still not letting you, right? I'm the only one for you, why can't you see that?” Diana said.

Now, Lyra believed her instincts. “Oh no, It can't be,” Lyra warned, she didn't hesitate to push the bathroom door open.

She froze and stared with wide eyes, her eyes fell on her best friend, Diana on Liam's lap.

Liam's head jerked towards the door and his eyes met hers. “Lyra?” he muttered, panic marking his face.

“Liam, please. Don't call that asshole's name, you said she couldn't offer what I could,” Diana moaned, pulling him closer but she noticed a bit of distance.

Liam pushed her away, he ran towards Lyra with his hands covering his privates which were still shimmering in Diana's vile wetness.

A dark cloud of sorrow suspended over Lyra as salty tears fell from her stinging eyes.

“Shit!” Diana muttered with her palm covering her face, she couldn't make eye contact with Lyra.

“I can explain this, Lyra. It's not what you think,” Liam said, trying to convince her.

Lyra was gone before he could get out of the bathroom.

Lyra ran as fast as she could with tears streaming from her eyes, she couldn't control her tears after seeing the man she loved most pairing with her clingy best friend, Diana.

She wipes her tears, desperate to go home. Behind her was a Mercedez Benz, Ethan spying on her, he followed her every step and wouldn't stop until he found her home.

Lyra took a cab, desperate to go home. She wiped her tears to avoid questions from her family members or neighbors.

A ringtone oozed from her phone, she took a look at the caller's name with her watery eyes. “My love - Liam,” she scoffed, a tear dropped and she quickly wiped it off. She frowned as she switched off her phone,

“Jerk!”

Lyra got home later in the afternoon, her shoulders shrugged and eyes weary. What a relief! No one was at home.

“Why did they all leave after my party?" Lyra thought, She walked straight to her room to clean up, she couldn't help but cry it out in the shower.

“Why am this foolish? Why?” she cried out blaming herself. She has been in a relationship with Liam for almost all her life.

Liam has been her childhood friend and as time passed on, they began to have romantic attachments.

“Even if Liam didn't care about our relationship which was driving to marriage what about our friendship? D-Diana too,” she wept.

After hours of pouring out her heart in the shower, she decided to encourage herself that she would move on.

With a forced smile on her face, she walked out of the restroom. “I'm glad I lost my innocence with that arrogant Harrison instead of that devil I called my fiance,” she thought, “If not for the nightstand I had with Harrison, I wouldn't have known what Liam was up to.”

Lyra threw herself to the bed, trying her best not to shed another tear for what had happened. Her nonaction made her think more about Liam so she decided to have lunch.

Lyra took some meals from the freezer and put it in the microwave. She was hungry and had no appetite to eat.

Her puffy eyes stared at the blank screen on her cell phone as she waited for her food to warm up. Lyra had no appetite, she was trying to forget about Liam and move on.

“Ugh… I forgot to phone Mum,” Her lips quivered. She switched on her phone, listening to her instincts.

Lyra's jaw slacked, she had five missed calls from Mum and two from her younger sister, Piper Hart. Just before she could call back her Mum, a message popped in.

“Sis, could you believe my arranged marriage began at 1:00 p.m. today? That arrogant billionaire asked to get married now. Please come call off the wedding, mum wouldn't listen,” Lyra read out.

Her heart raced when she saw the time on her cellphone. “2:30 pm?” she screamed, switching off the microwave.

The groom's parents agreed that the marriage would be performed next month. Why would they suddenly change the date?