LOGINMAGO’S POV
Buying the rose and the jewelry was easy. Both shops were along the way home, almost mocking me with how simple it was to pick objects meant to fix something far more complicated. I climbed the stairs with an unfamiliar urgency, laid everything neatly on the bed, then turned toward the closet.
Our clothes were separated. Hers on one side, mine on the other—orderly, distant, just like us.
I opened her closet and cursed under my breat
MAGO’S POVBuying the rose and the jewelry was easy. Both shops were along the way home, almost mocking me with how simple it was to pick objects meant to fix something far more complicated. I climbed the stairs with an unfamiliar urgency, laid everything neatly on the bed, then turned toward the closet.Our clothes were separated. Hers on one side, mine on the other—orderly, distant, just like us.I opened her closet and cursed under my breath. Red everywhere. Dresses, blouses, fabrics that screamed confidence and heat. I rubbed the back of my neck. I would have to go through everything just to find the one dress I had in mind. I thought being romantic was instinctive. Turns out, it’s work. Work I wasn’t used to doing. Maybe that’s why I avoided it. Maybe that’s why I told myself I’d only do this once.I took a deep breath and reached in—Then I saw it.I pulled the box out sl
ARLENE’S POV: Janine was already waiting at the dining table when I arrived, her hands wrapped tightly around a mug that had long gone cold. The moment our eyes met, her shoulders sagged—like she had been bracing herself for me, like she already knew how shattered I was before I even opened my mouth. There was worry in her gaze, thick and unguarded, and I hated myself for bringing it with me again. Still, I couldn’t pretend. Not with her. Not tonight.“Budz.”The word broke out of me before I could stop it. I crossed the room and collapsed into her arms, my body shaking as if it had been holding itself together for too long. “I’m scared.”Her arms closed around me instantly, firm and familiar, the kind of embrace that had carried me through a thousand silent breakdowns. “That’s exactly what Pat and I have been telling you,” she said softly, but her voice cracked anyway. “Budz… you’re tired. You’re bleeding. It’s time to let go.”I pulled back just enough to shake my head, my chest ti
*Arlene's POV*I was too exhausted to move. The weight of my body pressed into the mattress, pulling me down, as if the bed itself were swallowing me whole. Every inch of me ached—not from sickness, but from too many sleepless nights that had blurred into one long, endless fatigue.Mago never chose a time. Sometimes it was early morning, sometimes between work hours. His needs came like clockwork—but one I could never predict. I never refused him. The thought of rejection—the dread that he might find comfort in someone else—kept me still, silent, and obedient.Now, my body was rebelling. The exhaustion pulsed through me like a fever, roaring in my veins, demanding surrender. I couldn’t keep up anymore. So, I called in sick. Let them think it was just fatigue. Just weariness. That was easier to explain than the truth—that I was slowly unraveling.“Arlene?” Nana’s voice cut through the f
*ARELEN’S POV*They always say timing is everything.But no one ever warns you what to do when your body says yes at the exact moment your mind whispers, This is dangerous.I thought I was just playing the game Patricia taught me. A subtle move. A flick of the wrist, a calculated sway of the hips, a sideways glance that promised mischief and dared him to chase. She said if I ever wanted to grab Mago’s attention—really grab it—I had to stop acting like I didn’t know what I was doing.I tried it.And Mago noticed.God, did he notice.One second, he was watching me from across the ballroom like he always did—eyes smoldering, jaw set like he was grinding down temptation between his teeth. The next, his hand was wrapped around mine, firm and silent, and he was pulling me out of that hall like I had just flipped the kill switch on his restraint.He didn’t speak. He didn’t ask.He just took.And I let him.Maybe I should’ve felt nervous. Maybe I should’ve been smarter. But the way he dragged
*Mago's POV* We all gathered—me and the rest of the gang—for Stuart’s big surprise proposal redo. Yeah, you heard that right: redo. This was take two because the first one didn’t go as planned—long story. Now, Stuart was set on making it unforgettable. The guy even made sure everything was picture-perfect, down to the last rose petal on the floor. Classic Stuart move. Super cheesy. He even made sure the rest of us wore white—as in, full-on “attend-a-wedding-you-didn’t-plan-for” kind of white. Apparently, if Patricia said yes, we were rolling straight into an instant ceremony. Bro didn’t just bring a ring. He brought a judge for the wedding. I was chuckling to myself, sipping from a champagne flute I didn't even like, scanning the crowd when my eyes locked on her. Arlene. She stood a few feet away, surrounded by Janine, Vivienne, and Cerise. The girl gang. Who would've thought they'd hit it off so fast? They were laughing at something, probably some inside joke I wouldn’t get. But I
*Mago’s POV*I stared blankly at the ceiling, my arm resting behind my head as dim light bled through the room, casting faint, flickering shadows across the walls. The air was warm and thick with the remnants of what we’d just done—our heat still lingering on the sheets, on my skin, in my chest.Beside me, Arlene slept—peaceful, vulnerable, tangled in the chaos we had just created.Her body was curled toward mine, like it belonged there, like this bed was her home. Her lips were slightly parted, her breathing soft and steady, as if she was dreaming of something tender—something I would never give her.And I hated it.I hated how easily she could rest next to me, trust me. I hated the way my chest ached just looking at her. Because this wasn’t supposed to happen. It was never meant to feel like this.I wasn’t supposed to fall.I was supposed to use her.Ruin







