Their Little White Lie

SABRINA

I had been dreaming of this trip for years, and the moment Alex and I could finally afford it, he brought his mistress along.

Nightpark was my sanctuary, a place of memories and magic. Just two miles from the city, it offered nature in its purest form—water parks, gardens, streams, resorts, guesthouses, and a breathtaking beach. My favorite memory of my dad was here: I was six, proudly showing him the shiny blue crystal the ocean had gifted me.

This trip was supposed to be just as magical. Instead, I stood frozen outside our room, listening to the unmistakable sounds of Alex and another woman. Their moans and grunts stabbed me like knives.

I clamped my mouth shut, shaking my head in disbelief. I told myself it couldn’t be him. Maybe two lost strangers had stumbled into our room. Desperation kept me from walking away.

But when I pushed the door open, the truth hit harder than I expected.

Her back was pressed against the wall, her legs wrapped around his waist. His hands gripped her thighs as he drove into her, their faces so close their groans mingled in the tiny space between them. They hadn’t even bothered to undress. Her dress was hiked up, and his pants were bunched around his ankles.

I nearly vomited. A choked sound escaped me, and they froze. Like lightning, Alex yanked himself away from her, fumbling with his pants.

I recognized her instantly. Scarlet red lips. She’d been at our engagement hangout—a small, intimate event with loved ones. Alex had introduced her as his second cousin who was eager to meet me. Eager indeed.

“Wow, Alex—” I started, my voice sharp and cold.

He scrambled, guilt written all over his face. “Sabrina, it’s not what it looks like! I swear I can explain—”

“Keep your explanation, Alex,” I spat. “This is over.”

The words weren’t enough. I slipped one of my acrylic bangles off and hurled it at him. He ducked, but it grazed his face. It should’ve hit him where it really hurt—right in the balls.

“What’s over?” he asked, like a complete idiot.

“This vacation. This relationship. This engagement,” I snapped. “When I come back, you had better find another room and be out of my sight.”

I turned to his mistress—Maggie. She was cowering behind him, too gutless to face me. How fitting that he’d cheat with someone spineless. “He’s all yours now,” I told her. “Enjoy him while you can. Someone else will come along and take him from you soon enough.”

Alex reached for my hand, but I slapped him hard across the face. Then I walked out, shoulders squared, holding in the tears that threatened to spill.

The beach stretched before me, its sands glimmering under the moonlight. I headed to the holiday bar, where the night was still alive. People mingled, laughing, and drinking, but I felt nothing but anger and exhaustion.

“Vodka,” I told the bartender. Then I added, “And some bacon.”

If I was going to drown my sorrows in alcohol, I needed something solid to hold me together for the long night ahead.

The vodka came before the bacon, so I ordered another.

The bartender, a frail man in an ash-gray bicycle hat, rolled his eyes. He dropped his rag, walked out the front exit, and I watched through the window as he retrieved the bacon from the stand.

When he came back, he still wore that scowl. I braced myself for another eye roll.

“Normally, you’d have to get that yourself, but you look like you need all the help tonight,” he said, dropping the plate in front of me. “You’ve got smudged mascara. You’ve been crying.”

He returned to his station. Stubborn to take his word as truth, I pulled out my phone to check my reflection.

When did I even cry?

I shook my head. I looked like a mess. Tucking the phone away, I spoke mostly to myself. “I could’ve sworn I didn’t shed a tear.”

“Maybe you didn’t,” he said casually. “But I’m very observant. Who are you here with?”

My shoulders slumped at the question. He must’ve noticed because he immediately backpedaled.

“Did I say something wrong?”

I dabbed the corners of my eyes, but the tears wouldn’t stop. Great. Just great.

“It’s not you,” I muttered. “I swear, it’s not you.”

He stood quiet, watching me with a soft, patient gaze. It was comforting, even if I wished he would look away.

“I came with my fiancé,” I admitted, my voice small. “But we just broke up. He was with…”

“Oh.”

I wanted to brush it away.

“I don’t know your name,” I said. If he was the first person I told about Alex’s cheating, then I should as well know his name.

“Neither do I know yours.” He tipped his cap, lips curling into a faint smile. “Steward. And you?”

“Sabrina.”

“I wish I had met you in a better mood, but if it helps, your sadness can only dream of taking away your beauty. Your ex was stupid to do that to you.”

I needed to hear that. “Thank you, Steward,” I spoke from the bottom of my heart.

He nodded, but as another patron slid onto a bar stool, he had to move on. I was alone again, left with my thoughts.

So, Alex and I broke up. Fine. I wasn’t about to let that ruin my vacation.

I finished my bacon, glancing at the others in the bar as I thought about what came next. We’d only been at NightPark for two days, with two weeks still ahead, Christmas and New Year included.

I wasn’t letting sadness overthrow my plans. It couldn’t.

I was going to have the best vacation of my life.

****

An hour later, I went back to my room, ready to rain hell if Alex was still there.

He wasn’t. It was like he’d never been there at all. I almost felt grateful until I remembered him with Maggie. That killed any gratitude.

I peeled off my clothes, ran a hot bath, and washed my face in front of the mirror. After slipping into a blue nightgown and tying my hair up with a pink Scrunchie, I noticed two missed calls from Mom. I ignored them, tossing my phone onto the dresser.

I headed back to the bar, but Steward was gone. Without him, the place didn’t feel the same, so I left, looking for something else to do.

The sound of a live band drew me to the restaurant cabin. A cool night breeze played with my hair as I held up my gown and made my way to an outdoor wooden table.

I ordered a glass of champagne and sipped it while the music washed over me. The night felt alive, electric—and that’s when it hit me.

I need to fuck someone tonight.

I scanned the crowd, searching for a man who wasn’t taken and also looked promising. Just as I was considering my options, someone cleared his throat.

“Hi,” he said, far too smug.

“Hi,” I replied, wary.

Without asking, he slid into the seat beside me.

I shifted to the edge of my chair, already regretting this. I might be horny, but not for someone this…eager.

“Do you need something?” I asked when he started unloading his pockets onto the table.

He placed his phone, keys, and a pair of glasses, one item at a time.

“Uhm, you’re kind of in my space,” I said, edging farther away. Anymore and I’d be half off the seat.

“I know,” he replied casually, pulling out a cigarette and lighting it.

The smell hit me instantly, making me wrinkle my nose. That was it.

“Okay, you need to get away from me!” I snapped, standing up.

He chuckled, softening into something that almost seemed harmless. It was manipulative, and I didn’t buy it.

“I was just trying to talk,” he said, feigning innocence. “I didn’t think…”

I crossed my arms over my chest, cutting him off.

I didn’t care what he thought because all he had done was make me look crazy.

I was the girl snapping at someone who was just trying to talk.

Everyone stared, their eyes full of judgment—apologies for him, disapproval of me.

But I wasn’t about to let anyone ruin my night.

“You barged into my space,” I said firmly. “You don’t get to act like I overreacted. I didn’t. You should apologize.”

“Okay.” He chuckled, completely unbothered. “Okay,” he repeated, standing up slowly.

“And stop smoking that crap in my face,” I added, quieter this time. I didn’t need more attention.

He raised an eyebrow, his voice dripping with arrogance. “So, I’m supposed to apologize after you embarrassed me and spoke to me like that?”

This wasn’t turning into some enemies-to-lovers moment. This guy was arrogant, manipulative, and insufferable, and I’d figured all that out in five minutes.

Honestly, I’d rather crawl back into bed with Alex, and nothing on Earth could even make me do that.

“If you’d respected my space, we wouldn’t be here,” I snapped. “Since you didn’t, enjoy the whole table for your ego.”

I grabbed my glass, spun on my heel, and stormed off.

That’s when it happened.

I stepped on my gown, heard the fabric tear, and felt myself losing balance. Just one wrong step, and I had a few seconds to fall on my face.

I was going to embarrass myself some more and my heart fell before my body did.

But before I hit the floor, strong arms caught me.

It saved me, pulling me from chaos and holding me steady.

It was a stranger’s arm.