Chapter1
1112 Words
RAGE & BETRAYAL
~TESSA’S POV~
I have heard it so many times, so many damn f*****g times that I was starting to hate the sound of it all as I stood frozen in the doorway of my boyfriend’s office, watching him shove his tongue down his assistant’s throat.
“Love is a beautiful thing,” they say, “it is breathtaking, magical, something that makes your heart race in the best possible way.”
I just realized love is a goddamn lie.
The engagement ring in my hand felt like a joke…no, an insult. I had planned everything perfectly. A Valentine’s Day proposal. A trip to the Maldives. A future.
And here Ethan was, ripping it apart in the span of a few seconds.
I couldn't move. Couldn't speak.
My mind barely processed the sight of him gripping her waist, pressing her against his desk, the same desk where I had once sat, swinging my legs and listening to him talk about ‘our dreams.’
It was his assistant, Olivia. The same woman I had smiled in the hallways. The same woman who had gushed about how lucky I was to have Ethan.
Ethan that bastard.
How long had this been going on?
I must have made a sound….a sharp inhale, a broken breath—because suddenly, Ethan’s lips tore from hers. His blue eyes went wide, and Olivia gasped, stumbling back.
“Tessa…”
No. He should kept those dirty lips shut, I did not want to. I didn't need an explanation. There was absolutely nothing to explain.
I turned to my heel and bolted.
“Tessa wait” Ethan’s voice rang behind me, but I was already halfway down the hall, pushing past confused employees.
No, no, no. This isn't happening.
I burst through the building’s glass doors. Into the crisp February air, my heart beating like a war drum. My breath came out in short, sharp bursts, each one burning my throat.
The ring was still in my grip, the small velvet box pressed against my palm like a cruel reminder. I had spent weeks worrying over the perfect moment, picturing his stupid face lit up with joy.
Instead, that jerk had given his kisses to someone else.
“Screw him. Screw love. Screw everything.”
I walked blindly, rage and heartbreak blurring my vision. The street of Manhattan hustled around me. Couples laughing. Vendors selling flowers.
The entire city was mocking me, wrapped in a sickening fantasy of romance. I wanted to destroy something. Break something. Make someone feel as wrecked as me.
And Then I saw him.
A stranger.
Tall, broad shoulders. Dressed in a sleek black suit that screamed differently from the outfit theme of today. Everything about him oozed power.
His face was unreadable, sharp jawline set in a quiet detachment as he typed something on his phone.
Good enough.
Before I could second-guess myself, I marched up to him. His eyes shifted from his phone screen to mine…. Cool, assessing, utterly unimpressed.
Too bad.
“Here,” I snapped, grabbing his hand and shoving the engagement ring onto his finger. It fit surprisingly well.
His brow lifted slightly, the only clue of surprise. “I beg your pardon?”
“I am proposing.” my voice wobbled, but I kept my chin up. “Say yes” He stared at me, completely unreadable.
He must be convinced that I've completely lost my grip on reality.
Can you blame him? Just imagine finding yourself in the middle of a jaw-dropping moment between your boyfriend and his assistant—it's enough to make anyone's head spin.
“Excuse me?”
“Just….say yes.” my breath hitched. “Please.”
Something shifted in his expression. A slow, measured flick of his gaze, like he was piecing together a puzzle. The cold wind whipped around us, and for a moment neither of us moved.
And then, to my absolute shock, his lips curled into a smirk.
“I do.”
My stomach flipped. I hadn't expected him to agree.
His fingers tighten around mine, the metal of the ring cold against my skin. Something was annoying about the way he watched me like he knew I was running from something.
A throat cleared behind me.
“Tessa?”
No. No, no, no.
I turned slowly. Ethan stood a few feet away, his face a mess of panic and confusion. Olivia was nowhere to be seen. Probably hiding her shameful face.
But guilt clung to Ethan like a second skin.
His gaze dropped to my hand—the one still wrapped around the stranger’s. And his eyes landed on the ring. “His ring.”
I squared my shoulders, forcing a smile. “Oh. Hey, Ethan.”
He blinked. “What the hell is going on?”
I squeezed the stranger's hand tighter. “What do you mean? What does it look like? I'm engaged”
Ethan’s jaw clenched. “You are what?”
My mysterious fiance exhaled quite a sigh like this was some mild inconvenience in his busy day. He lifted our intertwined hands slightly, letting the light catch the diamond.
“She proposed” his voice was deep, smooth, unbothered. “I accepted.”
Ethan's face paled. “Tessa, what….”
“You don't get to ask me questions,” I Cut him off, my heart racing. “Not after what you did.”
His lips parted, but he didn't deny it. Guilt. There it was again. The stranger beside me tilted his head slightly, regarding Ethan with mild interest.
“And you are?”
Ethan swallowed. “I….” He straightened. “I am her boyfriend.”
I scoffed at the mention of my boyfriend. Wrong answer. I smiled, syrupy sweet. “Ex-boyfriend”
Ethan flinched. “Tessa, come on. Let's talk…”
“No.” One word. One final, definitive answer. I turned my head, meeting the stranger’s unreadable gaze. “Let's go babe”
He studied me for a moment, something substandard flickering behind those piercing gray eyes. And then, with a small nod, he laced his finger through mine.
“As you wish”
Without another glance at Ethan, I let the stranger guide me away. My pulse thrummed wildly, my brain struggling to catch up with what I had just done.
I had proposed to a stranger. And he had said yes. But the worst part?
As we walked away, I heard Ethan's voice…..low, disbelieving, and terrified.
“Boss?”
I froze. Slowly I turned my head, staring at Ethan. And then, at the stranger holding my hand. The realization hit me like a cargo train.
“Oh, shit.”
- Writer
