Beneath the ashes of betrayal

ChapterFour

My hands were still trembling as I pushed the door to Jade’s apartment. My heels dangled from one hand, my hair still messy from the night before, my emerald dress was wrinkled from being thrown on the floor of Alexander Voss’s hotel suite, and my skin still carried the faint scent of his cologne. Last night was a mistake - a reckless, passionate, and mind-blowing mistake.

The moment I stepped in, laughter floated down the hallway. Familiar laughter. Too familiar. I walked forward barefoot, the apartment smelled like fresh coffee and Maren’s favourite vanilla-scented candles. A house that welcomed me warmly a few hours ago now felt so cold and distant.

While I walked towards them, their voice reached me low and mocking.

“…you could have seen her face anytime I told her I would be working late,” Jade said, chuckling, “she actually believed me”

Maren's laughter rang out, of course she did. Freya’s always been too trusting. It's almost cute.

She always texts me to let me know if she hasn't heard from you when she can't reach you. I always tell her you are probably stressed and need space. Meanwhile… “we both know what kind of stress relief you need” she kissed his neck.

I froze at the edge of the door archway.

Jade sat comfortably on the big sofa in grey sweatpants. His hair looked untidy. Maren was curled up beside him in one of his white button-down shirts, her long hair spilling over her shoulder as she sipped coffee from my favourite mug. Their legs were tangled together. Her hand rested possessively on his bare chest. His fingers traced lazy circles on her bare lap like he’d done it a thousand times before.

They looked happy like this was their normal morning routine.

Maren leaned in and whispered something against his neck. Jade laughed softly and kissed her slowly, deeply, as if they had all the time in the world. As if I wasn't supposed to be walking through that door any minute. It was as if nothing had happened last night.

My breath ceased for a moment.

“How long?” My voice tore out raw and broken.

They both pulled apart slowly. No panic. No guilt. Just a mild surprise. Like I was an annoying interruption.

Jade's eyes scanned my messy hair, wrinkled dress, and faint mark on my collarbone. “Well, look who decided to come back home”.

Maren didn’t even bother fixing the shirt that was slipping off her shoulder. She just smiled at me - the same warm smile she used to give me when we’d have girls' night and talk about our future, how we would get married, and how we would carry our kids together to school.

Hey, babe,” she said lightly. “Rough night?”

I stared at them, the pieces coming together in my mind. The late nights, the canceled plans, the way Maren has been encouraging me to “give jade space for months”. The way she always knew exactly where he was.

How long have you been f*****g my fiancée at my back?!” I screamed, stepping fully into the room. Tears burned hot in my cheeks, but they were angry tears now. “My best friend? The person I told everything to? Why?

Jade sat up straighter, not even bothering to remove his hands from Maren’s thigh. “Don't act so self-righteous, Freya. You come crawling back here smelling of another man's cologne and you want to play the victim? His gaze dropped pointedly at the faint mark on my neck.

“That’s not the same and you know it!” My voice was filled with fury. I made one drunken mistake after months of you emotionally abandoning me! But this? This has been going on for months hasn’t it? All those times you told me you were working late’…. All those nights Maren said she was too tired to hang out with me. You two were here laughing at me!.

Maren sighed dramatically, as if I were being unreasonable. It just happened, Freya. We didn’t plan it. But honestly? Jake and I make sense together. We’re on the same level. You have always been a little… basic for him.”

The words hit like a slap. I laughed bitterly through my tears.

“Basic” I moved cities for you jade, I gave up opportunities so you could chase your career, I gave up all my male friends cause you asked me to jade. And you” I pointed a shaking finger at Maren, “I was the one who introduced you to Jade as my best friend. I comforted you through every breakup. I trusted you with my life and you dare do this to me?

Maren shrugged her eyes coldly. Maybe you shouldn’t have. People grow apart, Freya. You're sweet, but let's be real…. You were never going to keep a man like Jade forever.

“I loved you, Jade!” I shouted, “I was planning our wedding. And you were in bed with my best friend laughing about how stupid I am!”

I hope she’s worth it. I hope destroying me was worth it. Both of you can rot for all I care. But I promise you, you both will regret what you did to me. I would make sure of it.

I stormed towards the bedroom, took my suitcase from the closet, and threw my clothes into it carelessly. Jade and Maren followed, still annoyingly calm.

“Freya, stop being dramatic,” Maren called. “ We can still be civil about this” It's not like we are enemies.

I turned around, eyes blazing “civil? Get the hell out of my face before I throw something at you. You can keep the ring. I don't care. I never want to see either of you again.

I regret the 3 years I wasted on you Jake, the biggest mistake of my life was saying yes to you.” I threw his debit card at him “I don’t need your f*****g money”

I zipped the suitcase, grabbed my purse, and walked out without looking back. Their voices faded behind me as I slammed the door shut.

For the first time in years, despite the crushing pain in my chest I felt free. Jade has kept me away from my family, friends, and work. He has always wanted me to be solely dependent on him.

I returned to my small apartment, and everywhere was dusty and messed up. I cleaned up my apartment and started organizing my clothes, which I brought from Jade's house into my wardrobe.

I grabbed my laptop from my bag, and began searching for job opportunities.

Since our engagement, Jade had constantly complained about how much time I spent working. I had loved him so deeply that I sacrificed my career just to make him happy. Yet despite everything I gave up for him, it all amounted to nothing in the end.

Two weeks have passed since the night I had desperately tried to forget.

Two weeks had passed since Jade and Maren had humiliated me in front of everyone.

Two weeks since that unexpected night with a stranger whose face still lingered in my thoughts no matter how hard I tried to forget him.

Life has become a cycle of job applications, rejection emails, and sleepless nights. After Jade’s betrayal, I threw myself into rebuilding my life, determined to prove to them that I wasn't as basic as they thought.

That very morning, I woke up and was making breakfast when my phone buzzed.

I checked and it was an email from Voss Tech, one of Los Angeles fastest-growing technology companies. One of the companies I had applied to just a week ago with little hope of being called for an interview.

My heart skipped as I opened the email.

“We are pleased to invite you for a final interview tomorrow at 10:00 am”

For the first time in days, hope flickered inside me. It felt like the first good thing that had happened in weeks.

The next morning, I stood outside the towering voss tech. The sleek glass skyscraper stretched high into the sky, reflecting the golden morning sun.

My palms were sweaty as I stepped inside.

The lobby was breathtaking-polished marble floors, modern architecture, and giant digital screens displaying the company’s latest innovations.

The glass elevator hummed softly as it carried me to the top floor.

I had spent my morning perfecting my resume and ironing my best navy blue suit.

“This is it,” I told myself. “You need this job.”

After checking in, I was escorted to the executive floor. My stomach fluttered. The executive floor?

Surely there had been a mistake.

The assistant stopped in front of massive double doors. “The CEO would like to meet you personally,” the woman said calmly.

I blinked in confusion. “The CEO?” “Personally”? What kind of CEO interviewed applicants himself?

She smiled politely. “Yes, ma’am.”

Before I could ask another question, she opened the double doors to a sprawling corner office overlooking the skyline.

The moment I stepped inside, my blood turned to ice.

Behind the enormous mahogany desk sat a man I knew all too well. Tall, dark skinned, powerful, Dark haired, piercing brown eyes.

Only then did the name I had heard a few weeks ago - “Alexander Voss” - ring in my head again.