5 YEARS

The Humiliation

The world crashed down on me in the cruelest way possible.

I had been invisible for five years. No one knew where I was, no one cared. But today, my name was everywhere—not as a success story, not as someone who had moved on—but as the girl who lost everything.

Samuel had proposed to my twin sister.

And she made sure the world knew.

The newspapers, the blogs, the TV channels—all of them displayed the glamorous engagement of CEO Samuel DeLuca and his stunning fiancée, Gabriella Voss. The pictures of them laughing, holding hands, the extravagant ring on her finger—it was everywhere. But that wasn’t enough for her.

Gabriella was relentless.

She dug through old photos—pictures of me and Samuel back when we were young and in love—and she posted them, not with words, but with cryptic captions that mocked me in front of the world.

"Some women lose a man, others take him."

"Not all love stories have a happy ending… but mine does."

"Guess who’s wearing the ring now?"

The comments poured in, each one sharper than the last.

"Damn, she stole her sister’s man? That’s cold."

"I feel bad for the ex. Imagine being dumped for your own twin."

"Wait… she really dated him when he was poor? And now he’s rich, he’s with the better sister? Ouch."

"That’s what she gets for not knowing her worth. Fumbled the bag."

Fumbled the bag.

The words sliced through me like a knife. None of these people knew the truth. None of them knew what I had sacrificed.

I curled up on the thin mattress of my apartment, my body shaking as I scrolled through the endless sea of hate. My hands were trembling so badly I almost dropped my phone. My lungs felt like they were closing up, my vision blurred with unshed tears.

I tried calling him.

Again.

And again.

He never picked up.

I left a message, my voice barely steady. “Samuel, please… take down the pictures. She’s ruining me. The whole world is laughing at me.”

No response.

I wiped my tears and forced myself to get up. I didn’t have the luxury of breaking down. My mother was old, fragile, and she needed to eat. I couldn’t afford to stop working just because my sister decided to make my life hell.

So I went to work, swallowing my pain like I had done every single day since I stepped into Samuel’s company.

When my phone rang, I knew.

Samuel.

He never called unless he wanted something.

“Come to my office,” his voice was clipped, emotionless.

I swallowed hard, gripping my bag tighter as I made my way upstairs. My steps were slow, hesitant. I knew this wouldn’t be good. Samuel never missed a chance to humiliate me, and now, with Gabriella involved, it would only get worse.

As soon as I entered, I froze.

Gabriella was there.

Dressed in an expensive designer gown, her perfectly manicured nails resting on Samuel’s arm, her lips curled into a satisfied smirk.

“I need coffee,” Samuel said, barely sparing me a glance.

I stood frozen. He wanted me to serve her?

Gabriella leaned against his desk, tilting her head with mock innocence. “Did you hear him, dear sister? He said coffee.”

I bit my lip, forcing my feet to move. I had endured worse. I could endure this.

But just as I turned to leave, a sharp slap landed across my face.

The sound echoed in the silent room.

I gasped, my skin burning where she struck me. My hands curled into fists as I slowly turned to face her, my breath heavy with anger and humiliation.

Gabriella’s eyes gleamed with cruelty. “That’s for hesitating.”

I lifted my hand to slap her back, my entire body shaking with rage—

"Don’t."

Samuel’s voice was cold, firm. My hand stopped mid-air.

He was looking at me now. Really looking. And what I saw in his eyes wasn’t pity. It wasn’t anger.

It was satisfaction.

"As much as I love a good catfight, don’t dirty your hands, Isabel," he said lazily. "She’s my fiancée. Show some respect."

I choked on a bitter laugh. “Respect?”

Gabriella smirked, then reached into her designer purse.

She pulled out a stack of cash.

With a flick of her wrist, she threw it at me.

The money scattered around my feet, the crisp bills fluttering to the floor.

“Here,” she said, her voice dripping with mockery. “Buy the coffee. Just like you threw money at Samuel five years ago when you left him in the dirt.”

My heart stopped.

I stood there, my entire body trembling, my breathing ragged.

Samuel didn’t move. He didn’t defend me. He just sat there, watching.

And in that moment, something inside me snapped.

I looked at the money, at my twin sister’s smug face, at the man who once swore he’d love me forever—

And I knew.

It was time.

I lifted my chin, my voice steady. “You want to know the truth, Samuel?”

For the first time, a flicker of something—doubt, curiosity, hesitation—crossed his face.

I took a deep breath.

“I never betrayed you.” My voice was shaking, but I kept going. “I was forced to.”

Samuel’s smirk faltered. Gabriella’s eyes narrowed.

And just like that, the game had changed.