chapter 1: The night everything
1147 Words
Chapter 1: the night everything changed
Sheila
I stepped into the restaurant and paused for a moment.
It was breathtaking—glass ceilings, elegant chandeliers, polished floors, and tables set with expensive-looking cutlery. Everything about the place screamed luxury. I sat quietly, taking it all in, watching people laugh and chat around me.
Twenty minutes passed.
Then a voice came from beside me.
“Sorry I’m late.”
Henry slid into the seat across from me. Something about him felt… different. Distant.
“It’s fine, baby,” I said softly, placing my hand over his.
He forced a nervous smile but gently pulled his hand away and reached for the menu.
“We need to talk, Sheila.”
My heart skipped.
“Let’s break up.”
The words were calm. Too calm.
For a moment, I couldn’t process them.
Break up?
What about the wedding?
My eyes widened in shock.
“I’ve already sent emails to all our guests,” he continued casually. “So you won’t have to go through all that.”
My heart dropped.
“What?” I whispered.
“You sent—no… Henry, what are you talking about? We’ve been planning this wedding for months. Why would you—”
My voice cracked as tears filled my eyes.
“I know we’ve had misunderstandings, but I love you. And I know you love me too. You can’t just cancel the wedding.”
I was already on the verge of crying.
“Please… don’t do this.”
“You didn’t do anything wrong,” he said quietly. “It’s just… I love someone else.”
He nervously placed a card in the center of the table.
“I’m sorry.”
My hands trembled as I picked it up.
It was a wedding invitation.
He hadn’t cancelled the wedding.
He had simply replaced the bride.
My eyes locked onto the name printed beside his.
Natalie.
“Na… Natalie?” I whispered.
Something inside me snapped.
“How could you?” I shouted, jumping to my feet. “Animal!”
Every head in the restaurant turned toward me.
I didn’t care.
I don’t remember how long I walked after that.
All I remember is sitting alone on a random bench somewhere in the city, my thoughts spinning out of control.
After embarrassing myself in the restaurant and getting kicked out, I had stormed into a nearby bar and drank until the bartender refused to serve me any more alcohol.
But the pain in my chest refused to fade.
My phone buzzed.
Crystal.
I had left home seven hours ago.
She must be worried.
“Pull yourself together, Sheila…” I muttered through my tears.
I stood up and started walking toward the main road.
The last thing I remembered was bright headlights and loud honking.
Then suddenly—
Strong arms yanked me backwards.
“Do you want to get yourself killed?” a deep, rich voice snapped.
Everything went black.
Warm sunlight brushed against my face.
I slowly opened my eyes.
Everything was blurry.
When my vision finally cleared, I realized I was lying in a completely unfamiliar room.
The air smelled faintly of wood and cinnamon.
My head throbbed painfully.
Memories from the night before rushed back, but one question remained.
How did I get here?
“You’re awake.”
I startled.
I hadn’t noticed anyone else in the room.
The man’s voice was deep and smooth.
“For a moment, I thought I might have to call the police.”
I turned toward him—and froze.
He looked like a living sculpture.
Tall. At least six-foot-four.
Sharp jawline. Broad shoulders. Perfectly sculpted features.
He wore black sweatpants, and his toned abs were impossible not to notice.
For a few seconds, I simply stared.
Then I realized something.
“Wait—how did I get here?” I asked nervously. “We… we didn’t do anything, did we?”
One of his eyebrows lifted slightly.
Amusement flickered in his eyes before his expression hardened again.
He handed me a cup of coffee.
“Drink,” he said simply.
Then he glanced at his watch.
“We leave in an hour.”
Before I could ask anything else, he walked out of the room, leaving me alone in the enormous bedroom.
Confused, I took two small sips of coffee.
My phone suddenly began vibrating nonstop.
Notifications flooded the screen.
My stomach twisted when I saw the reason.
Someone had posted a video of me.
Drunk.
Crying.
Shouting.
Making a complete fool of myself.
The comments were pouring in—and someone had tagged my bosses at KL Beauty Fair.
Then a message popped up.
“Dear Ms. Devita,
We regret to inform you that your employment with KL Beauty Fair has come to an end following the humiliation you created for the company…”
The rest of the message blurred as tears filled my eyes.
My job.
Gone.
Unable to think clearly, I dressed quickly and walked downstairs.
I passed the living room and headed straight for the door.
Suddenly, strong arms grabbed me again.
“And where exactly are you going?” he asked.
I turned to face him.
“Home,” I said quietly.
He studied my face carefully before letting go.
Then he nodded.
“I’ll take you.”
The drive was long and silent.
Neither of us spoke.
Finally, the car stopped in front of my apartment building.
Crystal stood outside, shouting angrily into her phone.
“Thank you,” I murmured before stepping out of the car.
Crystal immediately spotted me.
Relief flooded her face.
She ran toward me and wrapped me in a tight hug.
Two hours later, I had told her everything.
And cried until my voice disappeared.
“It’s going to be okay,” Crystal said softly. “I promise.”
How could it be okay?
I had lost everything.
My job.
My fiancé.
My future.
“How?” I whispered weakly. “How am I supposed to just move on?”
“It won’t be easy,” she admitted. “But you can try.”
She walked to the kitchen and returned with a glass of orange juice.
“And the first step is acceptance.”
She hesitated before adding,
“And maybe… a change of environment.”
I sighed shakily.
“It’s not like I can just get up and move somewhere else.”
Crystal smiled.
“But you can.”
My eyebrow lifted.
“How?”
“You can move with me,” she said excitedly. “We won’t have to be apart.”
Two weeks ago, Crystal had received a job offer in her dream country.
We had been both happy and sad, wondering how we would survive living far apart.
“I’ll… think about it,” I said quietly.
But deep down, I knew one thing.
My life had already changed.
- Writer
