Against All Odds

ZOE I looked at the mirror as I added the finishing touches to my makeup, carefully applying a little more concealer to my swollen right eye, hoping no one would notice the bulge there. A wince escaped my lips as the memory of how I got the black eye crept in, but I pushed it away and forced a smile as I stood up. "Today is a happy day," I told myself, trying to believe it. It was my birthday, and my boyfriend, Levi, was throwing me a huge party. I knew deep down that the party was just his way of apologizing for hitting me again, and a bitter ache swirled in my chest—if only he could change like he promised. But I shoved the sadness aside, trying to picture a future where it was just the two of us, happy together. "Let's go, Zoe," Becca called out, rushing toward me. She was my only best friend, the one person I could truly rely on for all my problems. We arrived at the event on time, and the place was packed with familiar faces and even more strangers. I scanned the room, searching for the reason I had come, until my eyes landed on him. "Levi," I called out, waving my hands to get his attention. He turned at the sound of his name, deep in conversation with Sara, his step-sister. There was a strange current between them that I couldn’t quite place. "You look stunning," Levi said, taking my hand and kissing it. He lifted my chin, bringing his lips close to mine, and I panicked a little, aware of all the eyes on us. But Levi didn’t seem to care. The crowd noticed and gave us some space, and I got lost in Levi’s praise, soaking in the affection from the man I loved. I was so caught up that I didn’t notice when he knelt down on one knee, holding a little box in his hand. "Levi, what are you..." My words caught in my throat. I had always imagined that he’d propose someday, but I never expected it to be so direct, so intense. My chest tightened as I tried to make sense of it all. "Marry me, Zoe." The room fell silent, and my answer stuck in my throat. I wanted to scream, jump up and down, and cry my eyes out because the man of my dreams was finally asking to be officially mine. But I forced those feelings down, because I knew who Levi really was. My left eye throbbed as the memory of him hitting me flashed through my mind. He had apologized, promised he would never do it again, but deep down, I knew Levi might never change. Yet here he was, on one knee, asking me to marry him. I knew I should have waited, thought it over, but my heart ached for this moment so much that I spoke the words my mind rejected. "Yesss!" I screamed, hardly believing what I was doing, but it was already done. Levi smiled happily as he slid the ring onto my finger, pressing his lips against mine and caressing my back. As Levi finally let go, I wiped the tears from my face, convincing myself that it was a happy day. No point in letting past mistakes ruin it, right? "Your dress, it's absolutely beautiful, an Armani?" someone I didn’t recognize said to me, snapping me back to reality. Levi had invited all sorts of people to the party, and I had to put on my best smile, accepting compliments from strangers who smelled like money. I took a deep breath to calm my nerves. In the midst of all the distractions and congratulations, my phone buzzed. I glanced at it and felt my stomach drop. My direct supervisor had texted me: "Zoe, I need you in the office first thing Monday morning. The client you were about to close has just pulled out due to some allegations against you. I’m quite disappointed." My heart raced. That client was crucial to me—I had worked so hard to get their attention, and I was this close to sealing the deal. This was supposed to be my big break. What could have possibly gone wrong? My head spun, and I felt the ground shift beneath me. I needed support, something to hold onto. "Levi," I thought desperately. I searched the room for him, but he was nowhere in sight. Ignoring the greetings and pleasantries from the crowd, I hurried upstairs, needing to talk to him right away. As I approached his room, I heard voices coming from the one across the hall. "But was it necessary to go this far just to do that to her?" It was Sara’s voice. "Yes, I had to. She's been getting more successful, harder to control. I need to keep her in check." I froze outside the door. Surely, I couldn’t have heard Levi talking about me like that. "So you had them shut down her deal?" Sara pressed. "Just keep quiet, we'll talk about this later. I need to get back to the damned party," Levi snapped. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. Levi was the reason I lost my client? My hands shook, my teeth clenched in anger. Years of hard work, dedication, and loyalty—all gone because a man wanted to control me? My eyes stung with unshed tears as the realization settled in. "Screw this," I muttered, reaching for the door handle and swinging it open with all my strength. "Levi, how dare you..." I began, but the words caught in my throat when I saw what was inside. My initial anger dissolved into shock before boiling up again. Levi stood between another woman's legs—and not just any woman, but his step-sister. "f**k, Zoe!" Levi jumped up, fumbling to cover himself with a piece of cloth. "It’s not what you think," he stammered, trying to zip himself up. "Listen to me, Zoe, it’s all a huge misunderstanding." Sara, mortified, darted into the bathroom, slamming the door. I stared at Levi as he stood half-naked, kneeling before me, begging. "Look, Zoe, you need to calm down. You can't tell anyone about this, okay? Not a soul, especially not my family. They’ll kill me," he pleaded. "Calm down?" I repeated, my voice filled with disbelief, hurt, anger, and disgust. All this time, I had kept quiet about the bruises, hoping he’d change. But now, this? He cheated on me—with his own stepsister, no less. "I should calm down that you slept with your sister?" I shouted. "Your sister, Levi. What the hell is wrong with you?" My voice cracked, tears spilling down my cheeks, ruining the makeup I had so carefully applied. This wasn’t how I’d pictured my evening. "It’s not you, Zoe, it’s me," he pleaded, as if that could fix any of this. I shook my head, realizing just how much I had ruined my life by holding onto him. I had wasted so much time hoping he’d change, but all he had given me was pain. "You know what? I’m done with this," I said, my voice breaking as fresh tears fell. My heart shattered all over again as I faced the reality that my dreams of a perfect future with him were nothing but illusions. "Please, Zoe," Levi begged, grabbing my face, but I pushed him away. I refused to spend another moment in this toxic cycle. "Let me announce it. I’ll give them an excuse for us breaking up, but please don’t tell my family," he said finally in resignation, dressing quickly without waiting for my answer. I shrugged, too drained to care anymore. All I wanted was to leave, and pick the pieces of my ruined life. With a heavy heart, I tried to fix my ruined makeup, preparing to put on one last show as Levi’s perfectly happy girlfriend, just for the sake of his parents and the guests. But as I walked down the stairs, I heard Levi’s voice echoing through the mic. "I've called off our engagement. I can't be with a woman who cheats, lies, and only wants me for my money..." "What? Oh my God! Lies!" I screamed, my voice breaking as I rushed toward the podium. All eyes turned to me in shock, murmurs spreading like wildfire through the crowd. "Security, please take her away," Levi commanded into the mic. I couldn’t believe he was doing this, trying to make me the villain just to save his own pride. I lunged toward him, determined to tell everyone the truth, but two strong hands grabbed me, pinning me down as they dragged me out of the event while I kicked and screamed. "Lies, it’s all lies! I never did any of that!" I shouted, my voice echoing through the hall, but no one seemed to hear me.