The Orphan Who Owned The Billionaire

Aurora pushed open the door to Sophie's apartment. Her heart jumped with excitement. She couldn't wait to tell her best friend about the wedding venue she had finally booked. "Sophie? I'm here!" she called out. Then she froze. Her heart stopped beating. There on the white leather couch, the same couch she had helped Sophie buy, was her fiancé Kaiden. His lips were locked with Sophie's. His fingers were twisted in her hair. Aurora's shopping bags slipped from her numb fingers. They crashed to the floor with a loud bang. The sound made Kaiden and Sophie pull apart. But neither looked shocked or sorry. Aurora's knees went weak. Her chest felt tight, like she couldn't breathe. "Oh," Sophie said, cool as ice. She didn't even bother to wipe off her smudged lipstick. "You're early." Aurora blinked hard. She rubbed her eyes with shaking hands. This had to be a bad dream. This couldn't be real. "What... what is this?" Aurora whispered. Her voice cracked like broken glass. Her whole body started to tremble. Kaiden stood up slowly. He fixed his messy shirt, his face blank. "Aurora, we need to talk." "Talk?" Aurora's voice broke completely. Tears burned her eyes. "You were kissing my best friend! What could we possibly talk about?" Sophie laughed, a cold, mean sound that made Aurora's stomach drop. "Oh please, stop acting so shocked. Did you really think this wouldn't happen?" Aurora's heart hammered against her ribs. Her hands shook as she stared at Sophie. "Sophie?" She searched her best friend's face for any sign of the girl who used to braid her hair and share late-night snacks with her. "How could you do this to me?" Her voice sounded like all strength had been drained out of her. "How could I?" Sophie stood up. Her expensive dress looked perfect, like nothing had happened. She was staring coldly at me. There wasn't a tiny bit of warmth in those eyes. "The real question is, how could you be so stupid? We've been together for eight months, Aurora. Eight whole months." The words hit Aurora like a punch to the gut. Her legs almost gave out. Eight months. While she had been planning their wedding. Choosing flowers. Tasting cakes. Dreaming of their future. She felt sick in her stomach. "That's not possible," Aurora shook her head so hard it made her dizzy. "Sophie, you're my maid of honor. You helped me pick my wedding dress!" "And it was hell," Sophie rolled her eyes. Her lip curled with disgust. "Watching you spin around in that white dress like some fairy tale princess. When really you're just a broke orphan girl clinging to my family's money." Aurora stumbled backward. Her face went white. "Your family's money? Sophie, what are you talking about?" Her voice came out weak and confused. "Don't play dumb with me." Sophie's eyes flashed with anger. "You think I don't know why you became friends with me in college? The poor scholarship girl getting close to the rich girl? And then you sunk your claws into Kaiden because his family has money too." "That's not true!" Aurora's eyes flooded with tears. Her chest heaved as she fought to breathe. "I loved you like a sister! And I love Kaiden..." "Love?" Sophie's laugh was sharp and cruel. "You love his bank account. But guess what? He doesn't love you back." She stepped closer, her eyes gleaming with hate. "Want to know what he told me last night? He said sleeping with you felt like work." All the blood drained from Aurora's face. She felt dizzy and sick. She looked at Kaiden, her eyes pleading with him to say it wasn't true. He looked away. Aurora's heart shattered into a million pieces. "I'm tired of feeling sorry for pathetic people like you," Sophie kept going. She walked in circles around Aurora like a hunter. "Always so grateful. Always trying so hard to please everyone. It makes me sick. Kaiden needs a real woman who can match him, not some orphan girl who works in a bar." Aurora's hands balled into fists. Her nails dug into her palms. "I worked three jobs to get through college," she whispered. Her voice shook with pain. "I never asked anyone to feel sorry for me." "No, we just took pity on you," Sophie sneered. Her face twisted with disgust. "But I'm done with that. Kaiden and I are getting married next month. That venue you booked? We're keeping it. That dress you bought? I might wear it, though it's really not my style." Aurora's whole body went rigid. Her eyes widened with shock. "You planned this. You both planned this whole thing." "Of course we did," Sophie smiled like a shark. "Did you really think someone like Kaiden would choose someone like you forever? Look at yourself, Aurora." She looked Aurora up and down with pure hatred. "Look at your cheap clothes. Your second-hand everything. What could you possibly give him that I can't give him better?" Tears poured down Aurora's cheeks. Her heart felt like it was being ripped apart. "I gave him five years of my life," she choked out. "I believed in his dreams when no one else did." "And now his dreams don't include you," Kaiden finally spoke. His voice had no warmth in it. Aurora barely recognized him. "I'm sorry, Aurora, but Sophie's right. You were... useful. But I need more than that now." His words broke Aurora's heart for the hundredth time since she walked through that door. She stared at this man she had planned to marry. This man she had given her whole heart to. Her knees buckled, but she forced herself to stay standing. "Give me the ring," Sophie held out her perfectly painted hand. Her fingers wiggled impatiently. "What?" Aurora's voice came out in a whisper. "The engagement ring. It belongs to our family now. Kaiden's going to give it to someone who actually deserves it." Aurora looked down at the small diamond on her finger. It was expensive and fancy, but the price didn't matter to her. She thought he had loved her and she always treasured whatever he gifted her. Her hands shook as she stared at it. "Sophie, you can't be serious." "Dead serious." Sophie's eyes glittered with evil joy. "That ring is going on the finger of Kaiden's real fiancée. Me." She leaned closer, her voice dropping to a whisper. "Oh, and Aurora? Just so you know... Kaiden is amazing in bed. The best I've ever had. I almost feel bad that you'll never know what a real man feels like." Without thinking, she ripped the ring off her finger. Her hand flew forward, throwing it right at Sophie's smug face. "I don't want anything from that worthless piece of trash!" Aurora screamed. Her voice cracked with rage and pain. "Both of you are horrible people!" Sophie's face turned red with fury. "How dare you!" She lunged forward like a wild animal, grabbing Aurora's hair and yanking as hard as she could. "Let go of me!" Aurora fought back. She tried to push Sophie away, but Sophie's nails dug into her scalp. "You ungrateful little orphan brat!" Sophie shrieked. She pulled Aurora's hair so hard that tears sprang to Aurora's eyes. "I should have left you in the gutter where I found you!" "Stop it!" Kaiden stepped forward. He grabbed Sophie's arms and tried to pull her back. "Sophie, calm down!" As he pulled them apart, Aurora stumbled backward. Her foot caught on one of her fallen shopping bags. She fell hard, her forehead slamming into the sharp corner of Sophie's glass coffee table. Pain exploded through her head like lightning. Blood trickled down her face, warm and sticky. For a moment, the room went completely quiet except for Aurora's heavy breathing. Then Kaiden looked down at her. His face was cold and empty, like she was a stranger. "Get out before we call the police and tell them you attacked Sophie." Aurora pressed her hand to her bleeding forehead. Blood seeped between her fingers. She stared up at the two people she had trusted most in the whole world. Her heart felt completely empty now. "You're right about one thing, Sophie," Aurora said quietly. Her voice was steady now, even though tears still streamed down her cheeks. "I am an orphan. I have nothing and no one." She stood up slowly. The room spun around her, but she forced herself to stay upright. "But that also means I have nothing left to lose."