The lies between us

The night was supposed to be perfect. Lena Carter stood on the deck of the luxurious Blackwood yacht, the city skyline shimmering in the distance. The air smelled of salt and expensive champagne, the waves beneath them gentle, as if nature itself was celebrating what she believed would be the happiest night of her life. Her fingers brushed the delicate sapphire pendant around her neck—a gift from Ethan Blackwood, the man she loved. Tonight, he would propose. She was sure of it. Dressed in an elegant midnight-blue gown, Lena was every bit the woman Ethan had molded her into—a polished, graceful partner fit for a billionaire CEO. She had given up everything to be by his side, letting her own ambitions take a backseat. It hadn’t mattered. Ethan loved her. Didn’t he? As the evening unfolded, the yacht buzzed with New York’s elite—business moguls, celebrities, and high-society power players. Everyone who mattered was here. And at the center of it all stood Ethan, commanding attention in his tailored black suit, exuding effortless dominance. Then, he raised a champagne flute, tapping it lightly. The chatter died down. Lena’s heart pounded. This was it. Ethan’s gaze swept the crowd before landing on her, his expression unreadable. Then, he smiled—that charming, calculated smile that had once made her weak in the knees. “I have an important announcement,” he said, his voice smooth and confident. “Tonight, I want to introduce the woman who will stand by my side, the one who will share my future.” Lena inhaled sharply. The moment she had dreamed of was here. But then—he turned. His arm extended… to the woman beside him. Victoria Carter. Lena’s stepsister. The world tilted. The crowd erupted in applause, but all she could hear was the deafening silence in her mind. Ethan’s deep voice cut through the noise. “Victoria and I are engaged.” A sharp gasp left Lena’s lips. Her fingers trembled as the champagne flute slipped from her grasp, shattering against the deck. The only thing more broken than the glass was her heart. She didn’t know how long she stood there, frozen in place, until Victoria turned, her lips curving into a smirk just for her. A smirk that said, ‘I won.’ And in that moment, Lena knew—she had been played.