WHEN OBSESSION GOES WRONG

Chapter 1 Ana's POV I stared continuously as I swiped across the screen. But nothing showed. Very unusual. Not a single call or text text. And again, he hadn't returned my missed calls, so were the worried text messages I sent hours ago. His cellphone rang, but went unanswered. It had been like this for the past three hours. What the hell was wrong? Tomorrow was our official engagement party at the Blue Diamond Hotel, and this radio silence was twisting my stomach into knots. An early release from my demanding hospital internship should have been a blessing, but my phone only buzzed with premature congratulations from old friends. Even a routine reminder about my sick foster father, Mr. Williams, couldn’t distract me from the panic in my chest. Driven by anxiety, I took a taxi straight to Casper's apartment. I needed to check on him, to inspect the suits he’d ordered for tomorrow—anything to quiet my racing mind. I stepped out of the car, paid the driver, and headed toward the main entrance. A few steps towards it, I paused. The door was partly opened. I pushed the door open, but was met only with emptiness. His usually pristine, carefully arranged living room was in total disorder. On the center table sat two empty glasses. “He had a visitor?” I arched my brow. I stepped further into the living room, drawn toward a distant sound. Subtle at first, the noise grew louder with every step I took toward it. “Don't stop!” A woman's shaky voice rasped out, bleeding into a moan. “I won't.” Casper? My chest tightened as my pulse began to hammer. Who is that? What is happening? I forced my legs up the stairs. With every step, the moans grew louder, underscored by the rhythmic, unmistakable slap of bare skin. “Faster!” “Yes!” My hands shook violently as I reached the top landing. My gut already knew the truth, but I refused to let my heart believe it until I saw him. There was Casper, my fiancé, naked in his room with someone else. His body moved in a calculated, rhythmic thrust. My chest tightened as the room instantly ran out of air. I clamped a hand over my mouth to stifle a ragged gasp, my heart shattering at the sight. He hadn't seen me. At least not yet. I wanted to run, to turn around and flee the nightmare, but my eyes locked onto the bed. All I could see of the woman was a bird's nest of disheveled brown hair beneath him. Before I could even think, the name ripped from my throat. “Casper?” The word shattered the room. He froze, instantly pulling out of her. The heavy air of pleasure turned rancid in a split second as he scrambled around, and our eyes finally met. “What the f**k, Ana!” Casper lunged off the bed, grabbing for the sheets—but the sudden movement completely exposed the woman behind him. Was he ashamed? I couldn't tell, and I didn't give a f**k. All I knew was that my fiancé had just cheated on me. A tear escaped, but my palm was quick to brush it off. The woman on the bed wore a stoic expression that quickly curdled into a malicious smile. Remorse was entirely absent. Of course I knew that face. Everyone did. Emily. The b***h who believed she could always have her way. “Casper!” I choked out, the word drowning in my throat. “How are you even here?” he demanded. “How am I here?” Emily flashed another smug smile. Of all the girls Casper could f**k, it had to be her? Why her? Emily wasn't just some random girl. She was a spoiled heiress whose loud, flashy designer clothes always drew in the most powerful men. She was curvy, striking, and knew exactly how to weaponize her looks. Back in high school, her status as the cheer captain made her untouchable. She had already cornered and snatched Jake—the first guy to ever ask me out—and I’d foolishly thought that would finally end her feud with me. But I was wrong. At this point, Casper already had his pants on, pacing back and forth the room. “The f**k are you doing here?” he cursed. “Are you seriously asking me that?” I choked out. “You’re supposed to be at work,” he said flatly, his tone sharpening. “You should have called. You weren't supposed to see this.” “Then you should have answered your damn phone!” I yelled, my voice breaking. A defeated look came over him as he grabbed his cellphone. Of course, the dozen missed calls were there, staring back at him, and it was obvious that Casper and Emily had f****d for hours. “Damnit. On silent the whole time.” Casper’s eyes flashed toward the bed. “Did you do this?” Emily lowered her face, remaining silent. “Why the f**k did you put it on silent?” he barked. “We were busy, so…” Emily fumbled. Tears trickled down my cheeks, burning a path through my shock. Seeing him defend his phone rather than his fidelity broke the last piece of my heart, and replaced it with pure fury. With the last shred of composure left in me, I gripped the band on my left hand. “What are you doing?” Casper asked, his defensive tone suddenly faltering. “Giving back your ring. Don't bother showing up tomorrow. It's over.” Emily giggled. She had obviously achieved her aim. “Ana, wait. You don't have to do this. I'm sure we can…” “Can what?!” “Work something out,” he pleaded. “Work something out?” I echoed in utter disgust. He sighed deeply, rubbing his face. “Yes. My mum… she will be pissed.” Lady Rosewell had never stopped rebuking her son for shaming the family name. Of course his first thought was about his reputation, not us. “You should have thought of that before you decided to f**k her,” I spat. “Ana!” “Don't!” I flinched away as he reached for my arm, ripped the ring from my finger, and threw the damn thing at his chest. Then I turned and left. Outside the apartment, the sky cracked with thunder as I fought to breathe. The betrayal was a heavy weight, pressing down until something inside me finally snapped. A familiar, agonizing tightness gripped my chest as a sharp pain pierced my ribs. I gasped, reaching for the wall to stay upright. Casper knew about my heart condition. He knew exactly what a shock like this could do to me. And he hadn't given a single damn. As the rain unleashed, drenching me in seconds, the panic in my chest hardened into something ice-cold. I don't remember the walk back to my shared apartment, or how the rain blurred the headlights of the cars zooming past. All I knew was the freezing fury in my veins. When I burst through the front door, soaking wet and deathly pale, my roommate jumped off the couch, her jaw dropping. “What happened? Ana, you're shaking—is it your heart?” I looked her dead in the eye, the water dripping from my hair onto the floor. “My heart is fine,” I said, my voice dangerously calm. “But tomorrow, Casper’s stops.”