Betrayed By My Fiancée

Chapter 17: The True Identity

It was already getting dark when I stepped out of the bathroom, my skin still warm from the shower. The apartment felt quieter than usual, like everything had slowed down with me. I dried myself properly and walked to the closet, my movements steady, almost automatic.

The red dress was the first thing I reached for.

I placed it on the bed and smoothed it out slowly, running my hands over the fabric like I was making sure it was real. For a moment, I just stood there looking at it. No thoughts, no overthinking. Just… looking.

Then I turned away and went to the mirror.

My makeup was already laid out, waiting like it knew what kind of night this was.

I started slowly, foundation first, then eyes. My reflection changed bit by bit, and I watched it happen like I was observing someone else instead of myself. That feeling in my chest stayed quiet, but present. Not loud enough to stop me.

Just enough to remind me I was aware.

The door opened without warning.

“Geez, Jay, do I need to teach you everything?”

Clara walked in like she owned the place, already fully ready. Hair done. Makeup perfect. Energy on another level.

I didn’t even turn immediately. I just kept blending my eyeshadow.

“I’m almost done,” I said, calm and steady.

She didn’t care. She never did. She went straight to my shoes instead, opening my closet like she had been planning this moment all day.

I watched her through the mirror as she moved around, picking things up, putting them down, and judging everything silently.

She pulled out a pair of heels and held them up.

“These. Don’t argue.”

She placed them near the bed like it was decided already.

I finished my makeup and stood up, finally turning toward the dress. I slipped into it slowly, adjusting it until it sat right on my body. The fabric hugged me in a way that felt… intentional.

The slit on the side showed just enough without feeling like too much.

Clara turned around—and stopped.

Just froze for a second.

“Girl!” she said, eyes widening. “That dress fits you perfectly.”

Then she smirked. “Just don’t hog all the attention tonight, okay?”

I let out a small laugh, shaking my head.

“You’re the one who wants attention, not me.”

“Tonight, we both are,” she shot back immediately.

That was it for her. No hesitation. No second thoughts. Just certainty.

We grabbed our purses and left together. I locked the door behind me, the click sounding louder than it should’ve in the quiet hallway. Then even that faded once we stepped outside.

The air felt cooler than I expected.

We didn’t wait long for an Uber. The ride started smooth, city lights passing by in streaks through the window. Clara talked nonstop beside me, excited, loud, and everywhere at once. I nodded sometimes and smiled at the right moments, but most of her words blurred together.

My fingers moved without thinking.

My thumb brushed against my ring.

I stared at it for a moment longer than I meant to.

“Jay, are you even listening?” Clara nudged me lightly.

I blinked, snapping back.

“Yeah,” I said quickly. “I’m here.”

She raised an eyebrow but didn’t push it. Just went back to talking like nothing happened.

I turned my head toward the window again, letting the glass separate me from my thoughts.

When we arrived, the place was already loud before we even stepped out. Music, voices, movement—it all hit at once. I stepped out of the car carefully, heels touching the ground, eyes adjusting to the brightness.

The crowd was already huge.

We pushed forward slowly, squeezing through people until we reached closer to the front. Security stood ahead, managing the entrance while phones were already in the air. A red carpet stretched out like something out of a movie.

“What did I tell you?” Clara whispered excitedly, gripping my arm. “This is big.”

She wasn’t wrong.

The energy here was different. Heavy. Expectant. Like everyone was waiting for something to happen at the same time.

For a second, I felt it too strongly.

Too many people. Too much noise. Too much everything.

I felt small.

Clara noticed immediately and squeezed my hand.

“Hey… breathe. You’re fine.”

I nodded slightly, forcing myself to focus on her instead of everything else around us.

Then the sound shifted.

“OMG, Jay—look!”

She pointed ahead.

“The limo’s here!”

A black limousine pulled in slowly, and the crowd lost it instantly. Screams. Flashing lights. Movement everywhere at once. It hit my ears like pressure, like the world suddenly got louder just to prove a point.

The door opened.

A man stepped out.

Tall. Calm. Completely unbothered by the chaos around him. Cameras exploded instantly, flashes going off nonstop as he walked forward like he had done this a hundred times before without thinking about it.

He moved down the carpet, acknowledging people here and there, but never stopping for too long. Just enough presence to make everyone pay attention.

Something about him pulled at my focus.

Not loud. Not obvious.

Just familiar in a way I couldn’t place at first.

Step by step, he came closer.

The lights caught his face better now.

My breath slowed without me realizing it.

I narrowed my eyes slightly, trying to make sense of the feeling in my chest. Like my brain was trying to match a memory I couldn’t fully reach yet.

He looked up.

And our eyes met.

Just for a second.

Everything around me dropped away. The noise. The crowd. Clara. Even the lights didn’t feel as bright anymore.

Just that moment.

Then it hit me.

My body went still.

My heart didn’t race—it dropped.

Like something inside me had just recognized what my mind was still trying

to deny.

Mike.