One night with my new boss.

Aria’s POV I don’t think I’d ever felt this happy before. Standing in front of the mirror in my hotel suite, I couldn’t stop smiling. My curls fell softly around my face, my makeup looked just right—not too heavy, not too light. And the red dress I wore? It hugged my body like it was made for me. I looked… good. No—I felt good. Confident. Beautiful. Tonight was special. It was the night of our engagement party. I looked down at my hand and smiled again. The diamond ring on my finger sparkled like it belonged in a movie. Brandon had proposed three weeks ago, right in front of our families. It was sweet and dramatic—he even knelt on both knees. I cried so hard I almost ruined my lashes. Everyone kept calling us the perfect pair. Brandon—the charming, successful consultant. Me—the quiet, calm girl who kept him grounded. They didn’t know our full story. But I believed in us. I believed in him. Downstairs, the ballroom was already decorated. My mum had gone ahead to help with final touches. There’d be flowers, soft music, champagne toasts, maybe a little dancing. Everything was exactly how I’d planned it. Brandon was in a suite two floors above mine. He texted earlier saying he was on a work call and would be ready soon. We were supposed to meet before heading down together. I grabbed my phone and sent a text. Me: Ready to see your bride-to-be? I’m coming up. No reply. I didn’t think too much of it. I picked up my purse, dabbed a little more gloss on my lips, gave myself one last look in the mirror—and damn, I really looked good tonight. I stepped out feeling proud. Confident. I was finally going to be celebrated. The hotel was alive with movement—staff rushing around, music playing faintly through the halls. My heels clicked softly as I made my way to the elevator and pressed the button for his floor. I couldn’t wait to see him. He always told me I looked best in red. I just wanted to see that look in his eyes again—the one that made me feel like the only girl in the world. I reached his suite and knocked lightly. No answer. I waited a few seconds. Knocked again, a little louder this time. Still nothing. I was about to turn around when I noticed the door wasn’t fully shut. “Babe?” I called softly, peeking my head in. The room was quiet. Only a lamp glowed in the corner. For a second, I figured maybe he was still in the bathroom. I stepped inside, slowly. His jacket was on the floor. Then I saw shoes. A dress. Wait. My heart slowed. That dress looked… familiar. I stepped closer. Why did it feel hard to breathe? The air was heavy now. My chest started to tighten. Then I heard it. A moan. A soft gasp. Bodies moving. I stopped moving. Completely froze. Then I saw them. Brandon. Naked. On the bed. And underneath him—arms tangled, breathless, eyes closed—was Lana. Lana. My best friend. I didn’t scream. Didn’t cry. I just stood there. Like I wasn’t even real. Like I was outside my body. Lana. The same girl who helped me pick this dress. The same one who cried with me when I got the ring. The one who said Brandon and I were soulmates. Now she was under him. Her legs were around him like she belonged there. Brandon looked up. Saw me. His face drained of color. “Aria—wait—” I didn’t wait. I turned and walked out like my body had taken over. The hallway blurred. My stomach twisted. I hit the elevator button over and over, like it could erase everything I’d just seen. When I stepped out into the hotel lobby, I didn’t feel my legs. My eyes burned, but still no tears. People passed by me. I didn’t notice them. All I could see was Lana’s face. All I could hear was Brandon’s voice. All I could feel was betrayal. I walked straight out the front doors and sat on a bench near the fountain. The water’s soft sound should’ve calmed me. It didn’t. Everything inside me was too loud. I dropped my purse beside me and just stared at nothing. How long? How long had they been sneaking around? Were they laughing behind my back? Was the proposal even real? Or was it just guilt? My phone buzzed inside my purse. I didn’t want to look. I already knew. Brandon: Please, Aria. Let me explain. It’s not what it looked like. I let out a short, bitter laugh. Not what it looked like? You don’t accidentally sleep with someone. You don’t accidentally betray the woman you promised forever to. And you damn sure don’t do it with her best friend. I dropped the phone back into my purse and bent forward, burying my face in my hands. I had been planning a wedding. Picking colors. Browsing honeymoon packages. Saving Pinterest boards of flower arrangements. While I was planning forever, he was touching someone else. Someone I trusted. Someone who called me sister. The tears came. Hot. Sharp. Relentless. They ruined my makeup. Soaked my dress. Burned my throat. And I let them. Right there. Because everything I thought I had—love, loyalty, a future—was gone. When the sobs finally stopped, I sat there a while longer. Empty. Then I stood. No more crying. Not tonight. I didn’t know where I was going. But I knew I wasn’t going back upstairs. Not to him. Not to that party. And definitely not to those lies.