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1385 Words
Ariana's POV
The morning after my world shattered, I barely recognized myself.
I stood in the kitchen of Ethan's penthouse, staring blankly at the coffee machine.
I hadn't slept.
Every time I closed my eyes, I saw him.
Saw Ethan standing beside Sophia.
Saw the engagement ring on her finger.
Saw the indifference in his eyes.
The memory felt like a knife twisting deeper into my chest.
I swallowed hard and gripped the edge of the counter.
The nausea I'd been experiencing for days returned with a vengeance.
Pregnancy.
The word still felt unreal.
I placed a hand over my stomach.
A tiny life was growing inside me.
A life that deserved better than this.
A sudden knock echoed through the penthouse.
Before I could react, the front door swung open.
Only one person entered without permission.
Victoria Monroe.
Ethan's mother.
The woman who had hated me from the moment we met.
Her expensive heels clicked against the marble floor as she entered.
Her sharp eyes immediately landed on me.
The disgust on her face wasn't even hidden.
"You're still here?"
The question stung more than it should have.
I forced myself to remain calm.
"Good morning to you too."
Her expression darkened.
"I didn't come here for pleasantries."
Of course she didn't.
She never did.
Victoria believed I wasn't good enough for her son.
I wasn't from an influential family.
I wasn't born into wealth.
I wasn't useful.
At least not in her eyes.
"What do you want?" I asked quietly.
She smirked.
"Aren't you going to offer me coffee?"
The sarcasm in her voice was impossible to miss.
I said nothing.
Victoria slowly removed her designer sunglasses.
Her gaze swept over me.
Disheveled hair.
Pale skin.
Red eyes.
She looked pleased by what she saw.
"You look awful."
I laughed bitterly.
"Thanks."
"I suppose heartbreak doesn't suit you."
My chest tightened.
So she knew.
Of course she knew.
Everyone probably knew.
Everyone except me.
Victoria opened her handbag and pulled out a white envelope.
My stomach dropped.
"What's that?"
She tossed it onto the counter.
"A gift."
I stared at it.
Something about the envelope made me uneasy.
Slowly, I picked it up.
My fingers trembled.
Inside was an invitation.
A formal engagement announcement.
The elegant gold lettering blurred before my eyes.
Ethan Monroe and Sophia Bennett request the honor of your presence...
The rest became unreadable.
I couldn't breathe.
The engagement party was in three days.
Three days.
That meant Ethan had been planning this for a long time.
Long before yesterday.
Long before he broke my heart.
Long before I discovered I was pregnant.
Victoria watched me carefully.
Enjoying every second.
"He wanted you to have it personally."
The words hit me like a slap.
My hand tightened around the invitation.
"He sent you?"
"Someone had to do it."
A painful silence filled the kitchen.
Then Victoria smiled.
A cruel smile.
"To be honest, Ariana, this is for the best."
I looked up.
"For who?"
"For everyone."
The anger inside me finally stirred.
"I gave your son two years of my life."
"And he gave you far more than you deserved."
I stared at her.
Shocked.
Hurt.
Furious.
Before I could respond, another voice interrupted.
"Ariana."
My heart stopped.
Ethan.
I turned toward the doorway.
He stood there in a dark tailored suit.
Handsome.
Perfect.
Cold.
The sight of him still hurt.
Far more than it should have.
His gaze lingered on me briefly.
Something unreadable flashed through his eyes.
Then it vanished.
"Mother."
Victoria smiled.
"I'll leave you two alone."
She picked up her handbag and headed toward the door.
Halfway there, she paused.
"Oh, and Ariana?"
I looked at her.
"The engagement party starts at seven."
Her smile widened.
"Don't be late."
Then she left.
The silence afterward was suffocating.
Neither of us spoke.
Finally, Ethan walked closer.
I hated that my heart still reacted to him.
Hated that some foolish part of me still wanted answers.
"Why are you here?" I asked.
His expression remained neutral.
"We need to talk."
I laughed bitterly.
"Now you want to talk?"
"Ariana."
"No."
My voice cracked.
"No, Ethan."
I pointed at the invitation.
"Was any of it real?"
His jaw tightened.
The hesitation lasted only a second.
But I noticed it.
Unfortunately, so did my heart.
"Things changed."
The answer shattered me.
Because it wasn't a denial.
It wasn't an apology.
It was worse.
Much worse.
It was confirmation.
I nodded slowly.
"I see."
"There are circumstances you don't understand."
"Then explain them."
He looked away.
And that was answer enough.
A heavy silence settled between us.
Finally, Ethan reached into his briefcase.
My stomach twisted.
He removed a thick file and placed it on the counter.
"What is this?"
His expression hardened.
"A business agreement."
I stared at him.
"A business agreement?"
"Open it."
Reluctantly, I did.
The moment I read the first page, my blood ran cold.
Marriage Contract.
My hands froze.
The room spun around me.
"What is this?"
My voice barely worked.
Ethan remained silent.
I flipped through the pages.
Each word felt more impossible than the last.
Bride: Ariana Hayes.
Groom: Roman Kingsley.
Roman Kingsley.
The name was famous.
Infamous.
The billionaire playboy.
CEO of Kingsley Global.
A man constantly surrounded by models, actresses, and scandals.
A man who never stayed with the same woman twice.
A man every gossip magazine loved.
My hands began shaking violently.
"This isn't funny."
"It's not a joke."
I looked at him.
Unable to process what I was hearing.
"You expect me to marry Roman Kingsley?"
"It's already been arranged."
The words echoed inside my head.
Already arranged.
Already arranged.
As if my life belonged to him.
As if I didn't matter.
"What gives you the right?"
His expression remained emotionless.
"The merger depends on it."
I stared at him.
The merger.
Not happiness.
Not love.
Not me.
Just money.
Business.
Power.
Everything suddenly made sense.
The engagement.
The betrayal.
The lies.
I wasn't a girlfriend.
I was an asset.
Something useful.
Something disposable.
A pawn.
My eyes burned.
"You sold me."
The accusation hung between us.
Ethan didn't deny it.
That hurt more than anything.
"You sold me."
"Ariana—"
"No."
Tears spilled down my cheeks.
"I loved you."
His face tightened.
For a moment, guilt appeared.
Then disappeared.
Just like yesterday.
"This is bigger than us."
I laughed through my tears.
"There is no us."
The truth finally settled inside me.
Painful.
Brutal.
Permanent.
There had never been an us.
Not really.
Not for him.
I looked down at the contract.
At Roman Kingsley's name.
At the future being forced upon me.
And suddenly something terrifying occurred to me.
I was pregnant.
Ethan's child.
A child he didn't even know existed.
A child he clearly wouldn't care about.
My hand instinctively moved toward my stomach.
The gesture was small.
But Ethan noticed.
His eyes narrowed.
"What is it?"
My heart raced.
I couldn't tell him.
Not now.
Not after this.
Not after everything.
"Nothing."
His gaze lingered suspiciously.
But eventually he let it go.
Good.
Because some things no longer belonged to him.
Including my child.
Ethan straightened his suit jacket.
"The wedding is in two weeks."
My eyes widened.
"Two weeks?"
"The agreement has already been finalized."
I stared at him.
Disbelief giving way to rage.
"You really planned every detail."
"It was necessary."
Necessary.
I hated that word.
Hated him.
Hated myself for ever loving him.
Most of all, I hated how powerless I felt.
Ethan glanced at his watch.
Then headed toward the door.
Just like that.
As if he hadn't destroyed my life.
As if this conversation were nothing more than another business meeting.
Halfway there, he stopped.
Without looking back, he spoke.
"Roman Kingsley isn't known for patience."
A chill ran through me.
Ethan continued.
"For your own sake, don't make things difficult."
Then he left.
The apartment door closed behind him.
The sound echoed through the empty penthouse.
And for the first time since yesterday, I truly understood the depth of my nightmare.
I wasn't just losing the man I loved.
I was being handed over to another man.
A stranger.
A billionaire notorious for breaking hearts.
And somehow, deep down, I knew meeting Roman Kingsley would change my life forever.
- Writer
