FROM HUMILIATED BRIDE TO HIS OBSESSION

Episode5

Zoey’s POV

I thought sleep would come easily after everything that happened but I was wrong. I lay on my bed staring at the ceiling, my body was tired but my mind was wide awake. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw different things playing in my head like a broken movie.

Adrian’s betrayal, the man grabbing Lily’s hair, and Christian’s voice saying, “You’re not being dropped anywhere unsafe.” I turned over in bed for the umptenth time “Stop thinking,” I whispered to myself but my brain didn’t listen because something I didn’t know yet was coming.

My phone lit up again, and I groaned and reached for it, it was Lily. I answered immediately “Hello?” Her voice came fast “Are you sleeping?” “I was trying to…” girl, you’re trending againnn, I sat up instantly “what?”

“Open social media now” My stomach dropped, I opened my phone slowly and the moment I did, my name was everywhere #mysterywomanwithBelluccu #whoisZoeyAguilar #billionairenightdrama. My heart started beating faster “What is this..” I whispered.

Lily didn’t wait “some paparazzi caught you leaving Adrian’s party with him. My fingers shook as I scrolled and there it was, a clear picture of me in that black dress and Christian Bellucci opening the car door for me.

Another picture of him standing close to me outside my building and another of his hand touching mine even though it was just a second, even though it didn’t mean anything but to them it meant something.

“Oh my God…” I breathed. Lily groaned, “Yeah, welcome to internet hell.” My phone kept buzzing with messages, news pages, and work group chats, people were talking. Who is she? Is she his girlfriend? Is she a model? Is she a gold digger?

“I didn’t ask for this,” I said softly. “I know,” Lili said quickly “but the internet doesn’t care.” I stood up from my bed and started pacing, “This is insane, I whispered “it was one night, one stupid night.”

“And not it’s everywhere,” she said. I swallowed hard “What about Adrian?” There was a pause then Lily said carefully, “he posted something too.” My heart stopped “What did he post” she hesitated then told me to see for myself.

I opened his page and there it was, a photo of me he had posted with a caption “Sometimes people show their real selves when they think they’ve won better things, I wish her happiness.”

My hands went cold “that liar,” I whispered. Lily sighed, “he’s trying to control the story.” My chest hurt but now I understood something important, this wasn’t just heartbreak anymore, it was war.

The next morning came too fast, I didn’t sleep my eyes were heavy when I got ready for work, I wore simple clothes no makeup, no version of me that someone else could judge, just me.

But the moment I stepped outside my apartment building, I froze, two cameras were waiting, and bright flashes hit my face. “Zoey! ¡Zoey Aguilar! Are you dating Christian Bellucci?” “Is it true you were hired for the night?” Are you a gold digger?”

I stepped back, “What? No! I don’t, but they kept coming closer “did you cheat on your fiancé with a billionaire?” “Are you using him for money?” My hands shook “I said no!” I shouted, trying to walk away but they followed. One of them almost hit my shoulder.

“Move!” I snapped, pushing through, when I got out I ran I didn’t stop running until I reached the subway station, only then did I breathe again but even there people were staring, some were whispering, some were pointing.

I pulled my hoodie tighter around myself, this is not real I told myself, this is not my life but sadly enough it was.

At work, everything was worse. The second I stepped into Carter's events office, silence fell then whispers started “Is that her?” “That’s her” “she’s the Bellucci girl” I walked faster with my head down.

My manager called me into a meeting room, she looked nervous “Zoey, we need to talk” she said gently. My stomach dropped “Am I fired?”

“No,” she said quickly “no, it’s just that your situation is attracting attention. I frowned “My situation?” She sighed “The company doesn’t want media attention.

I clenched my fists “So what are you trying to say?” I asked. She looked uncomfortable, “We need you to take a few days off” My heart dropped “You’re suspending me?”

“It’s temporary,” she said “just until things calm down” I stood up slowly, “This is ridiculous.” “I’m sorry,” she said softly “it’s out of my hands.” My vision blurred, tears emerged threatening to fall but I held them back. I was losing everything, my job, my peace, and my identity, just because of a man.

When I got home that day, I didn’t even take off my shoes I just sat on my couch staring at the wall. My phone rang and it was an unknown number I didn’t answer, it rang again still ignored then a message came.

Unknown: We need to talk-C.B. My heart jumped.

Christian, I stared at the message for a long time, then Lily’s call came in and I told her about the message “don’t answer him,” she said immediately. “I wasn’t going to,” I lied. But even as I said it my fingers were already hovering over the screen.

I needed answers, why was my life suddenly falling apart? And why did it all start the moment I met him? I typed slowly.

Zoey: What do you want?

The three dots appeared immediately, he was typing fast. Then his reply came

Christian: This just got worse than I expected.

My stomach dropped, before I could respond another message came

Christian: Meet me now

I stared at the screen, my heart was beating fast again I should have said no, I should have stayed away but instead I stood up and grabbed my keys.