VILLA OF THORNS

THE CHOICE

The ring felt heavy.

Milly sat in the quiet of her childhood bedroom, the same one she used to dream in—about first kisses and fairy-tale love, about white dresses and a man who would make her feel like she was the center of the universe.

It used to be so simple.

But love wasn't simple anymore.

She rolled the engagement ring between her fingers. It sparkled like it had the answers. Like it hadn't witnessed her slow unraveling.

In the corner, her wedding dress hung untouched. Elegant. Timeless.

Wrong.

Her phone sat beside her, screen dark. She had stared at it for nearly an hour, thumb hovering over Yannis's name.

She didn't hate him.

She wasn't even angry anymore.

She was just... done pretending.

With a deep breath, Milly picked up the phone and hit Call.

It rang only once.

Yannis answered with a quiet, "Milly?"

She didn't wait. She didn't stall. "I'm calling off the wedding".

Silence stretched, heavy and expectant.

Then, softly: "Thank you Milly".

Milly closed her eyes. "You didn't give me a choice".

"I'm sorry for hurting you Milly". he said. "I never meant to hurt you."

"I believe you," she whispered. "But you did."

"I know."

Another long pause. And then:

"I wanted to love you the way you deserved," he said. "But I think a part of me always belonged somewhere else."

She smiled, a sad, tired thing. "With her."

Yannis didn't answer.

He didn't have to.

Milly looked at the ring in her palm one last time, then slowly slid it off completely and set it on the nightstand.

"I'm letting you go, Yannis," she said gently. "And I hope one day, I can truly forgive you both".

More silence. But this time, it wasn't painful. It was full of the weight of something finally released.

"You deserve to be loved like wildfire, Milly," he said. "Not like an apology."

Tears slid down her cheeks, but she was smiling now. Broken and whole all at once.

"I'll be okay."

"I know," he said, and his voice cracked. "You always were the strongest of us."

She hung up before either of them could say anything else.

The silence in her room felt lighter now.

And outside the window, the wind moved softly through the trees—like even the world was exhaling.

⸻

The café was loud, buzzing with energy, clinking cups, and soft music—but at the back, tucked into a corner booth, Alina and Hanna sat with untouched drinks and clenched jaws.

"She thinks faking taking those pills makes her innocent?" Hanna muttered, stirring her iced coffee until the ice cracked. "She's not the victim here yet sge is acting like one".

Alina didn't respond right away. Her eyes were fixed on her phone, scrolling through the messages in their friend group—seven members now, not eight. Katie had been quietly removed after the fallout. No one even debated it.

"She was always a little too close to Yannis," Alina finally said. "The way she smiled at him. The way he looked at her when he thought no one was watching."

Hanna scoffed. "I knew it. Since that party at his townhouse. She was flirting with danger and pretending to be innocent."

Alina leaned in closer. "We can't just let this go. Milly's not going to fight dirty. She never does. But we're not Milly."

Hanna raised a brow. "What are you thinking?"

Alina lowered her voice. "I know a reliable reporter. And I know she's still vulnerable. She doesn't have our protection anymore. We hit her where it hurts—her job, her image, her peace."

"You want to ruin her."

"I want her to know that breaking trust has consequences," Alina snapped, her voice ice. "That no matter how sweet she acts, how broken she looks—she's not forgiven."

Hanna nodded slowly, lips curling into a smirk. "I might know someone who can help with that. Someone from that billionaire firm she works for. Word gets out she slept with her best friend's fiancé while high at a party? Her career will tank."

"Exactly," Alina said. "Let's remind her who she crossed."

The clink of coffee mugs echoed as they toasted—two glasses of cold intentions.

And outside the window, the city moved on, unaware that quiet revenge was being brewed over iced lattes.

⸻

Her phone wouldn't stop buzzing.

It started just after sunrise. A ping. Then another. And then a full flood of calls, texts, notifications—until her screen was vibrating in her hand like it was trying to escape her grip.

Katie blinked sleepily from her couch, still curled beneath a worn blanket, her body still sore and weak from the hospital.

She opened the first message.

Then the second.

Then the link.

And everything stopped.

There it was. Her face.

Splashed across the front page of one of the city's most-read tabloids.

"Tech Tycoon's Secret Mistress Exposed: The Best Friend Who Betrayed the Bride"

Her name was right there in bold letters. KATHERINE ARGROS

Her photo, taken from Milly's bachelorette party—she was smiling in the shot, carefree, surrounded by glitter and bare-chested strippers. A still from the video, no doubt.

Right below the headline, another line:

"Sources say the affair started long before the engagement—insider claims she seduced him during a private party at his townhouse."

Katie felt her stomach turn.

It got worse. There were subheadings.

'Law Firm Insider Speaks Out—Claims Inappropriate Conduct and Party Drug Use.'

'Bride-to-Be Devastated, Postpones Wedding After Best Friend's Betrayal.'

'Mistress in Tears, But Is It Guilt or Exposure?'

She was shaking.

Her name was trending.

She scrolled further and saw comment sections, flooded with hateful words.

"Disgusting."

"Homewrecker."

"She deserves everything coming her way."

"Poor Milly—her best friend? Really?"

Katie's heart felt like it was caving in.

She tried to stand but collapsed back onto the couch, breath ragged. The betrayal cut deep, not just because of what was said—but because of who had leaked it. It had to be someone from the inside.

Someone who knew exactly where to twist the knife.

Her phone rang again. Unknown Number.

She didn't answer.

Then another call came in—Mom.

Her stomach dropped.

Her fingers trembled as she declined the call, and the voicemail pinged in seconds. She didn't want to hear it. She couldn't bear to.

There was a knock at her door.

She froze.

Another knock.

Harder.

She dragged herself toward it slowly, expecting a neighbor or maybe Adrian—

But it was a delivery person. A thick envelope was handed over wordlessly before the person walked away.

Katie opened it with trembling fingers.

A formal letter from her law firm.

"Effective immediately, you are suspended pending internal investigation regarding your conduct, including allegations of inappropriate behavior and actions detrimental to the firm's image..."

The words blurred.

Katie sank to the floor.

They had come for everything—her reputation, her job, her peace.

All in one morning.

And as tears slid down her cheeks, she realized something painful: The world was never going to forgive her.