A Billionaire's Love: Rehearsed or Real?

If I had to rank the moments in my life that truly shattered me, this scene would definitely take the top spot. My legs felt weak, and disbelief swept through me as I stood there, unable to process what I was seeing. My boyfriend of four years, Zane Back, was locked in a passionate kiss with my best friend, Kara Nelly! This was the ballroom, decorated with dreamlike decorations, colorful balloons, and flowers everywhere. Yes, today was our graduation day, and I should have been excited to attend this ball. But instead, my heart felt like it had been struck by a sledgehammer, flooding my chest with nothing but pain and confusion. Zane was the most handsome guy on campus, always charming, outgoing, and full of humor. Just a month ago, one of my close friends had accidentally spotted Zane picking out a ring at a jewelry store and even told me that he'd ordered flowers for tonight. I was so naïve. At the time, I thought he was planning to propose to me at the ball. My friend's words kept echoing in my ears. "So romantic! He must be planning to propose! You should definitely dress up for this, and I'll help you with the photos!" Now, I saw the beautiful gemstone ring Zane had gotten and the large bouquet of roses he had ordered. But the ring was now on Kara's finger, and she was holding the flowers in her arms. Everything felt like a sharp blade cutting through my dreams of what this night should have been. "Zane, Kara, what's going on?" My voice trembled. Zane turned to look at me, his expression flickering with a brief moment of panic, but Kara tugged at his arm. He lowered his head, admiring Kara's exaggerated, flirtatious expression. Without hesitation, he looked at me coldly and said, "Let's break up. I've fallen for Kara." He then gazed at Kara with what looked like genuine affection. "Falling for someone as perfect as you is so easy, isn't it?" I cried out helplessly, "Kara! I thought we were friends!" Kara smirked, tightly linking her arm with Zane's. "I only pretended to be your friend to get closer to Zane. You could never deserve someone like him!" Kara flashed her hand, showing off the gemstone ring, and provocatively glanced at the thin, unadorned silver ring on my finger: the one Zane had given me two years ago and which I'd always treasured. "You know what? I even bought him a car," Kara cooed, snuggling up to him. I felt dizzy. I never imagined that the boyfriend I loved so deeply would be so heartless, and the friend I trusted was nothing but deceitful from the start. "You two are disgusting!" I screamed, tears welling up in my eyes, but I fought hard to hold them back. Familiar and unfamiliar faces surrounded us, sensing the tension. Most of them disapproved of Zane and Kara's betrayal, but Kara, being the daughter of a wealthy family, had some sycophantic followers who started cheering them on. The dance started, and Zane and Kara embraced each other, lost in their passionate bubble, leaving me standing there, forgotten. Just three hours ago, I had been excitedly preparing for this night. At home, I'd felt like a giddy fool, wearing my sparkly yellow fishtail dress, matching it with green earrings that complemented my eye color. I'd kept asking Ellie, the maid, "Do I look okay?" "You're going to be the most dazzling girl tonight, miss!" She smiled back. "I wonder if Zane will propose to me tonight?" I blushed, a mix of happiness and nervousness. "Ellie, I've decided. I'm going to tell Zane who I truly am at the ball! Dad always asks us to stay low-key, but I think Zane should know everything about me. We shouldn't have secrets." I never imagined the night would turn out like this. Other friends began to gather around, trying to comfort me. But then one of Kara's friends approached, her sharp voice cutting through the air. "The hottest guy on campus should be with Kara, not with some poor chick like you! You basically stole him from her!" One of my friends was about to respond, but I squeezed her hand, signaling for her not to get into an argument. Taking a deep breath, I turned to face the girl who had mocked me. "Did you just say 'poor'?" My voice rose slightly. "Well, let me tell you this: Kara is the poor one here, not me!" "What did you say? Are you out of your mind?" the girl laughed loudly. I pulled out my phone and called the butler waiting outside. "Lyon, come in. Don't forget the gifts I've prepared for everyone." Less than three minutes later, Lyon walked in. Dressed sharply in a suit, he respectfully handed out the carefully wrapped gift bags to my friends—the ones who truly mattered. The girls who received their gifts were amazed by the exquisite gemstone brooches, each one custom-designed to match their personalities, a personal touch that made them feel special. "Kara, I once considered you a true friend," I said softly, touching the blue ocean wave-shaped gemstone brooch I had originally prepared for her. "But you don't deserve my gift." One of the girls immediately put the brooch on, her face flushed with excitement. Grabbing my arm, she exclaimed, "Oh my god, Soraya, who are you really?" Zane and Kara both recognized the high quality of the brooches and stared at me in disbelief. I was done hiding my true identity. "Think about my last name, Sherwood. Soraya Sherwood." Kara gasped, "Sherwood? No way! You're related to that top real estate company?" "It seems you're not entirely clueless," I said, stepping right up to her. "The CEO of Sherwood Enterprises and Lorhaven's richest man—Jonathan Sherwood—is my father."