Chapter 1.

Lexi's POV.

After another hectic day of work, I returned home, peeling off my jacket and shoes as if shedding a second skin. Sinking into the embrace of my sofa, I closed my eyes, letting the softness engulf me like a sanctuary. Just as I was about to drift into oblivion, my phone jolted me back to reality. When I saw my mom’s name flashing on the screen, I rolled my eyes and sighed. Here comes the sermon.

"Why did you miss the meeting?!" she yelled, her voice reverberating in my ears as if I were standing in some echoing hall.

I was supposed to meet the guy she arranged for me tonight, but I had skipped it on purpose.

"I'm just returning from work, Mom," I defended, trying to keep my voice steady.

"Why? Didn't you promise me you'd leave work early?" she accused, her tone climbing the pitch of my irritation.

"I did, but something important came up," I shot back, frustration simmering just beneath the surface.

"Work is important, Lexi, but your life is more important." The sharpness of her voice softened into something gentler, more pleading.

"I've spoken to the young man, and he's agreed to meet you again tomorrow evening, same place, same time," she continued, her words landing like a hammer blow.

What?!

"Umm, hello? I can't hear you, Mum. Signal is bad," I feigned, an excuse like a flimsy shield. I hung up before she could respond.

Christ! She never gave me a break. It was always the same conversation, talks about marriage and settling down.

My phone chimed with a text from her, and I wished I could throw it across the room. "Just because Luciano hurt you doesn’t mean another man would. Open your heart, Lexi."

I sighed heavily, her words stirring memories I had buried deep, emotions I didn’t want to confront right now. She was right; I had closed my heart off to love. After being abandoned and betrayed at the altar, I couldn't imagine risking myself again.

Fifteen years ago, I met him, Luciano. He had been everything I wanted in a man, my perfect match. We met in college, and it felt like destiny; as if our souls were made for each other. We shared so much in common, and our initial spark of attraction gradually blossomed into a deep friendship, which eventually grew into love. We had envisioned a beautiful future together, planning to marry after three wonderful years of courting. But life, with its twists and turns, transformed that dream into ten long years of uncertainty due to his financial struggles.

Luciano was a proud man, refusing any assistance, even from me. Coming from a wealthy family, financial stress wasn’t an issue for me, but I admired his determination to stand on his own two feet. His independence drew me in more, fueling my patience as I waited for him to find his footing. Yet, as the years passed, I began to lose sight of what had once been so clear. The dream of our wedding day, the pinnacle of our love story, loomed ahead, but little did I know that it would soon become my greatest nightmare.

Flashbacks.

I glided into the church, feeling radiant in my exquisite wedding dress. I was more than just a beautiful bride; my heart was alight with joy and anticipation. But as time trickled by, a nagging anxiety crept in. Luciano was late. I tried calling him repeatedly, but the calls went unanswered. Tears threatened to mar my carefully composed face, and my best friend, Sylvia, was there to wipe them away and coax a smile back.

Finally, Luciano arrived, and the ceremony began without further delay. Standing before the altar, gazing into his eyes, the eyes I had cherished for years, I felt complete. But then the unfolding of a twisted fate sent my heart plummeting.

"If anyone present knows of any reason why these two individuals should not be joined in marriage, please speak now or forever hold your peace," the priest proclaimed, and to my utter shock, Luciano raised his hand.

"What's going on, Lu?" Confusion washed over me.

"We can't get married, Lexi. I'm sorry," he blurted out.

I broke into laughter, thinking it was one of Luciano’s many pranks. "Okay, Lu, you can stop kidding now. You got me." My laughter filled the air, but as I looked at him, the smile slipped from my face.

"I’m not kidding, Lexi." His expression was dead serious, and the confusion twisted in my stomach.

"Why?" I asked, my eyes starting to blink back tears.

"You're a good person, Lexi, but I don’t think you’re the right person for me," he answered.

"Why... why are you saying this all of a sudden? We've been together for ten years with no issues, so... so what are you saying?" My voice trembled, echoing my shock.

"I'm sorry it took me time to tell you this." He spoke softly, as though that could lessen the blow.

"So... so if I'm not the one for you... then... then who is?" I stammered, fear creeping into my heart.

His gaze shifted from me to Sylvia, just a few steps away. "Sylvia," he called, and that's when my tears began to fall, each drop a weight on my heart.

"No... no... it can't be. Sylvia? Why?" The disbelief clung to my throat. It felt unreal, like a nightmare I couldn’t awaken from.

"How? You met me first, so how..." My thoughts raced, trying to grasp the impossible.

"I'm sorry, but I realized Sylvia is the one for me, and I love her a lot. She's carrying my child." Each word felt like a dagger, twisting deeper into my chest until I turned to Sylvia, my best friend.

"Tell me this isn't true, sis. Tell me you're not pregnant with Luciano's child, tell me there's nothing between you both..." My voice was raw, and I could hardly breathe.

"Sorry, Lexi, but it’s true. I’m carrying Luciano’s child, and we’re deeply in love," Sylvia replied, her voice steady as if she hadn’t just shattered my world.

I laughed bitterly, tears streaming. The betrayal felt like a heavy shroud, smothering me.

"You're a nice person, Lexi. That's why I decided to spare your heart and tell you now, before it's too late." Luciano's voice was steady, almost calm, but it only ignited the storm inside me.

I scoffed, my eyes shimmering with hot tears. "Can you hear yourself? Before it's too late? You don’t think this is too late already? Telling me before the altar, at our wedding ceremony, that you've been cheating on me with my best friend? How could you?" My voice escalated, filled with hurt and disbelief.

"You think you’re protecting me by telling me now?" I cried, my heart feeling like it was being crushed under the weight of betrayal. "Don’t you realize the devastation you’ve left my heart in?"

"At least I told you now. You should be grateful," he replied, his expression void of any remorse, as if he was doing me a favor.

My laughter was bitter and hollow. I watched, rooted in shock, as he sauntered over to Sylvia, her smile a stark contrast to the chaos unfolding around us. Before I could fully process what I was witnessing, my brothers had seen enough. They surged forward, fists flying, unleashing their anger on Luciano in a flurry of punches. It was a whirlwind of motion, but no one seemed to notice it except me.

As the reality of his betrayal sunk in deeper, I felt like a bystander in my own life, the entire scene watching like a movie surreal and haunting. Luciano clutched Sylvia's hand tightly as they left the church, their silhouettes framed against the light, and I could only watch as my world crumbled apart. Tears streamed down my face, unrestrained, as I absorbed the chaos around me, my family embroiled in a furious uproar against Luciano's family and Sylvia's.

And just like that, the weight of everything crashed down on me, and I succumbed to the darkness, passing out.

When I finally woke up two days later, everything felt different. I was a shadow of my former self, lost and numb. I drifted through life, haunted by the echoes of that day, until I decided one evening that enough was enough. I would reclaim my life, piece by broken piece. I vowed never to love again, or trust, friends could betray just as easily.

I threw myself into a reckless lifestyle, embracing a self-destructive mantra. I married myself to my job at the CIA, clubbed and flirted my free time away. And this is what I plan to do again tonight.

My mom reminded me of my long forgotten pain, so I have to numb it off my heart.