CHAPTER 1 : BETRAYAL
Elizabeth Stone decided to surprise her boyfriend on his birthday. She
made plans for the day and had chosen to spend the night.
They've been dating for 5 years, and he had never disrespected her once nor had he ever asked for sex. He was the perfect boyfriend she could ever ask for; most of her friends had been jealous of her relationship with Andrew Agresta, her boyfriend.
They both worked at the media house. and had planned to get married that year. She was a religious person and had only considered giving herself to him on their wedding night.
But for him, she wanted to break her beliefs and give herself to him as his birthday present. She bought sexy two-piece lingerie at the store. Imagining how he would react gave her butterflies; she giggled while skipping walking down to his place.
On getting to his apartment, she didn't notice the car parked in his garage or the weird looks the neighbors gave her because of her excitement. Opening the door, she saw the mess in the living room.
A lady's shoe was kicked rudely to the other side of the room, and a lady's bag and underwear were thrown in different directions. The weird noises coming from the room were enough evidence of what was going on and what the couples were doing.
Taking slow steps to the master bedroom, she didn't want to believe what she heard; after all, seeing is believing.
Elizabeth's eyes widened as she stood frozen in the doorway, her gaze fixed on the scene unfolding before her. The door, slightly ajar, had afforded her a glimpse of the truth she'd been desperately trying to deny.
As she watched, her anger gave way to a chilling sense of reality, and her heart slowly turned cold.
Elizabeth never expected this to happen; she believed that stuff like this only happened in novels, and that Andrew would never cheat on her. She smirked as she pushed the door harshly, erupting into the moment of the people in the room.
Despite being short-sighted, she could recognize the side view of her best friend, Penelope Garcia.
Both of them separated immediately.
Andrew looked shocked at first, but within a few seconds, before his face revealed indifference. He didn't care about her feelings since she never considered his before.
"What are you doing here?" he questioned, pulling the covers over himself and Penelope.
Elizabeth's face didn't reveal her true emotions. Instead, she smiled,
"Can't I come to my boyfriend's apartment anymore? Oh, sorry, my fiancé." She hissed sarcastically.
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He wasn't even remorseful, but rather, he asked her what she was doing at his apartment.
All the time she had been there, Penelope hadn't said a word, making her wonder if she was mute or something.
Slightly turning her head, she stared at Penelope with her ocean-blue eyes.
"I never expected this from you, though." Bowing her head slightly, Penelope smirked, then quickly changed her facial expression to a pained one.
"Lizzy, I didn't mean to do this. I…..I never wanted this to happen. I wanted to tell you when it started, but I didn't know how to."
"I never wanted to destroy your relationship. I kept my feelings to myself because I didn't want to be the reason for your sorrow.
" I'm sorry; please forgive me?" she said, crying her eyes out.
"It was all my fault. I knew he was your boyfriend, but I still had feelings for him. Please forgive me, Lizzy."
"I...I never wanted this," she hiccuped.
Elizabeth stayed still and stared at her so-called best friend. Her hands tightened to fist as they hung by her sides, her hold on the wine getting stronger by the minute.
They had been friends since kindergarten, while she had met Andrew in college.
They had the longest relationship compared to hers with Andrew. She had thought they understood each other well enough.
"Right now, you look so pitiful, Penelope." she scoffed.
They had clicked the moment they met; even their parents were friends.
After her parents' death, Penelope's parents had asked her to stay with them, but because she didn't want to feel like a burden, she refused and only allowed them to sponsor her education.
Reminiscing about all their memories together, she couldn't understand what had changed in Penelope to make her act like this.
Still lost in thought, she heard Andrew bellowing. She gathered her thoughts and stared at him; pain gripped her heart until she couldn't breathe properly.
"She did nothing wrong; I was the one who went to her. She gave me everything you couldn't offer and more. She could help me build my career, but what can you do? Nothing!" Andrew roared.
"Maybe you were sleeping with your sugar dadd—"
PAHH!
The slap cracked through the room like a whip.
Andrew froze, shock flaring across his face as his cheek reddened. For a second, the entire room held its breath. Even Penelope, half-covered by the sheets, recoiled, her shoulders curling in as though she could fold herself out of the moment.
Elizabeth's hand trembled, but her voice didn't.
"That's for disrespecting me," she said quietly, "and for cheating on me with my best friend."
Andrew's shock twisted into fury.
"HOW DARE YOU?" he roared. He tried to rise, but the sheets tangled around his legs, leaving him panting, humiliated, and angrier.
Penelope's breath hitched. She had never seen him like this—never seen this sharp, ugly edge beneath his charm.
After years together, Elizabeth had never either.
"I see," Andrew spat, his chest heaving. "You now dare to slap me, Elizabeth?"
She swallowed, her heartbeat loud in her ears, but she didn't back down.
"I only asked you one thing, Andrew. Why? After all these years… were you pretending?"
"I never pretended," he snapped, bitterness frothing in his voice. "But you, where were you when I needed you? Always busy. Always making excuses. Penelope was there for me every single time you weren't."
Penelope shrank even further, guilt staining her features.
"You never understood my needs or our relationship," Andrew continued. "You were always so busy. Doing what, exactly? Nothing."
Elizabeth's jaw tightened. The pain hit her chest like a fist, sharp and breath-stealing.
Andrew inhaled sharply, anger pushing him further.
"And you know what? No matter what you do, I will never love you, Elizabeth Stone."
Her breath caught—but she didn't give him the satisfaction of seeing her break.
Elizabeth turned, hand on the door handle. Andrew opened his mouth again, ready to throw more poison, but she didn't bother listening.
Instead, she looked over her shoulder just once and said,
"Happy birthday, Andrew Agresta. Enjoy the wine."
Then she walked out.
And this time, she didn't look back.
She felt drained and numb; she couldn't feel any other emotion. She couldn't even walk properly.
During the time she spent walking aimlessly for an hour, she eventually arrived at the largest bar in Snow City.
Elizabeth had never been to a bar before; she was usually either at work or at home with Andrew or Penelope.
Her entire life had been spent surrounded by those two, and she had built too many memories with them.
She decided to enter the bar, and as she walked in absentmindedly, she accidentally bumped into someone. "I'm so sorry, I wasn't looking," she said half-heartedly.
The person only shook his head, wondering what a beautiful lady like her would be thinking to look so disoriented.
After apologizing, she turned to the entrance and went in, deciding to get wasted. She preferred having a one-night stand than sleep with that b*****d.
As she stood there, frozen in a mix of disgust and confusion, she couldn't help but wonder;
"What was she lacking?" She thought to herself, unable to understand why he could do something so repulsive, so disgusting, and still manage to feel so non-chalant about it.
His expression, his demeanor, everything about him seemed so calm, so collected, as if he had simply accomplished something mundane, like tying his shoes or making a cup of coffee.
And then, without warning, a memory almost totally forgotten flashed through her mind.
It was a fleeting glimpse of a moment from her past, a moment she had long suppressed, hidden deep beneath the surface of her conscious mind. But now, as she stood there, it came rushing back, vivid and alive, like a whispered secret in her ear.
Elizabeth's mind wandered back to a day that seemed insignificant at the time but now felt like a pivotal moment in her life. It was a memory that was two months old, but it felt like just yesterday.
♤♤♤ Flashback ♧♧♧
Two months earlier, Andrew and Penelope had walked into Elizabeth's office, practically glowing.
"Liz, guess what? We have news," Andrew announced, his grin stretched wide, excitement buzzing off him.
Penelope nudged him with an exasperated smile.
"Andrew's being dramatic. As usual."
Elizabeth chuckled, spinning lightly in her chair to face them.
"All right, dramatic boy. Tell me. What's the big surprise?"
Andrew drew in a breath, as if bracing himself for a reaction.
"Penelope and I… we're going out."
Elizabeth's eyes had widened—then softened into a genuine smile.
"That's amazing! I'm happy for you. Really."
She had meant it. Back then, she truly had.
Andrew, Penelope, and Elizabeth had been inseparable since college—a trio that balanced perfectly. The kind of friendship built on shared ramen nights, cramming for finals together, and holding each other through heartbreaks.
Their lives had been woven tightly together.
So when Andrew and Penelope grew closer, Elizabeth never questioned it.
It made sense.
Or at least… it had seemed like it did.
At the time, she'd simply been relieved to see two of her favorite people smiling.
But now, replaying that moment in her mind, the puzzle shifted. Details she once overlooked slotted into place with painful clarity—the quick glances they thought she didn't notice, the inside jokes whispered between them, the way conversations would abruptly stop when she walked into a room.
Still… she had trusted them.
The crack in that trust came later, the same night Andrew visited her apartment.
He'd hugged her tightly, almost too tightly.
And in that hug, she smelled it; Penelope's perfume.
Not faint. Drenched. Like he'd walked through a cloud of it… or someone.
Elizabeth had stiffened.
When she pulled back, she saw it; a smear of bold red lipstick on his collar.
Not hers. She rarely wore anything brighter than nude gloss.
Her heart had stumbled in her chest.
But she'd swallowed the rising fear, forcing a shaky smile.
Don't overthink it.
Don't assume the worst.
Andrew would never hurt you.
That lie sat heavy, like a stone she swallowed willingly.
She said nothing. Pretended nothing.
Moved on as if her world hadn't tilted a little to the left.
But doubt, once planted, grows quietly and aggressively.
Looking back now, Elizabeth saw the truth clearly.
She hadn't been naive.
She had been hopeful—and hope had betrayed her far more cruelly than either of them ever could.
*** Back at Andrew's apartment ***
He didn't expect her to remain calm; her face was so calm that he felt guilty, but he decided to push the guilt feeling away to the back of his mind.
He was no longer in the mood to do anything. Just as he was about to get up from the bed, he heard Penelope's silent sobs. He turned slowly to face her "Don't cry," he said while wiping her tears away, trying to console her, but it only made her wail louder.
"She would forgive me, right? I never wanted her to know like this. I wanted to tell her myself," she said, bawling her eyes out.
"Don't worry, she will. After she has calmed down, you can go meet her," he said. He was sure she wouldn't even want to see their faces after this.
To him, Penelope was the nicest person; she had been there for him every single time, while Elizabeth had always been busy and whatnot.
He knew Penelope valued her friendship with Elizabeth, even though he liked her; he also liked her family, who treated him well.
A sly smile threatened to spill onto her lips as she savored the triumph of manipulating Andrew into falling under her spell. His genuine feelings were of little consequence to her; all that mattered was that she had successfully driven a wedge between him and Elizabeth.
Elizabeth had been sincere about Andrew, trying to be there for him, but Penelope had told her father to increase Elizabeth's workload, pretending to be the good friend while secretly trying to create a rift between them.
It wasn't easy to change Andrew's opinion about Elizabeth, especially after they had been dating for years. But he was gullible enough to believe her, and she used his trust in her as Elizabeth's best friend to get what she wanted.
That night, she continued her act, keeping Andrew wrapped around her fingers.
A few hours after she was sure he had fallen asleep, she quietly left the bed, taking her phone and one of the blankets with her.
Tiptoeing to the door, she opened it gently, ensuring no sound would wake Andrew. In the living room, she shut the door quietly behind her and called her dad, knowing he would still be at the office.
After several rings, the call connected. Making her voice as low as possible, she asked, "Hi Dad, how's work?"
"Hello, my princess. Work is stressful as always, dear. How are you doing?" her dad replied.
"I'm fine, Dad. I did it. I finally separated them; the plan worked. Elizabeth came over today and saw us together; they've finally broken up," she said, smiling.
"That's good, my dear. This calls for celebration," her dad said, looking at the city from the glass door at the top floor of the company.
"But, Dad, Lizzy's expression was weird today; she wasn't angry. Her expression was so calm, it was frightening. And she even seemed happy about the breakup. I got scared because I thought she found out about the plan."
Mr. Garcia frowned, thinking, "This girl doesn't seem to be someone who should be underestimated."
"Okay, dear, don't be scared. Daddy's got your back. Just be careful around her princess. Make sure you have Andrew wrapped around your finger," he said.
"And also, don't underestimate Elizabeth. She shouldn't be trifled with," he added.
"Okay, then. Take good care of yourself and bring Andrew home this weekend, okay?" he asked.
"Love you,". He said
"Okay, Dad, love you too," she said, giggling like a kid.
After the call disconnected, she tiptoed back into the room, getting under the sheet and making sure Andrew was still sleeping.
She wouldn't be able to explain what she was doing at that time.
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Two hours later, Andrew's eye flew open. All the happenings from earlier that day resurfaced in his mind. It was so difficult to sleep, because sleep was so far away from his eyes at that moment.
He was suspended into a state of emotional limbo, where the sting of loss lingered like an open wound, yet his ego refused to acknowledge the pain. It's as if he was trapped in a dense fog, unable to see the reality of the situation.
The ache of longing and the weight of grief are muffled by a stubborn sense of denial leaving him feeling disoriented and disconnected from his emotions.
His heart felt heavy, yet his mind struggled to accept the truth, like a puzzle with missing pieces that refuse to fit. Time seems to lose meaning, and the present moment becomes blurry.
The tension from the earlier argument made him feel paralysed emotionally, leaving him feeling lost, alone and uncertain about how to move forward.
But still, he decided to shake off the feelings weighing him down and tell himself that he wasn't alone and he had Penelope.
Even after affirming that, he couldn't fill the hole in his heart.