I excused myself from Elena, placing a guilty kiss on her cheek.
"You should rest now," I said softly.
She smiled at me. That calm smile again. The one that made me feel seen and unseen at the same time.
"I will," she replied.
I quietly left the room, sliding her door shut behind me.
The moment the door clicked closed, I inhaled deeply. My chest felt tight. Too tight. Like I had been holding my breath the entire time I was in there.
I needed air.
Now.
And fast.
I stood there for a second, pressing my palm against my chest, trying to calm the rhythm of my heart. My mind replayed her words.
Have you ever betrayed someone, Lys?
I swallowed.
Then I finally turned and headed downstairs.
From the top of the stairs, I could see the party still glowing beneath me. Laughter. Soft music. Glasses clinking. The lights were dimmer now, warmer. More intimate.
And then I saw him.
Victor.
He was standing near the bar, speaking to two men in suits. Confident. Calm. Untouched. Like nothing in the world could shake him.
His eyes lifted.
They caught mine instantly.
And he smiled.
Not warm.
Not loving.
Chilling.
Unreadable.
It wasn't a smile for a lover.
It wasn't even a smile for a sister-in-law.
It was a warning.
My stomach twisted.
Then my eyes shifted.
Aaron.
He was near the window, slightly away from the crowd. Phone pressed to his ear. His brows drawn together. He looked… worried. Focused. Concerned.
It must be about his mum, I thought.
Something about that thought softened me.
I exhaled slowly and began stepping downstairs.
Before I could reach the last step, Mom appeared in front of me.
She had clearly been waiting.
Her eyes were wide. Curious. Searching my face for answers I didn't want to give.
I knew that look.
"Well?" she whispered urgently.
I immediately rolled my eyes.
"Oh come on, Mom," I muttered quietly. "It's not like she's dying or anything. Your favorite daughter is fine."
"And?" she pressed.
"And nothing, Mom. Nothing," I said, throwing my arms up lightly as I began walking toward Aaron.
But she followed.
"You're so rude to me, Alyssa," she whispered, almost stomping her foot as she kept up behind me.
"Me? Rude?" I laughed softly. "Don't start, Mom. Go to Elena and leave me alone."
I turned and signaled with my hands toward the staircase.
She rolled her eyes dramatically, sighed heavily, and finally turned back toward Elena's room.
I let out a breath of relief.
"Gosh. Finally," I muttered, placing my hand on my forehead.
I straightened myself and walked toward Aaron.
I tapped his arm lightly.
He turned immediately.
"Oh, Alyssa," he said, ending his call. "Is your mum okay? She seemed worried."
"Yeah, yeah, she's fine," I waved it off. "And you? You don't seem fine."
Without thinking, I rubbed his shoulders gently.
His muscles were tense.
"It's all good, Alyssa," he said calmly, sliding his phone back into his pocket. "I had some things to handle."
"Things?" I asked softly. "Like a girlfriend or…?"
Why did I ask that?
Even I didn't know.
He smirked.
"You sure do ask a lot of questions," he said, staring at me.
I gave a small fake smile. Maybe I just needed something normal to talk about. Something that wasn't guilt or betrayal.
Then he added casually, "No girlfriend."
"Oh," I said.
That small word carried more relief than I expected.
"No girlfriends. No life troubles," I teased lightly.
He laughed.
And I laughed too.
And for a tiny second, I felt lighter.
He offered me a seat, and we sat together watching the party move around us. We talked about the decorations. The cake. The theme. The ridiculous amount of silver balloons everywhere.
"You did a good job helping," he said.
"I barely did anything," I shrugged.
"Still. It looks amazing."
Two hours passed like that.
Easy conversation. Small jokes. Soft smiles.
Then I saw movement upstairs.
Elena.
She was coming down.
In a different dress.
Silver.
It shimmered under the lights. The fabric hugged her perfectly. Elegant. Flawless. Effortless.
It outshone mine immediately.
Of course it did.
Oh, to be perfect, I thought.
Victor walked to her as if drawn by instinct. He took her hand gently. Carefully.
Like she was precious.
They walked up the small stage together for a final thank-you speech.
The music faded.
The room fell silent.
Elena spoke first. Soft. Gracious. Controlled. Thanking everyone for coming. For celebrating Lily.
Then Victor stepped forward.
Calm. Reserved. Commanding without raising his voice.
He thanked business partners. Old friends. Family.
Behind me, two young girls whispered.
"His wife is so lucky," one giggled.
"I wonder how he looks when he's naked," the other teased, and they both laughed.
My stomach turned.
Aaron leaned back slightly and looked at them.
"Aren't you girls still in school?" he asked dryly.
They went quiet for a second.
Then resumed soft giggling.
I didn't wait for the speech to finish.
My heels were killing me.
My feet throbbed.
I needed rest.
At least a minute to breathe.
I leaned toward Aaron.
"I'm going upstairs," I said quietly.
"I'll walk you," he insisted.
"I'm fine—"
"I'll walk you," he repeated calmly.
We walked toward the stairs together.
And I could feel it.
Victor's eyes.
On us.
From the stage.
Heavy.
Sharp.
He stumbled slightly mid-sentence. Just a tiny pause. Then he ended his speech quickly.
"Thank you all for coming."
Applause filled the room.
I refused to look back.
Aaron walked me to my door.
For a second, we stood there.
Then he leaned in and kissed my cheek lightly.
Not possessive.
Not intense.
Just… gentle.
"I'm heading out," he said.
"Okay," I replied softly.
I went inside.
Closed the door.
The silence hit differently now.
I sat down and pulled off my shoes.
My legs were red. Swollen.
"Fuck," I hissed as I pulled the second heel off.
The relief hurt almost as much as the pain.
And then—
The memories came.
"I confronted him."
"He reassured me."
Her voice echoed in my head.
Another memory.
"Have you ever betrayed someone?"
I stood up abruptly.
Pulled off my gown quickly.
Rushed into the shower.
I let the water pour over me.
Hot.
Relentless.
I scrubbed my skin like I could wash something off.
Like guilt could dissolve under soap.
I was hurt that he reassured her.
That hurt more than it should have.
I also felt bad for her.
My feelings were torn in two directions.
Fire.
Guilt.
Jealousy.
Shame.
I stepped out of the shower.
Water dripping down my body.
I grabbed my phone quickly and called Aaron.
It rang.
Then—
Voicemail.
"Leave a message."
I hesitated.
"Thanks for coming today," I said softly. "I had a great time. And don't forget therapy. I'm free tomorrow."
I dropped my phone onto the bed.
Then I lay down.
Completely naked.
The cool sheets against my skin felt grounding.
From outside, I could hear the faint sound of guests slowly leaving. Doors closing. Engines starting.
The party was ending.
I stared at the ceiling.
I needed to feel something different.
Softness.
Peace.
A void.
Maybe I needed to empty myself of everything.
My eyes slowly began to blur.
The room dimmed.
The noise outside faded completely.
Sleep pulled at me gently.
And then—
I felt something.
A strange touch.
Light.
Deliberate.
Against my nipples.
At first, I thought I was dreaming.
But I wasn't.
As I slowly drifted into reality