Chapter 1
I slipped back into the country, all just to pull off a birthday surprise for my boyfriend, seven years together and counting.
When I got to the private room, I heard his friends teasing him.
"Cassian, you're 29 now. When are you and Avalon finally getting married?"
But Cassian just shrugged and said, "Avalon's so dull. I'm honestly sick of her.
"I don't love her anymore. I'll just string her along for now."
While I was still reeling in anger and confusion, a barrage of floating messages suddenly appeared before my eyes.
They told me I was nothing more than the supporting actress in someone else's story.
I was fated to be just a stepping stone for the leads' grand romance.
But I'd never been one to let others decide my fate, not Avalon Blackwell.
*****
Cassian and I grew up together, childhood sweethearts through and through. We made it official when we were 21.
Nobody was surprised when we got together.
It was like we were always meant to be.
Four years ago, my dad had me pursue further studies abroad, all to prepare me for taking over the family business.
For the first two years, Cassian would make time each month to fly across continents, spending over ten hours in the air just to be with me for half a day.
By the third year, he'd officially taken over Whitlock & Co. and got busier than ever.
But once my studies were on track and I wasn't overwhelmed anymore.
It was my turn to follow his schedule, jetting around the globe just to catch up with him.
A week ago, I played a little trick on him. "Babe, I'm sorry, but I'm swamped with my final thesis. I won't be able to make it back for your birthday this year."
He sounded all pouty on the phone, but still tried to be sweet.
"It's okay, Avalon. We've got plenty more birthdays to celebrate together," he said.
"But you better make it up to me when you get back," he added.
I asked him what he wanted as compensation.
He answered without missing a beat. "Forget everything else, just give me a real title, okay?
"How about we get married as soon as you come home?" he asked.
To pull off the surprise, I hustled to finish everything early and flew back ahead of schedule.
But now, standing at the door, it felt like my blood had turned to ice.
My hand on the doorknob was trembling.
I wanted to storm in there, look him in the eye, and ask, "If you're so tired of me and don't love me anymore, then why talk about marriage at all?"
But I held myself back.
I wanted to hear what other disgusting things this guy—the same one who said he loved me just last night—would say next.
The private room fell silent.
After a long moment, an icy male voice cut through the tension.
"Cassian, if you don't love her, just tell her straight. Don't waste her time."
I knew that voice.
It was Adrian Blackthorn, one of Cassian's friends.
Adrian hardly ever showed up at parties, and he usually kept to himself.
He was always straight-laced and by the book.
This time, I was the one who asked him for a favor.
I told him I wanted to propose to Cassian and asked him to get me the address for Cassian's birthday get-together.
As soon as Adrian finished, Cassian just smirked, sounding lazy and indifferent.
He said, "Waste her time? She's spent seven years with me, and gave me her best days.
"If I dump her now, that's the real waste."
"Then why did you talk about getting married with Avalon not long ago?" Leo Vance, another of Cassian's friends, asked.
"Just said it casually," Cassian replied.
Leo pressed, "Avalon's coming back soon, right? What are you going to do if she wants to get married?"
Cassian just shrugged, totally unfazed. "I'll just keep stringing her along. Avalon's easy to fool."
"Besides, our families have had ties for years, and our businesses are intertwined. If I break up with her, my dad wouldn't be happy about it," he added.
Hearing all those words, I dug my nails into my palm, the sting bringing me back to my senses.
Now I got it. I was just a hassle Cassian wanted to shake off, but couldn't.
"Cassian, you've had enough," Adrian said, his voice colder than before.
"I'm not drunk. Why are you so worked up, Adrian?" Cassian shot back.
"What, do you actually care about her?" Cassian said, his tone growing impatient.
"If you really care, why don't you try taking her from me?" he sneered.
The sharp scrape of a chair leg against the floor echoed through the private room; someone was getting up.
"Alright, alright," someone quickly tried to smooth things over. "It's a birthday party, let's not argue."
"Yeah, Cassian's just being stubborn. You and Avalon have been together for seven years, practically joined at the hip," someone said.
"There's no way you'd get tired of her that easily," another chimed in.
"Enough talking, let's drink. Cassian, this one's for you," another one toasted.
The room came alive again, glasses clinking and laughter filling the air.
My hand slipped off the doorknob.
I glanced down at my carefully styled hair, the new dress I'd bought just for tonight.
And the high heels had rubbed my heels raw. I let out a wry, self-mocking laugh.
I turned around.
A waiter pushing a cart down the hallway stopped, probably recognizing me as the one who'd asked for directions earlier.
"Miss, are you..." he started.
"It's fine, I just took a wrong turn," I said.
I heard my own voice, way too calm for what I was feeling.
I headed for the elevator.
The hallway stretched on, dimly lit, and out of nowhere, lines of text started drifting across my vision, like bullet comments floating across the screen.
[Finally, the story's getting somewhere! The earlier stuff was so boring, but you just couldn't quit it.]