Betrayed Fiancée: From Love to Abandonment

Synopsis

The hum of the airplane engines faded as we touched down at JFK. I clutched my acceptance letter from Parsons School of Design in one hand, my father's dog tags in the other. The cool metal pressed against my palm, grounding me after the long flight from Switzerland. Three years away from home. Three years of healing. And now, finally, I was back. My heart raced as I pulled out my phone, switching it off airplane mode. The screen lit up with the photo of Marcus and me at Central Park, his arm around my waist, both of us laughing at some forgotten joke. I traced his face with my fingertip before typing a quick message. *Just landed! Can't wait to see you. I have the biggest surprise. xo* I waited for the little dots to appear, for his response, but nothing came. The message showed as delivered but unread. Probably in a meeting, I thought, sliding the phone back into my pocket. The Sterling Corporation never slept, and neither did its CEO-in-waiting. The customs line moved slowly. I shifted my weight from one foot to the other, anxiety and excitement battling in my stomach. Three years of treatments, of therapy, of rebuilding myself piece by piece. Three years of Marcus's weekly calls, his letters, his promises that when I was better, we would start our life together. And now I was better—better than I'd been in