.
I blinked and shut my eyes immediately as the sun's rays fell on my face. I stared at the white ceiling and almost wept. My chest tightened as fragments of yesterday's event pushed through my head forcefully even though I tried to forget them.
Jesse was already married. My breath hitched as the image sharpened. The wedding. His smile was the last thing I saw before the world went blank.
My hand instinctively went to my chest, feeling the dull ache of betrayal that refused to leave, drowning me like an angry wave.
"Serena?" Nina's voice broke through the haze.
I blinked, turning to see her sitting beside me. "Are you alright?"
I sat up, my head spinning slightly, but the pain in my heart was sharper than any physical discomfort. "What happened?" I croaked, my voice betraying the storm I felt within me.
Nina stood up, moving closer, concern etched across her face. "You fainted. Yesterday, after..." She hesitated, as if unsure whether to continue. "After seeing Jesse... get married."
The words felt like stones, hitting me harder than I thought possible. Jesse married someone else. The tears threatened again, but I swallowed them back, and they pierced my heart like a thousand knives.
I couldn't afford to break down. Not here. Not now.
"I need to go," I said abruptly, without thinking, swinging my legs over the side of the bed.
Nina moved to block my path, gently gripping my arm. "Go where? You need to rest, Serena. He's not worth it."
"But I need to see him." My voice shook. "I just need to—"
I shook my head, pulling away from Nina. "He has to tell me why."
"Serena—" But I was already gathering my things, blocking out Nina's protest, tears streaming down my cheeks.
Rest couldn't fix this. Facing him might.
In just an hour, the corporate air of paper and coffee at Brooks Dynamics greeted me coldly as I stepped into the lobby. My eyes darted to the front desk, where the receptionist and one of my colleagues were engrossed in their usual morning chatter.
The moment I drew closer, their conversation caught my attention.
"...and did you see how stunning the wedding was?" one of them was saying, her voice full of admiration.
"I didn't even know they had set a date." The receptionist added.
"The paparazzi, the camera..." She said dreamily. "I heard that the mayor was also present. Serena must be really lucky. I wish I were her."
My breath hitched. They still thought it was me.
I bit my lower lip, forcing a smile as I joined the group. I couldn't tell them the truth. Not yet.
"How was it?" The receptionist asked. "You must be glowing after the big day!"
I swallowed hard, my chest tightening. "It was... unexpected." I lied, trying to keep my voice steady.
Before the conversation could go any further, a young man approached us. I recognized him immediately. Tom, one of the new staff from HR.
His smile was too smug for comfort.
"Serena," he called, his voice laced with something that made my stomach churn. "HR wants to see you. Now."
I blinked, confused. "Why? Is something wrong?"
Tom shrugged. "Just following orders. You'd better go."
My smile wavered. The weight of pretending, of holding together, was becoming too unbearable for me, and my eyes burned.
I nodded quickly, not trusting my voice, and turned to escape the conversation.
My legs felt like lead as I made my way to the Human Resources office, my mind racing with a thousand thoughts.
Maybe it was something about a recent project. Maybe it was unrelated to my personal life.
But as I stepped into the office and saw Jason Hale, the head of HR, leaning back in his chair and sipping a hot cup of coffee with a smug smile on his face, I knew something was wrong.
"Look who we have here." Jason's voice held a false sweetness."I was thinking you wouldn't show up, Snow White."
At first, I stood frozen in the doorway, my heart hammering wildly.
"You asked to see me," I said, my voice steady, though my insides twisted with a growing sense of dread.
Jason gestured to the seat across from him, grinning. "Have a seat. This won't take long, Cinderella."
I reluctantly sat, my hands clasped in my lap.
Jason leaned forward, his eyes gleaming with something that made my skin crawl.
"So..." he smirked, his tone mocking. "I heard about the wedding."
My stomach dropped, and I quickly looked away. "Is that why you called me here?"
"You know," Jason continued, clearly enjoying himself. "How Jesse married someone else. Someone, not you."
He let out a chuckle. "All that time pretending to be hard to get, huh? Guess someone else got him. To the highest bidder, I must say." Then he winked, and he leaned back again. "By now, we could be planning our wedding and a honeymoon in Hong Kong or maybe Seychelles."
My cheeks burned, and I clenched my fist under the table. "If this is just a joke—"
"It's no joke, sweetheart," Jason interrupted, still grinning. "He reached into his drawer and pulled out a letter, sliding it across the table towards me.
"This is very serious business, moi cheré."
I pretended not to hear him and stared at the envelope, my pulse quickening.
"What's this?" I asked, swallowing hard.
He grinned mischievously. "A love letter from me to you. I couldn't sleep last night, so I woke up and wrote this for you."
I ignored him and slowly opened it, my eyes scanning the words.
The room seemed to spin as I realized what I was holding.
Termination of employment.
"Effective immediately," Jason added, clearly enjoying the shock that must have been plastered on my face. "Jesse's orders."
My throat instantly went dry.
Jesse... Ordered this?
My chest was tight, and I felt my head grow hot and big as if I was floating.
I couldn't say anything, and my eyes burned.
"You... can't be serious," I whispered.
Jason leaned back, his grin widening. "Oh, I'm dead serious. He doesn't want you around. Guess you've served your purpose."
The walls seemed to close in on me, the air thick with the scent of betrayal and disbelief.
I wanted to cry; my heart ached, but not now, not here, before Jason, who was grinning like he had been invited to Buckingham Palace.
I won't give Jason the satisfaction of seeing me cry.
I stood abruptly, my chair scraping against the floor.
"If you have nothing better to say than to mock me, I'd rather take my leave."
Jason's laughter followed me as I turned towards the door, but before I could reach it, his voice called after.
"Oh, Cinderella, by the way..."
I stopped and wondered why. I should have just gotten out while I still had the chance, but I stood there listening to him.
"You might want to watch out for Jesse. Seems like he's pretty cozy with his new bride."
My breath hitched as I stumbled out of the office.
The corridor seemed to stretch on forever, tears blurring my vision, but I forced myself to keep moving.
It was Jesse.
I had come to see him, but fate played a fast one on me, and I got a sack letter instead.
I should have listened to Nina.
I should have stayed back home.
My heart tightened, making it impossible for me to breathe.
It was all too much.
As I reached the lobby, the sight I saw immediately hit me like a physical blow.
There, walking arm in arm with Jesse was a woman—tall, poised, and strikingly beautiful.
Her hair fell in perfect waves, her skin glowing like she had just stepped out of a magazine.
My heart shattered all over again as I realized who the woman was.
I clutched my heart, and a gasp escaped my lips.
Jesse's bride was no other person but my childhood best friend.
Vanessa Pollard.
The one person I never expected to betray me.
"Jesse..." I whispered, the words slipping from my lips like vinegar.
Jesse's eyes met mine for a fleeting second, but there was no recognition, no guilt, only cold indifference.
"What did I do wrong?" My voice cracked as I approached them, tears brimming in my eyes.
"Why... why did you do this to me? Why is she with you?"
Jesse's gaze didn't soften, and he didn't bother to answer.
He simply looked at me with the same indifference that kept shattering my heart again and again.
And Vanessa tilted her head, staring at me, a smirk playing on her lips.
"You're causing a scene, Serena," he said coolly. "Go home."
I felt my heart splintering all over again.
"Please, Jesse. Tell me it's a prank. Tell me you love me."
I held his hand, the envelope dropping from my hands as my knees buckled, and tears came to my face.
He jerked his hand from my grasp, and I stumbled back in pain.
Before I could finish, Jesse turned slowly and signaled to a nearby guard.
His eyes rested on me for a while, filled with disgust.
"Escort her out."