Chapter 2

• Love doesn't knock... it enters and burns you with hellfire.
• Burn it, baby; even your ashes will call his name.
• ARLET
• Clad in a beige gown with minimal makeup, I skimmed my reflection. I was just a plain-Jane girl with long hair and an oval face—far from the towering personality of Riele, the model. The only thing I truly loved about myself was my eyes.
• Today was the day to box up my feelings and drown them in the bottom of the ocean.
• How naive of me to think I could fade into the crowd in this color, unnoticed. My long hazelnut hair, the only part of me I could credit, came from my mother. She had been one of the most beautiful women I'd ever known. If she were here, she’d have scolded me for choosing this dress.
• Riele hadn’t asked me to be her bridesmaid, and truthfully, I was relieved. I didn’t think I could have handled standing beside her for the sake of my fragile heart. Riele looked radiant these past few days. The spark in her eyes, the blush on her face—everything about her happiness seemed surreal. I could only imagine what it must feel like to marry someone you are madly in love with.
• As for me, my feelings have never seemed to matter to anyone, not even to the universe. A familiar sting rose behind my eyes, but I fought back the leftover tears. Ruben. I hated myself for crying over him all week. Despite my best efforts, I still couldn’t figure out how to stop falling for him.
• “You look beautiful.”
• I rolled my eyes and turned toward the voice. He always had the knack for catching me at my most vulnerable. Quickly dabbing at my tears, I pretended to fix my concealer.
• Milo would’ve said the same thing if I’d shown up in a hoodie.
• He walked up and stood beside me, and I offered him a half-shrug.
• “What? You hate beige, but it looks beautiful on you.” He winked, his teasing tone coaxing a reluctant smile out of me.
• To him, everything about me was beautiful, wasn’t it?
• He’s three years older than me, and people often mistake us for a couple. He’s the second most attractive guy in town—after Ruben, of course. He’s my best friend, Milo. Women fall over themselves trying to get his attention, and honestly, I’ve never understood what he sees in me.
• Maybe he feels responsible for me after my parents died. But the way he cares for me… I probably would’ve fallen for him if Ruben hadn’t already stolen my heart. Not that it matters—Milo is my best friend, and I like it that way.
• He’s the one who pulled me out of my self-sabotaging cocoon. He made me face reality, dragged me to therapy, and pushed me back into the one thing that truly completes me: swimming.
• Most people don’t believe I was the same girl who earned a swimming scholarship to college. Then life happened, and I turned it down, choosing to live with my uncle and aunt instead.
• “Are you okay?” he asked, his voice soft but probing.
• Milo had figured out my feelings a few days ago when he caught me crying in the library. He knew I had a crush on someone but hadn’t realized it was Ruben Rodriguez.
• I nodded silently, grabbed my clutch, and moved toward the door, desperate to escape.
• Before I could leave, he grabbed my hand. I froze, unable to meet his gaze. I knew what I’d see—his eyes would strip me bare, exposing even my silent sobs. Still, I forced a weak smile.
• Milo tilted his head, one brow raised in doubt.
• “You don’t have to pretend with me,” he said gently.
• I swallowed hard, my voice barely above a whisper. “Does that dick even know your name?”
• My eyes widened in mock anger. “I’m telling you, he’ll divorce your sister in a day once he figures out who Riele really is.”
• I let out a laugh, but Milo quickly pointed at me. “Stop right there.”
• I frowned, thinking there was something on my face. “What?”
• “Yeah… that smile. You know it could kill hundreds of men.”
• I blushed, lightly slapping his arm.
• His eyes lingered on mine as if silently asking me to smile again. Ignoring him, I pulled out my notepad and scribbled a quick note:
• Nobody knows I exist except you and Oliver.
• Milo leaned closer, reading it, and shook his head. “I don’t want anyone to know,” he argued softly.
• Before I could respond, he plucked the notepad and pen from my hands, stuffed them into my clutch, and pulled me into a side hug.
• “Shall we, Miss Arlet Amor?” he said with a playful smirk.
• As we stepped into the hall, the hum of gossip and sympathetic glances followed me like an unwelcome shadow. The open garden by the lakeside was stunning—a dream come true. A tower of cocktails sparkled under the setting sun, and the floral centerpieces on the tables were nothing short of magical.
• But what truly captivated me was the wedding arch. Its white drapes, intertwined with baby pink flowers, swayed gently in the breeze, creating a mesmerizing scene.
• I glanced at Milo and smiled. “You love it, don’t you?”
• I nodded as my eyes scanned the crowd. I spotted Debbie and William bustling about, and I was sure Riele was somewhere nearby, nervously counting down the hours.
• “Let’s sit over there,” Milo suggested, gesturing toward her mom’s table.
• Before we could reach it, my phone buzzed with a video call from Riele.
• “Hello, Arlet,” she said, her voice tinged with nerves. “Please, come up. I need you here.”
• Leaving Milo as he headed toward her family, I hurried to Riele's room. She seemed unusually stressed, and I couldn’t help but wonder why she needed me.
• “Where are you going? The groom and his family are here.” Debbie’s voice cut through my thoughts as she grabbed my hand and stopped me in my tracks.
• I quickly typed on my phone and showed her the screen:
• Riele needs me.
• “Oh, shut up. Stay here and help me with the guests,” she snapped, pointing toward the drink station.
• Reluctantly, I moved toward the server and stood beside the table, pretending to be busy, when my phone buzzed again.
• “Where the heck are you? Did you see it?”
• See what? I typed back, my heart racing.
• “Come here, Arlet.” The message came through almost instantly. I imagined Riele biting her nails, her stress palpable even through the screen.
• Turning to leave, I froze in place.
• Ruben.
• He stood there in a pristine white tuxedo, his smile radiant enough to steal the air from my lungs. His grey eyes shimmered with an unspoken happiness, a joy I knew wasn’t for me.
• A pang of sorrow coursed through me, knowing his smile belonged to someone else—the woman he loved.
• He didn’t even glance in my direction as he walked past, every step carving his presence deeper into my heart. I stood there, capturing the moment in my mind like a snapshot I could never bring myself to burn.
• Then I saw it.
• Ruben was gently pushing a wheelchair in front of him.
• Sitting in it was a sweet little girl dressed like a princess, her radiant smile mirroring the innocence in her eyes as she looked ahead.
• My heart broke.
• “What the heck are you doing here?” Debbie’s sharp voice jolted me back to reality. “Riele is calling you!”
• One of the bridesmaids abruptly hauled me away, guiding me down the corridor toward Riele’s room.
• What in the world could she want now, after taking the man I loved?
• Before I could protest, the woman shoved me through the door and locked it behind me.
• Inside, Riele was pacing anxiously, her stress evident in the way her once-perfect bun now hung in disarray.
• "Where the hell were you?" she exclaimed, gripping my shoulders and shaking me with a force that made my head spin.
• I gave her a questioning look, utterly baffled by her behavior.
• "I can't..." she started, her voice trembling.
• "I can't marry him."
• Her words hit me like a bolt of lightning.
• What the heck? Was she out of her mind?
• Heart pounding, I hastily grabbed a pen and a piece of paper from a nearby table, scribbling furiously to voice the panic rising inside me.
• What are you saying? He’s here. What are you so scared of?
• She snatched the paper from my hands, crumpling it in frustration.
• "I'm scared of being a mother," she blurted out, her voice cracking.
• What?!
• Before I could even process her words, she gripped my arm and dragged me toward the window.
• “That girl in the wheelchair,” she said, pointing outside.
• I followed her gaze and saw the little girl with the radiant smile, sitting peacefully as Ruben stood protectively beside her.
• “She’s his daughter,” Riele whispered, her voice barely audible.
• Her grip on my arm tightened as her confession spilled out.
• "I can't marry him."