Days before her wedding, Arianna's world falls apart when she finds her fiancé, Mason, having an affair with her stepsister, Ivy. In an attempt to find comfort, she had a one-night stand with a stranger whose name she never finds out. Three years later, Arianna returns with her life seemingly back on track, engaged to a kind and successful man, but fate has other plans. The stranger from that memorable night is no longer a mystery-he's not ready to let her go again; he wants to imprison her with him if she refuses. Arianna must face her past, her heart, and everything. Will she choose to acknowledge the past that she's paved for herself, or take a chance?
Chapter 1 shattered vows
Arianna stood frozen in the doorway, her breath caught in her throat. She had closed from work early to surprise Mason, her fiancé, only to find herself staring at the worst evil a sister can do to her own fellow. She could never have imagined, covered in the sheets of her boyfriend's bed, was Mason and Ivy, "her stepsister."
The sound of their chattering seconds ago still echoes in her ears like a cruel ridicule. Time seemed to stop as she tried to process what she was seeing, the weight of the betrayal crashing down on her.
Ivy was the one who noticed her first, because she was facing her with an unclad upper body. Her eyes widened in alarm, and she yanked the sheets up to cover herself. "Arianna! 9" Ivy's voice was barely heard with a mix of guilt and defiance.
Mason turned toward the doorway, his face going pale as if he saw a ghost when he saw Arianna standing there. "Arianna, wait! This isn't what it looks like! Please let me explain. He stammered, scrambling out of bed.
She took a step back, her stomach churning. Her voice came out low and shaky. "It isn't what it looks like." Then what exactly am I looking at, Mason? Because it sure looks like my fiancé is sleeping with my stepsister."
Mason struggled to wear his pants, his movements nervous and clumsy. "It was a mistake, Andra. It didn't mean anything! You know you're the only one I love. I don't love your sister.
Arianna let out a bitter laugh, though it sounded void to her own ears. "A mistake? How long has this "mistake" been going on? You tell me, Mason! Was it before or after you asked me to marry you?"
He opened his mouth to respond, but no words came. The silence was enough to confirm what Arianna already suspected. She turned her attention to Ivy, who was still sitting on the bed, her head bowed like a scolded child.
"You," Arianna spat, her voice sharp and accusing. "How could you? You're my sister, for goodnesssake. She stopped herself, breathing slowly with bitterness all over her face. Sister, please hear me out! This was the first time I promised "proclaimed Ivy" with her regretful face. But that doesn't excuse this. How long, Ivy? How long have you been sneaking around with him behind my back?"
Ivy finally met her gaze, tears pooling in her eyes. "I didn't mean for it to happen," she said softly. "It just... it just that we weren't able to control ourselves.
Arianna shook her head, her heart breaking all over again. "You didn't mean for it to happen?" she repeated, her voice rising. "You didn't *mean* to sleep with my fiancé? Do you even hear yourself?"
Mason stepped forward, his hands outstretched as if to calm her. "Arianna, please. I love you. I made a mistake, but we can get through this. Don't let one stupid moment ruin everything we've built together." Don't you dare touch me!
His words were the final blow. "Everything *we've built*?" She hissed, her voice trembling. You know we built everything together, right? But "you destroyed everything the moment you both decided to betray me, and I will never forgive you both.
As she stood there, anger burning through her veins, her mind drifted back to the beginning. Mason had been a part of her life for as long as she could remember. The three had grown up together, their families close friends. She had trusted him in a way she trusted no one else.
She thought of the time spent at the lake, the late-night talks under the stars, and the promises they made as teenagers. She remembered one moment in particular: the day they promised they would always be there for each other, no matter what. They were barely sixteen, but Mason had looked at her with such sincerity as he slid a ring of braided grass onto her finger.
"We'll always have each other, Ari," he had said with so much love and sincerity in his boyish grin.
Over the years, that promise had become the foundation of their relationship. She thought she could rely on him, that he would be the one constant in her life. But now, standing in the ruins of their love, she realized how naive she had been.
Arianna's eyes burned, but she refused to cry. Not here, not in front of them. She took a deep breath. "I don't want to hear any more excuses," she shouted coldly. "You've made your choices, both of you. And now, I don't want to see both of you again, at least for now.
Turning on her heels, she stormed out of the room, ignoring their desperate cries and pleas for her to stop. Her chest felt heavy; her heart shattered into pieces she wasn't sure she could ever put back together.
She didn't know where she was going, but she knew she couldn't stay. Every corner of the house held memories of Mason-of their love, their plans for the future. It was too much to take in all in a day; today was supposed to be a happy day for them.
Hours later, Arianna found herself sitting on the couch in her small apartment, the silence deafening. Her engagement ring, once a symbol of love and commitment, now felt like a cruel joke. She slid it off her finger and stared at it for a long moment before tossing it through the window.
Her phone buzzed repeatedly, Mason's name lighting up the screen. She ignored it, the thought of hearing his voice making her stomach turn.
As the night dragged on, she felt a strange mix of emotions: anger, sadness, and an overwhelming sense of betrayal. The people she thought she knew better than anyone had turned out to be a strangers .
She glanced at the clock. It was after midnight, but sleep felt impossible. Her mind replayed the events of the day on an endless loop, each memory cutting deeper than the last through her heart.
By the time the sun began to rise, Arianna felt hollow but resolute. She couldn't change what had happened, but one thing she knows now is that this isn't the first time they had betrayed her; she thought she had the perfect relationship anyone could dream of. She wouldn't let Mason or Ivy's betrayal destroy her.
They had shattered her trust, her dreams, and her heart, but this isn't the end of the world. She was stronger than that. And while she didn't know what the future held, she vowed to make them pay for the betrayal.
For now, she would grieve the life she had lost, but she knew this wasn't the end of her story. Arianna had loved him for as long as she could remember. It was just the beginning of something new.