At the city clerk’s office, when it came time to sign our marriage license, Corey didn’t write my name. Instead, his pen glided across the paper with a practiced, muscle-memory ease, and wrote my best friend’s name instead. The clerk froze. I stared at the paper, my chest tightening. Melanie snatched the pen from his hand, quickly crossing out the name with a sharp, nervous laugh. “Corey, did you lose your mind staying up late with me last night?” she teased, her voice dripping with mock exasperation. “You don’t even know your own wife’s name.” But she pressed too hard. The sharp metal tip of the pen ripped right through my passport photo attached to the form. To reschedule the appointment, we would have to wait another month. Corey cleared his throat, his face flushing with a brief, performative embarrassment. “Don’t be mad, Giselle. I’ve just been helping Melanie draft her corporate reports all week. Her name is practically burned into my retinas.” They shared a quiet, lingering look, completely oblivious to me. I squeezed the pen in my hand until my knuckles turned white. For months, I had been planning this wedding. The walk-in closet in our new house had been custom-built to Melanie’s exact height. My reception dress had been changed to champagne—not because I liked it, but because Melanie thought it was the most elegant shade. I looked down at the engagement ring that was still two sizes too large, slipping loosely on my finger, and then at the ruined license with another woman’s name written where mine belonged. A quiet clarity washed over me. If he couldn’t even get the bride’s name right, perhaps it was time to change the bride. … I set the pen down and turned toward the door. Corey grabbed my arm on the steps outside, pulling me to a halt. “Giselle, are you seriously throwing a tantrum right now?” I shoved his hand off, looking at him with a coldness I hadn’t felt in years. “A tantrum, Corey? Who just put another woman’s name on our marriage license?” Before I could finish, Melanie caught up to us. She slid her arm through mine, offering a bright, dazzling smile. “Oh, Giselle, sweetie, please don’t be mad at Corey. He’s such a workaholic. He stayed up until three in the morning helping me finish my project pitch. His brain is just mush today.” She playfully rolled her eyes at him, her tone carrying an intimate, practiced warmth. “Corey, you really are terrible. Messing up on a day like today! I feel so awful for Giselle!” It was always like this. For years, she had played the role of my fierce defender, but every word she spoke was a calculated reminder of how deeply her life was woven into my fiancé’s. I coldly pulled my arm out of her grasp. Melanie froze, her eyes instantly welling with tears. Corey immediately stepped in, placing her behind him and knitting his brows in deep annoyance. “Giselle, what is your problem? Why are you taking this out on Melanie? She didn’t do anything wrong. I already checked the schedule. We can come back and do this next month. Don’t make a mountain out of a molehill.” I stared at him, my voice barely a whisper. “Corey, do you even know what next month’s date is?” “What date?” he asked, completely indifferent. “It’s the anniversary of my mother’s death.” Corey’s face hardened. A brief flash of guilt crossed his features, quickly replaced by his usual impatience. “Fine, so the date is bad. We’ll do it the day after. It’s just a date. Do you really have to look at me like that?” I took a step back, the distance between us suddenly feeling like an ocean. “There’s no need to reschedule.” Corey’s shoulders relaxed slightly, thinking he had won. I smiled, a weight lifting from my chest. “We’re done. There isn’t going to be a wedding.” Corey stared at me, his face turning pale and then darkening with rage. “Over a slip of the pen? Giselle, you are being completely irrational.” He turned, putting his arm around Melanie, and walked toward his sedan parked by the curb without looking back. “Let’s go, Melanie. Let her cool her head.” The tires rolled through a puddle, splashing muddy water all over my legs. I stood there, watching the red taillights vanish around the corner. My phone vibrated. It was a voice note from my college mentor, Professor Adler. “Giselle, the deadline to submit the names for the European design fellowship is tomorrow. Are you really going to throw away this opportunity for Corey?” I wiped the muddy water from my face, pressed the record button, and held it to my mouth. “Professor, I’ve changed my mind. I’m going.” The sky grew dark, and a torrential downpour began to fall. I arrived back at the apartment completely drenched, shivering from the cold. My fingers trembled as I pressed the six-digit passcode on the door. “Incorrect passcode,” the lock chirped. I frowned and tried again, slowly. “Incorrect passcode. Three remaining attempts before lockout.” I leaned in to use the facial recognition scanner. The screen flared red: “Face recognition failed.” The mechanical voice sounded like a cruel joke in the empty hallway. I pulled out my phone to call Corey, but the screen flickered twice and died from water damage. With nowhere else to go, I curled up on the cold floor outside the door, waiting. I waited for four hours. At eleven o’clock, the elevator doors slid open. Corey and Melanie walked out, laughing and talking. Seeing me huddled on the floor, Corey stopped in his tracks. “What happened to you? Why are you sitting out here like a ghost?” I used the wall to pull myself up, my legs entirely numb. “The passcode didn’t work. Neither did the face scan.” Corey’s eyes darted away as he stepped past me. “I changed the code.” His fingers flew across the keypad, and with a soft chime, the door unlocked. I stared at the numbers he had pressed. It was Melanie’s birthday. “You changed the security code to her birthday? And you deleted my face scan and fingerprint?” My voice was trembling, partly from the cold, partly from the sheer absurdity of it. Corey kicked off his shoes, his voice devoid of any remorse. “Melanie has been coming over to retrieve files for our project lately. She’s terrible with numbers, so I made it something she can remember. As for your access, we can just re-register your face scan tomorrow.” Melanie walked in, carrying two cups of boba tea. She reached out to take my hand, her face a mask of sweet apology. “Giselle, please don’t be mad at Corey. It’s my fault for being so forgetful. I stood in line to get you your favorite boba tea to make it up to you.” She inserted the straw and held it to my lips. The sharp, cloying scent of mango hit my nose. I knocked her hand away, sending the plastic cup crashing to the floor, spilling the orange liquid everywhere. “I am severely allergic to mango, Melanie. Are you trying to kill me?” Melanie’s tears fell instantly. “I’m so sorry, Giselle… I just wanted to make you happy…” Corey shoved himself between us, pulling Melanie into his chest. “Giselle! Are you out of your mind? She went out of her way to get you something, and you push her? You’re acting like a psychopath!” I didn’t have the energy to argue. I walked past them into the guest bedroom to find dry clothes. Staring at my pale, shivering reflection in the mirror, my mind drifted back five years. There was a time when I protected Melanie intensely. Back then, she was a broke scholarship student who couldn’t afford meals. Because she hated the local food, I woke up early every day to cook for her. When she was cornered by local thugs, I threw myself in front of her, taking a beating that left me hospitalized for weeks. She had cried by my hospital bed, swearing I was the best thing in her life, like a real sister. But now, that “sister” was systematically consuming everything that belonged to me. A deep, bone-chilling cold settled in my chest. In the middle of the night, I woke up with a pounding headache. The rain and the cold had caught up to me; my skin was burning with a fever. I fumbled my way out of the room, intending to ask Corey to drive me to the ER. The guest room door was slightly open, a warm light spilling into the hallway. They were sitting close together on the bed, their heads nearly touching as they stared at a phone screen. “Get down to the bot lane, Corey! I’m getting ganked!” Melanie giggled. “Don’t worry, I’m right behind you,” Corey replied, his voice incredibly soft. From the phone’s speaker, Corey’s friends laughed over Discord. “Damn, Corey, matching couple skins? Your girl is so chill. If my girlfriend saw me doing this, she’d burn the house down. You really know how to keep her in line.” Corey let out a low chuckle. “She wouldn’t dare make a scene.” I leaned against the doorframe, a wave of nausea washing over me. I turned back to the closet, grabbed my coat, and walked out into the night alone. By the time I reached the hospital, the sky was beginning to turn a bruised purple. I walked to the billing window, handing over my card. “Declined. Insufficient funds,” the receptionist said, sliding the card back. I blinked, confused. “That’s impossible. That account holds my mother’s inheritance and my savings. There should be nearly fifty thousand dollars in there.” “Well, look at the ungrateful runaway,” a sharp, venomous voice sneered behind me. I turned around to see Regina, my stepmother. She was dressed in designer labels, clutching an expensive leather handbag, her eyes filled with mock pity. “What’s the matter? Did your penniless boyfriend finally dump you? Can’t even afford a hospital copay?” I clenched my fists, my nails digging into my palms. This woman had destroyed my family. She was my father’s secretary, using an unplanned pregnancy to force her way into our home. My mother’s heart couldn’t take the stress; she passed away in the hospital shortly after. I cut ties with them the moment I went to college. When Corey proposed, he had stood before Regina and promised he would protect me, that he would never let me look down on myself again. Where was he now? I dialed Corey’s number. “The line you are trying to reach is busy…” Busy. Every single time. Regina walked up to the counter and slapped several hundred-dollar bills onto the desk. “Pay it for her, nurse. Consider it a charitable donation to a beggar.” She turned back to me, her lips curling into a cruel smile. “Giselle, you can play tough all you want, but in the end, you still end up living like a dog.” I bit my lip so hard I tasted copper. As the IV fluids dripped into my vein, my phone lit up with a social media notification. Melanie had just posted a new photo on Instagram. It was a picture of her and Corey standing under a giant, illuminated Ferris wheel. The caption read: “He said no matter how old I get, he’ll always treat me like his little girl.” A single tear fell onto the screen, blurring the image. When Corey finally came home, I had been sitting on the living room sofa waiting for him all night. “Corey, did you touch my bank account?” He tossed his keys onto the entryway table, his tone entirely casual. “Oh, that? I used it for Melanie’s down payment.” My brain went entirely numb. “You did what?” “Melanie’s family is having some trouble, and she needed her own place to settle down.” Corey poured himself a glass of water, looking at my pale face with utter confusion. “It’s not safe for a single woman to rent in that neighborhood. I used your savings to help her secure the apartment. She’ll pay us back when she can.” I let out a dry, humorless laugh, though no tears came. “That was my money! My mother’s inheritance!” I screamed, my voice cracking. “How dare you touch my money without asking me? How dare you use my mother’s legacy to buy another woman a house!” Corey’s face darkened, his voice rising to match mine. “Giselle, watch your mouth! What do you mean ‘another woman’? Melanie is your best friend!” “Why are you being so materialistic? It’s just money. Do you have to be so incredibly petty?” “Why are you always targeting her? She’s your friend! Can’t you just be happy for her for once? Can’t you be a bigger person?” I stared at his angry, defensive face, suddenly realizing how absurd the last five years had been. It was always this way. Every time Melanie and I had a conflict, he would choose her side without hesitation, turn the blame on me, and accuse me of being jealous and small-minded. My heart died in that exact moment. “Corey, we’re calling off the wed—” Before I could finish, his phone rang. It was Melanie’s custom ringtone. His expression softened instantly as he answered. “Melanie? What’s wrong?” Melanie’s crying voice echoed from the receiver. “Corey, I’m lost… it’s so dark here, and I’m scared.” “Don’t worry, send me your location. I’m coming right now.” Corey grabbed his coat, rushing out the door before he had even fully laced his shoes. “Giselle, we’ll talk about this later. I’ll see you at the company gala tonight. We’ll celebrate your promotion then.” The heavy door slammed shut behind him. That evening, I arrived at the company gala alone. The banquet hall was alive with clinking glasses and laughter. Several colleagues approached me immediately, their faces full of curiosity. “Giselle, congratulations! A promotion and a wedding—double blessings!” “You and Corey got your license today, right? Why didn’t you post anything on social media? You’re too modest!” I looked at them coldly. “We didn’t get married.” The circle went silent, the atmosphere instantly turning awkward. Right then, the double doors of the banquet hall swung open. Corey and Melanie walked in side-by-side. Melanie was wearing a stunning, high-end designer gown, her hand draped casually over Corey’s arm. Whispers broke out through the crowd. Seeing me, Melanie slid her arm away from Corey and walked directly over to my table. “Giselle, look at this! This is the blueprint Corey just sent me. Isn’t it absolutely brilliant?” She held up a tablet displaying a complex architectural structure. In the bottom right corner was Corey’s signature. My chest felt as though it were being pierced by a thousand needles. That was the blueprint I had spent consecutive sleepless nights drafting for the European fellowship. Corey had never cared about my career. He had never asked about my work. But he would stay up until dawn to help Melanie with her spreadsheets, and now, he had handed my life’s work to her on a silver platter. Melanie leaned close, her voice dropping to a whisper only I could hear. “You see, Giselle? In this company, and in his life, you’re nothing but a third wheel.” Looking at her smug, beautiful face, the anger I had kept bottled up finally broke through. “Melanie, do you have any shame at all?” I grabbed a glass of red wine from the table and threw it directly into her face. “A thief who sleeps her way to the top and steals my designs has no right to speak to me.” Melanie gasped, covering her face as she began to sob dramatically. “Giselle, how could you say that? I know you’re jealous of my position, but you can’t just ruin my reputation!” Corey rushed over, pulling Melanie protectively into his arms. He glared at me, his eyes wild with fury. “Giselle! Are you out of your mind?” “How many times do I have to tell you? I only look out for Melanie because she’s like a sister to me! Why do you have to be so malicious?” As Melanie was led away to clean up, the whispers around the room grew louder, the glances directed at me turning sharp and judgmental. But I was too exhausted to care. I had only come to this gala to close the final chapter of my life here. For the next two hours, Corey ignored me entirely. When it came time for the promotions, the host took the microphone. “Now, we invite our Managing Director, Corey, to the stage to announce our new Project Director.” Corey adjusted his suit and walked up to the podium, his eyes scanning the crowd before landing on Melanie. “The promotion for Project Director goes to… Melanie.” A heavy silence fell over the room. I stood at the back, staring at the man on the stage. “Corey, on what grounds are you giving my promotion to her?” For years, I had dimmed my own light to help Corey build this company. Every time a promotion came up, he asked me to step back to “avoid favoritism,” and I had agreed. Then Melanie joined the company. She knew nothing about design, yet within a year, Corey had promoted her to my level and placed her on my projects. She made countless mistakes, crying and begging me to fix them. When I refused, Corey would scold me: “She’s new, Giselle. As her senior, why can’t you help her? Don’t be so selfish.” To earn this promotion, I had done the work of three people, losing sleep and hair. And now, the credit belonged to Melanie. “I managed this entire project alone,” I said, my voice steady despite the adrenaline. “What did Melanie do? Corey, have you thrown away your professional ethics just to favor her?” Corey looked down at me from the stage, his expression cold. “I made this decision to build your character. You are too stubborn, Giselle. You don’t understand teamwork.” Melanie hid behind him, wiping her tears. “Giselle, I’m so sorry… I didn’t know you wanted this so badly. If this is going to ruin your relationship with Corey, I won’t take the position…” “Shut up!” I snapped. Corey’s face turned white with anger. “Giselle, that is enough!” “Consider this a lesson. Once you learn to humble yourself and stop fighting Melanie, I’ll consider going back to the clerk’s office with you.” I let out a soft laugh. It was hilarious, really. All my hard work, my sacrifices, and my devotion were nothing but an obedience training exercise to him. The anger drained out of me, leaving behind a cold, hollow peace. “Don’t bother,” I said quietly. Corey blinked, caught off guard. Before he could speak, the doors to the hall were pushed open. Two police officers walked in, their eyes scanning the room. “Is there a Giselle here?” The room fell dead silent. “I am Giselle,” I said, stepping forward. The officer produced a badge. “We have a warrant for your arrest. You are suspected of online defamation and malicious harassment. Please come with us to the station.” I stared at him, completely lost. Melanie gasped loudly, covering her mouth. “Officers, there must be some mistake! I only reported the online accounts that were calling me a homewrecker… I didn’t know it was Giselle!” Tears spilled over her cheeks. “Giselle, why would you do this to me? If I knew it was you, I never would have called the police…” As she spoke, the projector screen behind the stage flickered. A screenshot of a local forum appeared, showing the IP address and the burner account used to post the thread. I stared at the username. It was indeed my old burner account. But the timestamp of the post was from the exact hours I was lying semi-conscious in the ER. In an instant, everything clicked. “It was you,” I said, pointing at Melanie. “You took my phone while I was sick, made those posts, and then called the police on me.” Corey stepped in front of her, shoving me back. “Giselle! You are sick! You get caught committing a crime, and you try to frame Melanie?” I stumbled backward, my back hitting the edge of a table, a sharp pain radiating through my spine. The officers stepped in, securing my hands. “You can make your statement at the station.” As the cold metal of the handcuffs locked around my wrists, I looked back. Corey was busy wiping the tears from Melanie’s face. He didn’t look at me once. At the station, the officer informed me that Melanie was demanding ten thousand dollars in civil damages to drop the charges. But my accounts had been cleared out by Corey. I didn’t even have a hundred dollars to my name. Just as I was preparing myself to spend the next two weeks in a holding cell, the sound of heels echoed down the corridor. Professor Adler walked in, accompanied by a corporate lawyer. Within thirty minutes, they had processed my bail. “I booked you a ticket,” Professor Adler said, handing me a boarding pass. “The flight leaves at two this afternoon.” She looked at my pale face and sighed. “Let’s get you out of this swamp.” I looked out the window at the gray skyline of the city. There was no sadness left inside me, only a cold, absolute resolve. “Okay.” Two hours later, Corey walked into the police station precinct, his tone dripping with condescension. “I’m here to pick up my fiancée.” Melanie clung to his arm, looking thoroughly pleased with herself. “Corey, Giselle must be terrified after spending the night in jail. Don’t be too hard on her when she comes out.” Corey patted her hand. “You’re too sweet, Melanie. Still defending her after what she did.” He turned to the desk sergeant. “I’m her partner. Tell her that if she apologizes to Melanie, I’ll sign the papers to get her out.” The officer looked up from his ledger, completely unimpressed. “Giselle? She was bailed out two hours ago.” Corey froze. “Bailed out? By whom?” “Her university professor and a lawyer. All the paperwork went through.” Corey’s face darkened. “She really has a way of making a scene, running to her old mentors.” He pulled out his phone and dialed my number. “The number you have dialed is no longer in service…” The automated voice made his chest tighten. Melanie pulled at his sleeve. “Corey, is Giselle mad at me? Is she hiding?” “Where could she possibly go?” Corey sneered. “She’s probably too ashamed to face me. She’ll have crawled back to her hometown to hide.” Melanie bit her lip. “Corey, there have been some strange men hanging around my apartment lately. I’m really scared. Since Giselle isn’t at the apartment, do you think… I could stay with you for a few days?” Looking at her fragile, tearful expression, Corey’s heart softened. “Of course. Move your things over. The code is already your birthday anyway.” “Thank you, Corey! You’re the best.” Meanwhile, at the airport. “Giselle, buckle your seatbelt. We’re about to taxi,” Professor Adler said from the seat next to mine, handing me a sanitizing wipe. I took it and gently wiped the red chafing marks the handcuffs had left on my wrists. “Thank you, Professor.” “Are you still thinking about Corey?” she asked softly. “No,” I replied, looking out at the heavy clouds outside the window. “I’m just calculating a bill.” “A bill?” “The fifty thousand dollars my mother left me,” I said, turning to look her in the eye. “And the five years of labor I gave to his company.” I paused. “Professor, when we land in Paris, I want to meet with a commercial litigation lawyer.” A proud smile touched her lips. “Good. I was worried you’d let them off the hook.” The plane broke through the heavy gray clouds, and the brilliant, untamed sunlight flooded the cabin. I closed my eyes, letting the light wash over me, completely erasing their names from my life.
🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “542310”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel
Leave a Reply