The Unexpected Proposal

Chapter One: The Discovery

The sound of the door shutting behind me was muffled by the racing of my heart. My chest felt constricted, my breathing still uneven from the conversation with Vanessa just a few minutes earlier. We had been talking about my future plans-Valentine's Day, the getaway to the Maldives, the perfect proposal Alex had promised me. The perfect life we were supposed to have.

But when I walked through the door of our shared apartment, all of it came crashing down in an instant.

The apartment was so quiet it was nearly unnervingly still, normally filled with the hum of life. My heels clicked softly against the hardwood floor as I stepped further inside. It was too quiet-something wasn't right. I expected to hear the faint sound of Alex's voice from the kitchen or see him at the counter with his usual cup of coffee. But as I walked into the living room, my stomach dropped.

There, on the couch, was Alex-my boyfriend of three years-wrapped around his assistant, Elena. Their lips were locked in an intimate kiss, their bodies pressed so tightly together it was impossible to deny the depth of their connection. My world stopped, and everything around me seemed to blur as I stood frozen in the doorway, unable to move, unable to breathe.

First, the shock hit me like a cold, numbing wave that stole the air from my lungs. It was so unreal, like some kind of nightmare I couldn't wake up from. My mind refused to wrap itself around the reality of what I was seeing. My gaze flickered between them, the raw intimacy in their embrace shredding everything I thought I knew about my relationship with Alex.

How long? How long had it been? The question bounced inside my mind, though the answer was right in front of me. My heart twisted, painfully, at a sharp, raw ache that burned inside; beneath my feet, the floor spun away.

Alex stepped back from Elena, his eyes wide with surprise and something akin to guilt-but there was no escaping the truth now. He opened his mouth to say something, but no words came. He looked like a man caught, like someone who knew he had no defense.

How long?" I managed to ask, my voice thick with emotion, but even as the question left my lips, I could already feel the answer in every inch of my being. I knew. The doubt, the gut-wrenching certainty that had been gnawing at me for weeks-it was all coming together in this single moment.

His face fell, his lips parted; there was nothing left to say that would make a difference. It was the truth, and nothing would alter the fact that I just caught him red-handed in the act of betraying me.

Elizabeth, I... I didn't mean for this to happen," Alex stuttered, his voice shaking as he reached for me. His hand hovered in the air, as if he was uncertain whether I'd even let him touch me again. The pity in his voice made it all so much worse-it was a thin, empty excuse that only deepened the sense of betrayal.

I shook my head violently, my heart breaking at every passing second. "You didn't mean for this to happen?" I mocked, my voice trembling with disbelief and anger. "How long has this been going on, Alex? How long have you been lying to me?"

I couldn't look at him anymore. He had been the man I had placed all my trust in, the man I had shared my life with, and now he was no better than a stranger. The sight of him was unbearable to me, the sight of him with her. Without another word, I turned away, my chest aching with every step as I rushed out the door. It was like the cold outside had given a slap on my face, yet that was no comparison to the chill which had gone inside, sitting in my heart.

It was as if the night swallowed me in. My steps were unsteady, my legs hardly able to carry me through the weight of the pain that consumed me. I didn't know where I was going, but I couldn't stay there, couldn't stay where I had once felt safe.

I needed space. I needed air. I needed to breathe.

But no matter how much I walked, the images of Alex and Elena pressed against each other, their kisses imprinting on my brain. The world was out of control, my senses working hard to process what just happened.

"Are you alright?

The voice cut through the fog in my brain, deep and even, and I looked up. A man stood across the street, watching me. Tall, with severe features, his eyes were studious, their intensity muted, but studying nonetheless. He was a stranger, somebody that I had never met, but there was something. The way he stared into my face-a jolting ache gripped my chest for the very first time.

His eyes relaxed, and he looked at me as if something had dawned on him about me that no one else saw. He crossed the street to me with measured, deliberate steps.

"I... I'm fine," I lied in a whisper. Even to my ears, the words sounded weak and hollow.

He didn't buy it. His gaze finally latched onto mine, unreadable, but there was a concern there I could see-the weight of it bearing down on me.

He finally looked down at my hand to where the engagement ring was now an albatross around my neck. The cold metal reminded me of everything that I'd lost-everything I thought I had.

I couldn't take it anymore. The hurt, the anger, the confusion-it all built up inside me until I couldn't contain it.

Without thinking, without considering the consequences, the words tumbled out of my mouth before I could stop them.

"Marry me"

Simeon's eyes went wide with surprise, but there was no judgment in his gaze-just something like amusement, tempered with a hint of curiosity. He didn't pull away, though. He just stood there, studying me as if weighing his options.

"Are you sure?" he asked, his voice low and steady.

I was too exhausted to care about anything else anymore. "I need to forget," I whispered, my voice cracking as the tears that had been held back earlier in the day began to spill over.

Simeon didn't bat an eyelid. His fingers wrapped around mine; his brushed mine for a brief moment, sending a surge of warmth through me. Then, without a second thought, he pushed my engagement ring onto his finger, his touch long enough to leave its smudge on my soul.

And that one moment, so stupidly careless, I did make a choice. The choice to run away from it, the choice to prove to myself that all was over.

And, just like that, life had changed. Again.