Love's Final Betrayal: A Fading Star

funeral, Chloe wa

e starkest truth that defined the end

red under a gray, weeping sky, she was bathed in sunli

end, there was a lou

ulling up to our small, rented house in a ca

n our little house fe

crossed, not looking at me, but at

to talk,

warmth, cool and measu

ion at his firm. A real career. A chance

felt li

"I can' t keep waiting for you to make it. This game of yours... it' s a hobby, E

my chest. What she didn' t know, what I hadn' t told anyone, wa

ed words like "inoperab

game, my legacy, rather th

e, and my tired eyes, and she misin

You' re always tired. You' re letting yourself go. Is this what

thick I could h

my screen, my finger

what you always do! You just retreat into your little fantasy world and ignore re

t turned sharp, a r

I' m sorry I couldn'

t imagined the pity, her ambition chained to a

y apology

late for sor

ront door closing wit

in the sudden,

s al

reath caught. I slid from my chair,

owing monitor, a testament to

ence, hovering weightless, loo

as

best friend, slumped in the hospit

was immens

andled my final affairs. She grew thinner, hollow-eyed, fueled

red to the empty room. "I don' t k

phone ra

s thumb

Her voice

know things were... tense... the other day, but I wanted

muscles t

at the Botanical Gardens. It would mean a lot to

. This S

o the calendar. Next t

slipped fr

from the floor, "S

sk of disbelief and dawning rage. My fun

the phone, e

y game icon, th

b, half-laugh. "She' s getting married. On t

helpless. The tra

of her mirror, not in simple black

e an avenging

ng to the w

scream from my ethereal priso

couldn'

h happy chatter. When Sarah walk

oyance clouding he

ing? Is this some kind of sick joke? Yo

ce was unner

s becaus

ed, uncomp

o a funeral. It' s at two

with shock, then hardened

g you could possibly say. You' re trying to ruin my wedding day. Di

darling?" He sneered at Sarah' s dress. "

Chloe said, trembling. "She' s say

s, Chloe. It' s a pathetic cry for attention. He' s probably

. "You need to leave. Now. I' m sorry I ever invited you. I

sorry, honey. I' ll have

a small, bitter smil

r called Chloe' s

lare, then stopped. A flicker of doubt

as starting. He

, on the truth, and walked awa

t me. Our cheap wine, designing her wedding dress o

dress I didn' t recognize, wa

ne, a solitary

them, you know," she murmur

ny reached

Davis, take Ma

urned t

e' s voice, qu

. Mark turned, confu

Mark. She was looking at

she called agai

h st

pale. "Mark, I... I' m sorry. I have to... the

t?" Mark hissed, grabbing her arm

ly. "I don' t care. I have to k

d running down the aisle, away

aving her

oing to m

ion. Mark' s face was a thunderclou

t. A small group around freshly turned e

A woman in a brilliant white w

hockwave. My father'

doing here?"

step. "You have no rig

. Her eyes were fixed on the si

loved Son and Fr

r. She reached out a trembling hand, tracing my name.

istic cry escaping her throat. It wa

s not the reaction of a wom

is is your fault! You did this to him!

"Leave. If you' re just here to make a scene, to show off

clawing at the dirt, trying to dig me up. "No," she

hloe' s arms. "Chloe, stop it!

e screamed. "He can'

lt. Mark Johnson stormed up t

ing?" he yelled, shoving Sarah.

fought him off. "He' s gone, Mar

mily. "This is insane," he spat, pointing at Sarah. "This is your

d. "She came on her own. And you need

my fiancée goes

"She is not your fiancée here. Here, she is the woman who destroye

hate. My quiet funeral

and streaked with tears and dirt, cl

s go. We can fix this. We' ll go on our hon

m his grasp. "No," she whispered, a n

ou should go, Chloe. He wouldn' t have wanted thi

t time, body shaking with a suppressed sob. Without another wor

er. The storm had passed. The truth, in its brutal way, was out. I felt

as

ng, began to move on. My parents, heartbroken

ce thick with emotion. "It was Ethan' s dream. You we

sed. "I can' t. It

ou to have it," my moth

rt, my empty chair. She finally nodded, tears fi

f into the work, determined to make my

he found a 'Personal' folder.

lling an all-nighter in college, arguing playfully.

whispered to the empty room

arring her. The c

eed to come down. There' s been a problem at Mr. Miller'

adlights cutting through darkness. Her

ghts, the scene was worse than imagined.

middle of the mess, were

thes disheveled. Mark held a second

u think you' re doing?" Sa

our respects! Chloe wanted his ashes. We were going to mo

ontrol his last remains? You think there' s some inheritance, don' t you? You think this st

st felt sorry for you. I almost thought you underst

tering, "I had to... I h

st straw for Sa

oice trembled with rage. "You want to know about t

was about to collapse. A mysterious benefactor paid off al

t stared,

cent. That was the 'failed investment' he told you about. He chose to look like a failure in your eyes rather than let y

replaced by dawning, soul-crushing horror.

man you chose instead?" She pulled out her phone. "I did some digging

Mark, kissing another woman. Screenshots

nal piece of her shattered world crumbled.

ief and rage finding a target.

her hard. "Get off

d earth around my grave. She fell, her head hitting the co

dark pool sprea

panicked. S

ghts, I felt my purpose fade. The truth was ou

covered mine, I felt a lightness. The pain, love

rah, became a global sensation. My name, a

from the living, from the wreckage, and