The Fiancé's Treachery: A Dancer's Vengeance

Thom

choed in the da

ath. "It's just one of the

a dismissive hand at the

dug into my palms, the sharp pain a welcome distraction. The fabric of my pajamas was torn,

asked, my voice eerily cal

must have... knocked into something

bject. "April, your birthday is next week! We should

by my doting brother and boyfriend. After Isla arrived, my birthdays became an afterthought, a shared cake after we had

you," I s

fair, they promised, to show the world th

onstantly. Isla was nowhere to be seen, supposedly "recovering" at a friend's house. The day of the

ap. It was a diamond necklace, gaudy and im

ready pressed to his ear. He left his other

password protected. On the screen was a group chat. The name

ht. Dining at a Michelin-starred restaurant. Shopping on Fifth Avenue. Isla, wearing a dress identical to the one they'd bought for me, was holding u

they'd brought me was a cheap knock-off, a free gift with purchase from the boutiq

reen. I mechanically placed it back on the nigh

fused. "The bruises on my legs are too ug

fficult, April." He didn't even look at my legs. They for

me. Douglas and Connor were glued to Isla's side, her laughter tinkling as they hung on her every wor

ective gasp rippled through the crowd. Crystal glasses rat

le screamed and scr

eyes were wide with fear. For a split second, both of the

ning unison, they tur

I

f-carrying, half-dragging her towards

t spinning. I was thrown to the floor, my head

huge section of the decorative ceili

April!" It was Connor. A pang of guilt? A final, us

as a ton of plaster and

oan of stressed metal. I was pinned, a heavy beam lyin

ice yelled. A firefighter knelt beside me, his face grim. He shone his light

ction at a time. Who do we get out first? The woman in the wheelcha

d. This was it. T

at me, his fac

is voice was cold, hard, and u

at Isla, muttering, "I won't lose you agai

dived in after her without a second thought, pulling her to safety while a piece of floating debris gashed my own arm open. But in the chaos, ever

. She had bathed in their und

r entire decade of skewed affection, o

tched apology, before turning back to Isla. "Ok

oved away from me.

heir precious porcelain doll away from the w

uilding. The beam on my chest shifted, and t

te and final, sw