He Called Off Our Forever

ane, was supposed to propose. Our future was a p

e convinced him I was a gold digger who would ruin him, and

our engageme

that ended with me falling from a rooftop and shattering my arm. Then, I was kidnapped by a shady agency,

, abandoned me to suffer while defending

design scholarship in Paris. It was my only escape. I took it

pte

s. For me, Amanda Stevens, it was for one moment: Benjamin Kane, my boyfriend of seven years, getting down on one knee. Everyone knew it was coming. Whispers foll

ic drum against my ribs. Seven years. A lifetime for us. We had planned everything, every detail of our lives, right down to the type of dog we' d get. I

r alcove near the main entrance. I tried not to stare, but my eyes were glued to him. He answered, his voice low, almost a w

knuckles white. "How... how did you know that?" There was a pause, a long, agonizing silence. M

ef, maybe, but also a chilling hint of consideration. "She' d bankrupt me?" The words sliced through th

na Christian. A scholarship student. Her name was like a shard of glass in my ear. Benjamin' s f

ed him more than he let on. He' d dismissed it as bad luck. But now... the caller had predicted it? A shiver ran down my spine. The conversation continued, hushed and

him? Jenna Christian? My mind reeled. What was this? A cruel joke? A misunderstanding? I

d on me. The warmth was gone. Replaced by a cold, calculating gaze I' d never seen directed at

ice flat, devoid of emotion

en?" I whispered, my throat

" His words were concrete, heavy,

dress suddenly felt like a shroud. I stared at him, searching his eyes for any trace o

enjamin. Suddenly, every lingering glance, every shared laugh Benjamin had with her, played back in my mind like a horrifying montage. He' d often mentio

we had just last week, sitting on a park bench. He had confessed his deepest insecurity, a fear that people were only after his family' s money. I had laughed it off, assuring

d out to touch my arm, but I flinched away,

ou step out." Jenna Christian stood beside us, her eyes wide and innocent, a small,

o my gut. "Jenna. Everything' s fine. Just... a quick call." He offere

he other guests, the clinking of glasses. My eyes darted between them. The way Benjamin looked a

of guilt, or perhaps just exasperation, crossed his

barely a rasp. "After

eady drifting back to Jenna, who was now subtly tugging

strikingly similar to a motif I' d been developing for my final collection, a symbol of my own resilience. I had show

Jenna?" I asked, my

n her lips before it vanished. "Oh, this? Just something I whipped up. I' ve always loved pho

e. "Amanda, what' s wrong with you? It' s just a bag." He glanced at Jenna

" I hissed, the words ta

is talented doesn' t mean she' s stealing from you." He put a comforting hand on Jenna' s arm. "Don' t worry about her, Jenna.

was a triple blow. My heart, already bruised, felt like it was finally shattering. H

d to know." I turned on my heel, ignoring his stunned expression, ignoring Jenna' s triumphant glance. I walk

de la Chambre Syndicale de la Couture Parisienne. I had applied months ago, a backup, a wild hope.

min had wanted me to drop my career after graduation, to focus on his family, on our future. He

s. My fingers flew across the screen. Accept scholar