High walls. Chandeliers are glowing on every floor. The rich elite clustered together, laughing quietly as they threw money around like it meant nothing.
Everything about this place told me I didn't belong here.
But one thing was certain—Rixa's dysfunctional parents knew how to throw a party.
Or maybe they just loved their daughter enough to pretend their marriage wasn't falling apart for one night.
"You look breathtaking."
Josh's voice came from behind me.
Of course I did.
I was middle-class, not blind. I had never claimed to be ugly. Beauty and brains—my mother's favorite description of me.
Josh stepped beside me in an expensive tuxedo. His blond hair was trimmed short, styled into controlled spikes.
Handsome.
Just not my kind of handsome.
He pressed a kiss against my cheek.
It reminded me of the one he had placed on my lips earlier.
Tonight wasn't the night to fight with him.
My attention was already locked on one person.
Mason.
I scanned the room until I spotted him standing with his parents. I had only seen them once before, briefly.
I grabbed a glass of champagne from a passing tray.
"Where are you going?" Josh asked, catching my wrist.
"I need to talk to Mason."
"I don't think that's a good idea. Come on—"
He tried to guide me away, but I pulled my hand free.
"No."
That single word was enough. Josh let go.
My heels clicked softly against the polished floor as I walked toward them. I tried to move like I belonged among these people.
The gown Rixa had lent me.
The heels she had given me for my birthday.
The loose waves my mom had spent an hour curling.
For tonight, at least, I fit in.
"Mason."
"Shit," he muttered under his breath.
"Good evening, Mr. and Mrs. Bright," I said politely. "I'm sorry, but I need to speak with Mason."
See?
I could be brave.
"Mom, Dad, you remember Lani," Mason said quickly. "My friend."
His mother looked at him first.
Then she looked at me.
There wasn't a hint of warmth in her eyes.
Her gaze traveled slowly from my head to my shoes and back again, like she was inspecting a stain she had just discovered on her carpet.
"Of course I remember her," she said sweetly.
Her smile didn't reach her eyes.
"The servants at home have mentioned her quite a bit."
My stomach dropped.
She knows.
"Of course she knows," my mind screamed. "It's her house."
"Mason," I said quietly.
Maybe whatever we had at school meant something.
Maybe he would help me.
"Listen carefully, girl," his mother said, her voice suddenly sharp. "I don't know—or care—what game you're trying to play here. But you will stay away from my son and away from my house."
The venom in her voice froze me in place.
Everyone stood there watching.
Even Mason's father said nothing.
I looked at Mason.
Just once.
Just hoping for something.
Support.
Understanding.
Anything.
But he said nothing.
His mother gave me one last dismissive look before leading her son away.
They left me standing there like a fool.
What just happened?
The champagne glass slipped from my hand and shattered against the floor.
I didn't wait for anyone to react.
I ran.
The nearest restroom was empty.
Thank God.
I stared at my reflection in the mirror.
Glassy eyes.
Flushed cheeks.
Lips trembling.
My hands moved instinctively to my stomach as tears began to fall.
I didn't care about the cheap mascara smearing down my face.
I cried because I had been foolish.
I cried because I had believed love could fix anything.
And now I was pregnant with a baby no one wanted.
I cried because I was the worst friend in the world.
"Lani."
A knock sounded at the door.
Josh.
Every time I was at my lowest, he appeared like some cruel reminder that he had been right all along.
That I had been stupid.
"Go away," I sobbed.
My voice must have given me away, because the door opened anyway.
Josh stepped inside and locked it behind him.
"Baby," he said softly.
That word only made me cry harder.
Why wasn't I in love with him?
I could have chosen him.
"Don't touch me," I said through my tears.
It was the first time I had truly let the weight of everything crush me since I found out I was pregnant.
The first time I had felt completely alone.
"Shhh," Josh murmured gently as he pulled me into his arms. "It's okay. I'm here."
I didn't fight him this time.
I buried my face in his chest and cried until there were no tears left.
He lifted my chin carefully and studied my face.
Like he could see everything I was trying to hide.
He pulled a folded handkerchief from his jacket pocket and wiped the streaks of mascara from my cheeks until all that remained were puffy eyes.
"I don't know what to do, Josh," I whispered. "I'm all alone."
"You have me," he said softly. "You'll always have me."
For a second…
I almost believed him.
"You don't understand," I said quietly. "Even if Mason knows about the baby… I'll never be accepted. His mother hates me."
Josh sighed.
"Aunt Lucy hates everyone but her son," he said. "Don't take it personally."
He truly did love me.
Josh.
Here I was, pregnant with his cousin's baby, and he had never once left my side. If I didn't know better, I would think he still wanted me.
"We have to leave," I whispered. He helped me adjust my dress, and together we slipped out of the restroom, my hands clinging to his.
Maybe it was just for balance. Maybe it was for comfort.
Maybe it was because I needed something to hold onto.
The party had already moved to the dinner tables. Name cards were neatly arranged in front of every seat.
I wasn't surprised to see mine placed beside Josh's.
That had Rixa written all over it.
She was still convinced Josh and I were secretly dating.
"Laniiiiiii!"
Her cheerful voice startled me before she pulled me into a tight hug.
She looked stunning in a simple red dinner gown, her hair pulled back into a sleek ponytail. Effortless. Perfect.
Everything I wasn't.
I hugged her back, my chest tightening with guilt. I couldn't apologize—not really. Not for the secret I carried. Not for almost destroying her perfect life.
She deserved better than a friend like me.
"You look beautiful," I said with a smile.
Rixa pulled back and studied my face. It took her exactly three seconds to realize something was wrong.
Her eyes snapped toward Josh.
"Ever since she started dating you, she's been crying non-stop," she accused loudly. "What are you doing to her?"
Josh raised his hands in surrender, accepting the blame without argument.
"It's not Josh," I said quickly. "I just… have something in my eyes."
It was the weakest lie imaginable.
Rixa didn't believe it for a second, but the evening had already begun pulling her away.
"We're talking after this," she said firmly. "I have so much to tell you. Okay? Bye, I love you."
She kissed my cheek and hurried off.
I sat down and reached for a glass of red wine from a passing tray.
Before it could even touch my lips, Josh snatched it from my hand.
"No wine for you, baby girl."
He drank it himself and replaced it with a glass of juice.
I stared at him, confused.
Now he was being protective. Calling me baby.
I didn't understand him anymore.
The soft clink of a glass drew everyone's attention toward the front of the room.
Rixa stood there with her parents. Mason stood beside his.
Their families looked proud. Powerful. Perfect.
Rixa slipped her hand into Mason's.
"Ladies and gentlemen," her father began warmly. "Friends and family, thank you for joining us tonight to celebrate this memorable day for our little beam, Rixa. It is not every day your daughter graduates and prepares to take over the world."
Polite laughter filled the room.
"In honor of this occasion, we have a special announcement. My company, Li Chun Enterprise, will be joining with the Bright Establishment in a partnership that will shape the future of both our families."
My stomach tightened.
"And with that," he continued proudly, "we are delighted to announce the engagement of our children—Rixa and Mason."
The room erupted into applause.
My mind went completely blank.
What?