The evening air was crisp, the city buzzing with life as I drove home, my heart thrumming with excitement. My hands gripped the wheel, a triumphant smile playing on my lips as I replayed the email in my head. Jorge Corporations loves my design. My design!
I let out an excited squeal, my voice breaking as I belted out Taylor Swift's Shake It Off, completely off-key but utterly carefree. The weight of months of hard work had finally paid off. I imagined Liam's face when I told him the news—his proud smile, the way he'd pull me into his arms and whisper, I knew you could do it, baby.
I parked outside our apartment, still riding the high of my success, and rushed inside, barely noticing the silence that greeted me. The living room was dark, except for the soft glow of candles flickering from the bedroom. My heart warmed at the sight. Did he plan something for me?
"Liam?" I called out, my voice light with affection.
No answer.
I stepped closer. The door was slightly ajar, a whisper of laughter slipping through the crack. I frowned, my fingers tightening around the doorknob as I nudged it open.
And then, my world shattered.
There, in our bed—the bed where he had whispered his love for me, where we had made promises of forever—was Liam. His bare skin glowed under the candlelight, tangled in the sheets with her.
Alison.
My stepsister.
Their laughter ceased the second they noticed me. Alison gasped, scrambling to cover herself with the blanket, while Liam's face drained of color.
"Lilith—"
"Don't," I cut him off, my voice eerily calm, though my entire body trembled. My mind struggled to process the betrayal, my heart hammering against my ribs. This isn't real. It can't be real.
Alison clutched the blanket to her chest, her eyes wide, fake remorse dripping from her voice. "I—I didn't mean for you to find out this way."
I let out a cold, humorless laugh. "This way? You didn't mean for me to find out this way?" My grip tightened around my phone, my breath sharp and uneven. "So what was the plan, Alison? Sneak around behind my back forever? Or were you waiting for the perfect moment to ruin my life?"
Liam sat up, running a hand through his tousled hair, his jaw tightening. "Lilith, let's talk about this—"
"There is nothing to talk about." My voice cracked, but I refused to break in front of them. Not now. Not ever.
Liam reached for me, but I stepped back as if his touch might burn me. His face twisted in frustration. "Lilith, don't be dramatic—"
That did it. My head snapped up, and I glared at him with all the fury burning inside me. "Dramatic? You're in our bed with my stepsister, and I'm the one being dramatic?"
I lifted my phone, the sharp click of the camera filling the suffocating silence. Liam's eyes widened as he realized what I had done.
"Lilith, wait—"
But I was already turning on my heel, stuffing my phone into my bag. The tears threatened to spill, but I refused to give them that satisfaction.
Alison's voice wavered as she called after me. "Lilith, please, I—"
I turned back, my voice deathly quiet. "Save it. You made your choice. Now live with it."
I walked out, each step feeling heavier than the last. The moment I stepped outside, the cold air bit at my skin, but it couldn't numb the pain twisting in my chest.
I sucked in a deep breath, staring up at the night sky. The stars seemed distant, indifferent to my heartbreak.
This is it.
Everything I had built with Liam, every dream, every whispered promise—it was over. But I refused to be the broken woman in this story.
No.
This wasn't the end.
This was the beginning.