[Bianca]
That was right. Brianna was taking a short trip to Cupid's Isle. 'Helping' to plan my wedding was so stressful for her that she just had to get away.
"Being an accepted guest on billionaire Cole Hunter's island is super rare, BB. You get it, don't you?" she cooed, ooh and aahing about it while dumping all the maid of honor duties in my lap at the last second.
Thank God I still had Macy. A lone tear fell down my cheek as the sharp pain in my chest intensified. Never had I ever felt so lonely in my entire life. I was gutted. Wrecked. I needed my bestie, stat.
"Yes, fuck, I'm, I'm cuming. So fucking good. Fucking my sister's fiancé is so naughty," Brianna howled, choking on a fresh batch of giggles and pants, like she knew somehow that I was listening.
My hands trembled with emotion anew as I dug into my purse, pulled out my phone and hit number one on my speed dial.
"Hey BB. I know we're meeting about last minute changes to the seating chart. I am on my way. One foot out the door. I just—" Macy scrambled to say, her voice reassuring.
Ordinary. Normal. Like nothing had changed. How I envied her her ignorance.
"Brianna's fucking Jason. So no need to worry about it anymore," I said tightly, uttering the words with as much grace as I could muster, not so much as a hoarse voice from the crying or a stutter.
This my father taught me. To have some fucking pride. When did I start to forget his lessons and prioritize my mom's? I couldn't help it. I just wanted to feel like I still belonged at the dinner table during the holidays. It was the only way to stop my mom from icing me out completely. Most people are proud when their daughters get into Harvard. All my mom saw was disappointment.
"Women use their bodies to get ahead, not their brains," she said with a scoff.
Clearly she had no idea what went into a modeling shoot. The effort. Talent. Poise. Delicacy. Humans weren't meant to be perfect. Creating the illusion of flawlessness was work.
"What the fuck did you just say?" Macy immediately roared, just as Brianna cried out Jason's name again. "Oh damn. BB, don't tell me—"
"She's fucking him right now. In my bedroom. I'm outside it," I whispered into the phone.
Fuck my mother. What the real reason was for why I wasn't raising hell I didn't know. It was like there was a brick wall in front of me. Maybe it was my pride. Or was it denial? Fuck knew, but I wasn't giving Jason and slutty Brianna the satisfaction of seeing me cry.
"Bitch, why the fuck are you whispering? You pay the rent! Just you.Throw their asses out," an outraged Macy demanded, pulling me out of my thoughts. "You know what? Fuck this. I'm coming over. I'll throw them out for you."
The sound of Macy scrambling to grab her things made me let out a bitter snigger as a painful fact came out of me.
"Truth? I'm ashamed. Embarrassed. I ignored all the signs that he wasn't happy. I—" I continued to whisper, like that would somehow fix my broken engagement.
Because it was broken. Over. That much self respect I had. Jason and I were through. I hated his guts. Unless—
"Shut the fuck up. You are not defending his cheating ass right now," she said, intruding on my denial and overwhelmed state. Macy slammed the door of her apartment shut on the other end of the line. "Why is she even there? He's not her usual brand of loser."
"She probably came by to let me know she was leaving on her trip. Then he tripped and his dick fell into her always open for business pussy. God Mace, what do I do?" I moped, despondent, too consumed with heartbreak and humiliation to think straight.
An hour ago, I had my whole life figured out. I just scored an internship at my dream law firm. I was getting married to my college sweetheart. Everything made sense. Now, nothing did. The pain was soul crushing. I felt like the world was ending.
"Run," said Macy, an urgency in her voice just as my phone started buzzing.
Instinct told me something was wrong. Something new. Different. Macy didn't run from things. It just wasn't who she was. My phone buzzed again. Then again. I yelped when the buzzing started taking over my phone completely. Notification after notification poured in.
"What the fuck is going on, Mace? Who is blowing up my phone?" I asked with bated breath.
"Brianna and Jason just landed themselves in the middle of a red hot sex scandal… AND, here's the kicker. The headlines are saying it's not actually her, but you," Macy spat out, never one to mince words.
I spiraled. The room spun. I couldn't breathe. More than once. For there to be proof, it had to have been an ongoing thing. Confirmation set the pieces of my heart on fire.
"You can't be serious. This can't be happening," I said, hyperventilating, fanning my face while pacing up and down as my body heated up.
"Listen to me carefully. Do exactly as I say," said Macy, going into problem solving mode. "It is this or stay to be humiliated and dragged through the mud by the press."
"Okay, sure," I said, my eyes falling on Brianna's suitcase again.
I remembered Macy telling me to run moments prior and a thought went through my mind.
Brief. Fleeting. But valid. A real option. A way to save face while my life crumbled.
No. I was crazy. Couldn't run. I faced my problems…and everyone else's. That was me. The good sister. I did the right thing. I started my dream job tomorrow. Macy knew that. She must have meant something else.
"Sure. What are we doing? Press conference? Damage control? What? Lay it on me," I said, taking deep breaths, finally into survival mode.
Because no one and I mean no one, was taking my job from me. I worked too fucking hard. Came too damn far.
"Nope. You're just going on vacation. Did Brianna bring her passport and plane ticket with her?" Macy asked.
I could hear the engine of Macy's car roaring to life in the background. My mouth was dry. Everything was happening really fast. She was joking. Problem solving Macy couldn't possibly be suggesting I jet off to a billionaire's private island while my life fell apart. Sex scandal equals vacation? No. A joke. She was lightening the mood before we got to the real plan. Nothing more.
"Are you fucking crazy?" I whispered yelled, when the hehe, just kidding moment didn't come.