Chapter 3
The silence on the rooftop was broken only by Laila's quiet sobs. She stood before me, her face streaked with tears, looking like the girl I'd known since childhood rather than the woman who'd betrayed me.
"I never meant to hurt you," she whispered, her voice catching. "I love him, Eden. I've always loved him."
I stared at her, this person I'd trusted with every secret, every dream. "Three years, Laila. Three years of lies."
She reached into her purse with trembling hands and pulled out something carefully wrapped in tissue paper. "I made this for you. For your wedding."
Unwrapping it slowly, she revealed a delicate embroidery—two Chinese characters for "double happiness" surrounded by intricate floral patterns. The stitches were perfect, the colors vibrant. It was beautiful.
"I worked on it for months," she said softly. "Every night while you were planning your wedding."
I couldn't speak. The irony was too cruel—she'd created this symbol of eternal love while systematically destroying mine.
"Look at the date," she urged, pointing to a small corner of the embroidery.
There, in delicate blue thread, was the date of our wedding—and beneath it, in even smaller stitches: "Forever yours, L."
"You were going to give me this tomorrow," I said finally. "At our wedding."
Laila nodded, fresh tears falling. "I thought... I thought I could be happy for you. That I could let you go."
"But you couldn't," I finished for her.
"No," she admitted. "I couldn't."
---
"Mrs. King has always preferred you," I said, turning to Daniel. "I just never understood why."
Daniel's face hardened slightly. "My mother has her own ideas about what's best for our family."
"Tell me," I demanded.
He sighed, running a hand through his hair. "She's been... encouraging us. Laila and me."
"Encouraging?" I repeated, disbelief coloring my voice.
"She arranged meetings for us," he continued, unable to meet my eyes. "Covered for us when we needed time together."
Laila stepped forward. "She would invite me to lunch, then call Daniel last minute to join us. Or she'd insist I stay for dinner when you were working late."
"She knew about the pregnancy," Daniel added quietly.
The revelation hit me like a physical blow. "Your mother knew you got my best friend pregnant?"
"She said it proved we were meant to be together," Laila whispered.
I remembered all those times Mrs. King had smiled at Laila with such warmth, all those little comments about their "natural connection." It hadn't been my imagination—it had been approval.
"She wanted you to marry Laila all along," I said, the pieces finally falling into place.
Daniel didn't deny it.
---
The rooftop terrace was bathed in moonlight as I stood facing them both. The city lights twinkled below us like fallen stars, but I couldn't appreciate their beauty. Not now.
"I've spent five years loving you," I said to Daniel, my voice surprisingly steady. "Five years building a future that never existed."
"Eden—" he began.
"No," I cut him off. "I don't want to hear it."
I twisted the engagement ring off my finger—the ring I'd been so excited to wear, the symbol of everything I thought we had.
"Take it," I said, holding it out to him.
Daniel stared at the ring, his face pale. "Please don't do this."
"I'm not doing anything," I replied. "This is your choice. You've made it clear where your heart lies."
I placed the ring on the ledge of the terrace wall. The diamond caught the moonlight, sending tiny rainbows across the concrete.
"You can have each other," I continued, my voice breaking slightly. "And the life you've been planning behind my back."
Laila reached for me, her eyes desperate. "Eden, please—"
"Don't touch me," I said, stepping back.
The three of us stood there—me on one side, them on the other—separated by more than just physical distance.
"I hope you'll be very happy together," I said finally. "Since it's what you both wanted all along."
Daniel's face contorted with pain. "It's not that simple."
"It is," I insisted. "It's exactly that simple."
I turned to leave, but paused at the stairs. Without looking back, I added, "Tomorrow's ceremony is canceled. I'll handle the arrangements."
As I descended the stairs, I heard Laila's broken sob behind me. But I didn't turn around. There was nothing left to say.
The engagement ring gleamed on the ledge above me—a small circle of gold and diamond that had once meant everything, now abandoned under the indifferent moon.
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