ADELINE’S POVI walked to my wardrobe, knowing exactly what I was looking for. My fingers grazed the many dresses hanging in a neat row until they landed on the one I hadn't had the chance to wear yet; the green Meshki dress.I pulled it out and held it up against my body, I could already imagine how it would look on me. The color would surely make my greenish-amber eyes pop and today was the perfect day to wear it.I slipped out of my pajamas and into the dress. The fabric hugged my curves perfectly, making me feel elegant and powerful. I still couldn't believe Sasha had the guts to send me an invitation to her engagement party. She wanted me there to relish and gloat in my pain, It was almost laughable, except it hurt too much to be funny. She wanted me there to gloat, to show off how she had 'won.' But today, I decided I would show her she made a big mistake spreading fake news about me.My outfit, hair and makeup looked great so I grabbed my car keys. I reminded myself how I

SASHA’S POVI was nervous and jumpy wondering when Xander will pop the question. He had left me to go greet some guests and I was surrounded by my friends and old classmates their eyes filled with curiosity and envy."Sasha, you look stunning!" Amanda said, she was one of my closest friends from college who I no longer spoke to. She had always been supportive and genuinely happy for me but I didn’t care and she was only here because her father had an airline."Thank you, Amanda," I replied with a smile, adjusting my dress. "I still can't believe this is happening." I said uninterested wondering what was delaying Xander."Believe it, girl," chimed in Jessica, another friend. She was always the life of the party, with her loud laugh and sparkling eyes."You're about to marry the fourth most handsome man in the world! According to Times Magazine."“I don’t even keep up with that.” I lied. Of course I knew that Xander had been dubbed one of the most handsome men in the world and I was so

ADELINE’S POVEveryone in the hall was speaking at once, talking animatedly and pointing hands. I sipped my drink, watching the chaos unfold around me. The news had hit everyone, and they all seemed shocked.“Sasha Armstrong was married all this while. I couldn’t believe it. How did she convince Xander she wasn’t married? Was he lying? What the hell was happening?” They saidCamera flashes lit up the room like fireworks.I sat at a table near the back, sipping my drink, watching everything play out. My eyes scanned the room, taking in the chaos. Sasha, in the middle of it all, suddenly fainted. I didn't buy it. Fainting was probably her way of escaping the mess.Xander looked utterly bewildered. He was speaking to Andre, Sasha’s husband, who seemed to be showing him their wedding photos.The confusion on Xander's face was unmistakable. He kept shaking his head, mumbling something I couldn’t hear from where I was sitting.I knew it was time to leave. I stood up, grabbed my purse, an

SASHA’S POVI screamed, crashing everything in my room, crying profusely, and dragging my hair. What was all this? What just happened? Not only did I not get engaged, but I was also publicly humiliated and shamed. How did Andre, my broke husband I ran away from, find me? And it wasn’t just any day. It was on my engagement day.I was so scared to check the messages on my phone. I didn’t want to see the messages, the sympathy or the mockery. I was a public embarrassment.The scene kept replaying over and over in my head. I could still see Xander’s face when he asked if I had been truly married before.His eyes were wide with shock and hurt, his voice trembling with disbelief."Is it true, Sasha? Were you really married before?"I could only shake my head no, my voice caught in my throat. The room felt like it was spinning. The whispers, the stares, everyone was looking at me.The only thing I could do, instead of wishing the ground would swallow me whole, was to pretend to faint.I fel

XANDER’S POVI had gone to my private house and locked myself in for three days, shutting everyone out. What happened at the engagement had been too much, and I needed time alone. I switched off my phone, ignoring the calls and messages. I knew everyone was worried, but I couldn’t bring myself to speak to anyone, not even my mom.For three days, the only person I saw was the nurse. She came and went quietly, tending to me. I had caught a fever, probably from the stress and lack of sleep. The first day was the worst. I was burning up, my body drenched in sweat. My private nurse Mary, had brought cool clothes to place on my forehead, spoon-fed me soup, and made sure I took my medicine.“Xander, you need to drink more water,” Mary said, holding a glass to my lips. Her voice was soft.I took a sip, wincing at the effort. “Thanks, Mary,” I mumbled, my voice hoarse.She smiled, patting my hand. “Just rest. You’ll feel better soon.”I kept thinking of how I met Sasha. We had moved the fam