Chapter 3: Betrayal

Lani returned to her hotel, quickly showered, changed clothes, and packed up to head back to the United States immediately. Her presence in France had once been for a reason, but now that reason no longer existed. She recalled the events of the previous night.

In a hotel room, a man and a woman were entwined in each other’s arms, the atmosphere growing increasingly heated. They were entirely oblivious to their surroundings, while Lani stood at the doorway, her hands trembling.

The sounds coming from the room were unbearable, making it hard for Lani to believe what was happening. She struggled to keep calm, her hands trembling and weak. Taking a deep breath, she pushed the door open.

Crash... the sound of objects falling echoed in the room.

Lani stood frozen in place, her handbag slipping off her shoulder, scattering its contents across the floor. She could hardly believe what she was seeing—her boyfriend of five years was betraying her, and the woman tangled up with him in bed was none other than her best friend from high school, Donna.

The two on the bed, locked in each other's arms, were startled when they saw Lani. They hurriedly sat up, grabbing sheets to cover themselves.

“Lani… this isn’t what it looks like,” her boyfriend stammered, desperately trying to explain. But Lani couldn’t hear anything; her eyes were filled with sorrow, and she struggled to hold back her tears.

“Shut up! You’re a bastard, Eric.”

As Eric approached her, she shoved him away with all her strength. Lani looked around the room, then back at the two of them, her expression filled with contempt.

“How pathetic. The two of you sneaking around behind my back, and I had no idea. I’ve been such a fool.”

“Lani, I’m really sorry. This was just an accident,” Eric pleaded.

“An accident?”

Lani laughed even louder, pointing directly at Donna, who was still sitting on the bed. 

“We’re on a trip to France, and somehow Donna just happens to be here too? It’s obvious you two planned this.”

At this point, both Eric and Donna fell silent. Lani and Eric had been together for five years. They were on this trip to celebrate their anniversary, planning to get married when they returned. Donna and Lani had been friends since high school, but now Donna was taking Eric away from her.

“Stop lying to Lani, she’s figured it out,” Donna said as she stood up, walking over to Lani with a challenging look in her eyes.

“We’re in love. Eric only stayed with you because he felt sorry for you.”

Lani had already suspected it, but hearing Donna say it out loud was even more painful. Donna leaned into Eric’s arms.

“I’m rich, I’m beautiful, and you have nothing. You’ve been fooled by Eric for years and never even noticed.”

Donna’s words were filled with mockery as she taunted Lani. The room they were standing in had been paid for and decorated by Lani herself. She had been looking forward to this trip, believing that tonight would be the night she and Eric finally took their relationship to the next level. Despite being together for five years, they had only ever held hands and kissed, never going further.

"Indeed, you two make a perfect pair," Lani said, her voice filled with cold bitterness. Eric, seeing the pain in Lani’s eyes, was left speechless. He wanted to be with both Lani and Donna.

“Lani… I didn’t mean for this to happen,” Eric said, but his words only infuriated Donna further. She turned to Eric, demanding an answer.

“Are you choosing me or Lani?”

“Of course, I choose you,” Eric replied without hesitation.

Lani felt as if her world had crumbled. Eric’s immediate choice of Donna over her ended their five-year relationship—one that many had admired—but it now concluded in heartbreak.

“Eric, I must have been blind to love you. This room is filthy. I’ll leave it for you two to sleep in, as if it were for dogs.”

“Don’t…”

Donna tried to retort, but Lani interrupted her.

“Donna, I don’t want my things anymore. You can have them. Eric, let’s break up. I’m officially ending things with you.”

With that, Lani gathered her belongings and stood up, ready to leave. Before she exited, she smashed the cake and wine she had prepared for the night. She left with a resolute and determined stride, leaving both Eric and Donna stunned. Despite their surprise, Lani’s heart was already in pieces.

Tonight, Lani had prepared so much—she had beautifully decorated the room, only for Eric to bring another woman to sleep with. Because of Eric, she had rented a yacht for the following day so they could enjoy a meal together, which was why she had returned late. 

Ironically, it was this very situation that revealed Eric’s true nature as a deceitful man. Lani had no intention of marrying him now. As she stepped out of the hotel, tears streamed down her face. She couldn’t bear the crushing blow.

Alone and unfamiliar with the foreign city, Lani wandered the streets. Her trip, intended to be joyful, had turned into a painful ordeal. She cried loudly as the rain poured heavily, but she paid no attention to the downpour.

“Eric, I hate you.”

Recalling their five-year relationship, Lani felt immense heartache. She crossed the street without noticing the traffic, and a car sped towards her. The loud horn startled her, and she stood frozen in place. The car stopped just in time, and Lani, trembling with fear, collapsed to the ground.

“Miss, are you okay?” 

A man in a black suit stepped out of the car and hurried over to help her.

“I’m fine,” Lani replied, her voice shaky.

Lani gradually regained her composure, standing up and shaking her head to indicate that she was fine.

“I’m okay.”

The man, who appeared to be around forty years old, visibly relaxed upon hearing her response. 

“That’s good to hear. Do you need to go to the hospital for a check-up?”

“No need, I’m fine,” Lani said. She had fallen to the ground out of fear, but the car hadn’t actually hit her.

“Please be more careful next time. Here, take this umbrella. I have to leave now.”

“Thank you.”

He handed her the umbrella and then quickly returned to his car, which sped away promptly. In the rain, Lani could barely make out the details, but she noticed that besides the man who had given her the umbrella, there was another man sitting in the back of the car with a cold expression. Lani also recognized the car as being quite expensive and felt relieved that she hadn’t damaged it.

In the Rolls-Royce Sweptail, Dante, a distinguished businessman known for his intelligence and wealth, sat with an impassive expression.

“Is the girl okay?” Dante asked, his voice steady.

“Yes, she’s fine,” the driver replied nervously.

Dante, who rarely engaged with women despite the many around him, remained absorbed in his phone, reading news updates. The driver, anxious and fearful, quickly explained himself. Only then did Dante glance up, looking out the window at the heavy rain. A faint hint of melancholy crossed his face.

“Just focus on driving carefully.”

“Yes, sir.”

Outside, Lani stood drenched from the rain, her clothes clinging to her. She needed to find a new hotel to stay in and change into dry clothes. Returning to her previous hotel was not an option with Donna and Eric there. Lani glanced at her phone, realizing that her travel savings had been significantly depleted.

Lani stood in the rain, booked a hotel room, and then took a taxi to retrieve all her clothes before heading to the Memory Hotel. She changed into a simple dress and made her way to the hotel bar.

"Eric, you’re so despicable," Lani muttered as she drank. She resolved that after today, she would never love anyone again. Ignoring the consequences, she downed strong liquor to drown her sorrows, deeply hurt by the betrayal.

“I’ll make sure to ruin you and Donna. I hate you both.”

Lani, usually gentle and rarely drinking, had splurged on her trip to Paris to have fun. Now, she planned to cancel her wedding to Eric when she returned. Eric was a scoundrel who didn’t deserve her.

Back in reality, Lani could only remember getting drunk, with no recollection of what happened beyond that. When she woke up to find a stranger beside her, she was horrified. She had wanted to give her virginity to Eric, the man she loved, but after the betrayal, she felt complete hatred and mistrust towards all men.