Chapter 0001

"This is just perfect to keep his eyes on me alone," Cassia muttered, giving one last glance at her reflection before exiting the room with a small package in her hands—a birthday present for the man she had loved for five years and still loved deeply.

It's was her boyfriend birthday. And guess who was the last person to find out he was celebrating it? Cassia! The one who consider herself his girlfriend.

If she hadn't overheard his coworkers talking about it when she visited him earlier that morning, she would have believe he wasn't celebrating at all.

But as she arrived at the party and stood in the doorway watching, she saw that the party had already began without her. She felt like an intruder, invisible to everyone there.

The room buzzed with laughter and chatter. Darvan’s friends were so engrossed in their conversations that no one even glanced her way. This wasn’t the first time she’d felt overlooked. She remembered the company outings where Darvan had invited her to tag along, only for her to be ignored, or invisible, just like now.

Her mind wandered back to those times she’d awkwardly lingered on the sidelines, trying to laugh along even though she didn’t feel included. Every time, she’d told herself it didn’t matter, hoping that with enough effort, she’d eventually fit in with people who barely noticed her.

She walked further into the party, placing her gift in a corner before searching for Darvan. But he was nowhere in sight. After looking around for a while, she decided to call him to check his whereabouts.

She clutched her phone tightly as she watched it ring for the fourth time but the line went unanswered. Countless missed calls, and unread messages had gone by without a single reply from him. Suddenly, panicked surged through her. What if something had happened to him? She'd been trying his numbers multiple times yet, he wouldn't pick or reply.

She tried calling again, but a voice interrupted her thoughts. She lowered her phone and looked up to see a familiar face giving her a small smile. She recognized him—she’d met him once with Darvan when she delivered some forgotten documents to his office.

"You're Darvan's girlfriend, aren't you?" he asked, and she nodded slowly with a tight smile.

"Why are you here alone? It's his party and he's nowhere around... Did something happen?" The person asked and she smiled awkwardly, trying to steady her voice but it still trembled.

"M-maybe something urgent came up... He's probably on his way," she stammered, laughing awkwardly. Despite her attempt to sound calm, she couldn't shake the growing worry about Darvan as she clutched her bag tightly.

"Maybe? So you don’t actually know where he is?" The guest raised an eyebrow, looking slightly concerned.

"Why even bother asking her?" someone scoffed loudly, drawing others' attention as he approached them. It was one of Darvan's friends—Marc! Oh, great. He was here to ruin her night, as always.

"She wouldn't know anything about his plans... Is she even sure she's dating him?" he said with a smile before turning to the guest.

"Oh, sorry, Mr. Ashford. Darvan will be here soon. He just went to pick up a friend to join the party."

Mr. Ashford glanced briefly at Cassia but said nothing as he walked away.

A wave of embarrassment washed over her, coupled with a sense of humiliation.

She bit her lips firmly. It hurt. It hurt that, as his supposed girlfriend, she seemed so distant from his affairs, his life. It was disheartening that she didn't even have a clue about his whereabouts. Had she been dating the ghost of him all these years?

Her eyes itched with tears, but she blinked them back, trying to be strong.

Finally, the huge doors swung open, and Darvan stepped in. Her lips immediately curved into a small smile when she saw him, looking as good as ever in the tailored charcoal-gray suit she had prepared for him. It fit perfectly, accentuating his strong frame.

"He's here..." she muttered to herself as she started toward the door, eager to ask why he was late. But her steps faltered, and her smile faded when Darvan fully stepped in with his arm wrapped around another woman’s waist. Cassia blinked rapidly, her smile slowly vanishing as confusion consumed her. She didn’t recognize this woman.

Darvan’s friends bumped into her as they rushed over to greet the stranger, fawning over her as if she was the one in a relationship with Darvan. They seemed to be enjoying themselves, acting like true friends to this woman—something they had never done with her in her five years of dating Darvan. Darvan, too, didn’t bother to look her way or compliment her on how beautiful she looked, even though she had dressed so well just for him.

"I've missed you madly, Stacy," one of Darvan's friends said, hugging the woman tightly.

Cassia furrowed her brows as the name rang a bell. When recognition hit her, her eyes widened. It was her! Darvan’s first love, the one she had always felt she was competing against for Darvan’s heart.

She had often heard Darvan's friends mention Stacy, saying that if she hadn’t gone abroad for treatment, she wouldn’t have stood a chance. They always commented on how Darvan and Stacy made the perfect match. Now that she was back, Cassia knew things would never be the same.

She watched as his friends greeted the woman with wide smiles, one of them even raising a glass in her honor. Their eyes sparkled with genuine warmth, voices filled with familiarity and affection.

The night should have been a celebration of love. She’d spent weeks planning, carefully crafting a gift base on something he'd once casually mentioned.

LUMINARA ECLIPSE. A paint design that featured an ethereal play of light and shadow, capturing a mesmerizing eclipse with subtle, luminous brushstrokes that create a feeling of depth and movement. It was inspired by Master ELARA VOSS, a mysterious and reclusive painter known for her ability to capture rare, cosmic phenomena on canvas. Her works were said to evoke otherworldly beauty and leave viewers feeling like they were standing at the edge of the universe. This is also one of Darvan's favorite works.

But Master Elara Voss had retired many years ago, making her works nearly impossible to find.

Cassia knew she couldn’t afford an original by Elara, so she had designed her own unique version of *Luminara Eclipse*—a more enticing one, crafted with her own hands. A piece no one else could replicate.

She painted it in his favorite colors, imagining the smile he’d give when he saw it, hoping it would mean something special to him.

She went to retrieve the painting, took a deep breath, and swallowed her pride before approaching him, handing over the portrait.

“Happy birthday,” she said softly, trying to keep her voice steady as she forced a small smile.

But to her surprise, he barely glanced at it before setting it aside, his attention shifting immediately back to Stacy, the woman beside him. Cassia felt heartbroken. She had spent weeks painting this gift, imagining countless times the happy expression it would bring to his face. But now, it was just carelessly tossed aside.

“I also prepared a birthday gift for you, baby,” Stacy chimed, giving Cassia a quick, dismissive glance. “I know you've always admired Master Elara Voss' work, so I asked a friend to purchase this piece at an auction for you.. it's one of Master Elara Voss' greatest works- LUMINARA ECLIPSE." She chuckled while Cassia took a slow, deep breath, trying to stay calm.

Cassia blinked rapidly, stunned. But what could she do? Even if she found one, could she afford it? Her eyes shifted to Darvan, studying his expression.

Darvan's eyes widened in surprise as he looked at the painting, rendered speechless.

"Stacy, how did you know... Oh this is too valuable..." Darvan Said, his voice filled with gratitude as he opened the package, revealing Elara Voss' work.

His friends gathered around, exclaiming, "Oh my God! I never thought I'd get to see Master Elara Voss' work!"

As he accepted it, his eyes lit up with a joy she hadn’t seen in a long time. She watched as he kissed Stacy on the cheek, with heartfelt gratitude, the two of them sharing a moment she’d always wished to have with him. Kissing a friend on the cheek didn’t count as anything, or so she wanted to believe.

But her eyes nearly popped when Stacy didn’t let go of Darvan. Instead, she wrapped her hands around his neck, leaning in to kiss his lips.

The crowd began cheering, as if they had always been a couple, completely disregarding Cassia’s feelings. Even those who knew she was dating Darvan got caught up in the excitement, cheering for Darvan and Stacy. At that moment, Stacy looked up at Cassia, a smug expression on her face.

Her grip tightened, her heart breaking as tears gathered in her eyes. She looked at Darvan with hope, wishing he would explain to her why Stacy did that. But Darvan said nothing, not even glancing at her. She staggered back, feeling anger she could no longer hold.

“Darvan, what the hell do you think you’re doing?” she snapped. “How can you just… do this in front of me, in front of all these people?”

He glanced at her, looking unbothered.

“Don’t overreact, okay… It’s just an accidental kiss. She didn't mean to do it. Besides, this is Stacy,” he paused briefly, then continued, “You know, the one I’ve always loved.” He smiled at Stacy.

He left Stacy's side and closed the gap between himself and Cassia. His hands went to her cheeks, gently lifting her gaze to meet his.

“And honestly, I never loved you the way you thought I did… have you forgotten?” he asked, a smirk forming at the corner of his lips. “I dated you because you really take care of me better than a housekeeper, and to be honest, we are just in a physical relationship. I never truly loved you, Cassia. Stacy is the only woman I’ve ever loved, and—”

The rest of his words became distant like echoes as her mind spun, struggling to grasp what was happening. She placed her hands over her ears, trying to block out the whispers and gossip of the guests.

Was this really happening? After five years of being by his side? After everything she had done for him?

Past memories started rushing back into her head. The numerous nights she had stayed up waiting for him, tending to him when he was too tired from work. How she had silently stood by him enduring his coldness believing that one day he would open his heart. She had cooked for him, cleaned for him, distanced herself from her friends, all in the hope that her sacrifices would one day mean something.

But now it was all meaningless.

And as if the humiliation wasn’t enough, he told her to her face that he had never truly loved her? How blind she had been... or rather, she had chosen to be blind. It was clear from the start that he had never loved her. His actions had said it all, but she had refused to see.

She clenched her fists tightly, tears streaming down her cheeks. In anger, she picked up the gift from the table, hurling it at Darvan’s chest with all the strength she could muster.

She wiped away the tears she hadn’t even realized were streaming down her cheeks. She needed to hold onto whatever dignity she had left. She wasn’t going to let him dump her, she would dump him. Even though she knew it wouldn’t hurt him, given his status and power, it didn’t matter. She needed to reclaim her power, even if it was just for herself.

“We’re done!” she shouted, and without waiting for a response, ran out in tears. Her friends chased after her, but neither Darvan nor his friends seemed to care. They considered her anger insignificant. She had always been cautious around Darvan, never getting upset no matter how much they teased her. She had tried so hard to fit in, always smiling through the humiliation hoping to win their approval.

They mocked her for not being as confident or outgoing as Stacy. She would apologize for her "awkwardness," always trying to act more sophisticated, arranging expensive dinners and outings in an attempt to impress them. But they saw her efforts as desperate, her desire to belong making her an easy target for their ridicule.

Darvan, fully convinced that she would return to apologize within days, dismissed her words. He and Stacy, along with his friends, decided to celebrate Stacy’s return instead.

******

After leaving the party, Cassia headed home, desperate to clear her mind.

But no matter how hard she tried, her thoughts kept haunting her. She got up, packed a few clothes into a bag, and left the house. She didn’t bother with the expensive clothes or accessories she’d once worn to impress Darvan, who had often criticized her for not being "fashionable enough" when she wore her glasses.

“Kiara, can you take me somewhere?” Cassia asked her friends, who had come by, likely to check on her after the birthday incident.

“Where?” Kiara asked, but Cassia just inhaled deeply.

“But what on earth just happened?” Kiara asked, now clearly upset by how Darvan had treated Cassia at the party.

“It’s fine. I already ended things with him,” Cassia muttered. Her friends exchanged skeptical looks knowing she'd go back to Darvan again. She always did.

“Are you sure it’s really over this time?” Quinn asked but Cassia didn’t respond.

"Are you taking me or not?" Cassia asked getting more angry.

“Why take it out on us?” Quinn muttered, opening the car door for her.

*****

Cassia sighed as she lay on the bed, having just arrived at the hotel where she planned to stay temporarily to clear her head. After eating, she took a bath and went to get her nightwear when her eyes fell on a framed photo of her and Darvan. She froze, staring at it. She tried to push the memories away, hoping she could overcome the pain, but it all came flooding back.

The hurt was fresh, sharper than she had anticipated. She had thought she could pretend everything was fine, but no, it hurt. It hurt so much that the room suddenly felt suffocating. He had been the man she loved, the one she had devoted herself to. Why did he humiliate her like that in front of everyone? As her tears fell, her eyes stumbled on a design. One of her old sketches stood there, staring at her.

It was a design she’d dreamed of years before she met him, a time when her art had been the center of her world. She touched the drawing gently, feeling the faint echoes of that confident girl, the one who’d had hopes and dreams...

"Why? Why did you choose to treat me this way, Darvan?" She cried.

It wasn’t just what he did that tore her apart. The fact that she had been so blindly in love, giving up her career just to be by his side... was this all she deserved? Her thoughts drifted back to her past, where she had been humble, neglected, and unappreciated, yet still foolishly and deeply in love with him.. A love that had never truly been hers.