03 - A new chapter

The uniformed lady left the room with a final chipper, "Enjoy your evening, Miss!"

“Evening?” I mumbled in utter confusion. Disoriented, I blinked at the digital clock beside the bed. 4:00 pm. Panic washed over me, cold and sharp. The engagement party! How long had I slept?

My phone, abandoned on the nightstand, buzzed with a notification. Ten missed calls – all from Mom, Dad, and even Zia. The enormity of the situation crashed down on me. I had missed my own engagement party. What would they say? What would Elliot do?

But the thought of facing my family – their hurt, their disappointment – filled me with dread. The thought of returning home, of explaining the inexplicable, felt undoable. Tears welled up in my eyes, blurring my vision. What a mess I had made. Maybe, I thought with a sliver of hope, a simple apology would suffice. Maybe I could explain, beg for forgiveness. Boy was I wrong.

I returned home ashamed of myself. As I pushed open the living room door, the air was tensed. Dad sat stiffly on the dining chair, my stepmom sat right next to him with a tissue dabbing presumably fake tears on her cheeks, Zia perched on an arm chair while Elliot sat in front of a piano playing a dramatic tune. 

“Where have you been? You ruined the entire party.” My dad said in a lowered tone, his voice was laced with disappointment.

My voice, when it finally came out, was a mere whisper. "Dad, I… I'm so sorry. I don't even remember what happened."

“Rayne!" Dad boomed, his voice laced with a fury I'd never heard before. The room froze and Elliot abruptly quit playing his tune. 

"Don't play dumb with me, Rayne," he spat. “Did you think we wouldn't find out?"

I scoffed, disbelief washed over me. "What? Dad, I… I don't know who you're talking about. I woke up in a hotel room, alone."

“Alone, right. After sleeping with some stranger during the night before your own engagement party and the ditching the entire party? You've brought shame to this family, Rayne! You think Elliot will just forgive this kind of betrayal?"

"Betrayal? Dad, there was no betrayal. I don't even remember what happened that night!"

"Enough!" My stepmom interjected, her voice breaking. "Rayne, please, just tell us what happened."

Tears welled up in my eyes. How could they not believe me? Did they think I'd throw away my future for some one night stand?

Before I could speak, Zia chimed in with a sickeningly sweet tone. "Oh, honey, maybe you just had a little too much to drink?"

Her words cut through me like a knife. I glared at her, my voice trembling. "No, Zia. I didn't have too much to drink."

A cruel smile played on her lips. "Then why can't you remember, sis?"

Just then, a horrifying realization dawned on me. The drink Zia had offered… it wasn't just any drink.

"Zia," I said, my voice barely above a whisper. "What did you put in that drink?"

Silence followed, then Zia burst out laughing, "Bravo, Rayne! You finally admitted to drinking too much."

My world crumbled around me. This wasn't a mistake; it was a deliberate act of sabotage orchestrated by my own stepsister. Maybe Elliot and my stepmother were in on it as well, who knows!

Dad's face became puzzled. "Zia? What is Rayne talking about?"

My stepmom’s face straightened up, her voice dripping with fake innocence. "It’s absolutely ridiculous honey! Why would you accuse your own sister of spiking your drink?”

But the look of triumph in both their eyes - my stepmom and Zia’s eyes told a different story.

Dad turned back to me, his voice cold and unforgiving. "Until you can explain yourself, Rayne, you are no longer welcome in this house."

Tears welled up in my eyes. "Dad, please," I pleaded, the lump in my throat making it difficult to speak. "I can explain!”

“There's no explanation for this kind of betrayal, Rayne!" Elliot cut me off. He finally spoke.

“You've not only humiliated yourself, but you might’ve jeopardized my entire business! Elliot's called off the engagement. All that work, all those cash spent… gone!"

“You know," My stepmom said. "I always thought you were better than this. I always thought you understood what this marriage meant for your father’s business."

"Dad, I'm so sorry." I apologized one last time. But unfortunately it wasn’t enough. 

“Sorry doesn't cut it," he said, his voice cold. "You've made your choices, Rayne. And now you have to face the consequences." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a credit card. "Here. Consider it a severance package."

I stared at the card in his hand. "Severance package?"

"That's right," he confirmed. "Like I said, you are no longer welcome in this house. Pack a bag, take this card, and get out of my sight."

Tears welled up in my eyes again. "Dad, you can't just…"

"I can and I will," he declared, his voice leaving no room for argument. 

"You've disgraced yourself and this family. Don't show your face here again."

With trembling hands, I reached for the credit card. Shame and utter devastation washed over me. I was being disowned, cast out by the very man whom I thought loved me most - my father

Without another word, I obeyed my father. Collapsing onto the curb across the street I thought about how my carefully constructed life, the one built on expectations and societal pressures, had crumbled around me. Elliot, the engagement, my place within my family – all gone, vanished in what seemed to be a one night stand I can’t remember.

Maybe this was my chance to start over, it wasn’t the end, it’s never the end until I say it’s the end. So, I wiped the tears from my face and decided to move on.