CHAPTER SIX

HEAVEN

I had just come out of the bathroom when I heard a knock on the door. Adrian was at the other corner of the room, eyes trained on his laptop, he didn't look like he was planning to get up anytime soon. I sighed, making my way over to the door to check who it was.

"Oh, hello." I forced a smile at the maid who stood in front of me. She held an envelope in her hands, her eyes downcast.

"Good evening ma'am. This came for you a few minutes ago." She outstretched her hand holding the envelope. I took it from her and realized it wasn't an envelope, it was an invitation card.

Could it be....

“Thank you." I said to the girl politely before slamming the door on her face. I stared at the invitation card as if it were a bomb in my hand, contemplating wether to open it or not. A shaky breath left my lips as I turned it over to read what was written on the front.

Avery Weds Kyle.

Oh God.

Avery sent me an Invite to her wedding. She invited me to watch her marry the man she snatched from me, the man I still loved.

My day couldn't have gotten worse than this.

‘for HEAVEN and ADRIAN’, was written in small letters at the bottom of the card. I walked up to the bed and sat on it, suddenly feeling nauseous.

A nightmare.

It felt like I was in a nightmare. God, I wanted to wake up. Wake up from this horrid dream and come back to my normal, happy life. A life where I still had a choice, where I had a man I loved, where we were both happy, where I wasn't forced to do half the things I did. Smile, talk, socialize. I felt like a fucking puppet. Controlled and told what to do. Used.

I dropped the card beside me and buried my face in my hands, crying. This was the first time since the whole fucked up incident I cried. I wanted to stay strong. God, I did. But this invitation card was like the last straw pulled. My body shook as I sobbed into my hands with a deep pain in my chest.

"You are both invited to the engagement party of Avery and Kyle. We look forward to seeing you there." My sobbing seized, but tears still rolled down my cheeks from my eyeballs. I dropped my hands to my side, sniffling. Adrian dropped the card back on the bed and turned to me.

"We're not going." I told him. I couldn't go.

He raised an eyebrow at me.

"She's getting married to the man I was meant to marry. She stole my happiness! So why should I pretend to be happy for her? Why should I torture myself and watch them get married? I won't!" My eyes pooled with more tears.

"How are you so indifferent about this? You chose Avery as your bride, didn't you? Don't you feel betrayed? Hurt?" He scoffed.

"Your wayward sister meant nothing to me. I only wanted a woman go give me a child. I have that." I gaped at him. Ofcourse, he only wanted a baby making machine. He spoke without any consideration of one's feelings. My feelings.

"You're so heartless." I looked him dead in the eye and said to him with a scoff. I had expected him to be atleast irritated, but the bastard only smirked at me and walked away. I narrowed my eyes at his back as he left the room to God knows where. I wiped away my tears and shoved the invitation card into one of the drawers, then I laid in bed and covered myself with the blanket. My eyes were open almost all night, staring at the ceiling, my head in space, my mind scattering and my chest aching in pain.

This wasn't a dream. This was real. I would wake up tomorrow morning and I'd still find myself here. In Adrian Miller's bedroom, under the Miller household roof.

Oh, God, this was real.

~•~

I never imagined my life could become the plot of a scandalous drama. Yet, there I was, meticulously dressing in a sleek, emerald dress.

It was Avery's engagement party. Yes, Avery, my sister, who'd managed to betray me in the most hurtful way possible. I was getting ready to celebrate her happiness with Kyle, the man I had once dreamt of marrying.

I did not want to put much effort in my outfit for the engagement party. I did not want to go there in the first place. Father had called me and persuaded me to come. He told me It'd make Avery happy—I did not fucking care if she was happy or sad! She ruined my freaking life!—and him as well.

Stupid me just had to agree.

Wow, I really liked torturing myself, huh?

I stared at my reflection. Underneath all that make up and glam was a sad woman. A sad, broken, freaking exhausted woman.

Standing before the mirror, I caught sight of my reflection. The emerald dress clung to my curves, a sharp contrast to the turmoil I felt within. I twisted a loose curl around my finger, an attempt to occupy my hands which were eager to rip the fabric apart. My face, a carefully painted canvas, masked the anguish that had seeped into my bones, a betrayal that made my heart heavy and my steps hesitant.

The drive to Avery's engagement party was a quiet one. Adrian and I sat in his sleek, black car, surrounded by the hum of the engine and the occasional flick of the turn signal. We might as well have been worlds apart. I stared out of the window, watching the trees blur past, lost in my own tumultuous thoughts. He was probably thinking about anything but the evening ahead or me.

I couldn't help but reflect on the twisted irony of my life. There I was, clad in an emerald dress that highlighted the emptiness in my eyes, on my way to celebrate the love between my sister and the only man I ever loved. And beside me sat Adrian, my husband, a man who barely acknowledged my existence unless it served his purpose.

As we arrived, the ostentatious display of wealth and happiness at Avery's engagement party was almost nauseating. My father greeted us with a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. It was clear he was playing the part of the doting father and host, masking his true motives underneath a veneer of familial joy.

Adrian excused himself almost immediately, disappearing into the crowd with a glass of whisky in hand, leaving me to fend for myself. Not that I expected any different.

I navigated the crowd, receiving half-hearted congratulations and insincere smiles. It wasn't long before I found Avery, radiant and smug in her happiness. She was draped on Kyle's arm like a prize he had won, her eyes sparkling with victory – not just because she was engaged to the man of her dreams, but because she had triumphed over me in the most despicable way.

"Ah, Heaven, you made it," she purred, her voice dripping with feigned sweetness. "And wearing such a lovely dress. It's almost as if you're trying to upstage me on my special day."

Her words were like venom, and I felt them sting with intended malice. I managed a tight smile, refusing to let her see how much she affected me.

"Avery, congratulations. I wish you both the best," I said, my voice steady despite the turmoil inside.

Kyle offered me a brief, uncomfortable nod, clearly wanting to be anywhere but in the middle of Avery and I. My father approached, sensing the tension, and quickly steered the conversation to safer waters. But the damage was already done. Avery had made her point clear – she was the winner in our twisted family drama

~•~

Avery, resplendent in her engagement gown, spotted me and sauntered over, a smirk playing on her lips. She held two glasses of champagne, extending one towards me with feigned sisterly affection.

"Heaven, darling, you look absolutely dreary. Lighten up, it's a party," she cooed, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

I should have known better, but the weight of the evening pressed down on me, and I took the glass, desperate for any relief. The champagne tasted slightly off, but my mind was too frazzled to care. Avery watched me with a glint in her eye, a predator observing her prey. I turned away, focusing on not tripping over my own feet.

It wasn't long before the room started spinning, colors blending into a disorienting whirlpool. Laughter seemed to bounce off the walls, mocking me. My limbs felt disconnected, my thoughts scattered.

The room spun in a dizzying dance, colors and faces melding into a vivid, intoxicating blur. My head was lighter than a balloon on a string, thoughts frayed at the edges like an old tapestry left too long in the sun. I wasn’t quite sure how I got to feeling this way. My steps faltered as I tried to navigate through the sea of bodies at the engagement party, my hand brushing against the cool surface of a glass that I couldn’t recall having more than a sip from. My sister, Avery, had handed it to me with a sly smile that should’ve been my first warning. But it was too late now; the damage was done.

Through the haze, I spotted my ex-fiance, a relic from a past life, and something primal within urged me to confront him. I stumbled forward, words slurred, a fire ignited within by whatever poison Avery had laced my drink with.

"Kyle!" I slurred, my voice a little too loud, attracting a few glances. "Look at this, isn't it just hilarious? Me, married to a block of ice while you're here, free as a bird!"

"Oh no, wait! You're not free as a bird! You're getting married to an ice demon!... just demon."

Kyle, taken aback, tried to maintain a polite smile. "Heaven, maybe you should sit down. You're not yourself."

"Not myself?" I laughed, too loudly. "I'm more myself now than ever. Finally free to say what I've always wanted. You know, Avery's plotting. Always plotting. She should've been the one standing next to the ice king. But no, she was acting selfish. She took what was meant to be mine!"

People started to notice, their whispers like the rustling of leaves in the wind. My words flowed unhindered, a dam broken, revealing the depths of my turmoil. That's when Adrian appeared, his expression unreadable.

"Heaven," he said firmly, grasping my arm with a gentleness I hadn't expected from him. "It's time to go."

I tried to shake him off, my drunken state emboldening me. "No! Let me go, I'm not done talking to himmmm." Adrian did not listen to me. The man basically dragged me out of the hall. Rude.

I crossed my arms and pouted throughout our ride back home. We didn't stay till the end of the stupid engagement, and I was glad. Adrian ignored me throughout our ride back home; not like it was anything new anyways. He held me by the arm and made me walk beside him until we got to the bedroom. He shoved me softly but dramatic me fell with a gasp on the bed, my hair scattering on my face. Adrian rolled his eyes at me and turned to walk away, but I was quick to stop him, grabbing his hand.

"Where are you going?" I whined trying to pull him closer to me. "Stay."

"Let go of my hand, Heaven." He grunted out.

"Ouu, I like the way you say my name." I grinned, tugging his hand again.

"Don't you," I tilted my head with a pout. "Don't you want to have a baby? We can make one now." He pulled his hand away abruptly.

"Go to sleep, Heaven. You're drunk." He didn't look at me as he spoke. Was he flustered? Or was he angry with me. He turned away from me and left the room, slamming the door on his way out. I flinched and groaned because the sound hurt my head, and I collapsed on my bed, exhausted.