[ESTELLE]
"After today, everything will change."
A shiver ran down my spine.
I frowned, my mind racing to decipher what he ant, but before I could ask, he turned away. My breath caught as he strode toward the grand podium at the center of the room.
And then—he picked up the microphone.
The soft hum of conversation around us faded, replaced by the sharp clinking of glasses as people turned their attention to him. My heart slamd against my ribs as a terrible realization settled in.
He was going to make an announcent.
And sohow, deep in my bones, I knew—I just knew—that whatever he was about to say would change everything.
Damien's gaze swept across the room before finally landing on Kelsey. His expression softened.
The soft clinking of glasses ca to a halt. A hushed silence fell over the grand hall as Damien took the stage, standing under the glow of the chandelier.
My heart pounded, my breath uneven as I stared at him, at the way his fingers curled tightly around the microphone. There was an intensity in his expression, one I couldn't quite place—but it was powerful enough to root to the spot.
What was he going to say?
I swallowed hard, my palms slightly clammy as my mind raced with possibilities. This was it. The mont I had been waiting for. Surely, after everything I'd done, after all my relentless efforts tonight—this had to be about , right?
Damien's gaze swept across the room, lingering just a second too long on before shifting toward the crowd. Then, with a deep breath, he spoke.
"There's sothing important I need to say tonight."
The entire room seed to collectively lean in. A few hushed murmurs spread through the audience, but they quickly faded under the weight of his words.
His lips pressed together for a brief mont before he continued, his voice steady.
"I've known her for a long ti. She's been by my side through everything—through the good, the bad, and everything in between."
A soft smile, almost wistful, played at the corner of his lips.
"She challenges . She frustrates . She makes want to be better. And I can't imagine my future without her."
I felt lightheaded. The world around blurred as realization slowly began to settle in my bones.
This was it. This was it.
I held my breath, my fingers clenching around the stem of my champagne glass. Was this really happening? Was he really about to—
Damien turned slightly, his gaze locking onto one person.
Not .
Kelsey.
My stomach dropped. The blood drained from my face.
No. No, no, no. This wasn't right. This wasn't supposed to be happening.
I watched in slow motion as Damien pulled sothing out of his pocket—a small velvet box.
The kind of box that could shatter dreams and rewrite fates.
My dream. My fate.
A collective gasp rippled through the audience, followed by an eruption of excited whispers. Damien's announcent struck like a lightning bolt, leaving frozen in place.
This was a proposal.
Damien Frizkiel was about to propose to Kelsey.
And I was about to be sick.
Every fiber of my being scread at to move, to do sothing, to say sothing, but my body refused to obey. I could only watch, helpless, as he dropped to one knee.
The crowd erupted into cheers. Applause rang through the hall. I heard soone squeal in excitent, and it felt like nails on a chalkboard.
But through it all, my world crumbled, piece by agonizing piece.
"Kelsey," Damien said, his voice softer now, filled with sothing raw, sothing vulnerable. "I love you."
I swayed slightly, my vision blurring at the edges.
This couldn't be real. This had to be so kind of twisted nightmare.
"You an everything to ," he continued. "And I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Will you marry ?"
A perfect, beautiful proposal.
And a perfectly shattered heart—mine.
For a few agonizing seconds, there was nothing but silence.
Then, Kelsey inhaled sharply.
And burst into tears.
But not the joyful, overwheld kind.
No. These were ssy, oh-god-this-is-happening-and-I-don't-want-it-to kind of tears. The runaway train of emotions that cannot be stopped kind of tears.
Her hands flew to her mouth, shaking as she took a step back.
Damien's confident smile faltered. His brows knitted together in confusion. "Kelsey?"
Kelsey hiccuped. Shook her head. And then—
"I'm sorry," she whispered, her voice breaking. "I can't."
The air in the room shifted. Excitent turned to confusion, then to stunned silence.
Damien's face fell, his knee still on the floor. "What? Why?"
Kelsey took another shaky step back. "I . . . I'm not ready. I didn't— I didn't know you felt this way. I thought— I thought we were just . . ." She trailed off, her throat bobbing as she swallowed back sobs. "I can't do this. I'm so sorry."
Then, before anyone could stop her, before Damien could even process what had happened, Kelsey turned—
And ran.
Straight out of the ballroom.
A hush fell over the crowd. The kind of silence that pressed against your ears, deafening and heavy.
Damien didn't move. He just knelt there, still holding the ring, his hand slightly trembling.
I had never seen him look so lost.
One by one, people started whispering. Soone awkwardly cleared their throat. A waiter, caught in the chaos, tripped over his own feet, spilling champagne onto a rich-looking man who was definitely going to sue.
And there I stood, in the midst of it all, my heart still a broken, splattered ss on the floor.
I should have felt triumphant.
I should have been smug.
I had wanted Kelsey out of the picture, hadn't I?
But as I watched Damien slowly rise to his feet, as I saw the flicker of heartbreak cross his features before he masked it with a blank expression—
I realized sothing.
This wasn't a win.
This was a disaster.
For him.
And, worst of all . . . for .
Reviews
All reviews (0)