It was supposed to be an exciting day for Zoeyâit was her birthday, and she had big news to share. She should've invited her friends and relatives, as the day was meant to be special. After all the preparations, the next milestone in her life was supposed to be getting married.
She chuckled to herself as she drove back to her hometown, the place she grew up with her grandparents after their parents had tragically passed away. The three-hour drive felt shorter as she looked forward to seeing her loved ones again.
When she pulled into the driveway of her grandparents' bungalow, she smiled, already feeling the warmth of home. As she stepped out of the car and walked inside, she was greeted by a sudden chorus of voices.
"Surprise!" Everyone shouted, holding a birthday banner.
Startled, Zoey covered her mouth. "Oh gosh! I didn't expect this!" She laughed, her hands cupping her face in disbelief.
"Happy Birthday, babe!" A familiar voice said as Markus, her fiancé, approached her, holding a cake. He kissed her forehead gently.
"Markus," she murmured, hugging him sideways. "You're here already? I thought you'd be late."
Markus smiled and rubbed her shoulder. "Of course not. That was just a coverâI helped out with the surprise," he said, winking at her.
Zoey playfully tapped his nose, grateful for the effort. "You're sneaky."
"Happy Birthday, Zoey!" called out her elder sister, Ellie.
"Ellie!" Zoey exclaimed, slipping out of Markus' embrace to hug her sister. "God, how have you been?"
"I'm good, I'm good," Ellie replied, returning the hug. "Actually, I have a surprise of my own. I hope you don't mind if I steal the spotlight for a moment?"
"Oh, no, go ahead!" Zoey smiled, her arms still wrapped around her sister. "What's the big news?"
Ellie looked around the room, her gaze lingering on Markus before clearing her throat. "Well, everyone," she began, "I'm pregnant!"
The room buzzed with excitement, but Zoey was frozen. "Really?" she asked, trying to process the news. "But... Ellie, who's the father? I thought you were single?"
Ellie's eyes sparkled as she looked from Zoey to Markus, who visibly tensed. "Why don't you ask your boyfriend?" Ellie said smugly.
Zoey turned, her heart pounding in her chest. "Markus?" she whispered, her voice trembling. "This is a joke, right? It has to be..."
Markus's face paled as he mumbled, "Ellie..."
Zoey's eyes darted between her sister and her fiancé, trying to make sense of it all. "Guys, if this is some kind of prank, it's not funny."
Ellie crossed her arms, inspecting her nails casually. "It's no prank, Zoey. Markus got me pregnant."
The room went eerily silent as the words hung in the air. Zoey's world tilted. "No... this can't be..."
Markus tried to approach her, placing the cake down. "Zoey, let me explainâ"
But Zoey's hand flew across his face with a sharp slap. "Explain what, Markus? You proposed to me, and now you're telling me you knocked up my sister?"
Ellie scoffed. "Waitâhe proposed to you?" She turned to Markus, her voice dripping with venom. "Markus, you told me you were going to break up with her! That I was the one you truly loved!"
Zoey's bitter laugh cut through the tension. "You two are disgusting." She stepped forward and slapped Ellie across the face. "What the hell is wrong with you both? You slept with my fiancé behind my back?"
Tears streamed down Zoey's face as her voice cracked. "Ellie, how could you do this to me? And Markus, how could fuck my sister behind my back?"
"Zoey, please, just hear me out," Markus pleaded, reaching for her, but she tore off the engagement ring.
"No, we're done, let's call off the engagement," she said, throwing the ring at him. "Marry my sister so she could save her face from shame. After all, you two deserve each other."
With one final, burning look at Ellie, Zoey stormed out of the house, leaving her shattered world behind.
Zoey jolted awake from a dream she hadn't had in quite some time. She buried her face in her palms, sighing harshly before letting out a bitter laugh. Leaning back against the headboard, her eyes drifted to her wrist, where the faint reminder of a painful past still lingeredâa symbol of the rough chapter she'd been through.
"Great," she muttered to herself, "now you've gone and spilled your past to your boss's daughter." The thought of Harriet's reaction to her words brought a weary smile to her lips. "Not that she'd care much, but still..." she trailed off, her gaze shifting to the clock on her bedside table.
"Right, I'd better get ready. I told her I'd meet her at that bar." Zoey pushed herself out of bed, shaking off the lingering memories she had tried so hard to bury. But even now, years later, the sting of her sister Ellie's betrayalâand Marcus' infidelityâhadn't fully faded.
No matter how hard she tried, Zoey knew she hadn't truly moved on from the heartbreak caused by the two people she had once loved most.
Zoey gulped as she stepped into the bar, her black halter neck top and leather mini skirt hugging her figure. The slight slit on the side paired with knee-high boots gave her a bold edge, and her handbag hung loosely over her shoulder. Her eyes scanned the room, searching for Harriet, but then she spotted her on the small stage with Nyx. "Right, they're performing," she murmured to herself as she made her way to a corner standing table to wait.
Leaning against the wall with her arms crossed, Zoey watched the stage. She knew Harriet played the keyboard, but her eyebrows knitted in surprise when she saw Harriet holding an acoustic guitar instead. Nyx, as usual, commanded the room's attention, and soon after, the performance began.
A soft smile crept onto Zoey's face as she listened, her stress momentarily forgotten. Chuckling to herself, she signaled a waiter to take her order. "Who knew the cold-hearted woman could sing," she muttered under her breath, amused.
How are the Pierce sisters this talented, smart, and beautiful? she mused, her admiration growing as she watched them perform.
Her drink arrived, and Zoey took a slow sip of the margarita, refocusing on the performance. As she silently watched, a man approached her.
"Hey," he greeted, trying to catch her attention. Zoey raised an eyebrow but didn't respond, continuing to watch the stage. "I just wanted to ask for your name. You look stunningâyou really caught my eye," he added with a smile.
Zoey sighed, picking up her glass before finally turning to him. "Thanks, but I don't give my name to strangers."
The man was about to respond when a familiar voice interrupted. "She's with me. Do you need something?" Harriet stood nearby, her gaze sharp as she looked at the guy.
"Ah, no, no. Sorry for bothering you," the man stammered, quickly excusing himself, likely intimidated by Harriet's presence.
Zoey couldn't help but scoff. "Wow, you've got some serious tiger aura there," she said, glancing at the guy who hurried away.