Tonight was supposed to be magical.
I had been looking forward to the Grand Ball for months.
It was our five-year anniversary, Mark’s and mine, and he’d been hinting at something special all week.
My heart fluttered with a nervous, joyous anticipation as I slipped into my emerald green gown.
Chloe, my best friend since elementary school, helped me with my hair.
She kept saying how radiant I looked, how lucky Mark was.
We joked about whose turn it would be next to catch the bouquet at the ball.
I believed her.
I truly did.
The ballroom at the old Montgomery Estate was breathtaking.
Chandeliers dripped with crystal, reflecting candlelight across a sea of elegant dresses and sharp tuxedos.
Mark looked handsome, his eyes sparkling when he saw me.
He held my hand tight, his thumb tracing patterns on my skin.
We danced, we laughed, we mingled with friends.
Chloe was there too, flitting between groups, her infectious laugh echoing through the hall.
Everything felt perfect, like a scene from a dream I’d been building for years.
Then, I excused myself to freshen up.
Just a quick touch-up, a moment to breathe in the opulent air.
When I stepped back into the main hall, a hush had fallen over a section of the crowd.
People were turning, gasping softly, some pulling out their phones.
A circle had formed near the grand staircase.
Curiosity tugged at me, a playful thought that maybe someone was making a dramatic announcement.
I stretched on my tiptoes, trying to see over the shoulders of the guests.
I pushed my way gently through the velvet-clad backs, a small smile still on my face.
And then I saw it.
My breath hitched.
The air left my lungs in a silent whoosh.
There, in the center of the hushed circle, was Mark.
My Mark.
He was on one knee.
He was holding a ring box, open, sparkling under the chandeliers.
His gaze was fixed upwards, beaming.
And standing before him, her hands clasped over her mouth, tears streaming down her face, was Chloe.
My Chloe.
My best friend.
Her eyes, usually so full of laughter, were wide with a joyful shock I had never seen directed at me.
A sickening wave of realization washed over me.
It hit me like a physical blow to the chest.
The murmurs of the crowd solidified into a coherent whisper: “She said yes!”
My ears started ringing.
The glittering ballroom began to spin around me.
I felt like I was watching a movie, a horror film where I was the main character, but I wasn’t on the script.
My hands flew to my mouth, not in joy, but to stifle the scream that threatened to tear through my throat.
Mark, still on one knee, slowly turned his head.
