His Most Beautiful, Cruel Lie

For seven years, I thought Curtis was just a struggling entrepreneur in Brooklyn.

That was until I wore a dress I'd saved up three months' salary for and flew to New York City, planning to surprise him at his company's annual gala.

But it turned out the so-called "company gala" was the kind of charity ball you read about in Forbes, and he was the man of the hour on stage—the heir to a financial empire.

Even more devastatingly, he was about to announce his engagement to the heiress of another powerful family.

The socialites around me began to whisper.

"Who is that? Some girl trying to claw her way up by crashing a party like this?"

"She's pathetic. She doesn't even have a proper gown. She's just humiliating herself."

I wanted to scream, to tell them that I was the one he swore he'd spend his life with.

But just then, the woman in the haute couture gown linked her arm with his.

A volley of camera flashes went off as the host excitedly announced, "The future Mrs. Van der Meer!"

She smiled charmingly into the microphone and said, "Thank you all for your blessings. To celebrate our growing family, Curtis will be announcing a major merger."

The camera zoomed in. He looked down at his fiancée with a tenderness I knew all too well. "Of course, my dear."

Just last night, in our rundown rental apartment, he had looked at me with those same obsessive eyes, his body searing against mine, his voice raw as he promised, again and again, that he was only mine. That man was my lover. My Curtis.

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1

I staggered backward, my cheap clutch knocking over a champagne tower.

The sharp sound of shattering glass drew dozens of scrutinizing gazes.

The woman finished her speech and glided toward me, a perfect smile fixed on her face.

"Oh, my, how clumsy."

My gaze was fixed on her neck, on the diamond necklace worth tens of millions. Its brilliant sparkle stung my eyes. I glanced down at her slightly rounded belly.

The heir she had mentioned.

She was pregnant. With Curtis's child.

Her gaze fell upon me, her face a mask of well-practiced concern. "Are you alright?"

"I—"

"Ma'am," the hotel manager said, bowing hastily. "She's just a server who spilled some wine."

"Oh?" The woman—Victoria, I'd soon learn was her name—elegantly raised an eyebrow. "You look familiar."

I opened my mouth, but my throat was scorched dry. I couldn't utter a single word.

She extended an arm to me. "Why don't you wait for him with me in the VIP lounge? Curtis is always so busy with company matters." Her grip was light, yet it left no room for refusal.

In the lounge, Victoria ushered me to a seat and personally poured me a glass of sparkling water.

"You and Curtis have known each other for a long time?" she asked, sitting gracefully across from me.

"Yes."

"Then you must know how much he has sacrificed to complete the merger of our two conglomerates." Victoria sighed softly, one hand resting on her belly, her face glowing with a victor's radiance. "Thank God, with a child on the way, the future of the conglomerate is finally secure. He can finally breathe easy."

The glass in my hand trembled violently.

Footsteps approached the door. Several bodyguards in black suits entered and bowed to her. "Ma'am, the CEO's speech has concluded."

Then, Curtis strode in.

He looked nothing like the Curtis I knew. His face was a mask of ice, and he radiated the powerful aura of a CEO. Only when his eyes fell on Victoria's stomach did his expression soften for a fleeting moment.

Then he saw me. His handsome face froze instantly. "What are you doing here?"

Victoria smiled and threw herself into his arms. "Curtis, you're finally done." She glanced back at me with a smirk. "This young lady was waiting for you backstage. She seemed to be in a hurry, so I brought her up. Is she a friend of yours?"

Curtis wrapped his arm naturally around her waist, his voice flat. "Just a server who spilled some wine. She's not important."

He turned to his assistant. "Liam, get her out of here. Don't let her cause a scene."

I stared at him in disbelief.

He never looked at me again, nor did he offer any explanation.

As the assistant came to escort me out, Curtis was tenderly kissing Victoria's forehead.

"Alright, you little troublemaker. Let's go to dinner."

Victoria stood on her toes and kissed him, cooing, "You're the best, Curtis."

Just as the elevator doors were about to close, Victoria looked back at me, pouting in mock grievance. "Darling, it's not very polite to leave an old acquaintance in the lurch like that."

Curtis didn't even turn his head.

"She's just a server. Nothing is more important than our future."

The elevator doors closed, shutting out his voice.

And crushing seven years of my trust in him.