His Paper Bride

"What! This cannot happen!"

Ella's father shouted at the top of his voice, his eyes wide with disbelief. His hands trembled as he slammed a file down on the table, papers scattering across the floor like broken promises.

"How can you do this to me, Don? I believed you!" he barked, voice cracking under the weight of betrayal. "You betrayed me. I took you like a brother!"

His chest rose and fell heavily, sweat gathering on his forehead. He turned away, rubbing his palms over his face as if trying to wake from a nightmare. "I can't believe this," he muttered, his voice fading, broken.

Ben's father, McDon stood there, cold and unbothered. His expression didn't flinch, his hands neatly clasped behind his back. He stared at Maleek like a man looking at a stranger, not the friend he'd once called family.

For years, Maleek and Don had been inseparable, two ambitious men chasing the same dream. They built everything side by side: business deals, travels, ideas, and risks. They shared laughter, late-night strategy sessions, and even family dinners. Everyone knew them as brothers in spirit. Maleek trusted Don more than anyone alive.

So when they came up with a groundbreaking idea that could change their lives forever, Maleek gave it his all. Together, they worked day and night, wrote proposals, and pitched to powerful investors. Hope filled the air, and soon enough, they were on the brink of success.

But unknown to Maleek, Don had gone behind his back, spreading lies, saying he had proof that Maleek once stole company funds to cover a loss. The story was false, but Don made it believable.

The night of their grand celebration arrived. The venue was glittering;  chandeliers glowing above polished tables, the scent of expensive wine and success in the air. Guests smiled, investors mingled, and waiters floated around with champagne glasses.

Maleek and Don sat side by side, laughing, pretending everything was as it should be. They toasted with crystal glasses, clinking to a future that only one of them would have.

"Cheers," Don said with a thin smile that didn't reach his eyes.

When it was time for Maleek to give his final speech, he stood proudly. He walked to the front, his heart pounding with excitement and gratitude. He had rehearsed his words, his presentation was ready, and the final step before signing the contract that would secure their future.

He pressed the button on the remote.

The projector screen lit up.

But there were no slides. No data. No plans.

Instead, a video. A shaky, confidential clip. A man's voice, Maleek's voice, confessing to taking company money. Documents flashed across the screen, doctored images, emails that looked authentic but weren't.

Gasps filled the room. Forks dropped. The crowd's murmur grew louder. Faces turned cold, suspicious.

"What is this?" Maleek whispered, frozen in disbelief.

Don didn't move. He simply watched.

Within hours, every investor backed out. Phones rang off the hook. Emails came flooding in partnership terminated, funding withdrawn, legal review initiated. Don moved quickly, convincing everyone he was the innocent one, and they sided with him.

Maleek's company, his life's work collapsed overnight. He had poured his savings, his trust, his soul into that project, and it all vanished like dust in the wind.

Before he could even understand the depth of what had happened, police sirens wailed outside. Officers marched in, handcuffs glinting under the lights. Cameras flashed. Reporters shouted questions.

"Mr. Maleek, did you really steal from your investors?"

"Is this the end of your empire?"

His wife, Lisa, pushed through the crowd, her face pale, trembling. "Maleek! Please tell them the truth!" she cried.

He tried to speak, but the police pulled him away, his wrists bound in cold steel.

At the doorway, a small voice screamed.

"Mommy!"

It was Ella, just fifteen, standing barefoot at the staircase, her uniform still on, tears rolling down her cheeks. She ran into her mother's arms, shaking uncontrollably.

Her father; her hero, her inspiration, her pillar was dragged away in handcuffs before her eyes. The man she admired more than anything was now the center of humiliation, the face of betrayal.

And that night, something inside Ella changed forever.