Shattered Vows

Chapter 1: Shattered Illusions

The night air was crisp, a welcome contrast to the warmth of the engagement party inside. The laughter and clinking glasses seemed far away as Sophie stood frozen in the shadow of the garden's archway, hidden behind a curtain of ivy. Her breath caught in her throat as her eyes fixed on the two figures entwined in front of her.

Mark. Jessica.

Her fiancé. Her sister.

Their lips met in a kiss so passionate, so full of desire, it sent a cold wave of disbelief crashing over Sophie. Her heart pounded in her chest, each beat feeling like a hammer driving nails into the fragile illusion she had carefully built around her life. She gripped the side of the stone wall, willing herself to move, to scream, to do something—anything. But she couldn't. She was paralyzed.

The whispered words that followed shattered the remaining pieces of her world.

"I can't believe we've managed to keep this up for so long," Jessica murmured against Mark's lips, her voice dripping with a smug satisfaction that made Sophie's stomach churn.

"I know," Mark replied, pulling Jessica closer. "But after tonight, it'll all be out in the open. We'll tell Sophie, and we can finally be together."

Sophie's mind reeled, her thoughts spinning wildly out of control. They've been having an affair for years. How could I not have seen this?

The late-night work meetings. The impromptu girls' weekends that Jessica always claimed were just a way to "decompress." Every small doubt that Sophie had pushed away now seemed like glaring red flags, waving right in front of her face.

They had been lying to her for years. Right under her nose.

She felt her breath hitch, tears prickling at the corners of her eyes. But this wasn't the place. Not here. Not now.

Mark's voice lowered, his tone softening with guilt. "I hate that we've hurt her, but this is the only way. She'll understand. We'll make her see that we didn't mean to hurt her. This just... happened."

Jessica let out a soft laugh, brushing his cheek with her fingers. "Sophie's strong. She'll get over it. She always does."

The audacity of Jessica's words made Sophie's blood boil. She'll get over it? This was her sister—the one person who should have been her ally, the one person who should have protected her, not betrayed her. And Mark... the man she was supposed to marry, the man who had sworn to love and cherish her, was speaking as if their years of deception were nothing more than a minor inconvenience.

Sophie stood there for what felt like hours, though in reality, it was only minutes. Her heart was breaking, but a steely resolve began to harden inside her. She would not let them see her pain. Not tonight. Not in front of all their friends, family, and well-wishers, who had gathered to celebrate her engagement.

She straightened her posture, wiped away the single tear that had escaped, and took a deep, steadying breath. Her mind raced with the beginnings of a plan—she needed more information. She needed to understand just how deep this betrayal went, how long they had been laughing behind her back.

Without a word, she turned and walked back toward the house, the sound of Jessica's laughter still echoing in the background like nails on a chalkboard.

Back inside, the lights seemed too bright, the laughter too loud. The room buzzed with celebration, but to Sophie, it felt like she was walking through a thick fog, her body moving on autopilot. She plastered a smile on her face, her jaw tight with the effort, and rejoined the party as if nothing had happened.

Mark spotted her first, his handsome face lighting up as he crossed the room toward her. His brown eyes, the ones she had fallen in love with, now seemed hollow—filled with lies she could no longer unsee.

"Hey, babe, where'd you disappear to?" he asked, sliding his arm around her waist in a move that felt suddenly foreign and repulsive.

Sophie's smile never faltered. She leaned into him, playing the part she needed to play. "Just needed some fresh air," she replied sweetly, her voice betraying none of the turmoil inside her.

She caught a glimpse of Jessica across the room, her sister laughing with some of the guests, perfectly composed, perfectly charming, as if nothing in the world could touch her. Sophie's rage simmered beneath the surface, but she pushed it down, focusing on keeping up appearances. She couldn't afford to slip. Not now. Not yet.

The evening dragged on, each minute feeling like an eternity. Sophie exchanged pleasantries with the guests, laughed at jokes she didn't hear, and accepted compliments on her engagement with the same hollow smile she had been wearing since she returned from the garden.

But beneath that facade, her mind was racing, replaying every moment she had spent with Mark and Jessica, searching for the signs she had missed. The stolen glances, the secret smiles, the subtle shifts in their behavior when they thought she wasn't paying attention. How had she been so blind?

As the night wore on, Sophie found herself standing by the bar, watching as Mark and Jessica continued to charm the guests. They were good at pretending. Too good. But she was better. Sophie realized with a sickening clarity that they thought they had won. They thought they had her fooled, that she would go along with whatever story they had concocted to explain away their affair.

But they were wrong.

As the party began to wind down, Sophie's resolve solidified. She wouldn't confront them here. She wouldn't give them the satisfaction of seeing her break down in front of everyone. No, she would play their game. She would let them think they were in control.

But when the time was right, she would be the one to shatter their illusions.

As the last of the guests trickled out, Mark wrapped his arm around Sophie's shoulders and kissed her temple. "I can't wait to marry you," he whispered, his voice thick with affection that now felt tainted.

Sophie smiled up at him, her heart cold. "Neither can I."

The game had just begun.