Duplicity of Hearts

Chapter 1: Double Vision

Maya stood in front of the mirror, smoothing down her dress, the crimson color fabric clinging to her figure just right. It had been a while since she had dressed up like this. Since moving to Toronto from London, her social calendar had been...sparse. Tonight was different, though—a company event that she couldn't get out of. Tara had made sure of that.

As she reached for her earrings, Maya's thoughts drifted back to London. To her recent past. To Dave. It had been nine months since they had ended things, but the wound still felt fresh. One year together, unraveled by a single argument. She shook her head, pushing away the bittersweet memories.

This wasn't the time to dwell on the past. Tonight, she would try to get back into the city's social scene—or at least give it a chance.

A knock on the door snapped her out of her thoughts. "Maya, you ready? We're going to be late!"

"Almost! Just trying to decide if I should wear these earrings or the silver ones," she replied, holding up both options.

"Go with the gold! They'll make you stand out, especially tonight," Tara encouraged, poking her head into the room, excitement evident in her voice.

Maya took her advice, slipping the gold hoops into her ears. Tara had hyped this party up for weeks, insisting it was a chance to mingle with colleagues and build alliances at work.

"You never know when it's going to be useful," Tara said, sensing Maya's hesitation.

"Yeah, I guess," Maya replied softly. She just wanted to survive the night, reacquaint herself with the city's nightlife, and keep her head down. It had only been four months since she'd started working at Helix Capital—thanks to Tara, who'd encouraged her to apply and provided a strong reference.

As they put on the final touches, Tara filled her in on office gossip. Maya half-listened as her mind wandered.

"So, whose party is this, again?" she asked, turning around.

"It's technically our boss's party. But practically? It's a party for us," Tara replied.

"What does that mean exactly?" Maya asked as she applied her lipstick and fixed her large, loose curls.

"It's our boss's birthday party, Mr. Angelo Moretti, the Chief Executive Officer. Every year, the company throws a party for him, but he never shows up though. Like ever. It's really just for us employees," Tara replied with a smile. "Completely informal. And amazing," she emphasized.

"Right." Maya gave a weak smile, fastening the hook of her necklace.

"Last year was incredible. I wish you'd been there," Tara said.

Tara Miller had been her rock since they met during their undergrad and even more so since she'd moved back from London after the breakup. Tara had been working at the firm for three years and convinced Maya to apply for a position. Now, after a few months, she was finally starting to settle in. But social gatherings still felt... strange. Tonight, though, she was determined to dull the ache in her heart.

"I'm ready," Maya said, slipping into her black heels and grabbing her small silver sequin bag.

"You'll be fine," Tara assured her, sensing her unease, giving her a light reassuring squeeze on the shoulder "No one expects you to be the life of the party. Just relax and have fun."

She smiled, though her nerves lingered. "I'm fine... let's go out there and enjoy our night." She said, shaking off her uncertainty.

Tara laughed. "Trust me, you'll loosen up once you get a drink. And besides, the boss and other executives never show up. It's completely informal."