~~~

"No, you may not,"

Sebastian said darkly, faking a smile.

John straightened his back, " Mr. Greyson, I had no idea Arabella was your friend."

What difference did it make if I was his friend?

"She's not my friend," he said firmly.

Wow, that hurt like a b*tch.

I maintained a straight face.

"All right, Arabella-" He was cut off by Sebatian.

"Ms. Arabella,"

I sighed and rolled my eyes.

What was going on?

"Ms. Arabella, please-"

"I believe someone is seeking for you, John." Sebastian clenched his teeth and placed his hand around my waist.

Excuse me, but why do I have the impression that a dog is pissing and marking his territory?

"Yes sir, I am leaving," John exhaled, a tight smile on his lips.

Wait, he has no right to come here and claim his right after spending a quarter of the night with another lady in his arms.

"John," I called, and he came to a halt.

"Don't," Sebastian seethed in my ear.

But I'm not sure if I heard what he said. No, I did not.

"Yes," he said, turning around.

"Give me your Instagram ID, I'm adding you," I said with a smile. His eyes grew brighter, and a smile formed on his face.

"Ah-ah-ah, sure," he chuckled awkwardly, pulling out his phone.

"John." SebastianSebastian called out flatly,

"Ignore him," I said brightly as I snatched his phone from his grasp and sent a request on my account, then returned his phone with a smile.

"Thank you," John said, and then dashed away.

He's adorable.

So much better than the man fuming right next to me.

"You do this just to aggravate me, don't you?" He clenched his jaw.

"Don't put so much importance in yourself," I muttered, not looking at him.

"What were you doing ignoring me? Again." He sounded accusatory.

"Please excuse me, sir. You have no right to be accusatory " I poked his chest with my finger.

Thank goodness, everyone was preoccupied with their own tasks.

"And why don't I?" His pupils dilated.

"Because you had a lady in your arms for the better part of a quarter of the night. And now, seeing another man talking to me, you decide to show up and stake your claim. That is not how it works " I said, anger was burning in my eyes and in my chest. I could feel tears welling up in my eyes.

"I didn't fucking come here to fucking mark anything," he gritted his teeth.

I sighed and rolled my eyes.

"And that girl is just a friend," he gritted his teeth.

"And John was the person I met right now," I said.

I was on the verge of pulling my hair out.

"Exactly, and he's not the right person for you."

"So, who exactly is the right person? Will you do the honors of arranging for him to meet me?" In the midst of his rage, he clenched his teeth even tighter, but his eyes softened around the edges.

"There is no one who is right for you."

His words soothed something within me, but my face remained expressionless.

"Put yourself in my shoes, Seb. How would you have reacted if I had a man in my arms right now?" I inquired, his eyes darkening as he clenched his jaws and pushed his fists aside.

"I would have fucking killed him up."

I sighed and rolled my eyes.

"Caveman," I muttered to myself.

"Nona requested that I bring Jocelyn as my date," he explained softly.

She, of course, did.

"It's all right, Seb,"

"Is it?" And now he's become agitated.

Oh lord, what is the matter with this man?

Before he could finish his sentence, the lady herself appeared in front of me.

"Oh, hello," she said as she placed her hand on Sebastian's arms. My gaze was drawn there, but I remained devoid of emotion.

"Hello, my name is Arabella, and it's a pleasure to meet you," I said with a tight smile.

"The pleasure is entirely mine." She smiled at me, and I swear she's lovely. I retract my statement; she is stunning. But the venom of resentment and jealousy coursed through my veins like poison.

I'm turning into a cavewoman, I swear.

Sebastian remained calm, but took her hand away from his arms.

"Was there anything else I could do for you, Jocelyn?" Looking down at her, he asked calmly.

"In fact, I did. I believe I left my diamond earrings on your dressing table the night before when I spent the night in your bed."

Seb tensed up.

I felt as if a rock had been thrown over my head. Anger, sorrow, betrayal, heartbreak, and a slew of other emotions pierced me like a knife, and I felt my world crumble.

Bed?

Even after everything we did yesterday, he still needed someone else. I was simply insufficient. Perhaps I'll never be enough for him, for anyone.

"Jocelyn, could you please give us a moment? I will get back to you"

"Um, could you please assist me right now, it's kind of urgent?"

"It's fine right, Arabella? If he comes with me right now?" She inquired, a hopeful expression on her face.

I nodded but did not look at Sebastian.

"It's perfectly fine," I said with a tight smile.

"No-"

I walked away before he could finish his sentence. I didn't want anything to do with him anymore.

I was done.

Done again with another betrayal.

I kept walking until I was no longer surrounded by guests; the music had stopped, and silence had taken its place. I saw a balcony and entered it despite the cold gush of air that hit me, making me shiver. I could see a silhouette standing there already.

I approached the railing where the individual was standing, his back to me. I took a few steps back and clutched the railing.

I had no idea I'd be back in the same circle of heartbreak. When I felt tears welling up in my eyes, I tightened my grip on the railing. As the same ache of betrayal slashed through my heart, an unbearable pain erupted in my chest.

I whimpered softly as tears streamed down my cheeks.

I could hear footsteps approaching and standing beside me, and a deep manly voice asks,

"What brings you here on this lovely evening of celebration?"

I silently took the tissue held in front of my eyes and wiped my tears.

"Nothing," I mumbled.

"You shouldn't cry over someone who isn't worth it," the man advised.

"But what if that person is worth it?" I asked softly, peering at the man in the shadows.

In the darkness, I couldn't see his face clearly, but bright fairy lights in the garden provided enough light for me to recognize some of his facial features.

His eyes were a similar shade of blue, reminding me of the person who made my heart ache.

I shook my head, I'm not going to think about him right now.

"Then heartbreak is inevitable, isn't it?" He laughed softly, but I could hear the anguish in his voice.

"You seem to be speaking from experience," I said, trying to make out more of his features in the dim light.

For a brief moment, he was deafeningly silent.

"I am," he says.

I remained silent and didn't say anything.

He sighed after what seemed like an eternity.

"My wife," I could hear the agony seeping through his words, "she was my whole life, my love, my breath, my melody, my Madeline," he said and exhaled a shuddering breath.

"You see, when you fall in, you don't care about anything else; you devote your life, your breath, and every ounce of soul to the person you love, to the point where you forget this world is just a mirage."

His words pierced my soul and opened a fresh wound.

"Did she abandon you?" I whispered, tears welling up in my eyes as I thought about the pain this man had endured. He was head over heels in love with her.

He let out an anguished chuckle and looked up at the sky.

"I wish she did because then maybe-maybe I wouldn't be in so much pain and alone in this world. But who am I kidding, if she had left me on purpose, I would have instantly lost all my sanity."

I remained silent and stood beside him in his grief as he stared at the sky, his blue eyes glazed with brimming tears.

Tonight, I am with this man in his anguish.

"My Madeline was that star, the star that shines brightest in the sky, the star that you can't take your eyes off of, and the star that everyone wants to be loved by. But she chose me, a mere mortal in the shadows. She was my savior, my angel, the goddess who gave me a reason to live."

A exhaled a shuddering breath. This was excruciatingly painful to comprehend.

"She was a living dream, and to have someone like her in my arms was nothing short of a divine gift. I've sinned, and perhaps that's why God punished me. He took my life, my soul, my only reason to live, and my ability to love. That night- the night in which- I had lost her forever in an accident, I felt my entire world crumble around me, and a horrifying emptiness surrounded me. That night- I had lost everything, including my four-year-old son." He whispered the last part.

I stood there, tears streaming down my cheeks; I couldn't help myself; with my sorrows, his sorrows evolved. My own sorrows were turning into fears.

"It's scary to love someone that much," I said quietly.

"It is," he chuckled.

"Tonight is like any other night; I'm alone, but I know she's right beside me. She lives in my heart. She is disappointed with me, I know that. I see her every day, and she grows more beautiful with each passing day" He smiled, as if he could now see her.

"She appears to be lovely; I wish I could meet her."

"If fate wills," he said, smiling at me.

Some of his features remained familiar to me, but I couldn't place them.

"How about you, young lady, who happens to bring you grief?" He inquired, his gaze fixed ahead.

"It's complicated," I admitted, sighing.

"Isn't the universe itself is complicated?"

I gave a nod and exhaled a sigh.

"I thought he really liked me; I had a good feeling about it, but he just went and slept with another girl after we shared some intimate moments."

In rage and sorrow, I clenched my fists.

"Did you see him do that?" Still facing the garden, he inquired.

"No," I said, shaking my head.

"Did he claim to have done it?"

I shook my head once more.

"How do you know that then?"

"The girl said she was standing right in front of him, and he didn't deny it."

For a brief moment, he was deafeningly silent.

"Did he defend himself?"

"There's nothing to explain; I'm done with him," I said flatly.

"Are you sure?" He looked at me this time, an amused tug on his lips.

"Absolutely," I huffed, crossing my hands across my chest.

He locked his gaze on me for a split second.

"Sometimes, when we think it's over, it's not."

"You sound so deep," I chuckled.

"Misery has a playful way of making you philosophical," the tug on his lips grew stronger.

"I'm sorry, but I wouldn't want to know."

He let out a boisterous laughter, which made me happy.

For a brief moment, we were strangely silent but it wasn't awkward at all. The cold breeze blew, making me shiver but it was refreshing.

I was curious about who he was, but I didn't want to know who he was. I wanted to seal this bond in the garden because I'm sure a man like him wouldn't want to know someone- to whom he had just poured his heart out.

"We can remain strangers; don't worry, I won't go around telling people about our minor emotional exchange."

"You won't?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

I shook my head.

"Nice to meet you, stranger." I smiled and checked my watch, only to discover that thirty minutes had passed.

"Thank you for hearing and not wanting my introduction," he said softly.

"The pleasure was entirely mine. And, as you mentioned, if fate permits, we may cross paths again and I may learn your name "I smiled.

"If fate wills," he said with a smile.

"Good luck with your life, old man; I hope you find happiness, and I know she'll be waiting for you," I said softly.

"I hope so," he said quietly.

I stepped off the balcony, and neither he nor I turned around. It was a strange meeting, but I'm glad I met that mysterious person.

People go through so much pain, and yet we think ours is the worst.

There are many things we learn from life, but one thing we fail to learn is to accept and remember that those around us may be in greater misery or have more problems than us.

That's why, as I walked back to the gala, my perspective on the wealthy people in the room shifted. That they were all smiling, but each and every person in the room had their own problems and wars to fight. That could be insecurity, or it could be the human mask that we all need to put on in order to save ourselves; and the mask is none other than a big, bright smile.

I looked around but didn't see Jen or Mave. I took out my phone and texted them, asking where they were, and received an immediate response.

Someone cleared their throat behind me just as I was about to open the unopened text.

I aimlessly turned around and froze.

And, just like that, fate has a strange way of playing games with us and turning the tables.

"Well, if this isn't the sweetest surprise of the evening,"

When people deceive us once, they not only hurt us once, but they also take away an important part of our lives: trust.

When Luke cheated on Arabella during their three-year relationship, it's natural for her to suspect that there is a possibility that someone else is doing the same to her. I know my story may sap all of your patience, but thank you so much for taking the time to read it! I hope you understand Arabella's point of view.