One Night With Lucas Forbes
Peyton’s POV
“Can you believe it, Peyton?” Emily squealed, rushing into the bridal room, her words tumbling out in a breathless rush. “You're finally getting married! And to the heir of the biggest hotel chain. You are so lucky.”
Her eyes shone like diamonds, radiating an infectious excitement.
I forced a smile, my voice barely above a whisper. “I know, Em…” My gaze drifted to the mirror, where my reflection stared back, a pale imitation of a bride. The room began to blur, until the sudden buzz of my phone shattered the haze. It sat on the vanity table, its screen flashing like a warning signal.
I picked it up and noticed a message from an unknown number flashed on the screen: “Check Room 304 now! A special wedding gift from Richard.
Curiosity piqued, I glanced at my reflection, adjusting the delicate lace veil cascading over my shoulders. "I'll be right back," I said, forcing a smile. "Just need to check something."
"Don't take too long," my mother called after me, her voice laced with affection and a hint of worry.
As I moved through the hotel's bustling hallways, the murmur of conversations and clinking glasses enveloped me. I quickened my pace, my heels clicking on the polished floor.
As I reached the door, a low, husky moan seeped through the crack at the bottom. I froze, my ear inches from the wood, and waited. A voice followed, this one tinged with a soft moan. My grip on the door handle tightened, my knuckles whitening. The moans grew louder, more insistent, and I felt my heart stumble, then race. A cold sweat broke out on my palms, and my breath caught in my throat. I recoiled, my back hitting the wall opposite the door, as if shoved by an invisible hand.
I took a deep breath and pushed open the door, the scene confirming my worst fears.
Richard was tangled with someone else, their clothes discarded carelessly around the room. My vision blurred with unshed tears, and I struggled to breathe.
"Richard," I managed to choke out, my voice trembling with shock and hurt.
He disentangled himself slowly, a look of mild annoyance crossing his face. There was no shame, no remorse—just a cold indifference that I had never seen before. His eyes, once warm and loving, now looked at me with disdain as if he had shedded off the mask he had worn all along.
"What the hell is going on?" I demanded, my voice breaking.
Richard shrugged, pulling on his pants with a casual ease that made my blood boil. "What does it look like, Peyton? Are we dancing waltz?"
"How could you do this?" I asked, "I thought you loved me."
He laughed, a harsh, bitter sound. "Love? You think this is about love? You're just a gold digger, just like my mother said."
I recoiled as if he had struck me. "What are you talking about? You are not making any sense right now."
Richard stepped closer, his eyes cold and unfeeling. "You insisted on being a virgin until marriage. Well, I needed to enjoy myself one last time before being stuck with you forever. Honestly, Peyton, I felt bad for you. That's why I stayed. But now, I need to have a taste before I’m tied down. I don't even remember the last time I touched a woman because of you and your stupid ideology."
His words cut deeper than any physical wound. I stared at him, my mind racing. The betrayal, the cruelty in his words, was almost too much to bear. I had trusted him, loved him, and now he was tearing my heart to shreds without a second thought.
"You’re disgusting," I spat, my voice shaking. "I can't believe I ever loved you. You are just saying that to excuse your actions."
He smirked, a twisted, mocking expression. "You'll get over it. Or maybe you won't. Either way, it doesn't matter to me."
“You will regret this, Richard. I will make sure of it.”
I turned and fled, the tears finally spilling over. Each step away from him felt like an escape from a nightmare, but the pain lingered. I reached my hotel room, barely able to see through the blur of my tears. Once inside, I slammed the door shut and locked it, as if that could keep the hurt and betrayal out.
My eyes landed on the gifts and cards he had given me last night, those sweet words were all lies. Rage bubbled up inside me and I grabbed a vase he had given me and hurled it against the wall, the glass shattered, some landed on my dress but I did not care.
One by one, I tore through everything he had ever given me, ripping cards, smashing trinkets, and scattering pieces everywhere. My breaths came in ragged gasps as I saw myself in the mirror. This dress. I reached out and grabbed the fabric, I pulled and ripped it apart. The delicate lace and satin shredded under my fingers. I fell onto my butt, clutching the torn pieces of my dress, and screamed.
I cried and cried, the sobs racking my body
How could he? How could he betray me like this? Was it my fault that I wanted to be a virgin? It was my choice. My personal choice. How could he? Was that my worth? Was it my fault that my family can never measure up to his?
I had believed in us, in our love. But now, all I had were broken dreams and a shredded wedding dress. Everything was crashing before my eyes.
****
The next hours were a blur. My mother had found me, tears streaming down my face, and tried to comfort me, but there was no comfort to be had. Richard's family, once warm and welcoming, now regarded me with cold hostility. His mother, Margaret, was the first to approach me.
"Peyton, I think it's best if you leave," she said, her tone icy. “You didn't give my son what he wanted and you are of no use to us, no rich background, nothing to your name.”
I looked at her, disbelief and pain etched across my face. "You're blaming me for this?"
"We have guests to consider, and Richard... well, he's made his choice," she replied, her gaze hardening.
One by one, his family members echoed her sentiment, their eyes filled with disdain. I felt like an intruder at my own wedding, a spectacle for their amusement.
Richard's father, Charles, pulled me aside next. "You should have known better, Peyton. Richard was never serious about you."
"What? How can you say that? We were planning our future together, we have been together for seven years," I protested, my voice trembling.
"Plans change," he said dismissively. "You were a phase, and now it's over."
My heart ached as each word pierced through the remnants of my shattered dreams. I knew his family never cared about me, but nothing hurts than being told this to your face.
I ignored my family and slipped out the back entrance of the hotel, the cool evening air hitting my face like a slap. The city lights blurred through my tears as I walked aimlessly, my wedding dress looked like a short gown. Exposing my thighs. Making me shiver. I wandered for hours, my mind replaying the devastating scene in Room 304 over and over.
Eventually I found myself at the front of a club. Surprisingly, there was no much people on the line. With a deep breath, and I pushed inside. The sounds swallowed me whole – thumping bass, raucous laughter, and clinking glasses. I blinked in the dim light.
I made my way to the bathroom, needing a moment to collect myself. In the mirror, I barely recognized the woman staring back at me. Her eyes were red and puffy, her makeup smudged. She looked lost, broken. I ripped off the lace sleeves of my wedding dress, tearing at the fabric until it was transformed into a short, revealing lace number. I was done being the good girl, the virgin who played by the rules.
Tonight, I wanted to forget.
When I emerged, the bartender glanced at me, "Rough night, huh?" he asked, sliding a shot of tequila towards me.
"You have no idea," I replied, downing the shot in one go. The burn of the alcohol felt so good.
I turned around ready to dance when I bumped into a body. "Whoa there," a deep voice said, steadying me.
I looked up, my breath catching as I met a pair of intense, dark eyes. For a moment, everything else faded away—the betrayal, the heartbreak, the whispers of Richard's family. It was just me and this stranger, and the hot feeling caused by the alcohol.
"Are you okay?" he asked, concern etched across his handsome features.
