The sun glittered on the water as our boat sliced through the lake, creating a wake that sparkled like diamonds. Today was supposed to be our last hurrah before the wedding—a casual outing with friends and family to celebrate our upcoming union. But my mind kept drifting back to those text messages, to Daniel and Laila on that rooftop.

"Eden, are you even listening?" Sarah waved her hand in front of my face. "You've been spaced out all morning."

"Just wedding nerves," I lied, forcing a smile.

Across the boat, Daniel stood with his arm casually draped around his father's shoulders, laughing at something Marcus said. Laila sat nearby, her sundress billowing gently in the breeze. She caught my eye and quickly looked away.

Something felt wrong. The air was too still, the water too calm.

"I need to get some fresh air," Laila announced suddenly, moving toward the boat's edge.

"Be careful," I called out instinctively.

But it was too late. As she leaned against the railing, her foot caught on something—a rope, maybe—and she pitched forward with a startled cry.

"Laila!" I rushed toward her, reaching out as she splashed into the water.

The boat rocked violently from her fall, throwing me off balance. I stumbled, my ankle twisting painfully as I grabbed for the railing. Instead of steadying myself, I found myself tumbling overboard as well.

The cold water shocked my system as I plunged beneath the surface. When I emerged, gasping and sputtering, I heard panicked voices above.

"Someone help!" I cried out, struggling to stay afloat in my heavy clothes.

Through the blur of water and sunlight, I saw Daniel dive cleanly into the water—straight toward Laila. His powerful strokes carried him to her side as he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her toward the boat.

"Daniel!" I called out, my voice breaking. "Help!"

He didn't even look in my direction.

Other guests rushed to the side of the boat, extending hands to pull me aboard. I clutched at their fingers, my engagement ring catching the light as I was hauled upward.

"Are you okay?" Sarah asked, wrapping a towel around my shoulders.

I nodded numbly, watching as Daniel climbed aboard with Laila in his arms. He laid her gently on the deck, checking her for injuries with tender concern.

Not once did he look to see if I was safe.

---

The rooftop terrace was silent except for the distant hum of traffic below. I stood in the same spot where I'd witnessed their embrace two nights before, waiting.

They arrived together, as I knew they would.

"Eden?" Daniel's voice held confusion tinged with alarm. "What are you doing here?"

"Waiting for the truth," I said, my voice steadier than I expected.

Laila stepped forward, her face pale in the moonlight. "Eden, I can explain—"

"Can you?" I turned to face them both. "Can you explain how long you've been sleeping with my fiancé?"

The silence stretched between us like a chasm.

"Three years," I continued when neither spoke. "That's what I saw on your phone. Three years of lies."

Daniel ran a hand through his hair, a gesture I once found endearing. Now it just seemed calculated.

"It's not what you think," he began.

"It's exactly what I think," I cut him off. "I saw you together here. I read your messages. And today..." My voice caught. "Today when we fell in the water, you didn't even look to see if I was okay."

Laila's eyes filled with tears. "Eden, please—"

"No." I held up my hand. "I want the truth. All of it."

Daniel sighed, his shoulders slumping in defeat. "Yes, we've been together for three years."

"Three years," I repeated, the words bitter on my tongue.

"There's more," he continued, unable to meet my eyes. "Laila was pregnant once."

The world tilted beneath my feet. "Pregnant?"

"It was early in our relationship," he explained, his voice hollow. "We lost the baby."

Laila's hand moved protectively to her stomach, a gesture that spoke volumes.

"You were going to tell me after the wedding," I realized aloud. "That's what your messages meant."

Daniel nodded slowly. "We thought... we thought it would be easier that way."

"Easier?" I laughed, the sound harsh and foreign to my ears. "You thought it would be easier to marry me while being in love with her?"

"We were going to be together afterward," Laila said softly. "After your marriage. We were waiting for the right time."

I stared at them both, these people I'd trusted with my heart. "There is no right time to destroy someone's life."

As the truth settled around me like ash, I realized that everything—every kiss, every promise, every dream of our future—had been built on lies.

The silence on the rooftop was broken only by Laila's quiet sobs. She stood before me, her face streaked with tears, looking like the girl I'd known since childhood rather than the woman who'd betrayed me.

"I never meant to hurt you," she whispered, her voice catching. "I love him, Eden. I've always loved him."

I stared at her, this person I'd trusted with every secret, every dream. "Three years, Laila. Three years of lies."

She reached into her purse with trembling hands and pulled out something carefully wrapped in tissue paper. "I made this for you. For your wedding."

Unwrapping it slowly, she revealed a delicate embroidery—two Chinese characters for "double happiness" surrounded by intricate floral patterns. The stitches were perfect, the colors vibrant. It was beautiful.

"I worked on it for months," she said softly. "Every night while you were planning your wedding."

I couldn't speak. The irony was too cruel—she'd created this symbol of eternal love while systematically destroying mine.

"Look at the date," she urged, pointing to a small corner of the embroidery.

There, in delicate blue thread, was the date of our wedding—and beneath it, in even smaller stitches: "Forever yours, L."

"You were going to give me this tomorrow," I said finally. "At our wedding."

Laila nodded, fresh tears falling. "I thought... I thought I could be happy for you. That I could let you go."

"But you couldn't," I finished for her.

"No," she admitted. "I couldn't."

---

"Mrs. King has always preferred you," I said, turning to Daniel. "I just never understood why."

Daniel's face hardened slightly. "My mother has her own ideas about what's best for our family."

"Tell me," I demanded.

He sighed, running a hand through his hair. "She's been... encouraging us. Laila and me."

"Encouraging?" I repeated, disbelief coloring my voice.

"She arranged meetings for us," he continued, unable to meet my eyes. "Covered for us when we needed time together."

Laila stepped forward. "She would invite me to lunch, then call Daniel last minute to join us. Or she'd insist I stay for dinner when you were working late."

"She knew about the pregnancy," Daniel added quietly.

The revelation hit me like a physical blow. "Your mother knew you got my best friend pregnant?"

"She said it proved we were meant to be together," Laila whispered.

I remembered all those times Mrs. King had smiled at Laila with such warmth, all those little comments about their "natural connection." It hadn't been my imagination—it had been approval.

"She wanted you to marry Laila all along," I said, the pieces finally falling into place.

Daniel didn't deny it.

---

The rooftop terrace was bathed in moonlight as I stood facing them both. The city lights twinkled below us like fallen stars, but I couldn't appreciate their beauty. Not now.

"I've spent five years loving you," I said to Daniel, my voice surprisingly steady. "Five years building a future that never existed."

"Eden—" he began.

"No," I cut him off. "I don't want to hear it."

I twisted the engagement ring off my finger—the ring I'd been so excited to wear, the symbol of everything I thought we had.

"Take it," I said, holding it out to him.

Daniel stared at the ring, his face pale. "Please don't do this."

"I'm not doing anything," I replied. "This is your choice. You've made it clear where your heart lies."

I placed the ring on the ledge of the terrace wall. The diamond caught the moonlight, sending tiny rainbows across the concrete.

"You can have each other," I continued, my voice breaking slightly. "And the life you've been planning behind my back."

Laila reached for me, her eyes desperate. "Eden, please—"

"Don't touch me," I said, stepping back.

The three of us stood there—me on one side, them on the other—separated by more than just physical distance.

"I hope you'll be very happy together," I said finally. "Since it's what you both wanted all along."

Daniel's face contorted with pain. "It's not that simple."

"It is," I insisted. "It's exactly that simple."

I turned to leave, but paused at the stairs. Without looking back, I added, "Tomorrow's ceremony is canceled. I'll handle the arrangements."

As I descended the stairs, I heard Laila's broken sob behind me. But I didn't turn around. There was nothing left to say.

The engagement ring gleamed on the ledge above me—a small circle of gold and diamond that had once meant everything, now abandoned under the indifferent moon.