The Crimson Pendant: The Mafia's Lost Love

I stood in the doorway of Vance's apartment, clutching a small box decorated with a red ribbon. I smiled at the thought of his surprised face.

"Today must be special. Did Vance prepare something for me too?" I muttered as I took a deep breath. My heart beat faster. My hands clutched the gift box tightly, eyes sparkling.

I couldn't wait to meet Vance and celebrate our three-year relationship together.

I knocked on the door. Silence. There was no answer and no sign of Vance opening it.

My hand reached for the doorknob and moved it, it was unlocked. I paused for a moment.

"Vance must want to surprise me too." I thought with a small smile.

I hardened my movements to push the door open. The apartment looked as usual, but something was off.

On the living room floor, there were two half-full wine glasses and the scent of a woman's perfume wafting through the air. It felt foreign to me.

I walked toward Vance's room. My heart began to feel uneasy. I tried to open the door to the room, which turned out to be unlocked, where I saw a scene that made my heart break.

Vance was lying on the bed, wrapped in a blanket with a woman. They were oblivious to my presence. My chest was tight as if I was having trouble inhaling oxygen.

The gift box I was holding fell to the floor making a noise. They stopped the action, turned to me, and made surprised faces.

I recognized the woman immediately with long black hair, her pretty face, and that sardonic smile I'd seen so often in my childhood.

It was Grace, my step-sister.

"Vance? You guys..." My voice trembled, almost a whisper. My eyes glazed over.

Vance adjusted his position, waking up and sitting up in his bed. He tried to explain as he pulled the covers tighter. Grace, next to Vance just smiled a little, as if without any guilt.

"Honey, it's not what you think-" Vance stammered.

"Not what I think?" I cut him off with a tone full of emotion. "I give you three years of my life, my trust, and this is what you get in return?"

Grace sat back casually, wearing a triumphant expression.

"Evelyn, maybe it's time you knew. A straight woman like you can't possibly keep Vance around. He wants something more, something that can fulfill his needs. And clearly, that's not you!"

Grace's words cut through my heart like a knife. My hands clenched against the tightness that crept into my chest.

I froze in place. "Grace... you're my sister. Why are you doing this to me?" my voice trembled, almost breaking.

Grace raised her eyebrows, and she laughed, covering her mouth elegantly as if my question was funny.

"Sister? Evelyn, you should know. We were never really a family. My mother married your father, that's all. I have no obligation to be nice to you."

Vance tried to interrupt, but Grace held up her hand to stop him from speaking.

"You know what your problem is, Evelyn? You're too trusting. You think giving expensive gifts and being nice will keep Vance with you. But the world doesn't work that way. You're too weak."

My eyes bore into Grace's. She had never changed.

"Why do you always take away my happiness, Grace? The person I love, my family, and now my partner. Where is your heart?"

Grace smiled triumphantly. She didn't seem to feel the slightest guilt towards me.

"That's what I want. Seeing you broken is my dream."

I looked at Grace and Vance in turn, full of hurt and hatred. I couldn't find the words to reply to my stepbrother.

Grace smiled again, colder this time. "You should thank me. At least now, you know that Vance was happier with me all along."

I took a deep breath, holding back the tears that were ready to spill. With a determined voice, I replied. "You two are compatible. A traitor only belongs with a traitor."

I looked deeply into Vance's eyes. I couldn't hold back my tears. This was too painful.

"Congratulations on the anniversary of our relationship, Vance. This is a special gift for me that you have prepared." I stopped my words for a moment, catching my increasingly labored breath.

"Our relationship ends here. And don't ever see me again."

Vance was about to get up from his bed, wanting to approach me. But he didn't, because he hadn't put on his clothes yet.

I turned around and left the apartment without waiting for his explanation. Carrying a heart that shattered like a falling glass, and shattered all over the floor.