Slowly Falling for You

Antonella stood in the middle of the grand ballroom, her heart pounding as she smoothed the silky fabric of her dress. Tonight was supposed to be her night-the night Drake would finally make their love official.

The chandelier overhead bathed the room in golden light, casting a warm glow over the elegantly dressed guests. A small, excited smile played on her lips as she scanned the faces in the crowd. She had sacrificed so much for Drake-her time, her dreams, even her savings to help him build his business. And now, it would all be worth it.

The anticipation thickened in the air as the host tapped the microphone. "Ladies and gentlemen, please turn your attention to the stage as we welcome Drake Miller."

The room erupted in applause, and Antonella felt her heart swell with pride. She turned toward the stage, expecting to see Drake walking toward her with that familiar, charming smile.

But then-everything stopped.

Drake wasn't alone.

He walked in "hand in hand" with Amira, her stepsister. The two of them glided onto the stage like a picture-perfect couple.

A hush fell over the room, and for a moment, Antonella thought she was hallucinating. This had to be a mistake. It had to be some cruel misunderstanding.

Drake took the microphone, flashing a dazzling smile. "Thank you all for being here tonight. This is a special occasion-not just for me, but for the woman standing beside me."

He turned to Amira, his gaze filled with an adoration Antonella had never seen before. "Her stomach twisted."

"Amira," Drake continued, his voice thick with emotion, "these past few months with you have been the best of my life. I can't imagine my future without you in it."

Antonella's breath hitched. "What was he saying?"

She felt the ground beneath her shift as Drake "knelt on one knee, pulling out a small velvet box."

The crowd gasped.

Antonella's fingers trembled at her sides. No, no, no. "That was supposed to be her proposal."

Tears burned at the corners of her eyes as she watched Amira place a hand over her chest, feigning shock. "Oh, Drake..."

She was putting on a show, acting as if she hadn't known. But Antonella knew better. Amira was a master manipulator, always stealing what wasn't hers-always taking from Antonella.

Drake flipped the ring box open, revealing a "massive diamond." "Will you marry me?"

Amira let out a dramatic gasp before whispering, "Yes."

The applause that followed was deafening.

Antonella felt like she had been slapped. "Her knees buckled."

Drake slipped the ring onto Amira's perfectly manicured finger before pulling her in for a deep kiss. "Right there, in front of everyone."

Antonella felt the world crumble around her.

Everything inside her screamed. She had given "three years of her life" to this man. "Three years." And now, she was watching him propose to her stepsister as if she had never mattered at all.

The whispers in the crowd began.

"Wasn't he dating Antonella?"

"Poor girl... this is humiliating."

"I heard she was just a stepping stone for him."

Her stomach churned. The humiliation was unbearable.

Her hands clenched into fists. She wouldn't stand here and take this. "Not tonight."

With every ounce of strength she had left, she "stormed toward the stage". The room seemed to shrink around her, the gasps and whispers becoming nothing but background noise.

She reached Drake just as he pulled away from Amira. "What the hell is this?" Her voice wavered, but her anger burned bright.

Drake turned to her, eyes cold, lips curling into a smirk. "Oh, Antonella. I was hoping you'd take the hint and leave quietly."

A sharp pain twisted in her chest. "Take the hint?" Her voice broke. "We were together for three years, Drake. Three years! And this is how you end it? In front of everyone?"

Drake let out a mocking chuckle. "Antonella, don't be dramatic. The truth is, I never really loved you."

Silence.

Her heart "stopped beating for a moment."

"I used you," he continued. "You were convenient. You had connections, money, and you were desperate for love. I took advantage of that. But Amira... she's the one I wanted all along."

Laughter erupted from Amira's lips. "Poor Antonella. Always the second choice. Always the black sheep."

Tears blurred her vision, but she refused to let them fall. Not here. Not in front of them.

"You're a monster," she whispered.

Drake shrugged. "Maybe. But you were naïve to think I'd ever settle for someone like you."

The room spun. Antonella felt like she couldn't breathe.

Then Amira "stepped closer, lowering her voice just for her to hear." "And just so you know, Daddy transferred full ownership of your mother's company to me yesterday. You have "nothing left, Antonella."

A sharp gasp escaped her lips.

Her mother's company. The one thing she had left of her. "Gone."

She was completely ruined.

Tears threatened to spill, but before they could, a familiar voice broke through the chaos.

"Come on. We're leaving."

Antonella barely had time to react before "a firm grip took hold of her wrist."

It was "Rose", her best friend. "Her only real family."

Rose pulled her away from the stage, shoving past the murmuring guests. "You're not going to give them the satisfaction of seeing you break down here," she muttered.

Antonella let herself be dragged through the doors, her breath coming in ragged gasps.

As soon as they stepped outside, the dam broke.

The sobs she had been holding in "tore through her chest", her body shaking.

Rose held her tightly. "That bastard isn't worth your tears."

Antonella wiped her face, inhaling sharply. "I hate them, Rose. I hate them both."

"Then make them pay," Rose whispered.

Antonella looked up, eyes burning with a new kind of fire.

Rose grabbed her hand. "Let's get drunk. You need a distraction."

For the first time that night, Antonella didn't argue.

Tonight, she was "done being the good girl."

And she had no idea that the decision to go out would change her life forever.