Chapter 2

He could feel his heart breaking into pieces while his body was shaking. Zayden put all his strength just so he could get out of the building where he had just finished his work and go to Dè Ford Hotel, where the love of his life just said ‘yes’ to a marriage proposal from the rich CEO.

It was all over MemoGram— there were viral posts, different live streams from different social media influencers, and news outlets were all releasing articles as well as televising the recent news. It was the most talked-about topic not just in the social media world... but in the whole world— literally.

As Zayden stepped foot onto the night bus, he wanted to put on an eye mask and even put on some big headphones with loud music just so he could not see and hear what everyone was talking about. He just could not bear seeing Ashley being so happy with someone that was not him. Besides, he was still in the denial stage. He knew in his heart that this was not the whole truth... he was still trying to make himself believe that Ashley had some reason... that she was going to explain it to him once she saw him, and after that, they would be okay... and their relationship would go on as it was.

As the night bus stopped at the station near Dè Ford Hotel, Zayden immediately walked out of the bus and immediately went inside the hotel where the engagement party of his long-time girlfriend and the rich CEO (who also, technically, is his boss too as Mr. Ford is also the CEO of Dè Ford Builds) was happening.

Thankfully, the security guards of the hotel were not that strict, so he was able to enter the hotel without any hindrances. All he needed to do was to find the big auditorium, which was an easy task for him because the music that was coming from it was too loud that anyone in the hotel could easily tell where that was coming from.

With his heart beating too loud, his weakened knees, and his teary eyes, he slowly walked into the auditorium. There were two security guards at the entrance of the auditorium, but since they were busy with people asking directions, they did not see Zayden, so he was able to enter the auditorium without any hassle.

Ashley’s face getting lit by the spotlight and her getting dazzled by it was the first thing that Zayden saw when he opened the door’s auditorium. He slowly walked into the room, looking for a vacant seat while his eyes were still focused on Ashley.

Since his eyes were focused on her, he felt at that moment that he was staring at someone he knew but not really. It seemed like he knew Ashley, but the Ashley that he was looking at at the moment was not her. He felt like it was not the Ashley that he knew... the Ashley that he loved.

Ashley was laughing with one hand covering her mouth, and with her other hand, she was holding a glass of champagne. She looked so prim and proper.

The Ashley that Zayden knew did not care about her mouth turning so big when she was laughing... the Ashley that Zayden knew did not even drink alcohol... the Ashley that Zayden knew was so loud... a jokester, a careless woman that was so genuine! The Ashley that was right in front of him felt fake.

“And that’s the first toast of our newly engaged couple! What a lovely toast that was!” The host of the event exclaimed. The guests then clapped their hands for a few seconds, and then after that, a guy who seemed close to Kean cheerfully teased, “Kiss! We need a kiss!”

And the guests then followed the teasing of that guy. They chanted altogether, “Kiss! Kiss! Kiss!”

Feeling furious, Zayden walked fast just so he could grab Ashley and get her out of the auditorium, but then the two security guards who did not notice him earlier finally did and notified him that he should not be in there.

“Sir... you are not a guest of this event. Please let us show you your way out,” the security guard politely asked him.

Zayden shook his head. “Ashley knows me. I’m... I am a guest,” he said without looking at the guard.

He was about to continue walking, but then the other guard grabbed his arm and told him, “Sir... if.. if you really are a guest, then you should have known that this event is a formal event that requires the guests to be in their formal attires. Stop joking with us, Sir... we do not have time for jokes. We are working decently here.”

He just ignored what the guard said. He removed the guard’s hand from his arm and walked fast toward Ashley, who was currently hugging Kean and was about to kiss him.

“Ashley... my love!” Zayden screamed loudly. But that scream was not enough for Ashley to hear him. The music was too loud, and it overpowered his scream.

The two security guards then grabbed both his arms and forced him out.

“That’s my girlfriend right there! Get off of me!” he said as he tried to remove the hands of the guards in his arms.

“Sir, we told you... it’s not a good time to pull this kind of joke. Besides, that joke won’t work here. How can that lady be your girlfriend when he’s already engaged? Are you h**h on d***s, Sir?!”

The guards’ hands were still all over Zayden’s arms, but they could not fully force him out of the auditorium as he kept on squirming just so he could escape them.

Since Zayden figured that there was no point arguing with the guards, he decided to just continue shouting and do something that could make Ashley notice him from afar.

“Ashley... my love! Please!” he kept on shouting. He was even trying to raise both his hands just so Ashley would take a glance at him.

“Sir, please... we do not want to be scolded by our boss. Please, Sir, just cooperate with us...” the other guard politely asked him as he was still shouting and trying to raise his hands. The other guard was trying to get some help from the other guards in the other departments through a walkie-talkie.

After a minute of screaming and raising his hands while trying to escape the two guards, Ashley then finally took a glance at Zayden.

“Ash! Please! Get... get over here! I’m here, my love!” he screamed. His voice could still not be heard from where Ashley was standing because of the loud music. He was hopeful that Ashley would walk toward him and explain everything that was happening... he was hopeful that Ashley would admit that all of this was just a lie... that he was the one she really loved... but all of the hopes in his heart and mind were suddenly shattered when Ashley’s smile faded.

As her smile faded, she immediately shook his head and pretended that she did not see anything... or anyone.

“Ashley... please!” he screamed even louder even though Ashley could not hear him; she was not even looking in his direction.

After a few seconds, the other guards finally helped the two guards that were holding Zayden, and they were able to force him out of the auditorium.

“I told you all... that woman’s my girlfriend! Why don’t you all believe me?!” Zayden shouted as he tried to escape from the guards. He took all of his strength, and he was able to push down the other guards.

The other guards that he was not able to push down then held him, but he immediately made a move and punched them all.

Zayden thought that he could enter the auditorium again, but then the guards were able to catch him once more and were able to stop him from doing so. He was then pinned to the ground by the biggest guard of them all, and he could not even move a finger.

A few seconds after that, a voice he had never heard in his life said, “Release him. Release the poor guy...”