"Please drive faster!" I begged the taxi driver, panic rising in my voice.
I couldn't sit still as I stared out the windshield. I was going to be late for my flight.
I completely forgot that my flight to Italy was scheduled for noon.
My interview for the Savarre Jewelry Collections project is tomorrow—the most prestigious and luxurious jewelry brand in the world.
This could be my big break, and I have to make it there in time.
If it weren't for Justin Grey—my fiancé—I would've been at the airport hours ago.
He kept making me run errands for him. And of course, I couldn't say no, not when he was sulking because I was traveling to Italy without him.
Well, I did invite him, but his company apparently needed him to stay.
After what felt like forever, we finally arrived at the airport. I practically sprinted toward the airline counter.
As soon as I reached it, I pulled out my passport and ticket and handed them over to the airline staff.
"Oh, I'm sorry, Ma'am. Your plane has already left."
I blinked in disbelief, staring at the woman in front of me.
"W-What?"
She gave me a hesitant smile.
"Your flight left ten minutes ago, Ma'am."
My knees nearly gave out as her words slowly sank in.
"No! Wait! Miss, can't you call them back? I'm only ten minutes late! Maybe they're still nearby! Please check, I'm begging you!" I was almost hysterical.
"I'm really sorry, Ma'am. The plane has already taken off. If you want, I can help you reschedule for tomorrow."
I let out a heavy sigh. I still tried to convince her, but it was no use. The flight was gone.
Unfortunately, that was the last flight available today, so I had no choice but to rebook my ticket for tomorrow.
Dragging my suitcase behind me with slumped shoulders, I walked out of the airport.
I had no choice but to wait until tomorrow. I tried calling Justin to pick me up, but he was out of coverage.
I needed emotional support. If I didn't make it there tomorrow, that was it. Game over.
I needed this. It was one of my dreams—to become a famous jeweler, just like my mom.
Mom was well-known back in her day. She even worked at Savarre herself, and everyone there remembers her.
But I didn't want to use her name to get in.
I wanted to apply with my own credentials, with my own designs.
I want to be known for my own hard work.
As soon as I stepped outside, I hailed a taxi. The gloomy sky seemed to match my mood.
But it was okay. Once I saw Justin, I was sure I'd feel better.
A few minutes later, I arrived in front of the condo building where Justin lived.
I decided to buy a few beers and some fried chicken from the mini-mart downstairs before heading up. Then I pulled my suitcase into the building.
It wasn't hard for me to enter his place. I knew the passcode by heart.
"Justin—"
I froze the moment I stepped inside. I didn't know why, but something in my chest twisted with unease.
The place was eerily quiet, with a strange tension hanging in the air.
Slowly, I closed the door behind me and left my suitcase by the entrance.
"Oh, Justin! Oh!"
It felt like ice water had been dumped over me as I heard the moans coming from inside.
I wasn't a child. I knew exactly what those sounds meant—even if Justin and I had never done anything like that ourselves.
I'm twenty-nine. I'm not that innocent anymore.
So why was I hearing moans inside my fiancé's apartment?
My legs shook as I hurried toward his bedroom, my heart pounding. The closer I got to the door, the louder the moaning became.
"Oh, God! More! More!"
I swallowed hard. Slowly, I pushed open the bedroom door.
And there I saw him—Justin—on top of a naked woman, moving hard and fast while she moaned beneath him, her eyes rolling back.
And the woman… I knew her too.
It was Sheila Acosta—my best friend.