Lovers to Enemies

Ava Sinclair stood beneath the old oak tree, the same place where Ethan Carter had first kissed her when they were thirteen. The town of Ashwood was small, the kind of place where everyone knew everyone's business, and today, the only business that mattered was Ethan's proposal. Ava stared down at the diamond ring glistening in the fading sunlight. It wasn't extravagant, but it was perfect. The boy she had loved since childhood, the man she thought she'd spend forever with. And she said "Yes," with tears welling in her eyes.

"A million times, yes." Ethan grinned, pulling her into a kiss as the town's church bells rang in the distance. It felt like fate, like a promise of something unbreakable. But fate, Ava would soon learn, had a cruel sense of humor. Because that night, as she returned home, she found an envelope waiting for her. No sender. No return address. Just her name, written in an unsteady hand. Inside was a single piece of paper, and as her eyes scanned the words, her world tilted. *Your fiancé's father destroyed your family. If you marry Ethan Carter, you'll regret it.* Ava's hands trembled. Her parents had never spoken about what had happened years ago, why they had lost everything. And now, this? She wanted to ignore it. But deep inside, a whisper of doubt began to grow. And that whisper would change everything.