Chapter 1 1

"Revan... I'm here."

Aruna's soft voice was almost drowned out by the sound of rain that had just stopped.

Her hand clutched a plastic bag filled with medicine, her fingers pale from the cold. In the other hand, she held a small box containing the birthday cake she had spent all night making-simple, but filled with love for Revan, the man she loved more than anything.

She stood for a long time in front of Revan's iron gate.

The house that once echoed with laughter and sweet promises now looked dazzling, crowded, and foreign.

"He said he was sick..." Aruna murmured softly. "Then why... do I hear music?"

Gentle piano notes and the laughter of people drifted from inside.

With hesitant steps, she opened the gate and walked toward the terrace.

Chandeliers glittered above her; guests in elegant clothes held glasses of champagne.

And there, in the center of the room-under the brightest light-

Revan was kneeling, holding a ring.

"Celine..." Revan's voice was clear, steady, full of certainty. "Will you marry me?"

Laughter, cheers, and applause erupted all at once.

Meanwhile, Aruna's world stopped spinning.

The cake box in her hands trembled. The plastic bag slipped from her fingers unnoticed.

Her eyes stared blankly. Her breath hitched.

No... this isn't real.

Revan wouldn't...

"Revan..." she whispered, barely audible.

Revan, who had just slipped the ring onto Celine's finger, turned.

The smile that had filled his face seconds ago froze in place.

"Aruna?"

The crowd began to notice the soaked girl standing at the doorway-her clothes dull, her shoes dirty, her face tired but her eyes still carrying the remnants of love.

Aruna stepped forward, trying to smile.

"I heard you were sick... I bought you some medicine, Revan."

Her hands trembled as she lifted the plastic bag. "And this... your birthday cake. I made it all night... I wanted-"

"Aruna, stop!"

Revan's tone cracked like a whip. Every eye turned to her; whispers rippled through the crowd, and Celine's mocking smile only deepened.

"I just wanted-"

"I said stop!" Revan snapped. He strode toward her, snatched the plastic bag from her hands, and tossed it into the trash can near the sofa.

The bag hit the floor with a dull thud, pills scattering across the marble.

"Revan!" Aruna gasped, her voice trembling. "Why did you-"

"You think I'd take cheap medicine from a street pharmacy?" Revan said coldly. "Please, Aruna. Look around you. Look where I am now."

He glanced at her from head to toe, his eyes filled with disdain.

"Look at yourself... coming to a party like this in shabby clothes and dirty shoes."

Aruna swallowed hard, lowering her head. Her hand, still holding the cake box, trembled even more.

"But... I just wanted to celebrate your birthday. I thought-you'd be happy."

Revan looked at the box and let out a soft laugh. "Happy? With a cheap little cake like that?"

Before Aruna could speak, he grabbed the box and hurled it to the floor.

The small handmade cake splattered across the white marble, cream smeared everywhere.

Soft laughter rippled through the guests.

Celine rested her head on Revan's shoulder, her voice dripping with mockery. "Honey, who is she?"

Revan smirked coldly. "She's the past. Someone who doesn't know her place."

Then he met Aruna's eyes directly.

"Look closely, Aruna. This is Celine. My fiancée. The woman who will be my wife."

Aruna's world collapsed again.

Her heart pounded painfully; her vision blurred with tears.

"Revan..." her voice cracked, barely a whisper. "You promised me. You said we'd get married once you got better. You said I was the only one you-"

"Enough!" Revan cut her off sharply. "That was before. I don't need a poor, pathetic woman like you. I'm tired of your little sacrifices you always flaunt as if they meant something."

Those words hit harder than any slap.

Aruna clutched her chest, bowing her head in silence.

Her tears fell, landing among the crumbs of the ruined cake.

Celine stepped forward, her eyes gleaming with victory.

"You should know your place, Aruna. Not all love is worth fighting for."

Laughter filled the room again.

Aruna looked around-at every face that once smiled kindly at her, now mocking.

With trembling hands, she knelt down and picked up the broken pieces of cake.

"I'm sorry," she whispered. "I didn't mean to ruin your party."

Then she slowly stood up, tears streaming down her cheeks.

"But I want you to know, Revan... I truly loved you. From the beginning... until this very moment."

Revan turned his face away. "Enough. Leave before I lose my temper."

Aruna took a deep breath.

A faint smile curved her lips-a smile filled with pain, yet laced with quiet strength.

"Alright," she said softly. "You won't see me again. But I promise you, Revan... someday, you'll regret throwing me away."

She turned around and walked out of the grand house.

The laughter behind her grew distant, fading into the rain.

The night sky wept with her, each drop hiding the tears she could no longer hold back.

Under the dark, endless sky, Aruna whispered to herself-

> "The love I gave you with all my heart... you repaid with humiliation.

But Revan, one day... you'll realize that the love you cast aside today will be the one thing you'll spend your life searching for."