Chapter 1 Beginning

Selena's Pov.

I stopped and looked at the fancy frames on the walls they were as big and strong as Arthur's arms.

The paintings were beautiful, they carried with them the most exquisite artistic value possible.

It wasn't just the painting though, our house was full of expensive things, like a fancy art museum, the air itself left off a scent of wealth. But money isn't a problem for either of us.

I had my business of decorations which has a target customer base of only the wealthiest. That's right, I'm very rich.

But so was Arthur, the CEO of a large business. We were the perfect couple.

"Everything is perfect, Selena," cooed a guest. They came to see the house that will soon be our new home.

Arthur and I were engaged. And this beautiful expensive house is going to be our new home.

"You and Arthur are the picture of happiness."

A polite smile danced upon my lips, but it did not reach the green pools of my eyes.

"Thank you," I replied, my voice a melody played on the strings of propriety.

The guests basked in the warmth of our supposed bliss, oblivious to the chill that had settled between Arthur and me.

After all, we were the perfect couple. A power couple who share immense respect for each other. The headlines featured us a lot. I was living the dream.

Arthur walked towards me and the guest, he wrapped his hard yet slender hands around my waist and our eyes met.

There was nothing but love in them. I couldn't wait to get married to him.

"Good evening," He greeted the guests. "Thank you for coming to check out our new home."

Everyone present saw the love between us, it was enough for them to envy it. Who wouldn't want a love life like ours?

"Selena, darling, how do you manage it all?" another guest asked in marvel. He gestured to the splendor that surrounded us.

"What can I say?" I threw my hands in the air.

"Careful planning I guess, we planned a lot of things between us. We are both incredibly busy but we found a way to equally split time for ourselves."

I turned to face Arthur. "But most importantly, we trust each other. We are one."

The guests could only watch us in awe as we shared a sweet yet short kiss.

"Selena." His voice, a familiar melody amidst the raucous symphony of celebration, pulled me from my reverie.

"Arthur," I replied, turning to face him. My eyes met his, and for a moment, we stood silent, two souls conversing without words.

"Are you... are you alright?" he asked, his gaze searching mine, perhaps for a glimpse of the girl he had once vowed to cherish 'til death did us part.

I nodded, clasping my hands together to still their betrayal. "Of course. Tonight is perfect."

"Almost as perfect as us," he added, a smile playing on his lips, though it did not reach the depths of his brown eyes.

"Almost," I echoed, allowing myself a small smile in return. In that instant, I clung fiercely to the shards of hope that pricked at my heart. Hope that whispered sweet nothings of love conquering contracts and deadlines.

"Selena, you know that..." Arthur began, his voice trailing off as he glanced at the opulent crowd that swirled around us, oblivious to the silent battle we fought.

"Shh," I hushed him gently, laying a finger upon his lips. "Let's just enjoy tonight. We can outrun time, even if just for a moment."

As I withdrew my hand, I felt the ghost of his kiss upon my fingertips. It was a specter of affection, but it fueled my hope, nonetheless. The belief that the love which once burned brightly between us could defy the constraints of legalities and documents-that it could be more than just a beautifully crafted illusion.

"Come, let's show them how it's done," I said, taking his arm, and guiding us toward the center of the ballroom.

With each step, the murmur of silks and the gentle clink of fine china were the chorus of our slow descent into uncertainty. Yet, as we danced, my heart dared to beat a rhythm of hope.

For in the ebb and flow of our movements, in the soft pressure of his hand upon my waist, I found solace. I savored the warmth of his presence, allowing it to chase away the chill of doubt.

"Remember this," I whispered against his ear, "no matter what tomorrow brings."

"Always," he murmured back, his breath warm against my skin.

As the music swelled, so did my conviction.

Amidst the grandeur and the glittering façade, my love for him remained steadfast, a beacon in the gathering storm.

And so, we shared a moment in a fiery dance, we resembled two majestic birds, and we moved with such precision one could easily assume we were professional dancers.

Everyone watched us in awe and envy. I swear I saw some of them wipe tears from their eyes. We were simply too elegant.

Because in the end, love was the one detail that no contract could ever capture, and no expiration date could ever truly claim.

The last notes of our dance lingered in the air, a haunting echo that clung to my senses as Arthur's grip on my hand began to loosen.

I searched his face, a silent plea spilling from my eyes. The party continued around us, but we were statues amid motion, two people on the precipice.

"Selena," he started, his voice barely reaching me above the crescendo of chattering guests and the soft clatter of silverware against bone china.

His brown eyes, usually so full of light, now held a somber depth that I had hoped never to see directed at me.

"Arthur, what is it?" My heart raced, beating out a staccato rhythm of impending doom. I felt the delicate fabric of my gown brush against my skin as I leaned closer, willing him to say anything but what I feared was coming.

"Selena, I..." He paused, and the space between those words filled with all the things left unsaid, with every shard of happiness we'd ever shared. "I can't do this anymore."

"Can't do what?" I asked, though I knew. Deep down, beneath the veneer of hope I had meticulously applied, I knew.

"Us, Selena. Our wedding, let's cancel it, let's... Break up.

"His voice was a hammer, and with each word, he struck at the foundation of my world.

"No." It was a reflex, an instinctive denial of a reality too harsh to accept.

"No, you don't mean that. We love each other. That's real, Arthur. That's not something we just... end."

"Selena-" He reached out, but I stepped back, my movements jagged, uncoordinated.

"Please," I said, desperation sharpening my voice to a keen edge.

"We can fix it, whatever it is, let's fix it. I don't want to give up on us just like that. Love isn't a game, It's us, Arthur. You and me, we have been through a lot already."

"Selena, it's not that simple." The calm in his voice was a stark contrast to the tumult within me. "I've made up my mind."

"Then make it up again!" I cried, hands reaching for him, grasping at the man who held my heart in his careful, calculated grip.

"Change your mind, Arthur. For us, for all that we've been through."

"Selena, I'm sorry." There was finality there, a door closing softly yet irrevocably.

"Sorry doesn't keep me warm at night!" I lashed out, my voice cracking under the strain of emotions too powerful to contain. "Sorry doesn't give me back the years, the dreams!"

"Selena..."

But his pity was the last thing I wanted. I turned away, my vision blurred by tears that refused to fall. Because to cry was to admit defeat, and despite everything, I wasn't ready to let not of him, not of us.

"Then go," I whispered, my voice nothing more than a breath lost in the cacophony of celebration around us. "Leave if that's what you want. But know this: I believed in us, Arthur. Even if you didn't."