The Alpha Prince Unexpected Mate

"Always remember that I'm so proud of you baby girl! And I know in my dark and cruel heart that you're going to do great things today!"

Roxanne chuckled. Listening to her best friend stir her up for the day always made her smile.

"I know babe! It seems so surreal! Emily!"

"It's as real as it gets." The voice at the end of the phone was super excited.

"You texted Jonah yet?"

Emily's question dampened Roxanne's mood. Jonah was her fiance and the absolute love of her life.

However, she had texted him this morning, with words that read; "I'm so pumped for today honey! Wish me luck!" And ended with a red heart and a kissy face emoji. But, it sat at the bottom of the screen, unreplied, as were the seven messages she had sent the morning and night before.

Tonight, they would be marking their three year engagement anniversary. Deep down, she was certain he was going to propose today.

A proposal and a promotion on the same day, wasn't she lucky?!

Roxanne heaved a long sigh and forced a smile. She had to sound as excited as she could for Emily to believe her.

"Yes, I have. He hasn't replied yet. I'm sure he's busy with work, he'll call me later."

Emily didn't buy it.

"When was the last time you two..."

"You know what Em? I'mma head out now. I'm running late already." She cut in.

Their relationship had been rocky since the past few months, but today would change everything, she could feel it.

Roxanne was pumped for her promotion day today, she did not need not need pep talks about how sour her relationship with Jonah had been in the past month. He had just opened his own architecture firm, and so he needed more time to himself. She would not let it bother her.

So, she blew Emily a goodbye kiss and placed her phone on the dressing table and took one last look over her slender frame. In her white suit and black block heels, she could see why Emily liked to refer to her as an European runway model. Maybe she wasn't as tall as them, but she was slim and slender.

Roxanne ran her both hands down her flat stomach and took in deep breaths. Her violet eyes rose up to meet the reflection of her face.

She had made extra effort to apply makeup this morning. Her brows were starting to give her second thoughts, but it had taken her more than an hour to draw and so she wasn't going to wipe if off so easily.

Her chestnut brown hair was wrapped in a cute and tight bun above her head.

Roxanne closed her eyes and smiled.

She would rock her brows and her brand new Armani suit - which she had bought with her six months savings and kept just for this precious occasion - and rule the world of LexCorp, the company she worked for, today.

At least, she would rule the sales world.

With that thought, Roxanne was extremely pumped for today. She picked up her bag, slid her phone into it, walked out of the room before closing her door. She hurried down the short flight of steps and sashayed across the small office that led to the living room.

When she got to the living room, Roxanne heard a knock on her door. Her right brow arched in query. She did not make any deliveries and she was not expecting anybody at her house this Monday morning. So, who could it be?

She would just have to get to the door to find out.

Roxanne hurried towards the door, she was already running late, whoever it was had to state his or her business really quickly.

She turned the door knob and opened it slightly. She had to know who it was first, before giving him or her time to speak.

As she peeped out of the small opening she had created, Her questioning eyes fell on Jonah's face. She was going to break into a smile, until she saw her twin sister, Rayla, standing beside him. They were holding each other's hands firmly, but disintegrated immediately they saw her.

Confused, Roxanne narrowed her eyelids at them, before opening the door wide. She planted herself at the entrance of her door and allowed her keen eyes to dance between the two of them.

Did he plan to surprise her in the presence of her sister, or...?

Jonah Rivers, her boyfriend of thirteen years and current fiance stood there, silent and handsome in his black denim trousers and green vintage sleeves. Roxanne had seen his brown eyes for most of her life, but there was a look in them that she could not recognize. It was between guilt and nonchalance, and it was a very weird combination of expression.

On the other hand, Rayla Harvey, her twin sister, and chief Editor of Vogue New York, stood tall in a blue body con dress and puffed sleeves. Her light blonde hair fell freely down her shoulders, and in her Prada heels, she was almost Jonah's height.

Rayla Harvey had always been the confident, more beautiful and intelligent one between the two of them. But now, Rayla couldn't seem to stop shaking, her eyes continued to wander around Roxanne's face, without landing on her eyes.

She was avoiding Roxanne's gaze, that was odd. Rayla Harvey never avoided anybody's eyes.

Standing there, Roxanne couldn't stand the voice of reasoning in her head.

What were Jonah and Rayla doing at her front door, TOGETHER, hands intertwined? And why wasn't any of them saying anything to her.

Okay. This was not the bouquet of roses and diamond ring she had expected.

Finally, she decided to speak.

"Jonah."

She leered at her twin sister. "Rayla." The name left get mouth with a less enthusiastic tone than Jonah's did. Nevertheless, Rayla was the first to speak up.

"Roxanne, we need to talk to you."

Roxanne flinched. We?

Did she just say 'we'? What on Earth could Jonah and Rayla have in common that they needed to talk about?

That was not even the main question. Why were they even together?!

But Roxanne didn't ask about any of this, instead, she folded her arms across her chest and focused on Rayla.

"Sure, shoot."

Rayla glanced over to Jonah, who held her stare shortly. Roxanne was left to watch them in confusion. What was all this drama about?

"Can we come in?" Rayla asked again, now looking at Roxanne.

Roxanne was sceptical. The clock was ticking really fast, and she had to be at work in the next fifteen minutes. But, it won't hurt to usher them in and listen to what the hell they needed to tell her together, would it?

When she answered the question for herself, she moved away from the door and ushered them in.

They walked in, together. And Roxanne's keen eyes did not miss the gesture.

She could not help but sense a weird vibe between them. Jonah had not even tried to hug or kiss her since he arrived, not even after leaving most of her texts unread. Instead, he kept himself by Rayla's side at all times, as if he was scared to leave her side for even a second.

Suspicious, that was exactly what Roxanne thought.

"I have just fifteen minutes to get to work, so I'm really curious about what you guys have to say." As she spoke, she threw Jonah a stony glare that screamed "we would talk about this crazy show later" before fixing her eyes on Rayla.

Her sister's face was still laddened with mock guilt, like she was forcing herself to be guilty for something. And Roxanne was left to guess what it was.

"We're going to cut straight to chase." Jonah finally spoke up, and Roxanne was still trying to make sense of the look on his face. She scanned his face quietly, her heart began to race on it's own.

With the look on his face, Roxanne could tell that whatever it is they were here to say, was not good news.

"Well, you had better." She chipped in, now visibly frowning.

Rayla entered into the conversation again. She moved closer to Roxanne and placed a hand on her sister's right shoulder, while holding the other one to her chest, grand and dramatic Rayla style.

Roxanne glared at her, in anticipation.

"Before we say anything, I want to tell you that we are really sorry Roxanne. We did not intend for any of this to happen and we really did not want to hurt you. I..." Roxanne could see the mock tears swell in Rayla's eyes.

She looked over her sister's shoulder and stole a glance at Jonah, his eyes were on Rayla, and he still had the grave expression on his face.

Confused, she took two steps backwards, three feet away from Rayla. Her violet iris swept between the two of them.

Roxanne couldn't help but feel like this scene playing in front of her was too familiar. She had seen it in so many movies, seen it in so many reality TV series not to know that Jonah and Rayla were...

"We're getting married." Jonah blurted out.

Was this the prank that came before a proposal? Were there cameras hanging around?

Time came to a standstill for Roxanne. Jonah had picked her up and flung her into a bottomless pit of confusion. Standing in front of them, perturbed, and at a loss for words, Roxanne could only manage to smile like an idiot.

She refused to believe Jonah meant what she thought he meant. So, she laughed.

"Of course we are! I mean, our wedding is in a month, so..."

"He doesn't mean you, Roxanne." Rayla cut in. Roxanne watched in confusion as Rayla stepped back to where Jonah stood, and held his right hand in her left.

She looked straight into Roxanne's eyes and spoke.

"He means us."

Instantly, Roxanne burst into a series of hysterical laughter. She threw her head back and pressed her left hand to her stomach.

She laughed hard, and loud, trying so hard to convince herself that they were playing with her, this had to be some cruel joke.

Tears were in her eyes by the time she stopped laughing and looked down at them.

"You have got to be kidding me, you can't possibly be..."

"I'm pregnant Roxanne. I'm carrying Jonah's baby."

Roxanne's eyes fell to the part where Jonah and Rayla's hands connected. Jonah's eyes rested on Rayla's face with the type of care he had not shown to her in months.

Seeing them stand there, hands intertwined, talking about their betrayal with so much boldness and lack of remorse was like a slap across her cheeks, the both cheeks.

A wave of anguish swept over her, picking her from the ground and sending her back to the hard wall. With their eyes, they drilled a hole into her chest. Roxanne felt as though her heart was ripped out of her chest and smashed under Jonah's feet. The pain was both gut wrenching and numbing.

Rayla had always had the best of everything; body, boys, clothes, face. Hell! Even college admissions. Everything Roxanne prayed for, was gifted to Rayla for free!

And now, the one thing that was hers, Rayla placed her claws on it and snatched it from under her nose.

She sought for tears, but couldn't cry. She tried to scream, but could not find her voice, she wanted to turn on her heels and run as far away from them as she could, but her limbs had failed her as well.

She could only stare at them with disbelief and pain.

"I want to keep my baby Roxanne. I am an honorable man, I cannot..." Jonah was interrupted by the sound of Roxanne's bitter and hysterical laughter.

She snorted, "honorable? You call yourself honorable? Is this some kind of honor among thieves Shakespearan movie to you?!"

Rayla rolled her eyes before speaking.

"Come on Roxanne, we didn't mean it like..."

"How long has this been going on?" Rage burned with a red fiery flame in Roxanne's eyes as she glared at them.

"Six months."

Roxanne went cold with rage, blood drained from her face.

It all made sense now. Six months of Jonah constantly being busy, six months of canceling all most of their plans, now she understood why.

"Six months" Roxanne repeated, breathless with anger.

"I'm so sorry Roxy, we wanted mum and dad to tell you, but..."

Her head snapped to the side as tears gathered in her eyes.

"Mum and dad knew?"

Rayla nodded, her blue eyes filled with mock guilt and crocodile tears. Roxanne wanted to drag her by her head and smash her pretty face against the wall.

But she couldn't, instead, she shook her head and took slow steps backwards.

Rayla tried to reach out to her, but Roxanne moved away swiftly, allowing her tears to flow freely.

"You're lying! The both of you are liars!" She screamed, pulling the sleeves of her suit frantically.

Jonah didn't move to console her, he didn't call out to her, he only stood and watched with his hands in his pocket. He didn't look at her with love, he didn't look at her with remorse.

They were only nonchalance and irritation in his eyes.

Did he not care about her? Did he not love her?

"No."

She breathed out, before turning her back towards them and dashing out of the house, her vision blurry with tears.

After she ran out of the house, Roxanne hastily flagged down a taxi. She threw herself into the passengers seat immediately it stopped.

"31st Avenue." She said, locking her fingers tightly together to stop her palms from shaking.

Tears welled up in her eyes once more. Again, she fought them back in, she had to. She had to keep fighting the tears back in until she figured out exactly what was going on.

Roxanne sat patiently in the passenger's seat on the road to her parents house. But the ride was driving her crazy. She wanted to steady her thoughts, but couldn't.

There was a deep hole in her chest, a very deep one that Jonah and Rayla had dug with their own too hands.

Their words continued to echo in her head, the smug look on Rayla's face, the nonchalance in Jonah's eyes!

Roxanne gasped, struggling for air, she clutched her suit trousers tight and held on to it, as if it was what was going to ease her pain, as if it would fill the hole in her chest, or fill her lungs with air to breathe.

There had to be some sort of explanation. Maybe her parents were in on it too.

Maybe a prank, to celebrate anything! Probably her new job. Yes! That's what it had to be.

Roxanne coughed and sniffed in her tears, she would not cry anymore. Everything was a cruel, joke, it had to be.

Her sudden migraine threatened to split her head into two, she thought of Jonah again. He would hold and kiss her after she told him how the prank had shattered her, she was sure of it.

She would tell them all that the prank was unnecessay, she would smile and say "Oh darling, you shouldn't have done that.!" He would drive her to work, kiss her for goodluck, and everything would be fine again.

When the taxi stopped in front of her parent's house, Roxanne took one glance at the whole polished bungalow before storming out of the taxi.

She normally took time to appreciate her mother's lavender flowers sprawled all over the front porch, but there was nothing to appreciate about them today. They sickened her.

Roxanne planted herself at the foot of the door and knocked on it.

"Someone answer me before I tear this door down!" She screamed.

That seemed to do the trick.

Theresa, Roxanne's older sister answered the door bell, Roxanne pushed past her into the living room.

She stopped to look around.

Nobody, there was nobody here. No decorations, no cake, no balloons, no Emily...no nothing.

She was wrong, there was no waiting party. The little part of her heart she had tried to hold together, shattered into a million pieces, her eyelids stung harshly from all the hot tears she was fighting back. Anger quickly replaced the confusion, uncertainty and heart break.

"Where's mum and dad?" She asked, pacing frantically about the large room.

"What the fuck crawled up your ass?"

"Mum! Dad! Somebody get down here and answer me this minute!"

Roxanne screamed at the top of her voice, ignoring Theresa's questions.

She was going to get her answers, it didn't matter if she had to tear the house down.

"Roxy, are you okay?"

Roxanne turned to Theresa, holding a finger out so she knew better than to reach out for her. Her eyes were red with glazing anger. With every second that past, Roxanne was growing weaker and dizzier; the adrenaline that coursed through her veins was poisoned with spite, and there was nothing she could not do at this moment.

Theresa saw all these, and did not come any closer.

A bitter laugh escaped Roxanne's throat.

"Am I okay? I need someone in this house to tell me why my fiance and my sister were holding hands on my front porch with an invitation card to their wedding! You better start talking, because I'm running late..." she wanted to gag on her tears. "...for work!" She screamed, pacing about hysterically. She wanted to throw the TV on the wall down to the floor and watch it crumble into pieces, like her heart.

Confused, Theresa looked around, she heaved a sigh of relief when their parents came down the stairs.

With the look in her daughter's eyes, Sarah knew what Roxanne had come here for.

The elderly woman gently squeezed her husband's hands. Tony turned to her.

"She knows." Sarah muttered, loud enough for Roxanne to hear.

In that brief second, Roxanne snapped her neck to the direction of her mother's voice. The look in her eyes only confirmed one thing; it was true.

They had betrayed her, every single one of them.

"Like hell I do! When was anybody here going to tell me? On the day of the wedding?"

Disheartened and confused, Sarah opened her mouth to speak. Roxanne was faster.

"And you all knew and thought it was okay? Jonah and I have been together for half of our lives, you sat and allowed Rayla to ruin everything?"

Sarah's eyes locked with Theresa's, silently pleading with her daughter to speak on her behalf.

With a nod, Theresa spoke up, moving closer to her sister with a concerned look.

"Listen Roxy, Rayla didn't mean to ruin anything. You have to understand that there's very little either of them could do. Love finds us in the strangest of ways."

A bitter chuckle escaped Roxanne's lips. As she stood there, watching all of them give her stupid explanations to justify they betrayal, she wanted to spit on each and everyone of their faces.

Love. What did any of them know about that word?

"Love? You stand there and you talk to me about love?! It is supposed to be OUR wedding mum! Mine and Jonah's, not Rayla and Jonah's!"

Sarah and her husband, Tony, where now at the foot of the stairs. However, they knew better than to go any closer to Roxanne.

"We can fix that my dear! You and Rayla look alike, there wouldn't be much difference, people won't even know when we switch the names..." Tony spoke up, with soft eyes as he looked at his daughter.

"Your father is right..." Sarah cut in.

"Sweetie, you know how important we are in the church. What would people say to us when they find out Rayla is pregnant before marriage? Think about your sister, do you want her baby to grow up without a father?" She continued. Beckoning on her daughter's forgiveness and understanding.

Her eyes pleaded with Roxanne to be reasonable.

But, Roxanne was far from that. What she felt now, was a far cry from reason.

"Please baby...be reasonable." Tony added again.

That was the last straw. Rage quickened her blood and her fury roared to life.

They all stood around her, staring pathetically. Not knowing what to say, or do.

Reason. Did they just asked her to be reasonable?!

Her sister had just slept with a man they all knew she was dating, she got pregnant for him, and they all knew! And now, now she's the bad person for feeling bad?

She's at fault for getting angry? She should be more considerate and think about her sister?

NOBODY HAD THOUGHT ABOUT HER. Nobody had considered how she felt! She was just supposed to understand and forgive! She was supposed to feel for Rayla's child.

To hell with Rayla's child. To hell with Rayla. To hell with everyone of them.

If she had seen this story in a reality TV show, she would have laughed to scorn. Perhaps that was the reason the only thing she could do now was laugh... In pain.

Everyone's gaze shifted from Roxanne to the door when it opened.

Roxanne's eyes fell on Rayla's frame. The urge to yank her perfectly straight blonde hair from her skull lay in Roxanne's stomach. If Rayla moved one step closer, she just might.

"The nerve of you all to stand here and talk to me after what you've done."

Roxanne could not stop the tears that flowed freely down her cheeks. She felt helpess, cold.

When she woke up this morning, she had not planned to be stabbed at the back by your own family, she had never expected this from any of them.

"I am so sorry, I never intended for this to happen. Jonah and I fell in love and we..."

"Stop." Roxanne cut in.

She cast a bitter glance around the living room and smiled.

"You know what? I never want to see any of you again. Ever."

The emphasis she laid on the last word caused Sarah's eyes to soften. Roxanne saw this, but was far from caring.

As she walked slowly to the door, she stopped by Rayla's side and looked up at her.

"I always let you have everything. You wasted no time and spared no effort to show me how much better you were. I never said anything. But this..."

She paused, tearing her gaze from her sister.

"This is the height of it."

With that statement, she was out of the door. Unsure of ever returning.

Roxanne took the first taxi she set her eyes on, headed to LexCorp. She did not care that there was a mother and stubborn crying baby inside. Infact, she liked the fact that there was a crying baby in it, that way, she was able to mask the sound of her own wailing.

She would have bailed from work if today wasn't so important to her. Besides, it won't hurt to get a good news after being slapped on the face with a bad one.

So, she bit her lower lip and tried to hold on to the thin thread her sanity was clinging on. While trying to think of two good reasons why she shouldn't drive a bullet into Jonah's heart.

Finally, when the taxi alighted at LexCorp's fifty story building, she jumped down from the taxi and pushed her way past the high glass doors.

She ignored every greeting and did not say a word to anybody, not even the receptionist who she usually threw a smile every morning; well, this wasn't like every other morning.

Roxanne hurried to the bathroom on the ground floor and planted herself in front of the mirror. Even though she was forty five minutes late for work, she couldn't bring herself to walk into the conference Hall with her eyeliner smudged and her mascara running down her cheeks, mixed with her tears.

She drew out a wad of tissue and wiped her face bare.

Yes, it wouldn't hurt to look bare and numb, those were the words closest to defining what she felt right now.

When she was done, she scurried out of the bathroom stall, into the office lobby and flung herself into the first elevator she saw open.

Her knees were shaking, her head was spinning, the hole in her chest seemed to sink deeper and deeper with every second, but Roxanne had to pull through it.

"Think of your promotion." She closed her eyes and spoke to herself, inhaling and exhaling deeply and slowly.

In three minutes, she was on the 27th floor, where the conference Hall sat. She hurried out of the elevator, clutching her bag the same way pain held her heart, and navigated through the lobby of offices, until she found the door of the conference room.

It was slightly open. Roxanne inhaled deeply. She could do this, she could pull herself together for thirty minutes. She had to, she just had to.

On that note, she squeezed her way through the door and sneaked into the hall.

All eyes around the round table fell on her immediately.

Including her CEO's, Alexander. She feigned a smile as she squeezed herself into a seat by the door.

The elderly man did not take his eyes off her, instead, he frowned.

"Nice of you to join us almost an hour late, Miss Harvey."

Oh no. She was screwed, what would she say to him? Roxanne thought of opening her mouth to say something.

"I'm sorry sir, I was..."

"There is no need, we were just about rounding off. You can meet your colleagues..." He cut in then paused and heaved a long sigh.

"Ex colleague for the rest of the details..."

Roxanne blinked twice. The last thing she heard him say was "ex colleagues" before she zoned out completely.

What did he mean by ex colleagues? She shook her head violently. This had to be a dream, every part of it had to be a scary nightmare.

Maybe if she shook her head hard enough, she would wake up.

"The company needed to lay off some people due to the recent struggles. You are one of them. You're fired, Roxanne Harvey."

Even as she struggled to make sense of what she had just heard, she sat stunned, in between her colleagues.

Her shocked eyes continued to dance around the round table. She was finding it hard to believe her ears.

What did he mean by she was FIRED? How the hell could she be fired? No! There had to be a mistake somewhere.

She didn't know when she stood up and banged the table with her palms.

"What?!"

Not this, not today. All these things could not be happening to her today. Her world could not be crumbling into pieces in just one day!

Alexander, the CEO of LexCorp - the company she had given seven years of her blood, sweat and tears to- tore his gaze from the paper in his hands and looked over to her, ordering her to sit down.

Roxanne wouldn't budge. She admired and respected the older man, but this mistake had to be rectified immediately.

"With all due respect mister Lex, there has to be some kind of mistake..."

"Are you saying Hardy did not access your efficiency correctly?" He cut in, visibly irked.

Roxanne's eyes drifted to Hardy, Thomas Hardy. He stood behind Alexander, his usual grin spread across his face.

His eyes danced around her face. As if saying "I won bitch".

Thomas Hardy was, and still remained Roxanne's worst nightmare.

Head of human management at LexCorp, Thomas Hardy, had always had his eyes on Roxanne.

Four times, he had tried to get Roxanne into his bed, or rather, office table, four times. And four times, she had blatantly refused him.

Thomas had not taken it likely. After serving her countless queries, he had finally decided to threaten her with her stay at LexCorp.

"If you keep on like this, your days in this corporation are numbered." His words echoed in her ears like thunder.

Damn. You. Bastard.

She cursed underneath her breath.

Desperate, she returned her focus to the older man.

"Sir please, I have given my life to this company. You have to understand that I..."

'That this job is the only thing that's keeping me sane. That I have lost my fiance, severed all ties with my family and this is all I have left...' she wanted to add, with shaking breath. Thankfully, she was interrupted by the last man she wanted to look at now; well, after Jonah.

"You can see me after this meeting if you have any complaints miss Harvey. For now, please sit down." Thomas ordered, his daunting eyes toyed with her furious violet ones.

Defeated, Roxanne fell back into her seat, trying to still her violently shivering body and quivering lips.

The rest of the meeting went by in a blur. For the remaining ten minutes, Roxanne could only focus on one thing; ten ways to castrate Thomas once the meeting was over, and extend the hand of castration to Jonah as well.

As Alexander rose to leave the board room, Roxanne rushed to her feet, following him closely behind.

"Sir please, give me a chance to..."

"You heard mister Hardy, if there's anything you need, be sure to meet him." Alexander threw over his shoulder, not sparing her another glance.

Roxanne staggered back, this couldn't be happening, it had be a nightmare, one that she really needed to wake up from.

Slowly, she turned back to Thomas, giving him a stony glare as she approached him.

"The nerve of you." Her tone was low, anger had made her almost inaudible.

Thomas's eyes rested on her, traveling around he face as he scoffed.

"Don't act so surprised. You certainly knew this was coming for you." He shot back, looking over her shoulder.

"All this because I wouldn't let you fuck me?"

The words were out before she could take them back, but she fought the urge to cry. She would never give Thomas the pleasure of seeing her distraught, vulnerable.

He bursts out laughing, tapping her shoulder for support.

Roxanne wished she could stab his hands, but an assault charge would do her no good.

"Don't flatter yourself miss Harvey, I can get a good fuck anywhere."

He leaned into her and whispered against her left ear.

"This is because you thought you were different. I am simply reminding you that you're like every other American woman out there. Now, you're like every jobless woman out there."

The way he emphasized the word 'jobless' caused Roxanne to shrink under his gaze.

No matter how she looked at it, he had the upper hand.

Thomas straightened his frame and shook his head, before slamming her face with a teary view of his back.

"You have just ten minutes to exit this building miss Harper. Make it count."

She heard Hardy's voice call out.

Standing transfixed, she watched him exit the room with his back turned to her. Her eyelids burned with the tears that threatened to swarm her cheeks, even as her knees buckled beneath her thighs.

Five years of dedication was just thrown out of the window. Everything she had ever worked hard for, walked out of the room with Hardy.

Beads of sweat trickled down her face. This still wasn't making any sense. How could LexCorp throw away seven years of hard work and dedication? Did her countless sacrifices to this company mean nothing to them?

Did nothing she did for anybody matter to them?

Her family! Jonah! And now LexCorp.

Seven years of giving LexCorp all she had. Seven years of being endlessly dedicated came to a tragic ending in the twinkle of an eye.

And Jonah? Roxanne found herself choking on her tears as his face flashed through her mind.

She had been with him for more than half of her life, growing from friends to lovers. Yet, even he did not think twice before snatching the greatest opportunity to break her heart into pieces.

She suddenly remembered her best friend's words this morning.

"Your modesty insults me Roxy. You know that job is yours. Girl you've given that company all your late nights and early as fuck mornings, they'll be crazy not to give you that promotion."

Emily's words had assured her she would get the promotion.

Emily was the one person she should talk to right now. Her best friend and flatmate was the one person she needed to see, was the one person who could pacify her right now.

With that thought, Roxanne picked up her bag and whatever was left of her dignity and hurried out of conference room, running out of the building without looking back.

****************

The next thirty days went by in a blur. Between searching for jobs online and spending most of her time in her sister's bakery, Roxanne had lost track of time.

Isabelle, her oldest sister and best friend had been wonderful to her. Besides Emily, she was the next person Roxanne knew she could run to if she ever needed anything, even if it was just a listening ear.

After all, Isabelle understood more than anyone what it meant to be blindsided by family.

After Isabelle came out as lesbian to the Harveys, the rest of the family had found ways to isolate themselves from her and her affairs.

Isabelle Harvey couldn't have been more glad anyway. It allowed her the freedom to get married to Carrie and be happy.

It was on one of the visits to Isabelle's confectionery shop that Roxanne had been talked into attending the wedding.

Isabelle had gone so hard on 'family first' that she could not believe it was the same Isabelle their mother had practically kicked out.

Roxanne found hope in Isabelle. If she could attend the wedding and look at their parents without breaking down, then Roxanne could attend the wedding as well.

But Isabelle wasn't the one who was about to watch her ex fiance get married to her twin sister.

But, Isabelle made Roxanne promise to attend. Who says no to their favorite sister?

Jonah tried to reach her. Calls went straight to voicemail and emails remained in the trash of her Gmail. The night he dared to show himself at her house, Emily gathered all the morality she could muster not to beat him up.

The wedding was only few hours away. Emily and Isabelle had taken it upon themselves to be her personal stylist and make up artist.

Now, all she needed was a date.

"There is no way we're letting you step feet into that cathedral without a man." Emily's voice still thundered in her head as she swiped through her tinder app.

None of the seemingly decent men she had found had been interested in her profile. She could remember Emily saying it was as a result of the picture she used, but Roxanne didn't see anything wrong in the photo and so did not agree to change it.

When the last person refused a meet up, Roxanne sighed and turned off the laptop.

"Men are stupid." She said, causing Emily who was busy knitting a scarf on the couch in front of the television, to smile.

"Tomorrow is the wedding, sure you don't want to try harder?"

"Fuck it. I'm going to bed. I'll survive tomorrow on my own."

Roxanne threw back, taking slow strides up the stairs.

Deep down, she wanted to believe it was true.

Maybe, just maybe if she said it to herself in the mirror time and time again, she would be able to believe herself.

She might just be able to make it through the wedding tomorrow without pulling the trigger on any of them; Rayla or Jonah.

Or, Both?