Chapter 9: A Choice

As weeks turned into months, Amanda and Kennedy's relationship deepened, but the pressures continued to escalate. Lily's antics grew bolder, and Amanda felt trapped in a web of jealousy and suspicion.★★★

One evening, they attended a gala thrown by Kennedy's father, a spectacle filled with glitz, glamour, and social expectations. As the evening unfolded, Amanda saw Lily spinning a web of lies, deliberately trying to cause friction. That night, during a particularly tense moment, Lily deliberately hinted to everyone about a past relationship with Kennedy.

Their friends' whispers echoed in Amanda's ears, a cacophony that drowned out her resolve. She slipped outside to catch her breath, leaning against the cool marble railing. It felt like the walls were closing in. Just as she contemplated leaving, Kennedy joined her.

Hey, you okay? he asked, concern etching his features.

I don't know if I can do this anymore, Amanda confessed, tears pooling in her eyes.

Amanda, please don't say that. I love you, but I can't control what others say or think. I can only promise to choose you every single day.

But I feel like I'm a pawn in a game I didn't choose, she replied, her voice shaking. This all seems too much.

Kennedy's eyes bore into hers, filled with fierce determination. You're not a pawn. You're my partner. I will fight for us—don't you see? It's not about what they think; it's about what we can build together.

I want that too, she said, yielding to him for the first time. But my heart can only take so much.