chapter 3: Betrayal unveiled

TIANAH POV

The room was alive with laughter—the kind that felt easy, effortless.

I leaned back against the couch, my fingers wrapped around the stem of my wine glass, half-listening as Leah animatedly recounted a ridiculous moment from her childhood with Oliver, my boyfriend.

"You don't understand," she said between bursts of laughter. "This wasn't just any tantrum. Oliver literally threw himself on the ground, in the middle of the supermarket, kicking and screaming because Mom wouldn't let him buy a box of cereal.

I grinned, watching Oliver's twin sister shake her head in mock disbelief.

"It wasn't just cereal," Leah continued, eyes gleaming with amusement. "It was the cereal. Some new limited-edition thing with marshmallows. And when Mom refused, my dear brother here decided the best course of action was to perform an exorcism-level meltdown.

Blair snorted. "And did it work?"

"Oh, absolutely," Leah smirked, throwing a glance toward me. "Mom was mortified. She grabbed the cereal just to shut him up. But the best part? The second we got home, Oliver didn't even eat it. He forgot about it completely."

We all burst into laughter, even Kaylor, who usually only enjoyed conversations when they involved some level of pettiness.

Leah grinned and nudged Serena. "You should consider applying for that dating reality show, The One. They're still casting for the new season. Maybe you'll find someone who can tolerate your chaos.

Serena rolled her eyes, her nails tapping against her glass. "Oh please, those shows are just a bunch of attractive people pretending to be in love for TV ratings."

"Maybe," Blair chimed in, smirking. "But at least they're attractive."

Serena shot her a glare, but the conversation was light, teasing. It felt good—normal, even.

Then the door opened, and Oliver walked in.

"Alright, ladies," he greeted, closing the door behind him. "Should I be concerned about the amount of wine being consumed, or should I just accept that this is part of the process?"

"It's part of the process," Leah answered smoothly.

He chuckled, moving toward the bar cart. He poured himself a glass of red wine, taking his time before settling into the chair beside me. He looked tired, like the weight of wedding planning was finally pressing down on him.

"What's wrong?" I asked, already knowing something was on his mind.

He exhaled, swirling the wine in his glass. "It's the wedding hall. I paid the deposit, but the event planner isn't answering my calls. I've left messages, emails, everything."

Blair waved a dismissive hand. "Don't stress. She's good at what she does, but she's also insanely busy. I had to beg her to take this job. The only reason she even agreed was because I told her you were my friend."

That made me feel slightly better.

Oliver sighed, rubbing his temple. "I just don't like being ignored, especially when I've already put money down.

"I'll reach out to her," Blair reassured him. "I promise, everything will be fine.

Oliver held up his hands "let's talk about—my bachelor party." 

Leah rolled her eyes. "Let me guess. You and your guys are planning a weekend full of bad decisions?"

Oliver smirked. "Oh, absolutely. But honestly, it's been a headache organizing something everyone agrees on.They're all choosing different locations and now there's talk of renting a cabin for a 'low-key' weekend."

Blair snorted. "Since when is a cabin full of drunk men considered low-key?"

"Right?" Oliver laughed. "I told them if I wake up tied to a tree or with a shaved head, I'm disowning all of them."

Kaylor raised an eyebrow. "Have they met you? You'd probably be the one leading the chaos."

Oliver feigned offense. "I am a man of class and restraint, Kaylor."

Blair smirked. "Says the guy who once did body shots off a stripper in Cancun."

"That was James' fault, and I'm not that person anymore! Oliver defended himself. "He dared me!"

 I winced at the memory, James is always the wide one when it comes to parties and Oliver hates losing so that situation that day was unavoidable.

Leah groaned. "God, this is exactly why men shouldn't be left unsupervised."

Oliver took a slow sip of his wine. "Which is why I was thinking…" He glanced around the room. "What if we did a joint bachelor-bachelorette party?"

The response was immediate.

"NO."

The chorus of rejection came from every woman in the room.

Oliver held up his hands, laughing. "Wow. Didn't even let me finish."

Blair shook her head. "Listen, we love you, Oliver. But your friends? Not a chance."

Oliver sighed dramatically. "Fine. We'll keep our disasters separate. But don't come crying to me when your party ends up boring without us."

Kaylor snorted. "Trust me, Oliver. Boredom is the last thing we need to worry about."

The laughter was easy, light, almost comforting.

Alright, enough talk." Blair turned to Oliver, a mischievous glint in her eyes. "What's your take on the pink and gold theme for the bridal shower?"

Leah groaned dramatically, pressing her palm to her forehead. "Are we seriously back at this again?"

Oliver chuckled, shaking his head. "It's a wonderful combination, but ladies," his voice cut through l, attempting to play peacemaker. "Let's not ruin the night over something as trivial as colors." 

"Trivial?" Blair repeated, scoffing. "Oh, you have no idea what we've been through."

Oliver chuckled, shaking his head. "I doubt it's life or death."

"Tell that to Serena," Kaylor joked. "She's been acting like we're choosing a battle strategy instead of a party theme."

I forced a smile, though my stomach churned. I hated how easily Kaylor and Blair poked at Serena, like it was some sport they excelled at.

"Maybe Serena just likes things a certain way," Leah said, attempting to mediate, but Blair wasn't done.

"Oh please, she just hates not getting what she wants."

I leaned forward, ready to call it a night when Oliver let out a dramatic sigh. "God, you guys are relentless. Serena has always been particular about things. Like that one time when she freaked out about—"

Then it happened.

The words slipped from Oliver's mouth before he could stop them.

"—that little mole between her breasts."

Silence.

A deafening, soul-crushing, all-consuming silence.

The temperature in the room seemed to drop as every pair of eyes landed on Serena. My breath caught in my throat, my entire body freezing in place.

Kaylor's jaw fell open. Blair's eyes gleamed with interest. Leah's face contorted in shock, but none of them were louder than the deafening sound of my sharp inhale.

Oliver realized his mistake instantly. "Shit, I think I drank too much."

My heart pounded against my ribs as I slowly turned to look at him. "What did you just say?"

Serena didn't speak. She didn't move.

Leah, always the composed one, was staring at her brother like he sprouted a second head.the first to react. Her voice was almost a whisper "How do you know about the mole between her boobs, Oliver? Did you both have an affair behind Tianah's back?"

Oliver looked like he wanted to disappear. "Leah—"

"TELL ME THATS NOT TRUE!" she screamed.

He didn't answer.

Blair let out a low whistle, clearly enjoying every second of this disaster. "Damn, Serena. Jason was not enough, you had to pick Oliver too?".

Kaylor cackled. "I mean, we knew she was into sleeping with other people men, but I didn't think Oliver also caught her eye."

My heart cracked in that moment. The betrayal felt sharp, visceral.

Serena swallowed, her voice barely a whisper. "Tianah, I—"

"Don't," I said, my voice eerily calm. "Don't you dare."

I wanted to believe it wasn't true. That this was some misunderstanding. 

But the truth was right there, in Oliver's slip-up. my best friend had been sleeping with the man I was supposed to marry.

I took a step back, shaking my head. "How long?"

Serena didn't answer

"How long, Serena?" I demanded, my voice trembling.

Leah's grip on Oliver tightened, her knuckles turning white. "I swear to God, if you don't answer her—"

"Eight months," Oliver admitted, his voice hollow. "It happened eight months ago."

The room spun.

I turned to Serena, my chest tightening. "I never wanted this to happen," she whispered.

Tears filled my eyes. "But it did."

The room was thick with suffocating silence. 

My heart pounded in my chest, each beat heavier than the last.

Then, the dam broke.

A choked sob escaped my lips, and before anyone could speak, I was up, pushing past Oliver, my vision blurred with tears.

"Tianah, wait—"

I didn't stop, I couldn't. The betrayal hurt, the air too tight, the wall closing in. My breathe hitched as I took the stairs two at a time, desperate to put as much distance between myself and the betrayal that just shattered my world.

Behind me, Blair's voice sliced through the tension like a knife making me pause at the top of the staircase.

"You disgusting slut." The venom in her tone was unmistakable. "Why can't you stay away from other people's men? Are you that desperate?"

Serena flinched, her fingers digging into her lap, but she said nothing.

Oliver ran a hand through his hair. "Serena, I—I didn't mean for it to slip out, I had too much to drink. I swear, I never wanted this to happen." He exhaled sharply. "I still want you at the shower.

Blair shot to her feet, her voice sharp and laced with fury. "Oh, hell no. She's not coming anywhere near that party."

Oliver turned to her, his patience visibly fraying. "Blair, enough! Stop talking for a second and quit adding more fuel to the fire." His voice was tight with frustration. "We were both drunk. It happened eight months ago. It was a mistake—one I regret. But the wedding isn't over because of it. I'll talk to Tianah. Serena should still come to the shower, at least to wish her well."

Blair let out a bitter laugh. "Are you serious? She slept with my boyfriend and best friend's fiancé, and you think she should show up at her bridal shower like nothing happened?" She scoffed. "You're actually defending her?"

Oliver's jaw tightened, his voice dangerously calm. "The last time I checked, Jason was your ex." His gaze locked onto Blair, unyielding. "And don't make me say what you did behind closed doors. You're no saint either, so quit acting like one."

Blair's smirk vanished. A flicker of something unreadable crossed her face, but she recovered quickly, her arms folding across her chest.

Oliver turned to Serena, his expression unreadable. "I'll see you at the shower."

And with that, he turned toward the stairs.

I didn't wait. My legs carried me faster than my mind could process, and the moment I reached my room, I slammed the door shut and locked it.

What the hell was happening?