After the Fall: A Love Renewed

The ring on my finger, once a symbol of our engagement, felt hopelessly empty at that moment. It hurt to have received it from a waiter on what should have been the most memorable night of my life.

“It should’ve been you putting it on my finger. Why did I have to wear it myself?” I muttered, tossing my phone aside and curling up in bed, sinking into the depths of loneliness.

The next morning, I dragged myself out of bed, knowing I had to head to Bright Agency, where I worked as a model.

My manager arrived at the Penthouse to pick me up as usual.

Even if meetings for an upcoming photoshoot awaited, but my mind was miles away, stuck in the turmoil of last night.

At the agency, I could also not escape the whispers about Darla and Rheymond.

In the restroom, I overheard two colleagues chatting.

“Did you see Darla’s post yesterday?”

“Yes! Her posts are getting bolder every day. I bet there is a big announcement coming soon!” one squealed.

“I know, right? They are so adorable together. I can’t believe they are not official yet!”

I never imagined the rumors about Darla and Rheymond would snowball like that. Whenever I confronted him, he would brush it off, assuring me that I was the only one he had loved for the past five years.

We had met at Fashion Week, back when I was representing a brand, and Rheymond was a special guest. He approached me first, and for a year, we had an undefined relationship before he finally asked me to be his girlfriend.

In all that time, I was like his personal diary, listening to his work-related rants and triumphs. We kept our relationship secret for mutual benefit, known only to close friends and family, including Darla and Matthew Bishop, Rheymond’s childhood friends.

The Charles, Schwartz, and Bishop families had been close for generations, so it was no surprise their children were friends too.

However, unlike Rheymond, who was an only child, Darla and Matthew chose to become content creators because they were the second child.

Right from the start, I always felt out of place among them. Like Darla’s birthday party a few weeks ago.

“Darla, I’ve been seeing your face all over billboards lately. You’re everywhere!” Matthew had teased.

I smiled, feeling awkward. “Thanks.”

Darla flashed a charming yet cynical smile when she asked, "Does Charles' family have a hand in this?"

“Charles’ family doesn’t sponsor Bright Agency, only focus on Les Agency,” Rheymond answered casually.

“Ah, you’re a good friend then, only sponsoring our agency that promotes us. You should ask for a 30-70 split; I’m stressed from all the gaming nights for just a 50-50,” Matthew joked.

Matthew, a renowned gamer, streamed nightly and uploaded content daily. He was one of the top five gaming content creators in the world.

“You should discuss that with your agency, Matt,” Darla replied with a laugh.

Matthew teased, “Said a beauty influencer who got an 80-20 split. You must’ve sweet-talked your boss into it, admit it.”

“It’s all hard work, well, by my brother’s and Rheymond’s help of course,” Darla said, a hint of pride in her voice.

“My brother would never help me, but it’s fine. I’ll just ask my mom,” Matthew quipped, and everyone laughed.

It was always like that. Darla and Matthew dominated the conversation, while Rheymond remained aloof and quiet.

I used to think it was just his nature. But Darla’s recent post from the Alps Festival made me realize maybe he was only truly himself when I was not around.

Hearing these privileged kids talk also made me feel insignificant, like my hard work meant nothing.

Even when we posted pictures of the four of us, the comments focused only on them, labeling me as a sycophant who clung to them just to become a top model and launch Rhe Cosmetics.

When I complained to Rheymond about it, he would simply say, “People with dirty hearts see everything as dirty.”

Then I would swallow my pride, telling myself he was right.

Suddenly my phone rang, interrupting my thoughts. It was my manager.

“Rheya, where are you? The meeting’s about to start.”

“I’m on my way.”

As I headed to the meeting room, memories of Rheymond choosing Darla over me played in my mind. Darla would call him for anything, from work issues to being scared of thunderstorms in the middle of the night, and he would always rush to her side.

When I confronted him, we would argue all night. But in the end, he would say, “You’re stupid if you’re jealous of Darla. She’s just my friend, while you’re my lover, Rhe.”

I kept convincing myself that my place in his heart was above Darla’s every day. However, I was sick of it that time.

I was exhausted from being the second one, or perhaps just a backburner.

So, after returning to the Penthouse, I slipped off the ring, placed it on the nightstand, and walked away.