Marrying the Mafia King

"It's nothing," I said. "Just some gossip I heard. Apparently, a guy went behind his girlfriend's back and secretly married her best friend. My friend said he's completely awful, and his poor girlfriend was totally blindsided."

To my surprise, Felix reacted with unexpected intensity. "Why are you even talking about something so pointless? What if the guy didn't have a choice? What if it was some kind of fake marriage to fulfill a dying person's wish?"

The self-righteous look on his face struck me as absurd. Even after more than a decade together, he remained a complete mystery to me.

Felix started with his usual routine again. Pulling me into a hug, he kissed my forehead.

"What's going on with you lately, Sylvie? You've been so withdrawn. Don't let your imagination mess with what we've built. After all this time, how can you question how much I care about you? Once we figure out Lilian's situation, we'll get married, okay?"

His hand slid under my collar, groping my bust. "Sweetheart, it's been too long since we've been together."

"I'm sorry. I'm not feeling it tonight. I'll sleep alone," I said.

His touch filled me with disgust. I shoved him away and left, closing the door behind me.

…

The sudden blast of a car horn jolted me awake early the next morning.

Sitting in the courtyard was a pink RV I knew all too well, its flawless surface gleaming in the sun like liquid gold. I'd put that RV together with my own hands, but it belonged to someone else now.

Lilian was behind the wheel, sunglasses on, a smirk across her face as she dangled the keys.

She called out in an overly dramatic voice, "What do you think, Sylvie? Felix gave it to me."

I stared at her, the person who used to be my best friend. I couldn't quite figure out how she'd turned into someone so cruel.

Her stilettos clicked sharply against the pavement as she stepped out and walked toward me, her eyes gleaming with triumph.

"You know what Felix said? He thinks it suits me better." Her fingers glided over the RV's surface as if caressing some priceless treasure.

I stared at the RV, my stomach churning with disdain. That RV was my design, my sweat, my dream. It seemed like Lilian was hell-bent on taking everything that mattered to me.

Out of nowhere, she thrust the keys into my hand. Then, with a piercing cry, she collapsed to the ground.

At that exact moment, a voice I knew all too well called out from behind her. "Sylvie! How could you do that to her?"