The doorbell rang at exactly seven o'clock.
The sound felt like a gunshot in the silent apartment. I was standing in the kitchen, my hands shaking as I straightened my simple white apron. I had dressed in my plainest clothes, just like Alex's mother wanted. I looked like a ghost, a shadow meant to move silently in the background while the "real" people talked.
"Luna! They're here! Bring the water and the appetizers," Alex's mother called out from the living room. Her voice was full of excitement, a sound that made my stomach turn into a knot.
I picked up the silver tray, the metal cold against my fingers. I took a deep breath, trying to be the "good girl" Alex asked me to be. I walked into the living room, keeping my head down, my eyes fixed on the floor.
"Alex, look! She's here!" his mother chirped.
I reached the coffee table and started to set down the glasses. I could see Alex's shoes—polished and black—standing near the window. He looked like he was carved out of ice.
"It is such an honor to finally meet you officially, Ma'am," a sweet, familiar voice said.
My heart stopped. I knew that voice. I had heard it laughing in the library. I had heard it whispering to Alex in the hallways.
I looked up slowly, the tray nearly slipping from my hands.
Standing there, dressed in a stunning red silk dress that looked like it cost a fortune, was Elena. She looked more beautiful than I had ever seen her. Her hair was perfect, her makeup was flawless, and she was looking at Alex's mother with the eyes of a perfect daughter-in-law.
"Elena?" I whispered, the word escaping my lips before I could stop it.
Elena turned to me, a small, fake smile playing on her lips. "Oh! Luna! What a surprise to see you helping out tonight. You really are a dedicated student, aren't you?"
Alex's mother laughed, oblivious to the war happening in my chest. "Isn't it wonderful, Alex? Elena is not only your colleague and your old friend, but she is the girl I have chosen for you. Her family and ours have wanted this for years. It's a perfect match."
I looked at Alex. He was staring at Elena with an expression I couldn't read. He didn't look happy, but he didn't look shocked either.
The "false perspective" in my head suddenly felt like the only truth. Elena was his equal. She was his friend. She was his colleague. And now, she was his bride.
I was just the girl who served the water. I was the girl he hid in the dark because he was ashamed to show me in the light.
"I'll... I'll go get the tea," I stammered, my vision blurring with tears.
I turned and fled back to the kitchen, the sound of their happy chatter following me like a nightmare. I leaned against the counter, my breath coming in short gasps. Elena wasn't just a rival. She was the woman his mother loved. She was the woman the world expected him to be with.
How could a scholarship student ever win against a queen?
In the living room, I heard Alex's voice—deep and low—responding to something Elena said. I realized then that my "punishment" wasn't over. It was only just beginning. And the hardest part wasn't the work or the silence. It was watching the man I loved sit beside the woman who was meant to take my place.