You may kiss the bride

Chapter 1: Coffee Clash and Consequences The hiss of the coffee machine filled the break room, its steady drip punctuating the tension between Aria Thompson and Victoria Hale. "Could you move any slower?" Victoria snapped, her icy blue eyes narrowing as she tapped her manicured nails against the counter. "Some of us have real work to do." Aria shot her a glare, her hands clenched tightly around her coffee cup. "I’m sorry, Victoria," she said, her voice laced with sarcasm. "Didn’t realize you owned the coffee machine, too." Victoria's lips curled into a smirk. "Just hurry up. You might be okay with wasting time, but some of us have a career to think about." Aria felt the heat rise in her cheeks. She refused to be belittled by this woman any longer. "Career? Is that what you call kissing up to Alex every chance you get?" The room seemed to freeze at her words. Victoria's eyes flashed dangerously, her composure faltering. "You have no idea what you’re talking about, Thompson." "Oh, I think I do," Aria replied, stepping closer, her heart pounding. "You might fool everyone else, but I see right through you." Before Victoria could retort, the door to the break room swung open, and a voice as cold as winter cut through the tension. "Aria, Victoria—my office. Now." The atmosphere in Alexander Reid's office was suffocating. Alex sat behind his massive mahogany desk, his dark blue eyes piercing through Aria as she stood beside Victoria. His expression was unreadable, but his jaw was clenched tight. "Would either of you care to explain what the hell just happened out there?" Alex’s voice was low, dangerous. Aria opened her mouth to speak, but Victoria was quicker. "Sir, I was just getting coffee when Aria—" "I don’t want to hear excuses," Alex interrupted, his gaze shifting sharply to Aria. "I expect professionalism from my employees, not childish squabbles." Aria’s mouth went dry. "Mr. Reid, I was just—" "Enough!" Alex’s voice boomed, making her flinch. "You think I have time to mediate petty arguments? This is a workplace, not a playground." Aria felt the sting of his words, a lump forming in her throat. "But, sir—" Alex leaned forward, his expression hardening. "One more word, Thompson, and you’ll find yourself out of a job. Do I make myself clear?" Her heart sank, and she nodded, unable to speak. Why was he only reprimanding her? Victoria stood there with a smug smile, untouched by his wrath. "Get out," Alex said sharply, his gaze fixed on Aria. "Both of you." As they stepped out of the office, Victoria’s smile widened. "You really are pathetic, Aria," she whispered, her tone dripping with malice. "No wonder Alex doesn’t take you seriously." Something in Aria snapped. "You don’t know when to stop, do you?" she hissed, grabbing a handful of Victoria's perfectly styled blonde hair. Victoria shrieked, clawing at Aria’s hand, but Aria held on tight, her anger bubbling over. "I’m done letting you treat me like dirt!" she shouted, pulling Victoria closer, almost dragging her to the ground. "Enough!" Alex’s voice thundered from the doorway. He strode over, pulling Aria away from Victoria with a force that took her breath away. "What the hell is wrong with you?" he growled at Aria. "She—she provoked me!" Aria stammered, her breath coming in sharp bursts. "I don’t care," Alex cut in, his tone cold and final. "You’re suspended, Thompson. Effective immediately." Aria's heart sank, and she felt a wave of humiliation wash over her. She glanced at Victoria, who looked both triumphant and shaken, and then back at Alex, who was glaring at her with a mix of anger and something else she couldn't quite place. "Now, get out of my sight," he ordered. Tears stung her eyes, but she swallowed them back, turned on her heel, and walked away, her heart pounding with a mixture of anger, shame, and confusion.

Aria trudged down the crowded sidewalk, her thoughts a chaotic swirl of confusion and anger. The evening air was heavy, and the city lights blurred around her as she tried to process the events at the office. She felt drained, her body moving on autopilot, her mind replaying Alex's harsh words over and over. By the time she reached her family's modest home, her legs felt like lead. She pushed open the front door and stepped inside, only to find her parents sitting in the dimly lit living room. Her mother’s eyes were red and puffy, and her father sat stiffly on the worn-out sofa, clutching a white piece of paper. "Mom? Dad?" Aria called out, her voice catching in her throat. "What's going on?" Her father looked up, his expression grim. "Aria...we need to talk." Aria's heart sank further, dread pooling in her stomach. She moved closer, glancing at the paper in her father’s trembling hands. “What is that?” she asked, trying to keep her voice steady. Her mother wiped away a tear and whispered, “It’s a notice, Aria… a final notice.” Aria snatched the paper from her father's hand, her eyes scanning the bold letters. "FINAL NOTICE: Outstanding Debt Payment Due. 48 Hours Until Property Seizure." Her breath caught in her chest. "We… we owe this much?" She could barely comprehend the figure—an enormous sum that was impossible to pay back in two days. Her father nodded, his face etched with worry and regret. "I tried to manage it, but the business… it hasn't been good for a while. I didn’t want to burden you, but…" Aria felt her world spinning. Everything seemed to be crumbling around her all at once. She didn’t know how to respond, so she simply muttered, “I need a moment,” and walked past her parents toward her room, her feet dragging against the old carpet. Inside her room, she shut the door and leaned against it, her heart pounding in her chest. She couldn’t lose the house—her childhood home, the one place that still felt safe. Desperation clawed at her, and she felt her phone in her pocket. A thought flickered in her mind, a last-ditch hope. She dialed her boyfriend, Jason, quickly, biting her lip as she waited for the call to connect. The line rang, and rang… and then a voice answered, but it wasn’t Jason’s. “Hello?” a woman’s voice came through, light and flirtatious. Aria’s heart dropped. “Who is this?” she demanded, trying to keep the panic out of her voice. “Oh, I’m sorry,” the woman laughed softly. “Jason is in the shower. Can I take a message?” Aria felt her blood run cold. Her fingers tightened around the phone. "Who the hell are you?" she snapped, her voice trembling. The woman’s laughter only grew more amused. “I’m… someone he’s very busy with right now. But I’ll let him know you called… whoever you are.” Aria’s breath caught in her throat. Her worst fear, now confirmed. She hung up, her hands shaking with a mixture of shock and rage. Tears pricked at her eyes, but she blinked them away. She couldn’t let this go—not without answers. She grabbed her coat and stormed out of her room, ignoring her parents’ concerned calls as she bolted out the front door. She needed to know what was going on, and she was going to get those answers from Jason, no matter what.

Aria stormed through the streets, her feet carrying her with a sense of urgency she hadn’t felt before. Her breath was ragged, her pulse thundering in her ears. She reached Jason’s apartment building and pushed her way through the lobby, taking the stairs two at a time, her anger building with every step.

She reached his door, hesitated for a split second, and then pushed it open, the door swinging wide into his dimly lit apartment. Her heart pounded in her chest as she moved towards the bedroom. The door was ajar, and she could hear the sounds of hushed laughter and moans from inside.

Without thinking, she shoved the door fully open.

Jason was there, tangled with the woman from the phone call. The sheets were a twisted mess around their naked bodies, their limbs entwined in an intimate embrace. The woman’s laughter stopped abruptly when she saw Aria, but Jason merely turned his head lazily, a look of annoyance crossing his face.