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My fiancé of three years, who'd been giving me the silent treatment, proposed to his first love at a huge, once-in-a-decade Hollywood gala. Later, I posted a sweet engagement announcement on Instagram: "Getting married!" He called me that night, furious. "Ashley, I never said I was marrying you." I replied, all smiles, "I never said the groom was you either."

Then, a set of photos went viral, shocking the whole city. The most powerful man in LA, Ethan Blackwood, had his arms open, letting me fall into his embrace, and he bent his head down, letting me kiss him.

1.

As I finished getting ready, my stylist gasped. "Ashley, you look absolutely stunning in that dress." I thanked her and headed downstairs, only to walk into a commotion. Through the massive glass doors, I saw my fiancé, Mark, arm in arm with a gorgeous young woman. The kicker? She was wearing the exact same dress as me – except hers was the real deal, and mine was a cheap knockoff. Tonight was the biggest Hollywood event in years, everyone present was rich and influential, and they could spot a fake a mile away. For the first time in my twenty-one years, I'd gone all out – only to end up looking like a clown.

2.

"Mark, who's this with you?" someone asked.

Mark squeezed the woman’s hand. "This is Chloe, my girlfriend. Well, after tonight, she’ll be my fiancée."

"And Ashley…?"

Mark glanced at me coldly. "The engagement with the Millers is off. We've been more than generous to them these past three years."

He wasn't wrong. Without the million-dollar engagement gift, my family would've been bankrupt. My parents and siblings were still living the high life thanks to him.

Mark knelt down and proposed to Chloe. She burst into tears and threw herself into his arms. He wiped her tears away, whispering sweet nothings. I watched as Chloe, now elevated from struggling actress and "the other woman," was surrounded and fawned over. After tonight, she'd be Hollywood royalty. And me? I, and the Millers, would be nothing.

3.

"Excuse me?" Two socialites with plates of appetizers looked at me impatiently. I stepped aside.

"That dress is so tacky," one whispered.

"Yeah, what kind of cheap fabric is that? Probably made in some sweatshop."

"I can't believe she's still here. So embarrassing."

I ignored their cruel whispers and retreated to a quiet corner. My phone buzzed. It was my mother, her voice shrill with anger. "Ashley, the Howards are calling off the wedding! They want half the engagement money back – five hundred thousand dollars! Three years, and you couldn't even hold onto him? You’re useless! Figure it out yourself; we don't have that kind of money!"

I hung up, my heart pounding. This glittering world of champagne and diamonds wasn't for me. I just wanted to escape.

4.

"I heard Ethan Blackwood's back in town and might be here tonight."

"No way, he never comes to these things."

"True, last time he was seen in public was on national news."

My chest tightened. I reached for my purse...