A few days had passed since the night that changed everything—the night of Mr. Holloway's birthday, when he stood before the crowd, raised his glass, and made the announcement no one expected. Stacy Holloway was engaged... and the person he intended for her was chosen purely for business.
The room had frozen. Her father had looked so sure of his power, so certain that his word was law.
But when every eye in the ballroom turned to her—waiting for the perfect Holloway daughter to obey—Stacy didn't say yes.
She didn't accept the engagement.
Instead, she chose the one person she loved the most.
She chose Zoe.
Not the business.
Not the inheritance.
Not the future someone else tried to script for her.
She chose what makes her happy.
Now, the two of them were living together—not in Stacy's luxurious penthouse in the heart of the city, but in a modest apartment farther out, quiet and tucked away from everyone who had opinions about their future. It wasn't grand or expensive, but it was clean, cozy, and theirs. Stacy didn't miss marble floors or private elevators. She woke up with Zoe—and that was enough to make any place feel like home.
"Hey," Zoe purred as she slid her arms around Stacy's waist from behind, swaying gently with her. "What are you cooking, chef?"
"Chicken soup," Stacy said, stirring the pot like she was in a cooking show. "Made just the way you like it. Extra garlic. Extra love."
Zoe leaned in, sniffing dramatically. "Mmm. Smells like heaven and temptation."
"You bet. I poured my entire soul into it," Stacy said proudly. "You should be honored."
Zoe smirked. "Can I taste it?"
Stacy turned her head, grinning. "Me or the soup?"
Without missing a beat, Zoe whispered, "You."
Stacy rolled her eyes with a laugh. "God, you're ridiculous."
"I changed my mind," Zoe teased. "Forget the soup. I wanna eat you instead."
Stacy gasped in mock scandal. "Zoe!"
Then she turned suddenly and began peppering Zoe's face and neck with a rapid-fire flurry of kisses, grinning like a maniac. "You filthy, insatiable, troublemaker! This is what you get!"
Zoe squealed and tried to dodge, laughing. "No—no! Stacy! I surrender—AH! That tickles!"
"Oh really? This tickles?" Stacy said innocently, then slid her hands to Zoe's ribs and really started tickling her, sending Zoe into hysterics.
Zoe shrieked and tried to escape, slipping from Stacy's grip and sprinting toward the other side of the kitchen island. "You're evil! You're literally evil!"
Stacy followed, eyes gleaming with mischief. "You came for soup and got karma instead!"
"Help!" Zoe shouted, giggling uncontrollably as Stacy chased her around the counter. "Chef's gone rogue!"
"You can't say you wanna eat me and not expect consequences!" Stacy laughed, lunging over the counter to grab Zoe's wrist.
They wrestled for a second, giggling, breathless, until Zoe collapsed onto the couch nearby, pulling Stacy down with her in a tangle of limbs and laughter.
Both of them were panting, flushed, their foreheads touching.
"I still want soup," Zoe whispered, barely catching her breath.
"Oh, now you want soup?" Stacy smirked. "After trying to seduce the chef mid-stir?"
Zoe grinned. "Worth it."
Living together had been a quiet rebellion. They'd left the glittering world of gala dinners, private cars, and penthouses behind. What they had now was smaller, humbler, but for the first time in years, Stacy felt like she could breathe.
"No news yet from the company you applied to?" Zoe asked gently.
Stacy shook her head. "Nothing. Not a single call back." She laughed, but there was no humor in it. "The Holloways are too influential. I'm sure my dad's behind this."
Zoe shifted in her seat, turning to face Stacy. "You really think he's blacklisting us?"
"I know he is," Stacy murmured. "It's his way of punishing me—punishing us. I'm so sorry you lost your job too, Zoe. You didn't ask for any of this."
"No, I should be the one apologizing. You gave up everything—your family, your position, your whole world—just to be with me. I'm so sorry," Zoe whispered, tears glistening in her eyes.
Stacy cupped Zoe's face with both hands, her thumb brushing the corner of her eye. "Hey, hey. Look at me." Her voice was soft but firm. "I would choose you over and over again. Even over the highest-paying job in the world, over all the comfort in the world. Don't apologize for loving me."
Zoe's lips trembled. "You mean the world to me, Stacy. I love you."
"And I love you too," Stacy whispered. "Always. Remember that. Especially when it gets hard."
They sat there in silence for a moment, the weight of what they'd given up settling around them like dust—but so did the warmth of what they'd chosen instead. Zoe leaned her forehead against Stacy's, their breaths mingling.
"We'll find something," Stacy said. "It might not be glamorous, it might not be easy, but it'll be ours. A new life. One no one can take from us."
Zoe exhaled, a tear slipping down her cheek. "I hope so."
Stacy smiled faintly, wiping it away with her thumb. "I know so. Because we're already living it."
Just then, Stacy's phone buzzed on the coffee table. She reached for it slowly, expecting yet another rejection. But when she unlocked the screen, her breath caught.
Mom: Can we meet? I just want to talk.
Stacy stared at the message, her heart tightening. She hadn't spoken to anyone in her family since the fallout—and she wasn't ready. Not yet. Maybe not ever.
Without thinking, she turned the phone face down on the table, shielding the screen like it carried something dangerous.
Zoe frowned. "What is it?"
Stacy forced a small, tight smile and shook her head. "It's just another rejection email. But hey," she added, trying to lighten the mood, "since neither of us have jobs right now, maybe we should take advantage of that... and go on a vacation. Before things get even more complicated."
Zoe blinked, surprise flickering in her eyes. "A vacation?"
"Yeah," Stacy said softly, glancing away. "We should use this time—while we still can—to get away from all this for a bit."
Zoe managed a small smile. "So... where should we go? A beach, maybe? Somewhere quiet where we can actually breathe."
Stacy's eyes lit up for the first time in a while. "Yeah. A beach sounds perfect. Sun, sand, and no emails. No phone calls."
Zoe chuckled softly. "Somewhere with good food, too. I'm craving fresh seafood."
Stacy nodded, the tension easing from her shoulders. "And a little adventure—maybe hiking or exploring a nearby town. Just to remind ourselves there's still a world beyond all this mess."
Zoe squeezed Stacy's hand. "Exactly. Somewhere we can just... be."
They sat there for a moment, letting the idea settle—a fragile promise of escape, just within reach.