Chapter 3 The Announcement

• “Alicia, can you come to my office for a sec…I need you to take some notes for me,” Tristan said over the intercom attached to his office phone.
• Alicia grabbed her iPad and iPen and walked to Trisitan’s office. She knocked once and waited until she heard t was okay for her to enter Tristian's office.
• She walked to his couch where he was sitting with two mugs both filled with coffee inside. She sat down and crossed her legs ready to write down whatever he had to say.
• “I’m ready Mr. Duncan,” Alicia replied as she looked up at her boss, now fiance.
• Tristan had to adjust his pants to hide his bulge and leaned over to grab her hand.
• “I don’t have anything for you to write down. I-I got word that my uncle is going to announce my engagement to Felicia and we need to act fast so our charade supersedes that announcement. We have two interviews today, one with Daily GossipGalore TV and the other is with The Daily Buzz newspaper. I just needed to warn you and get you prepared by going over some notes with you to keep our story straight,” Trisitan said and pulled out his own iPad.
• For the next two hours the two perfected their story and memorized their love journey for the press and later for their engagement party.
• Later that evening
• Felicia Montgomery, clad in an elegant strawberry colored designer silk night gown that accentuated her slender figure, paced back and forth in the opulent living room of her luxurious penthouse apartment. Her perfectly manicured nails tapped impatiently against her champagne flute, her mind racing with thoughts of the impending engagement party. She didn't understand why Tristian wasn't answering his phone nor posting on his social media.
• Suddenly, the doorbell rang, interrupting her restless thoughts. Felicia's heart skipped a beat as she rushed to answer it, hoping to greet Tristan with open arms and bask in his embrace and misplaced love.
• "Tri-tri boo," Felicia exclaimed.
• To her surprise, it was Tristan's personal assistant and friend, Julia, standing in the doorway, her expression unusually solemn.
• "Julia, what are you doing here? Where's Tristan?" Felicia demanded, her voice tinged with irritation.
• Julia hesitated for a moment before speaking, her tone cautious. "I'm sorry, Ms. Montgomery, but Tristan won't be joining you tonight. He...he called off the engagement."
• Felicia's world seemed to come crashing down around her as Julia's words sank in. She felt as though she had been punched in the gut, her breath catching in her throat as she struggled to comprehend what she was hearing.
• "What do you mean, he called off the engagement?" Felicia exclaimed, her voice rising with disbelief. She felt a lump forming in her throat and her breathing coming in short gasps.
• Julia bit her rouge bottom lip, her eyes filled with sympathy. "I'm afraid it's true, Felicia. Tristan and Alicia Miles, his secretary, they...they've decided to get married."
• Felicia's mind reeled with shock and indignation. Alicia Miles? Secretary? What secretary?
• "I thought you was his secretary? I planted you to be his secretary. What the hell is going on?" Felicia losing her cool. She felt her perfectly placed mask of innocence and poise was cracking with the untimely news.
• "Tristain changed us around a couple weeks ago. He made Alicia his personal secretary and gives her all the tasks that are close to the company that requires her to be around him everyday and all day," Julia reported sounding a bit put out.
• "That conniving little bitch had managed to steal Tristan's affections away from me? That will not do. She need to learn her place and it's under my Jimmy Choo and definitely not next to MY man! I will be the one and only Mrs. Duncan," Felicia proclaimed as a vein in her forehead throbbed and pale face turning an unhealthy shade of red.
• Julia gasped and briskly walked towards the kitchen to get Felicia a cup of tea to settle her nerves. Julia came back in the living room and watched as Felicia went to her favorite doll and grabbed a silk hair brush and brushed her baby Veronica's hair. Julia placed the tea cup down and turned the television on.
• "I don't believe this!" Felicia cried, her voice trembling with anger.
• The tv playing in the background caught Felicia’s attention when she heard her fiance’s voice coming through her living room television. Felicia walked and turned the television volume up to see Trisitan and Alicia standing next to each other.
• Tristan Duncan standing confidently behind a podium, flanked by Alicia Miles, his fiancee, on one side. The room, filled with reporters, cameras, eager to capture the moment.
• “Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. Thank you for joining us today. As many of you may know, I am Tristan Duncan, CEO of HubInc, and I have some exciting news to share.”
• Tristan glances at Alicia, a fond smile playing on his lips before turning back to the audience.
• “ It is with great pleasure and excitement that I announce my engagement to the remarkable Alicia Miles.
• The camera pans to Alicia, who stands beside Tristan with poise and grace, a warm smile lighting up her face with a natural glow.
• “Hello, everyone. I am honored and excited to be standing here today as Tristan's fiancee. Our journey together has been nothing short of extraordinary, and I look forward to the adventures that lie ahead. I know our love knows no bounds and we are ready to take our adventure together for years to come,” Alicia said gently with an undertone of love and affection.
• Tristan reached out to gently squeeze Alicia's hand, a look of genuine affection passing between them. He kissed the back of her hand and placed his arm around her shoulder and kissed her forehead gently. Cameras continued to shutter and flashes capturing the romantic and tender moments.
• “Alicia and I have shared many unforgettable moments together, and I am grateful for her unwavering support, her intelligence, and her undeniable charm.”
• The audience murmurs with excitement, cameras flashing as reporters eagerly capture the moment.
• “Our engagement marks the beginning of a new chapter in our lives, and we are excited to embark on this journey together. We ask for your blessings and your support as we move forward hand in hand,”Trisitan said directly to the camera.
• Tristan and Alicia share a tender glance and kiss before turning to face the audience once more with bright smiles.
• “Thank you all for your kind words and well wishes. We are truly grateful for your love and support,” Alicia said and leaned into Trisitan’s side. She reached up and gently rubbed his face with a huge smile on her face.
• Tristan nods in agreement, his expression filled with gratitude and anticipation.
• “With that being said, we invite you to join us in celebrating our love and our future together. Thank you.” Tristan said and waved to the crowd and escorted Alicia off of the makeshift stage.
• The room erupts into applause as Tristan and Alicia step down from the podium, trying to display a look that their hearts full of joy and anticipation for the journey that lies ahead. The camera fades to black as the audience continues to cheer in the background.
• “Now that is-” the reporter started to say but the television was abruptly turned off.
• A guttural scream erupted out of Felicia’s body as if consumed with immense grief. Felicia abruptly jumped up from her seat and Veronica fell and her perfect face crack on impact.
• "How could he do this to me? After everything we've been through?" Felicia wailed and threw her remote on the marble floor making the remote burst upon contact with the ground.
• Julia reached out a comforting hand, but Felicia recoiled, her pride wounded and her heart shattered into a million pieces.
• "Please, Felicia, I know this must be difficult to hear but you must forget Tristian Duncan," Julia said softly. “It’s perhaps for the best. Tristan clearly wasn't meant to be with someone like you of your high caliber."
• Felicia's eyes blazed with fury as she turned on her heel, her silk gown billowing behind her as she stormed back into the dining room.
• "Forget Tristan Duncan," she spat, her voice dripping with venom. "I can’t do that! I need him. He is too perfect! He is my other half. I just know it. Oh Tristian! I'll show him what he's missing. He thinks he’s just going to throw me to the side! He got another thing coming if he thought I would go away quietly!" Felicia groaned patting the back of her hand gently against her forehead but started to hit herself harder the more she recounted what she just witnessed on the television.
• She abruptly stopped as a thought popped in her head immediately. She walked up to her friend with a raised eyebrow. She then sat down on her pink suede couch and crossed her legs.
• “Julia! I need one more thing,” Felicia said gently as she started to readjust her mask of innocence almost as if she was the modern day Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.
• “I will try if it’s within reason and not against the law,” Julia said quickly.
• “I need you to get me an invitation to Tristian and that peasant’s engagement party! I will make Tristain regret crossing me!”
• With a steely resolve, Felicia vowed to put on a brave face and attend the engagement party, determined to prove to Tristan—and to herself—that she was the better choice. Little did she know, her plans for revenge were only just beginning.