Chapter One

Lila Rose felt a flutter in her stomach as she walked down the aisle, holding her father's arm. 

She looked around the gathering and saw the smiling faces of her friends and family, who had gathered to witness her special day. She felt a warm breeze caress her face, carrying the scent of roses and jasmine. She heard a soft melody playing in the background, setting the mood for romance.

She lifted her eyes and saw him - Ethan Luxe, her fiancé, her soulmate, her future. He stood at the altar, wearing a black tuxedo that matched his hair and eyes. He looked handsome and confident, but also nervous and excited. He smiled at her, and she felt a surge of love and happiness.

They had met six years ago, at Parsons School of Design, where they both studied fashion design. 

They shared a passion for creating beautiful clothes, and they soon discovered that they shared much more. 

They became inseparable - studying together, working on projects till late at night, sharing dreams of their future in the fashion world. Love blossomed amidst patterns and palettes, stitches and seams.

Their love story was the talk of the campus - Lila Rose and Ethan Luxe, the fashion duo destined for greatness. After graduation, Ethan proposed to Lila. Overwhelmed with joy and love, Lila said yes. They planned a beautiful wedding, dreaming of a future filled with love and success.

Lila reached the altar, where Ethan took her hand and kissed it gently. He whispered in her ear, "You look stunning, my love. I can't wait to make you my wife."

Lila blushed and whispered back, "You look amazing, my love. I can't wait to be your wife."

They turned to face the priest, who began the ceremony. "Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to join this man and this woman in holy matrimony..."

Lila tuned out the priest's words, as she gazed into Ethan's eyes. She felt like she was in a dream, a fairy tale. She couldn't believe that she was about to marry the man of her dreams, the man who made her happy.

She thought about their vows, which they had written themselves. She thought about how she would promise to love him, support him, respect him, cherish him. She thought about how he would promise to love her, protect her, honor her, adore her.

She thought about their rings, which they had designed themselves. They were simple bands of white gold, engraved with their names and a heart symbol. They were symbols of their eternal bond, their commitment to each other.

She thought about their kiss, which would seal their union. She imagined how it would feel to taste his lips, to feel his breath on her skin, to hear his heartbeat in sync with hers.

She thought about their future together - how they would launch their own clothing line, how they would travel the world together, how they would start a family together.

She thought about how happy they would be together - how they would laugh together, cry together, grow together.

She thought about how lucky she was to have found him - how he understood her, inspired her, completed her.

She thought about how much she loved him - more than anything in the world.

She smiled and squeezed his hand.

Ethan smiled and squeezed back.

They were ready.

The priest finished his speech and asked them the question.

"Do you want this man to be your lawfully wedded husband?"

Lila opened her mouth to say "I do".

But before she could utter a word, Ethan let go of her hand and ran away.

He ran away from the altar,from the church, from her.

He left without any explanation, leaving behind a devastated and heartbroken Lila.

******

Six years had passed since that fateful day. The bustling city of New York had changed, but the memory of Ethan's betrayal still haunted Lila. 

Lila Rose stared out of the window of her small apartment in Brooklyn, feeling a pang of loneliness. She watched the street kids below, wearing different fashion brands that reflected their personalities and moods. 

She saw a girl in a bright pink hoodie and ripped jeans, sporting a pair of Adidas sneakers. She saw a boy in a black leather jacket and skinny jeans, rocking a pair of Converse All Stars. She saw a group of friends in colorful outfits, mixing and matching different styles and accessories 

She envied them for their carefree attitude and their sense of fun. They seemed to enjoy life, unlike her. They had each other, unlike her. They had nothing to worry about, unlike her.

She watched as they walked towards Vane Couture - the high-end fashion boutique owned by her rival Victor Vane. It was located across the street from her apartment, taunting her every day with its flashy display and its exclusive clientele. 

It had the latest and most expensive clothes, shoes, and accessories from the top designers in the world. It also had a large poster of Victor Vane himself, smiling smugly and holding a trophy for the best designer of the year.

Lila hated that poster. She hated that boutique. She hated that man.

She wondered why the street kids were going there. Did they have enough money to buy anything? Did they have an invitation to some special event? Did they have a secret connection to Victor Vane?

She felt curious and annoyed at the same time. She wanted to know what they were doing there, but she also wanted them to stay away from that place. She wanted them to come back to her side of the street, where she could see them and feel less lonely.

She waited for them to come out of the boutique, hoping they would not be carrying any bags with them. She hoped they would not be wearing any new clothes or accessories from Vane Couture. She hoped they would not be smiling or laughing or looking happy.

She hoped they would be disappointed and disillusioned by what they saw inside. But she was wrong.

After what seemed like an eternity, the street kids came out of the boutique, carrying two bags each with them. They were wearing new clothes and accessories from Vane Couture and were smiling and laughing, looking happy with the designers they had just bought.

Lila felt a surge of anger and sadness wash over her. She wished she had friends like them. Friends who would share her passion for fashion design, who would support her in her struggles, who would make her laugh and have fun. 

But she didn't have any friends. She had isolated herself from everyone and tried to keep her distance away from anyone trying to come close after Ethan's betrayal. She had lost trust in people, especially men.

Lila turned away from the window and looked at her sketchbook, where she had drawn dozens of designs for Sparkle Rose - her family's clothing brand that she had inherited from her grandmother. 

Her grandmother had been a famous couturier in the 1950s and had built Sparkle Rose from scratch. But over the years, the brand had lost its popularity and prestige.

Lila was determined to save Sparkle Rose and honor her grandmother's legacy, so she worked tirelessly to create new designs that were modern and innovative. She wanted Sparkle Rose to sparkle again in the fashion world.

But it was not easy. Every day was a battle for Lila - battling tight budgets, managing a small staff, keeping up with the competitive market trends. She also had to deal with Victor Vane - a ruthless rival designer who seemed to enjoy making things difficult for her.

Victor Vane was the owner of Vane Couture - a high-end fashion brand that catered to the rich and famous. He was arrogant, cunning, and manipulative. He had a knack for stealing Lila's ideas and passing them off as his own. He also had a habit of sabotaging Lila's work and spreading rumors about her.

Lila hated Victor Vane with every fiber of her being. She considered him her archenemy in the fashion world. She vowed to never let him win over her.

But sometimes, she wondered if she could ever beat him. He had more resources, more connections, more influence than her. He had everything she didn't have.

She remembered what started the beef between Victor Vane and Lila fashion line which was all because Victor told her about his feelings for her and she turned him down. So this got him so pissed off that he started doing everything to see her crumble.

This was tearing Lila apart, everything was tearing her apart including love.

Lila sighed as she thought about love. She hadn't dated anyone since Ethan left her at the altar six years ago. She still remembered that day vividly - how she stood there in her wedding dress, waiting for him to show up, how she felt when she realized he was gone, how she cried when she read his note.

"Dear Lila,

I'm sorry, but I can't marry you. I love you, but I love someone else more. Please forgive me.

Ethan"

That was all he wrote. No explanation, no apology, no goodbye.

Lila felt like her world had collapsed that day. She felt betrayed, humiliated, heartbroken. She couldn't understand why he did it. Why he left her for someone else? Who was that someone else? Was it someone she knew? Someone from their school? Someone from his work?

She never found out. He never contacted her again. He disappeared from her life without a trace.

She tried to move on, but she couldn't. He had ruined her life and her chance at happiness.

She buried herself in her work, trying to drown her sorrows in the world of fashion design.

But it wasn't yielding the result she expected. And this was too much for her. She felt empty inside. She still missed Ethan.

While sitting in her apartment one quiet evening, sketching designs and nursing a cup of hot chocolate, she couldn't help but wonder - would she ever be able to overcome her past? Could she save Sparkle Rose? And more importantly, could she ever find happiness again?

Little did she know that life had its own plan.