SECOND CHANCE CHRISMAS

Maya's POV

The wedding cake hit the floor with a loud crash.

I stood frozen in the doorway of my own bakery, staring at the mess of white frosting and broken hopes scattered across the tiles. But that wasn't what made my heart stop beating.

It was seeing Marcus my fiancé, the man I was going to marry tomorrow with his hands all over my best friend Lisa.

"Maya!" Lisa jumped away from Marcus like she'd been burned. Her lipstick was smeared, and her hair looked like she'd been running her fingers through it. "It's not what it looks like!"

But it was exactly what it looked like.

Marcus didn't even try to lie. He just stood there with that cold smile I'd been seeing more and more lately. The smile that made my stomach feel sick.

"Actually, Maya," he said, fixing his tie like nothing had happened, "it's time you knew the truth."

My legs felt wobbly. The beautiful three-layer cake I'd spent all day making for our wedding rehearsal dinner lay ruined at my feet. Just like everything else in my life, obviously.

"How long?" I whispered.

Lisa's face went red. "Maya, please"

"How long have you two been doing this behind my back?" I said louder.

Marcus laughed, but it wasn't a nice laugh. It was mean and sharp. "Does it matter? Tomorrow you'll sign those papers making me part owner of this little baking business, and then"

"Then what?" I interrupted, my voice shaking.

"Then we won't have to pretend anymore," Lisa said quietly. She wouldn't look at me. "I'm sorry, Maya. I really am. But Marcus and I... we love each other."

The words hit me like a punch to the stomach. Love each other? They loved each other?

"But what about us?" I asked Marcus. "What about our wedding tomorrow? What about all our plans?"

Marcus shrugged. "The wedding was never about love, Maya. It was about business. Your family's shop is worth a lot of money. This whole Christmas market area is going to be worth millions once I tear it down and build my new shopping mall."

I felt like I couldn't breathe. "Tear it down? But this bakery has been in my family for three generations!"

"Not after tomorrow," Marcus said. "Once we're married, I'll own half of everything. And Lisa here has been helping me find out all your family's secrets. Haven't you, Lisa?"

Lisa finally looked at me, and I saw something in her eyes I'd never seen before. Hate. Pure hate.

"You always had everything, Maya," she spat. "The perfect family. The successful business. Everyone in town loves you. Do you know what it's like being your best friend? Living in your shadow?"

My hands were shaking. "Lisa, we've been friends since we were seven years old!"

"Friends?" She laughed bitterly. "I've been planning this for years. Every secret you told me, every problem you shared I told Marcus everything. He needed someone on the inside, and I needed to finally beat you at something."

The room started spinning. This couldn't be real. This had to be a nightmare.

"Maya, don't look so shocked," Marcus said, checking his expensive watch. "You're not that smart. Did you really think someone like me would marry someone like you for love?"

"Someone like me?" I whispered.

"Boring. Predictable. Always covered in flour and talking about Christmas cookies." He wrinkled his nose like I smelled bad. "But your family's money? That’s worth putting up with you for a few months."

I thought about all the times I'd stayed up late baking his favorite cookies. All the times I'd listened to him complain about work and tried to make him feel better. All the times I'd defended him when my parents said he seemed cold.

"The inheritance papers," I said suddenly, remembering. "You kept asking me to sign those inheritance papers early."

"Smart girl," Lisa said sarcastically. "Finally figuring it out?"

"If something happened to me after we got married, Marcus would get everything," I said slowly. The pieces were falling into place, and I didn't like the picture they made.

Marcus's smile got bigger and scarier. "Now you're getting it."

"You were planning to kill me," I whispered.

"Well, not right away," Marcus said easily, like we were talking about the weather. "I thought I'd give it six months. Long enough that no one would be suspicious. Maybe a hiking accident. You love those dangerous trails up by the cliff."

My heart was pounding so hard I thought it might burst. "You're both crazy."

"Crazy rich, once this is all over," Lisa said. "Marcus promised me half of everything. We're going to sell this whole block to developers and move to California."

I had to get out of here. I had to call the cops. I had to

"Going somewhere?" Marcus asked, stepping in front of the door.

"Let me go," I said, trying to sound stronger than I felt.

"I don't think so," he said. "See, here's the thing, Maya. You weren't supposed to come back tonight. You were supposed to stay home, get your beauty sleep, and marry me tomorrow like a good little bride."

"But you did come back," Lisa added. "And now you know too much."

I looked around my shop my safe place, my happy place and realized it had become a trap.

"What are you going to do?" I asked.

Marcus and Lisa looked at each other, and I saw them make some kind of silent understanding.

"We're going for a drive," Marcus said. "All three of us. Up to those beautiful rocks you love so much."

"No," I said, backing away from them. "No, I won't go."

"Yes, you will," Lisa said, and I was shocked to see she was holding something behind her back. When she brought it forward, I saw it was one of my own kitchen knives. The big one I used for cutting wedding cakes.

"Lisa, please," I begged. "We were best friends."

"Were," she agreed. "Past tense."

Marcus grabbed my arm, and his fingers dug in so hard I knew I'd have bruises. If I lived long enough to get bruises.

"Come on, Maya," he said, his voice fake-sweet like when he wanted something from me. "Let's go watch the snow fall. It's Christmas Eve, after all. Such a magical night."

As he dragged me toward the back door, I looked around my damaged bakery one last time. The wedding cake on the floor looked like a crime scene.

And I understood that tomorrow, it might be.

But what I didn't know what I couldn't possibly know as Marcus shoved me into his car and Lisa got in after me with that knife still in her hand was that this Christmas Eve was going to change everything.

Not just my life.

My entire life.

Because sometimes, when you're about to lose everything, the world gives you something impossible.

Sometimes, it gives you a second chance.