Saturday morning arrived with the sort of quiet optimism that could only exist before Cassie Howard inevitably turned it into chaos. Suze Howard had decided that it was a "church kind of day," which meant dragging both her daughters to the First United Congregational Church of East Highland. Cassie was less than thrilled, but she figured a morning in church was a small price to pay to avoid another Suze meltdown.

Lexi, always the quiet observer, sat in the backseat of the car with her AirPods in, occasionally glancing out the window. Cassie sat up front, staring out at the suburban streets as they rolled by, her thoughts elsewhere. Specifically, she was thinking about how to get her life back on track after the Xin disaster. The last thing she needed was another scandal.

When they arrived at the church, the towering white steeple and pristine landscaping seemed almost mocking in their perfection. Cassie adjusted her sundress as she stepped out of the car, trailing behind her mom and Lexi into the building.

The interior was bright and airy, with sunlight streaming through the stained glass windows. The congregation buzzed with polite chatter as everyone found their seats. Cassie plopped down in a pew between her mom and Lexi, already zoning out as Suze exchanged pleasantries with the other churchgoers.

And then, he walked in.

Warren Thompson, the church's newly appointed youth pastor, was everything Cassie didn't expect. Tall, handsome, with a clean-shaven face and a smile that could melt even the iciest of hearts. He wore a crisp white button-up and slacks, his every move exuding confidence and charm.

Cassie straightened up, her interest piqued. "Who's that?" she whispered to Lexi.

Lexi didn't even look up from her phone. "Pastor Warren. He's, like, 26 or something. Pretty sure Mom already asked him if he's single."

Cassie smirked. "He's cute."

"He's also a pastor," Lexi said dryly, finally glancing at her sister. "Try not to embarrass yourself."

Cassie rolled her eyes. "Relax. It's not like I'm going to hit on him in the middle of church."


But of course, Cassie being Cassie, things didn't stay that simple. After the service ended, Suze made a beeline for Pastor Warren, dragging both of her daughters along with her.

"Pastor Warren!" Suze exclaimed, her voice bright and overly familiar. "That was such a wonderful sermon. Just beautiful."

Warren turned, his smile warm and genuine. "Thank you, Mrs. Howard. I'm glad you enjoyed it."

Suze nudged Cassie forward. "This is my eldest, Cassie. She's been going through… well, let's just say she could really benefit from some spiritual guidance."

Cassie shot her mom a glare. "Nice to meet you, Pastor Warren," she said, her tone polite but tinged with embarrassment.

"The pleasure's mine," Warren said, shaking her hand. His eyes lingered on hers for a moment too long, and Cassie felt her cheeks heat up.

Lexi, watching the exchange, muttered under her breath, "Oh, this is going to end badly."


As the weeks went by, Cassie found herself attending church more frequently than ever before. She convinced herself it was for "personal growth," but the truth was, she couldn't stop thinking about Warren. They'd struck up casual conversations after services, and he'd even complimented her on her commitment to attending.

It was all going well—too well.


One Saturday evening, Cassie arrived early for a church social event, hoping to snag a few minutes of Warren's time. She was standing near the refreshments table, adjusting her dress nervously, when she saw him.

But he wasn't alone.

Standing next to him, laughing at something he'd just said, was none other than Maddy Perez.

Cassie's stomach dropped. Her first instinct was to tell herself she was imagining things. There's no way. There's no way Maddy knows him.

But then Maddy turned, her eyes locking onto Cassie's. For a split second, there was surprise on her face, quickly replaced by a smug, knowing smile.

Maddy looped her arm through Warren's, leaning into him in a way that could only be described as territorial. "Cassie," she said sweetly, her voice dripping with mock surprise. "What are you doing here?"

"I—uh—" Cassie stammered, her mind racing. "I didn't know you came here."

"Oh, I don't," Maddy said casually, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. "I'm just here with Warren. He's my boyfriend."

Cassie's heart sank. "Your… boyfriend?"

"Yeah," Maddy said, her smile widening. "We've been together for a few months now. Isn't that right, babe?"

Warren nodded, his smile faltering slightly as he glanced between the two girls. "Uh, yeah. That's right."

Cassie felt like the ground had just been pulled out from under her. She forced a smile, her voice trembling as she said, "Well, that's… great. I didn't know."

Maddy tilted her head, feigning concern. "Oh, sweetie, I hope this doesn't make things awkward for you. I know you've been spending so much time here lately. I'd hate for you to feel uncomfortable."

Cassie's fists clenched at her sides. She wanted to scream, to cry, to run away—but instead, she just nodded. "No, it's fine. Totally fine."

"Good," Maddy said, flashing her a dazzling smile. "Because I'd hate for you to, you know, accidentally cross any lines again."

Cassie bit her lip, forcing herself to stay calm. "I wouldn't dream of it."


Later that night, Cassie sat in her room, staring at the ceiling. She felt humiliated, defeated, and, worst of all, hopelessly trapped in this endless cycle of bad decisions and worse outcomes.

Lexi poked her head into the room. "So… how'd it go?"

Cassie groaned, throwing a pillow at her. "Don't start."

Lexi smirked, sitting on the edge of the bed. "Let me guess—Maddy won. Again."

Cassie sighed, covering her face with her hands. "I think I need to stop dating altogether."

"That might be a good idea," Lexi said, patting her on the shoulder. "But hey, at least you've got church, right?"

Cassie groaned louder, her voice muffled by the pillow. "I'm never going back there again."

And yet, deep down, she knew that as long as Maddy Perez was in her life, avoiding drama was impossible. Because if there was one thing Cassie Howard excelled at, it was finding herself in the middle of a mess—and Maddy was always there to make it worse.