CHAPTER 3: MALL ENCOUNTER

"I mean, she has no standards and is classless," Sophia sneered, her voice loud enough to draw attention from nearby shoppers.

My fingers curled around the mannequin’s waist, gripping it to keep myself from shaking. The boutique was packed, and now, thanks to her, I had become the center of attention.

Kenneth stood beside her, looking amused, his arms crossed over his chest. His expensive watch gleamed under the store lights.

I wanted to tell her to shut up, to wipe that smug look off her face, but I knew the rules. Customers were always right.

So, I stayed silent.

Sophia smirked, taking my silence as weakness. "Honestly, Kenneth, it’s shocking that you ever dated her. What did you even see in her?"

Kenneth chuckled. "A temporary distraction."

A sharp pain stabbed at my chest, but I refused to show it.

A murmur spread through the store as other customers watched, whispering behind their hands. I could feel their eyes on me—some sympathetic, others entertained.

Sophia leaned in, her voice dripping with mockery. "Do you know what’s even funnier? The house she worked so hard for is gone, just like that. And for what? A measly fifty thousand dollars. That’s barely enough to buy a decent handbag."

I snapped my head toward Kenneth, disbelief tightening my throat. "Fifty thousand dollars? That house was worth four times that!"

Kenneth shrugged, his expression cold. "I didn’t need it. Just took what I could get. Consider it a contribution to my wedding."

Something inside me cracked.

A contribution to your wedding? Huh?

Three years. Three years of blood, sweat, and sacrifice to secure a decent home for our future—reduced to pocket change.

"Ken, I bought that house for two hundred thousand dollars!" I screamed as tears began to stream down my face.

I stared at him, at the man I had once loved, and saw nothing but a stranger.

Sophia laughed softly, stepping even closer. "Just two hundred thousand dollars? And you’re screaming?" she mocked.

With teary eyes, I turned to her. "Do you know what I did for Ken? I worked dusk till dawn to make sure he succeeded, and now he’s treating me like trash. I bought that house so that as soon as he graduated, we could get married and live like one big family."

She scoffed. "Only a fool spends her hard-earned money on a man. You should’ve known better, Ivana."

Her perfume was sickly sweet, making my stomach turn. My body trembled, filled with rage and sadness.

I gritted my teeth. "And what does that make you? Oh, you’re happy I groomed a man for you to snatch in the blink of an eye?"

Sophia’s smirk vanished, and her eyes darkened. In an instant, her hand flew across my face.

A sharp sting bloomed across my cheek as gasps erupted from the crowd.

"You don’t get to talk to me that way," she spat, tossing her hair over her shoulder.

My vision blurred—not from tears, but from sheer fury.

"Enough!"

The sharp voice of my manager, Ms. Laurel, cut through the tension like a knife.

Finally.

I turned, expecting her to tell them off, to throw them out, to remind them that this was a place of business, not a playground for their cruelty.

But instead, she looked at me.

"Is this how you represent our boutique, Ivana?" she snapped. "Arguing with customers? Fighting in front of the crowd?"

I froze. "What?"

Ms. Laurel exhaled, exasperated. "I don’t care what happened between you three outside this store. But in here? You are an employee. They are customers."

"And do you know who this is?" she added.

"This is Sophia Montgomery, heiress to the Montgomery Empire."

Sophia smirked, folding her arms. Kenneth simply looked bored.

I clenched my fists. "You heard what they said to me. You saw what she did."

"And so what?" Ms. Laurel scoffed. "Low-class people like you don’t have the right to speak. Even if the high-class spit on your face, you should be grateful."

Her words stung like a blade to the heart.

Ms. Laurel ignored me and turned to them with a warm, apologetic smile. "I’m so sorry for the inconvenience. Let me personally assist you in finding whatever you need for your wedding."

The air was sucked out of my lungs.

Sophia shot me a triumphant look before linking her arm through Ms. Laurel’s. "Thank you. I was beginning to think this store had terrible service."

They walked away together, Ms. Laurel chatting with them like old friends.

And just like that, I was left standing alone.

I felt like I had been stripped bare in front of everyone. The humiliation burned into my skin, seeping into my bones.

I was nothing to them. Not a person. Not a woman with feelings. Just an employee who needed to shut up and do her job.

A bitter laugh bubbled up in my throat.

Kenneth and Sophia had taken my years, my money, my dignity.

And now, even my job had turned against me.

I looked around at the customers still staring, at my coworkers pretending not to see.

Enough.

I tore off my work apron, tossed it onto the counter, and grabbed my bag.

I walked out without a word.

The cold air slapped against my face as I stepped onto the busy street.

I barely made it two blocks before my legs gave out. I collapsed onto a bench, my head dropping into my hands.

A deep, ragged breath filled my lungs.

I couldn’t do this anymore.

I had given everything to a man who never loved me. I had fought for a place in a life that had no room for me.

And now, I had nothing.

Or at least, that’s what they wanted me to believe.

Slowly, I sat up, my fingers curling around my phone.

Kenneth thought I was weak. He thought I would break.

Sophia thought I was pathetic.

Ms. Laurel thought I was replaceable.

But they were all wrong.

A name flashed through my mind.

Josh.

I pulled his card from my purse, running my fingers over the crisp edges.

His words from the previous day echoed in my head.

"When ever you're ready , call me."

I stared at the card for a long time, my heart pounding.

What was I doing?

Willing to go on a marriage contract with a stranger?

"Isn't this selling myself?" I thought to myself 

No.

This isn't about selling myself, I murmured 

This was about survival.

Kenneth had torn me apart piece by piece, and I had let him.

Now, it was time to take something back.

I inhaled sharply, bracing myself.

Then, with steady hands, I dialed the number.

It rang once.

Twice.

Then, a deep, smooth voice answered.

"Josh speaking."

I swallowed hard, gripping my phone tighter.

"It’s Ivana," I said.