CHARLES FREAKING BROWN

SOPHIE'S POV

What are the odds? Charles Brown, the man who had crushed my heart into pieces, the one I thought I’d never have to see again, was going to be on the same boat cruise as me. For two weeks. Two weeks of being trapped on the water with my ex, the ex who had left me in the worst way possible.

My dream cruise will be a nightmare with him in it.

I felt like my stomach dropped the moment I found out. . Jane has said it so casually, like she had no idea what it would do to me: well she didn't . Charles Brown! That was it. No warning. No easing me into it. Just... him. On my dream boat cruise

And why now? I’d been looking forward to this trip the moment Robert broke the good news to me. Preparing my mind, imagining things, counting down the days. It was supposed to be about freedom, about leaving all the crap behind, about being in peace. But now? Now it felt like I was walking right back into the fire.

Charles freaking Brown!!

The man was a master of disguise. Handsome, charming as hell, with that stupid, easy smile that could convince anyone he was the nicest guy in the room. And maybe I fell for it because I was young and stupid, too in love with the idea of him to see what was really going on. But now I knew better. Oh, I knew a lot better.

He was never about me, not really. Sure, he’d say all the right things. Call me beautiful, stroke my hair, tell me how lucky he was. But that wasn’t love. No, it was more like strategy. Like he saw me and thought, How can I use her to get ahead?

And I let him. I let him use me.

I never wanted to admit it back then. I thought we were just going through a rough patch. He kept saying we were building something, trying to “be better.” Be better my ass. What he really meant was: help me get what I want, Sophia, and don’t make a fuss about it.

I could still see it so clearly. All those fancy parties we went to, the events with people who mattered. I never liked going, never felt comfortable being stared at like I was some kind of prize. But Charles? He thrived in those places. He’d stand there, arm around my waist, introducing me like I was some trophy.

This is Sophia, he’d say, like they hadn’t noticed me the second I walked in. I knew what I looked like. I wasn’t stupid. My long, dark hair, my curves, and the way my skin seemed to glow no matter how much I tried to hide it. People noticed. Men noticed. And Charles used that, every single time.

God, Sophia, you’re so beautiful. He’d always start with that. And at first, it felt good. Who wouldn’t want to hear that? But then I started noticing the way his eyes flickered around the room after he said it. Like he wasn’t saying it because he meant it, but because he wanted someone else to hear. To see me with him. It wasn’t about me at all. It was about what I could do for him.

And I went along with it. Because I loved him.

What a joke.

I did things for him I never wanted to do. Wore clothes that made me feel uncomfortable because he liked how they looked on me. I’d smile and laugh at all the right moments, even when I felt out of place. I wanted us to “be better.” That’s what he kept telling me. We’re gonna make it, Sophia. We just need to push through this.

But what he really meant was I need you to help me get where I’m going. Once I’m there, you won’t matter.

And he did it. He got what he wanted, his connections, his recognition. People started knowing his name, and the moment he had it all lined up—he planned to leave me behind without so much as a word.

I found out the worst way imaginable. It wasn’t even from him. He was too much of a coward for that. I overheard his little plans while he was on the phone. One of those late-night calls he thought I wasn’t listening to. He was leaving. Moving to some other town. No goodbye, no explanations. He’d just leave me in the dust.

I can still remember that night. I don’t think I’d ever been that angry in my life. It wasn’t just the betrayal. It was the fact that I had been so damn blind. How could I have been so stupid? He was never planning on staying with me. Never cared. All those nights I spent worrying about us, about him, while he was off planning his escape.

I’d confronted him, of course. Threw it all in his face. He tried to lie, tried to backtrack. You don’t understand, Sophia. It’s complicated.

Yeah. Real complicated, you bastard.

The breakup was ugly. It hurt. And I hated him for it. I hated him for making me feel like I wasn’t enough, like I was just some stepping stone for him to get where he wanted. But eventually, I moved on. Or at least, I thought I had.

Until now.

Now I was stuck with the knowledge that I’d be spending two weeks on a boat with him. A boat I couldn’t just get off if things got awkward. And knowing Charles, things would get awkward. He wasn’t the type to just let things lie. No, he’d come up to me with that smirk of his, pretending like everything was cool, like we were friends or something. Like he hadn’t broken me.

I sighed, running a hand through my hair. God, why did this have to happen now? Of all the times for him to show up, it had to be during my cruise. This was supposed to be my escape, my time to finally relax. And now it was turning into a twisted version of hell.

What was I going to do? I couldn’t just cancel. I’d been planning this for months. But how was I supposed to handle seeing him every day, knowing what he’d done? Knowing how he made me feel? Maybe I’d just avoid him. Stay in my room. Hang out with Robert. Act like he didn’t exist.

Yeah, right. Like I could pretend Charles Brown didn’t exist.

I knew better than that. He’d find me. He always did.

I bit my lip, trying to push down the rising sense of panic. This was supposed to be my time. I wasn’t going to let him ruin it. No way. He wasn’t worth it. He never was.

But still... two weeks with Charles. Two weeks of wondering what he was thinking, what he was planning. And knowing him, there was always a plan.

What was he really doing here?