Chapter 90As soon as they stepped through the open gates, the music seemed to double in volume, the deep bass vibrating through the air. The place was already packed, with people scattered across the front yard, laughing, drinking, and dancing. The energy was highâthis was clearly the party of the weekend. Like the whole school was invited Sohpia hoped she wouldn't come across someone like Katrina or even worse ryan"Damn," Olivia muttered as she took in the crowd. "The person throwing this really didnât hold back."Mia grinned. "I told you. Looks like The guy goes all out." Just as his girlfriend always bragged Sophia glanced around, already feeling slightly out of place. Parties werenât exactly her thing, and the sheer number of people was a little overwhelming. They were all putting on expensive jewelry, carrying the biggest of phones they were clearly the wealthy type but she was not going to be swayed. She adjusted her dress slightly, trying to shake off the discomfort."Alrig
Chapter 91She really didnât want to run into him tonight. It wasnât like she had done anything wrongâshe had just turned down seeing him today, and that wasnât a crime, she felt bad for that. But if he saw her here, at a party, after telling him she was staying in? Yeah. That was going to be awkward and it sound be very dishonest on her part She could already imagine the teasing.Oh, I thought you were studying, Sophia?And worse, she wasnât sure how she would explain it. She had planned to stay in, but Olivia and Mia had been too persistent. And maybeâjust maybeâshe had wanted a break after all.But none of that mattered right now. What mattered was avoiding Ryan at all costs."Hey, are you okay?" Olivia asked, noticing Sophiaâs silence.Sophia quickly forced a smile. "Yeah! Just, uh, just checking something on my phone."Olivia nodded, clearly not suspicious. "You sure you donât want to dance?""Positive," Sophia said quickly. "You guys go ahead.""Okay, suit yourself!" Olivia sh
Chapter 1: The AnniversarySophia hummed a soft tune as she parked her car in the driveway, her hand instinctively going to her swollen belly. She looked over at the bags of groceries and gifts that lined the passenger seat. Today was her and Ryan's fifth wedding anniversary, and despite the growing discomfort of the pregnancy, she wanted everything to be perfect.The sweet fragrance of fresh flowers filled the air as Sophia stepped inside their cozy home, struggling to balance the bags. She placed them on the counter and admired the small setup she had planned: a bouquet of white roses, Ryan's favorite cake, and a heartfelt handwritten card she had poured her soul into.She rubbed her belly gently. "Your dad's going to love this," she whispered, smiling.But in that instant, her calm was broken at the sound of heavy footsteps approaching. Ryan literally stormed into the kitchen, his face twisted with rage. He had a photo clutched in his hands, and his knuckles were white from the gri
Chapter 2: A Dangerous Choice"Your wife is in critical condition. She suffered severe trauma to her abdomen, and her injuries have put both her life and the baby's at significant risk. We need to act quickly, butâŠ" He paused, his expression heavy. "You'll have to decide. We can only prioritize saving oneâSophia or the baby.The enormity of the decision slammed down on Ryan, shutting his mind off for a while. His lips moved but said nothing. Before he had even begun to sort his brain out, Eleanor surged forward, voice firm and steady."Save the baby," she told the doctor without turning an inch in her direction. "That child is this family's future. That counts.""Mother, shut up!" Ryan finally snapped, anger blowing up inside him. "I decide.Eleanor turned to him, her eyes narrowing. "Decide wisely, Ryan. That woman has already caused enough harm. Do you really think she's worth more than your own child?"Ryan clenched his fists, the weight of his mother's words pressing down on him.
Chapter 3: AGONYSophia froze, her heart sinking as she recognized Ryan's voice. She turned slowly, her tear-streaked face looking up at him."Ryan," she began, her voice shaking. "He's your son."Ryan's face twisted in rage as he threw forged paternity results at her feet. "Don't you dare lie to me, Sophia!" he yelled. "Lana showed me the proof. You're disgusting. Carrying another man's child and pretending it's mine?"Before Sophia could utter a word, Lana stepped forward, her expression perfectly masked with pity. "I never thought you'd stoop this low, Sophia," she said, her voice dripping with false sympathy.Grief became fury in an instant. "I know you did this, Lana!" she screamed, rising from her seat. "You forged those results. You're trying to destroy my life!"Lana scoffed, moving closer to Ryan. "Ryan, you see how delusional she is? She's trying to blame me for her mistakes."Ryan stared up at Sophia with boiling anger. "Enough of your lies, Sophia! You disgust me!"Before
Chapter 4 "What more do you want from me, Ryan? You and Lana already conspired to take everything from me," Sophia said as she dropped the bag to the floor in a fit of rage. "You made your decision already. You want me out, and I'll leave." "But Sophia, I don't want to leave you like this. Not like I care anyway, but you have nothing. I want you out of my life, but that doesn't mean I will be heartless about it," Ryan said to her. Lana stood closely behind, wondering why Ryan was suddenly indecisive about letting her go. Some part of her couldn't help but think Ryan still had a soft spot for Sophia, even despite all her efforts. She walked forward toward the arguing couple and decided to chime in, faking affection as usual. "I know things have gone bad, Sophia, but listen to Ryan. He is only looking out for you," Lana said to her. "Oh, don't you dare, Lana! Don't you start with the fake emotional nonsense, acting like you care!" Sophia snapped at Lana in a fit of rage. "Yo
Chapter 5"From the way this is quite much, I am sure the story behind it must be equally as much also, so begin talking, my sweet cousin," Sophia said immediately as they stepped away from their grandmother into the kitchen.It wasn't much, aside from it being a tardy compartment; it was just a separate room as cooking had to be done somewhere else to avoid any sort of fire outbreak. Still, they managed to make it work, just like they managed to do with everything. The kitchen had two gas stoves and some pots. It was all they needed, and they were satisfied with it."So come on now, cousin, start talking," Sophia pressed Justine further."Why are you in such a hurry to let me tell you everything? At least let us light up the stove first and begin cooking," Justine said to her, being hesitant.Sophia hurriedly grabbed the lighter, set the stove along with a pot and water, then turned to her cousin. "Now spill the beans.""Alright, tiger, you might want to slow down and reserve the ene
Chapter 6 "What's with all the yelling?" Justine said as she stretched from her bed and walked toward the bathroom. Her cousin came out of it, visibly upset. "There's no water, Justine! I can't believe this. My whole day is ruined. I knew I was going to mess it up. It sounded too good to be true anyway." Tears began to drop from Sophia's eyes. "Hey, stop this nonsense," her cousin snapped at her. "It's just water, not the end of the world." Sophia sniffled. "But how can Iâ" "I have a little trick," Justine interrupted, holding up a bottle of lotion and body wash. "Take this lotion and wash, apply it around your body like you're bathing. Itâll leave you smelling like flowers. You really need to learn to improvise for times like this, my dear Sophia. Now hurry up and do this; we donât have all day!" Sophia reluctantly grabbed the lotion and wash from her cousin and walked back into the bathroom. Pouring the mixture into her hands, she began rubbing it around her body as fast
Chapter 91She really didnât want to run into him tonight. It wasnât like she had done anything wrongâshe had just turned down seeing him today, and that wasnât a crime, she felt bad for that. But if he saw her here, at a party, after telling him she was staying in? Yeah. That was going to be awkward and it sound be very dishonest on her part She could already imagine the teasing.Oh, I thought you were studying, Sophia?And worse, she wasnât sure how she would explain it. She had planned to stay in, but Olivia and Mia had been too persistent. And maybeâjust maybeâshe had wanted a break after all.But none of that mattered right now. What mattered was avoiding Ryan at all costs."Hey, are you okay?" Olivia asked, noticing Sophiaâs silence.Sophia quickly forced a smile. "Yeah! Just, uh, just checking something on my phone."Olivia nodded, clearly not suspicious. "You sure you donât want to dance?""Positive," Sophia said quickly. "You guys go ahead.""Okay, suit yourself!" Olivia sh
Chapter 90As soon as they stepped through the open gates, the music seemed to double in volume, the deep bass vibrating through the air. The place was already packed, with people scattered across the front yard, laughing, drinking, and dancing. The energy was highâthis was clearly the party of the weekend. Like the whole school was invited Sohpia hoped she wouldn't come across someone like Katrina or even worse ryan"Damn," Olivia muttered as she took in the crowd. "The person throwing this really didnât hold back."Mia grinned. "I told you. Looks like The guy goes all out." Just as his girlfriend always bragged Sophia glanced around, already feeling slightly out of place. Parties werenât exactly her thing, and the sheer number of people was a little overwhelming. They were all putting on expensive jewelry, carrying the biggest of phones they were clearly the wealthy type but she was not going to be swayed. She adjusted her dress slightly, trying to shake off the discomfort."Alrig
Chapter 89As soon as the ride pulled up outside their dorm, Sophia, Mia, and Olivia went downstairs and piled into the backseat, squeezing in together. The energy in the car was already electric, and Mia was practically bouncing in her seat with excitement."This is going to be so fun," she said, clapping her hands together. "I can't believe this is, like, our first official girlsâ night out!"Olivia, who was sitting on the other side of Sophia, grinned as she pulled out her phone. "Alright, come on, girls, we have to take a picture before we get too distracted."Sophia groaned but leaned in anyway, knowing there was no escaping it. Olivia switched to selfie mode, angling the camera so all three of them could fit into the frame."Okay, everybody do something cute," Olivia instructed.Mia instantly threw up a peace sign, Sophia gave a reluctant but amused smile, and Olivia pursed her lips playfully before snapping a few pictures."Let me see," Mia said, leaning over Oliviaâs shoulder
Chapter 88The ride to Zachâs place was mostly quiet, save for the occasional song playing from Ryanâs playlist. Lana sat in the passenger seat, her legs propped up on the dashboard as she absentmindedly scrolled through her phone. The party wasnât starting for a few more hours, but since Zach was one of Ryanâs oldest friendsâdespite their historyâhe figured it would be easier to arrive early and get settled in before the place got too crowded. Lana, on the other hand, had her own reasons for tagging along early. She had packed her party outfit in a bag, planning to change at Zachâs instead of getting dressed at home. There was no way she was going to sit through an entire car ride in a tight dress and heels. She wanted to look perfect for it , and for Ryan also , she figured since he would be without a companion there, she could be like his plus one and she sure as hell wanted to look good for it As they pulled into Zachâs driveway, Ryan took a deep breath. He didnât particularly
Chapter 87Justine shrugged, pretending to be indifferent even though her heart was hammering. âWell, yeah. I mean⊠was it weird for you?âMattâs smirk deepened, his expression softening. âWeird?â he repeated. âNot even a little.âHer stomach flipped at the certainty in his voice.He tilted his head slightly, studying her with that same unreadable intensity. âWhat about you, how did it feel to you ?âShe held his gaze, her lips curving into a small smile. âNot weird at all,it felt good if I am Being honest,â she admitted.Something shifted between them at that moment. The tension that had hung heavy in the air now turned into something elseâsomething warmer, more electric.Matt leaned forward slightly, his voice lower now. âSo⊠does that mean you liked it?âJustine felt heat on her neck, but she refused to look away. âI did.â She hesitated, then, with a small laugh, added, âDo you Want to do it again?âMatt exhaled a soft chuckle, shaking his head in amusement. âAre you sure about wha
Chapter 86Eleanor Walsh sat in the guest room, her hands folded in her lap, staring blankly at the window. It was almost midday and the sun was still out , but it did little to warm the kind of feeling inside her. She had been avoiding David since yesterdayâs disastrous meeting, knowing full well that if they spoke, it would turn into a full-blown argument.She could still hear his voice from the boardroom, practically spitting in rage when she shut down the deal. âDo you even understand what youâve done?â he had asked through clenched teeth as the investors left, their expressions unreadable.Yes, she understood perfectly. She had stopped him from making what she believed to be a huge mistake.David had been so furious that he hadn't even ridden home with her. Instead, he had taken a private car somewhereâshe had no idea where, nor did she care to ask. It didn't matter to her at that moment. When he finally returned home, it was well past midnight. He had walked into their bedroom w
Chapter 85It wasnât until close to noon that Sophia and her friendsâ order finally arrived. By that time, Olivia had complained no less than ten times about how hungry she was, dramatically falling onto the bed and groaning every few minutes.âI swear, if that food doesnât get here in the next five minutes, I might actually pass out,â Olivia whined, rolling onto her stomach and burying her face in her pillow.Mia snorted. âRelax, Liv. You act like you havenât eaten in days.ââI might as well have! You donât get itâI woke up starving, and Sophiaâs generosity is the only thing keeping me alive right now,â Olivia said, turning to Sophia with puppy-dog eyes. âThank you, by the way. I will never forget this.âSophia chuckled, shaking her head. âYouâre so dramatic. Itâs just breakfast.ââNo, itâs the breakfast,â Olivia corrected. âThe one that will bring me back to life.âAs if on cue, a knock sounded at the door, making all three girls pause for a second before Olivia sat up on the bed.â
Chapter 84A short while later, Justine stepped out and Matt led her to his car. She was trying so hard to ignore the fact that she was very nervous . He opened the door gently for her and she stepped in. They drove in comfortable silence, the radio playing a soft tune. The drive was a quiet one.Soon they arrived at his apartment, she wasnât sure what she expected, but his place was surprisingly⊠homey. It wasnât overly fancy, just warm and inviting. Like a bachelor wealthy enough to put up such a set up âMake yourself comfortable,â Matt said, setting the pizza and wine down on the coffee table.She sat on the couch, hugging a throw pillow as he grabbed two glasses and poured the wine. I don't know if I should say thank you for inviting me over but let's begin then "So, what movie are we watching?" she asked, accepting her glass.Matt smirked. "That dependsâare you a rom-com kind of girl, or do you secretly enjoy thrillers?""Thrillers, obviously," she said without hesitat
Chapter 83Lana nodded, keeping her face neutral. âSounds fun and you kind of look happyâRyan narrowed his eyes at her. âThatâs it? I thought you were going to drag me or at least drop one of your sarcastic remarks Lana shrugged, looking out the window. âWhat do you want me to say, Ryan? Youâre clearly into her.âRyan tilted his head. Something about her tone made him pause, but he brushed it off. âYeah, I guess I am. Sheâs different, you know?âLana forced a small smile. âIs it different?âRyan nodded. âYeah. But she turned me down today when I asked her to meet up.âLana raised an eyebrow. âOuch,that must hurt your ego.âRyan sighed. âYeah, but she said she had to catch up on notes, so itâs not that deep.âLana scoffed. âRyan, you have to start reading between the lines. Girls donât always say what they mean.âRyan smirked. âOh? And what exactly do you mean when you say youâre ânot into anyoneâ?âLana froze for half a second before rolling her eyes. âOh, shut up.ââNo, seriously.