Chapter 5

The afternoon sun streamed through the windows as I sprawled on the couch, completely absorbed in my favorite drama. Just as the plot thickened, my phone buzzed incessantly—Isabella had bombarded me with messages. Irritated, I tapped on one, only to find the same question repeated over and over.

[Sophia, are you really ending things with Ethan? Does that mean I can go after him now?]

My screen was flooded with her relentless pestering. The irritation coiled in my chest, making my fingers stiff as I typed back.

[Do whatever you want. Why ask me? Am I your keeper?]

Almost instantly, she replied with a tearful emoji. [Sophia, why are you being so cruel to me?]

Exhausted, I didn’t bother responding. With a swift tap, I blocked and deleted her.

Thirty minutes later, Ethan’s call came through, his voice sharp with accusation.

"Sophia, what did you say to Isabella? Why drag her into our mess?"

I blinked, stunned. "What exactly did I say, Ethan?"

He hesitated, as if surprised by my calm. In the past, I would’ve scrambled to explain myself, terrified he’d misunderstand. But what was the point? His mind was already made up—nothing I said would change it.

His tone darkened. "If you didn’t say anything, why would she be sobbing and quitting her job?"

A bitter laugh escaped me. "Ethan, accusations need proof. Her tears are her own drama, and her resignation is her choice. Am I suddenly responsible for her life choices? Should we call the cops to settle this?"

"Sophia, watch your tone with me!" His sudden roar made my ears ring.

I matched his fury, gripping the phone tighter. "Or what? Who do you think you are?"

"Ethan, you mean nothing to me now."

Just as I moved to hang up, his voice turned venomous. "Sophia, do you even hear yourself? You don’t want to get married anymore, is that it?"

Emotional blackmail. Pathetic.

I laughed, the sound jagged. "Ethan, are you deaf? I told you this morning—we’re done. Done. Understand?"

In the background, Isabella’s sniffles cut through. "Ethan, don’t blame Sophia. It’s my fault. If I hadn’t—"

He cut her off, voice softening. "Stop. This isn’t on you. She’s just throwing another tantrum. If she were half as reasonable as you, I wouldn’t be so exhausted."

Disgust churned in my stomach. "Then do us all a favor and block me. Please."

This time, I ended the call and immediately wiped Ethan from my contacts.

When my dad, Benjamin, returned home, he took one look at my stormy expression and dropped onto the couch beside me.

"Sweetheart, who lit the fuse this time?"

I exhaled sharply. "Just some stray mutts yapping during my show."

"Watching TV alone? That’s no fun." His eyes sparkled as he pulled out his phone, typing rapidly.

A sense of foreboding crept over me. "Dad… what are you doing?"

He grinned, nudging me toward the stairs. "Go change. I’ve arranged a little outing for you."

I groaned but obeyed. Ten minutes later, the growl of a motorcycle cut through the quiet, stopping abruptly in our driveway.

"Nathaniel, my boy!" Benjamin called out cheerfully, tugging me toward the door.

Outside, leaning against his bike with effortless ease, was Nathaniel. He shook his dark hair back, sunlight catching the sharp angles of his face, and my breath hitched.

"Sophia," he said, flashing that heart-stopping smile. "Your dad said you wanted to catch a movie. Thought I’d escort you."

I forced a smile.

My dad was relentless. To set me up with Nathaniel, of all people—our charming, infuriatingly handsome neighbor. Didn’t he realize Victoria would skin me alive if she found out?