Chapter Thirteen: Slap

Sophia's POV

For several seconds, nobody moved. Nobody spoke. The entire boutique stood frozen after Ethan's shocking declaration.

"I'm not gay!"

The words echoed through the room. Wyatt blinked. Then blinked again. His brows slowly furrowed as if he genuinely thought he had misheard.

"What did he just say?" Wyatt asked.

I sighed heavily. "You heard him correctly."

The moment the words left my mouth, chaos erupted.

"ELEANOR, DON'T—"

Too late. Like a woman who had escaped from a psychiatric hospital, Eleanor launched herself across the boutique. One second she was standing beside Wyatt.

The next, she was flying toward Ethan.

SLAP!

The sound echoed through the room.

Gasps erupted everywhere. Before Ethan could even react—

SLAP!

Another one landed. Harder. His head snapped sideways.

"Eleanor!" I shouted.

She ignored me completely.

"You lying piece of garbage!" she yelled.

Another slap followed. Several customers immediately pulled out their phones. Others rushed backward to avoid getting caught in the crossfire. The boutique manager looked seconds away from having a heart attack.

"Eleanor!" I called again.

Nothing. She was beyond reason. At that point, I turned toward Wyatt.

"Help her!"

Instead of helping, Wyatt calmly loosened his tie. Then his eyes landed on Mark. Mark immediately took a step backward. A very smart decision. Unfortunately, it wasn't smart enough.

"I don't usually do this," Wyatt said calmly.

Then he punched him. The impact was terrifying. Mark stumbled backward and crashed into a clothing rack. Several dresses fell to the floor. The entire boutique exploded into complete chaos.

Customers screamed. Employees panicked. Security guards rushed forward.

Someone knocked over a display table.

One woman shouted that she wanted a refund despite having absolutely nothing to do with the situation. Another customer was recording everything. The boutique had transformed into a marketplace. A very expensive marketplace.

Five minutes later, security finally managed to separate everyone. Twenty minutes later, all of us were sitting inside a police station. Honestly? I was exhausted.

The police officer handling our case looked even worse. The poor man stared at us with the expression of someone questioning every life decision that had brought him to this moment.

His eyes moved from Ethan's swollen face to Mark's bruised cheek. Then to Eleanor.

Then Wyatt. Then me. Then back to Ethan. The officer sighed heavily. It was the kind of sigh that came from deep within the soul. The kind of sigh produced by years of disappointment.

"I should have stayed home today," he muttered.

Nobody disagreed. The station remained filled with arguments. Mark blamed Wyatt.

Wyatt blamed Mark. Eleanor blamed Ethan. Ethan blamed nobody. I simply wanted to leave.

The officer rubbed his temples. "One person at a time."

Nobody listened. The arguments continued. Eventually, the officer slammed a file against his desk. The loud noise immediately silenced everyone.

"Enough!"

The station became quiet. For the first time since arriving, Ethan finally spoke. Ironically, it wasn't to defend himself. It wasn't to explain anything. It wasn't even to argue.

The officer pointed toward his swollen face. "Do you want to press charges?"

Everyone looked at Ethan. A long silence followed.

Then Ethan slowly shook his head. "No."

The officer looked surprised. "You don't want to press charges?"

"No."

Eleanor folded her arms. "Good."

The officer ignored her. He turned toward Ethan again. "Are you certain?"

"Yes."

For a brief moment, I almost felt sorry for him. Almost. Then Ethan looked at me.

That familiar look appeared in his eyes.

The same look that used to make me forgive him. The same look that once made me believe he loved me.

"Sophia..."

I immediately looked away. No. Not anymore. He lost that privilege.

"Sophia is my fiancée."

The words hit me like ice water. Silence followed. I slowly turned toward him. My stomach twisted. My fiancée? After everything? After the lies? After the betrayal? After humiliating me? He still had the audacity to call me that?

I opened my mouth. But Eleanor reacted first.

"YOUR WHAT?"

The officer visibly flinched. Eleanor shot up from her chair. Her expression looked murderous.

"I'm going to kill him."

"No, you're not," Wyatt replied calmly.

"Yes, I am."

"No."

"Move."

"No."

"Ethan, say that again."

Ethan remained silent.

"Please say it again," Eleanor continued. "I dare you."

The officer immediately stood. "Ma'am—"

"He called her his fiancée!"

The officer sighed. "I heard him."

"Then arrest him for being stupid."

A few officers nearby laughed. The officer handling our case didn't. His soul had already left his body. Before Eleanor could launch another attack, Wyatt gently grabbed her wrist. Instantly. Firmly. The same way someone would stop a child from touching fire.

"Eleanor."

"What?"

"We want to go home today."

She frowned. "I know."

"If you attack him again, we'll be here another hour."

Eleanor looked genuinely offended. "Only an hour?"

Wyatt stared at her. She smiled. He wasn't amused. Finally, after another thirty minutes of paperwork and explanations, the officer released everyone with a warning.

The moment we stepped outside, fresh air hit my face. I felt lighter. Free. Like I could finally breathe again. Mark disappeared immediately. Ethan lingered. His eyes found mine once more. There was regret there. Pain too. Maybe even guilt. But none of it mattered anymore. Whatever we once had was gone. Destroyed beyond repair. Eventually, he left as well. Leaving only me, Eleanor, and Wyatt standing in the parking lot. For several moments, nobody spoke.

Then Eleanor suddenly wrapped her arms around me. "You okay?"

I nodded. Not entirely. But better. Much better.

Wyatt smiled softly. "You survived."

"Barely." Eleanor laughed.

The sound felt comforting. Normal. Exactly what I needed.

"So," she said. "What now?"

The question hit harder than expected.

What now? I had no family. No fiancé. No home. No idea what came next. For a brief moment, sadness crept into my chest.

Before I could answer, Eleanor grabbed my hand.

"Come on."

"What?"

"Get in the car."

I blinked. "Why?"

"Because you're coming with us."

I looked at Wyatt. He simply nodded.

"As if we're letting you stay alone."

Emotion tightened my throat. "You don't have to do that."

"We know."

Eleanor opened the passenger door. "But we're doing it anyway."

For the first time in days, tears burned behind my eyes for a good reason. Not heartbreak. Not betrayal. Not humiliation.

Friendship. Love. Support. The kind that expected nothing in return.

I climbed into the car. The drive home felt surprisingly peaceful. We talked about everything and nothing. The boutique disaster. School memories. Old teachers. Life. Eventually, the conversation shifted.

"So," Eleanor said. "Tomorrow is your first day."

My face immediately brightened. A smile appeared before I could stop it. My dream job. Blackwood Enterprises. After everything that had happened recently, it felt good to focus on something positive.

Something that belonged to me.

"I'm nervous."

"You'll be amazing," Wyatt said. "You earned that position."

I smiled. For the first time in what felt like forever, excitement replaced fear. As the city lights passed outside the window, Eleanor reached over and squeezed my hand.

"By the way," she said casually. "You live with us now."

I laughed. "What?"

"You heard me."

I looked between both of them. Neither was joking.

Then Eleanor grinned. "And you'll help take care of the twins."

I stared at her. "The twins?"

"Exactly."

Wyatt chuckled. "You've officially been recruited."

A warm feeling settled inside my chest. Maybe my life had fallen apart. Maybe everything I once believed in had shattered. But perhaps that wasn't the end. Maybe it was the beginning of something better. Tomorrow I will start over.