The End Of a Fairytale

Sophie didn't have to turn to know who it was. Her body had already reacted before her mind could catch up.

It was that same voice that haunted her for over twenty years.

She didn't turn. Not yet. Instead, she looked at Julian. Her heart shattered into a million pieces when she saw the look in his eyes.

She couldn't be mistaken.

After all these years of trying to make him love her, his heart still belonged to someone else.

"Serena..." Julian croaked, his lips quivering and his eyes filled with longing.

Sophie shut her eyes the moment she heard him call her sister's name, her whole body filled with dread as she turned.

Serena stood a few steps away with a wide smile plastered on her face. She looked just as beautiful as Sophie painfully remembered. Composed, elegant, and everything Sophie had been told she could never be.

"Julian," Serena whispered again, locking eyes with Julian. In that moment, Sophie felt like she was nothing but a stumbling block in their love story. A thorn in their perfect lives.

For a moment, she wondered if this was some dream but the way Julian looked at Serena made it impossible to deny reality.

She had spent three years of her married life wanting him to look at her like that even if it was for just a second.

“Sophie…” Serena said softly, turning to Sophia. Her lips curled into a gentle smile. "Aren't you happy to see me...on my feet?"

Sophie's eyes widened. She hadn't taken note of it before, her sister who was declared as paralyzed and even had to run because of it was standing before her...perfectly fine.

"H-how?" She stuttered, now staring at Serena like she was a ghost.

Serena's lips curled into a smirk. "Is that the first thing you say to your sister after all these years?"

Before Sophie could respond, Julian walked past her, shoving her to the side so he could get to Serena.

Sophie watched with a heavy heart as her husband hugged and kissed her sister like he had not been able to live without her all these years.

She could have sworn she saw tears in his eyes.

All this emotion just because he believed he owed Serena his life after she saved him from that accident. Sophie wanted to know if he would feel differently if he found out that he had been wrong all these years, but she said nothing.

He probably wouldn't. The way he looked at Serena told her everything she needed to know.

"Your parents will be so happy to see you," Julian said with a big smile, reaching out to take her into the room.

"Wait." She stopped him. "Go ahead. I'll be right behind you. I want to greet Sophia properly." Serena's smile widened as she turned to Sophie. 

"Alright." Julian hesitated for a second, then nodded and walked into the room, leaving them alone.

Once he was gone, Serena's smile twisted into something darker. She scoffed and began taking slow, calculated steps towards Sophia.

Sophia almost shook her head. She knew Serena was still the same. Evil people rarely. It was easier for the good to break than for the wicked to become better.

"Didn't you miss me, sister?" She murmured, tilting her head slightly.

Sophie let out a quiet breath, steadying herself before she spoke. “What do you want, Serena?” she asked, her tone calm but devoid of warmth.

There was no anger in her voice, no visible resentment. It wasn't a confrontation but an acknowledgement. One that even Serena recognized.

Serena studied her for a moment before closing the remaining distance between them. When she spoke again, her voice dropped just enough that only Sophie could hear her.

“You’ve been living my life for quite a while,” she said calmly, her lips still curved in a faint smile. “Did you enjoy it?”

Sophie's fingers curled slightly at her sides, but her expression remained composed. She was not going to give Serena the reaction she was looking for.

“Everything you have right now,” Serena continued softly, her gaze flicking briefly toward where Julian had been standing before returning to Sophie, “belongs to me.”

A quiet, humorless laugh escaped Sophie’s lips.

“If you came back just to say that,” she replied, her voice steady despite the tension in her chest, “then you wasted your time.” up

She turned slightly, intending to walk away before the situation escalated further. She didn’t trust herself to stay any longer without breaking, and she refused to let Serena see that. She had also known Serena long enough to know that being alone with her never ended well.

But before she could take a step, Serena grabbed her arm, her grip stronger than it needed to be.

Sophie frowned and tried to pull away. "Let me go." She said, her voice low but firm.

Serena didn’t listen.

Instead, she leaned in closer, her lips brushing near Sophie’s ear as she whispered, “It’s over for you.”

Sophie’s chest tightened at the words, and her brows drew together in confusion. “What are you—”

She didn’t get to finish.

In the next second, Serena’s grip loosened, and her body dropped suddenly, collapsing to the floor with a sharp, controlled fall. A soft cry escaped her lips as she clutched her arm, her expression twisting into pain.

For a moment, Sophie simply stared. She hadn’t even touched her.

“Serena!” Julian’s voice rang out as he rushed forward from the door, dropping to his knees beside her without hesitation.

The scene felt painfully familiar.

She couldn't believe Serena had not changed at all!

Julian's reaction was immediate and instinctive, leaving no room for doubt or second thoughts. His hands hovered near Serena as if he was afraid to hurt her, his expression filled with concern that Sophie had never once seen directed at her.

“Are you okay?” he asked, his voice urgent and gentle at the same time.

“I… I’m fine,” Serena replied weakly, though her grip on his sleeve tightened as if she needed his support.

Only then did Julian look up.

His gaze landed on Sophie, and the concern in his eyes vanished instantly, replaced by something cold and unforgiving.

“What the hell is wrong with you?” he snapped.

Sophie blinked, her throat tightening as the words sank in. “I didn’t push her,” she said, her voice quieter now.

“Haven’t you done enough already?” Julian cut in sharply, his tone filled with anger. “Do you have to keep hurting her even now? She just got back, for God's sake! Do you hate her that much?"

Something inside Sophie cracked at that moment.

“I didn’t do anything,” she repeated, but there was no strength behind her words anymore. She sounded tired, like she had said the same thing too many times for it to matter.

Julian wasn’t listening.

He had already turned his attention back to Serena, helping her sit up carefully and supporting her as if she might break at any second. His movements were gentle, his voice soft, and the contrast was enough to make Sophie feel invisible.

“Can you stand?” he asked her quietly.

Serena nodded, leaning into him as he helped her to her feet. She held onto him as though she needed him to stay upright, her fingers curling into his sleeve.

Sophie didn't move. She could only stand there and watch.

The way he held Serena, the way he spoke to her, the way his entire focus remained on her made it painfully clear that nothing had changed. It was as if Sophie had never existed in his world, as if the years they had spent together meant nothing at all.

Julian didn’t look at her again.

Not even once.

“Let’s go,” he said softly.

Serena nodded, but before turning away, she glanced back at Sophie. This time, there was no softness in her expression, no attempt to hide what she truly felt.

There was only quiet satisfaction.

Sophie didn’t move as they walked past her.

Julian’s shoulder brushed against hers slightly, but he didn’t stop or acknowledge her presence. He didn’t hesitate, didn’t even spare her a glance, as though she were nothing more than part of the background.

“Let’s go see your parents,” he said to Serena as they continued down the hallway.

And just like that, he walked away.

Sophie remained where she was, her body completely still as the silence settled around her. The hallway suddenly felt too large, too empty, and for the first time, she felt the weight of everything pressing down on her all at once.

Slowly, her hand moved to her stomach.

The small, fragile life growing inside her had filled her with hope just moments ago. She had believed it might change something, that it might finally give her a place in Julian’s world.

Now, it felt like nothing.

Her fingers trembled slightly before falling back to her side, her expression going completely still. The last piece of hope she had been holding onto quietly slipped away.

And in that moment, she finally understood.

There had never been a place for her in Julian’s world...and there never would be.