Chapter 3: Trapped in a Public Scandal

The moment Gabriel dropped me off, I made a promise to myself. I was done crying and replaying everything in my head. Done asking myself why and when and how it all went wrong. Evan made his choice and I was going to make mine. Starting tonight, I was moving forward whether my heart agreed or not.

Gabriel made sure there were no reporters waiting outside before he let me out of the car. He even walked me all the way up to my apartment door, which I didn't ask him to do but I didn't argue with either. Maybe it really feel like I'm going to break down if I'm alone right now. Before he left, he stopped at the doorway and looked at me.

"Call me if anything happens," he said.

I nodded and watched him leave. And for the first time since I walked out of that church, everything felt a little less suffocating.

I went straight to the shower and stood under the water for a long time, not because I thought it would fix anything but because I needed to wash the whole day off my mind. The dress, the flowers, the church, the way the music sounded different the moment those doors opened for me, and the look on Evan's face when he saw me standing alone in the middle of the aisle like I had no idea what was waiting for me. I wanted every single detail that was still replaying in my head without my permission to just disappear. He didn't deserve that much space in me anymore and I was done giving it to him.

By the time I stepped out, I had already decided. I was not going to fall apart again over someone who didn't even fight for me. I was going to get up, fix myself, and climb so high that looking back down at this moment would make him feel regret.

My phone was flooded with messages the moment I turned it back on. Mom and Dad had been trying to reach me for hours.

"I'm sorry, my daughter. I'm on my way now." — Mom

"Be strong, Yanna. I love you." — Dad

I stared at their messages for a second before the tears came back without warning. I didn't want to cry anymore but those two messages broke something open in me that I hadn't managed to close yet. I replied quickly and told them I was okay, that I'd wait for them, and that they didn't need to worry.

They couldn't make it to the wedding because their flight got rescheduled. But I'm very glad that they didn't have to watch it happen to me.

When they finally arrived and I opened the door, I didn't even get to say a single word because I was already crying in my mother's arms. Dad had his arms around both of us a second later. We stood in the doorway like that for a while, none of us saying anything because there wasn't much to say. And I know that they know what I'm feeling right now. I guess everyone knew.

I told them everything anyway. And when I was done talking, I felt lighter. Like saying it out loud had taken some of the weight off my chest.

The next two days passed quietly inside the apartment. I kept the curtains closed and my phone mostly off. I focused on work, on small tasks, on anything that kept my mind busy and away from Evan. Every time a memory of him comes back, I immediately push it out. I wasn't interested anymore. I had already decided that and I was sticking to it until the very end.

By the third morning, I noticed that I ran out of food, which forced me to go outside whether I was ready or not. I put on a cap, a mask, and an oversized hoodie before heading out. It wasn't the most convincing disguise but it was the best I had… maybe. And I was so stupid to think it would work.

People recognized me the moment I stepped onto the street. I could hear them whispering as I passed, nudging each other and reaching for their phones. And inside the grocery store, the cashier stared at my face for too long before looking back down at her screen. I kept my head straight and told myself it didn't matter. I grabbed what I needed and made my way back out.

That was when everything went so wrong. The moment I stepped outside, two vans came out of nowhere and reporters flooded the sidewalk before I could even process what was happening. Cameras were already focused on me and microphones came so close that fast.

"Ayanna! Is it true you were seeing Gabriel Vance before the wedding?"

"Did Evan leave you because of the affair?"

"How long have you been hiding this from the Hartwell family?"

I pressed my back against the wall and held my bag tightly. The questions kept coming and I couldn't move. I couldn't think at all. I felt trapped and humiliated all over again and I hated it. I hated that even after everything Evan put me through, I was still the one being cornered and questioned like I was the one who did something wrong.

Then I heard a car cut through the noise. A black SUV pulled up aggressively, forcing the crowd to scatter. Two men in suits stepped out first, and then Gabriel came out from the vehicle. He was wearing a dark brown suit, walking toward me like the reporters weren't even there. They stepped back on their own. Nobody wanted to be in his way.

He didn't say a word to me. He just wrapped his arm around my waist, pulled me against his side, and kept walking.

"Mr. Vance! Any comment on the allegations?"

That question made Gabriel stop. He turned toward the reporter slowly, and the entire street went quiet. "Ayanna is under my protection," he said, his voice calm but heavy enough to fill the whole street. "If any of you follow her, harass her, or print another lie about her, I will personally make sure your outlet doesn't survive the week."

Nobody spoke after that. Gabriel guided me into the SUV and the door closed behind us, cutting off every sound from outside. I leaned back against the seat and finally exhaled.

I looked at him as the car pulled away. He was already looking straight ahead, completely unbothered. Like saving me from a crowd of reporters was just normal task to him.

I didn't say thank you right away. I just looked at him for a moment, this man who kept showing up without being asked, and thought that maybe not everyone in my life was going to let me down.

Maybe.