Chapter 5: The Painful Talk

He was getting closer and closer to us because I could hear his footsteps growing louder with every second. I froze for a moment. This wasn't the time I had imagined facing him. I shouldn't have left the apartment for someone as worthless as him.

"Ayanna? Is that you?" he called out. His voice was filled with desperation. It was obvious how badly he wanted to talk to me.

Before panic could completely consume me, Gabriel stepped in front of me and faced Evan himself. He also took my hand, as if silently telling me that he was here to protect me. The nervousness I had been feeling a while ago was immediately replaced by shock because of what he had done.

I looked at him from behind while he held my hand. My heart was pounding so fast and so hard at that moment. I didn't know if it was still because of Evan or because of what Gabriel had just done.

"Ayanna?"

Gabriel's voice sounded incredibly captivating when he spoke in the quiet park at midnight. "That's enough, Evan." He said it to Evan as if he were giving him an order to stop bothering me.

I suddenly heard Evan stop walking because the footsteps I had been hearing disappeared. He seemed shocked by what his uncle had just said. I could clearly see his eyes widen when I peeked from Gabriel's side.

"Uncle? What are you doing here? Why are you with my fiancée? Don't tell me the rumors are true?"

"She's not your fiancée anymore, Evan. You already made your decision on the day of your wedding. Whatever you're thinking of doing, stop. She's not in the right state to face you yet. She's still suffering from the pain you left her with."

"You believe that, Gabriel? I know you understand that I was forced into it! So please, Ayanna, talk to me." Evan stepped forward. There was desperation written all over his face. It looked like he would do anything just to get me to talk to him.

"Ayanna, please!" he said. His voice cracked as he spoke, like he was desperately trying to hold back his tears. "The board forced me. My father forced me. If I didn't do it, our family's shares would slowly disappear. I hope you understand. I never wanted to marry her! I was forced! So please. I never loved Scarlett." Tears were already streaming down his face as he said every word.

I knew he was telling the truth. I knew every word he said was true, but I didn't want to accept it. It was too hard for me to accept this.

I knew I could understand his reason. It was his family. But instead of making me understand him, his words only made him look weak. It made me realize that he couldn't fight for me. He couldn't love me freely. And in the end, he traded all the years we spent together for that worthless money.

This time, I stepped out from behind Gabriel, ready to face him after hearing everything he had said. "You already made your choice, Evan. You chose to throw away all the years we spent together," my voice wasn't stable right now. Tears were already threatening to spill from my eyes. "You had so much time to tell me that, so why did you wait until our wedding day? You chose to stay silent. You chose to humiliate me in front of everyone on the day of our wedding. You chose to throw me away for that damn money! And you chose a life with the woman your family picked instead of the woman your heart chose. Wasn't I enough for you, Evan?" My voice grew weaker and weaker with every word.

"Ayanna, please. You're enough for me." Evan was already sobbing after hearing everything I had said.

"Then if I was enough, why didn't you fight for me? Why didn't you stand up to your family for me?! I know you can, Evan. If you really loved me, I'm sure you would've done it. But you didn't. I meant nothing to you. You chose that fucking money over me. There's nothing left to explain and nothing left to talk about."

After saying that, I turned around and walked away. I left him there crying by himself.

"Ayanna..."

I could still hear him calling my name, but I didn't look back. I just kept walking because I couldn't take it anymore. If I turned around and went back to him, it would be like admitting to myself how stupid I was. It would mean throwing away my own self worth just to give him another chance. But deep down, I knew I still loved him. I couldn't just throw away all the years we spent together like they meant nothing. But if I showed him how weak I was, how was I supposed to move on if he left me again?

Gabriel followed behind me. He didn't come any closer because he knew I wanted to be alone. He simply walked behind me in silence, making sure I got home safely.

Before I could enter my apartment, I heard his voice.

"You did well."

He looked at me, still cold as ever, but I knew he was proud of me.

I felt like crying again. But before I could break down, he walked toward me and pulled me into a hug. My heart started pounding like crazy, and I didn't know what to do anymore. I wanted to scream. I wanted to fall apart. But I didn't have any strength left.

"I just want to let this out. I'm tired of hiding in the dark, Gab. I'm tired of being the bad person in everyone's eyes. I'm the one who got hurt. I'm the one who got betrayed. I'm the one who got replaced, yet somehow I'm the villain. Am I wrong, Gab? Is it wrong to run away from the pain?" I sobbed again while holding onto him.

"No. It's not your fault that you're hurting." His voice was calm, steady, and warm. "What happened to you was cruel, Ayanna. You trusted someone with your whole heart, and he broke it in front of everyone. You were humiliated, abandoned, and left to carry the consequences of a choice you never made. Anyone in your position would be hurting. Anyone would want to run away. So don't blame yourself for being in pain."

I tightened my grip on his shirt as more tears streamed down my face.

"You didn't do anything wrong," he continued. "The people who betrayed you are the ones who should be ashamed. Not you. You loved honestly. You stayed loyal. You gave everything you had. There is nothing shameful about that."

His words pierced through my heart, but at the same time, they felt comforting. It was as if someone was finally willing to correct the injustice that had been done to me.

I pulled away from his embrace and looked into his eyes. I could see how serious he was when he said those words to me.

"Stop hiding. You're not the one who did something wrong, so you have nothing to be afraid of," he said. "Tomorrow evening, I'll be waiting for you at the entrance. We'll attend the charity gala our company is hosting. Every major corporate family, including the Hartwells, will be there. The media will be watching the entrance. Attend it with me, Ayanna. Let them see you standing by my side, completely unbothered by their gossip. Let them see that you're the victim, not the villain in this story."

I looked up at him, my heart skipping a beat. Going to a public event meant stepping directly into the lion's den. It meant facing the very people who had whispered about my failed wedding. But looking into Gabriel's confident eyes, I realized I was tired of being afraid. If I wanted to rise higher than Evan, I had to stop running.

I hesitated for a moment before finally agreeing. "I'll go with you."

The next evening, I was incredibly nervous. Even though I had prepared myself for this, I still couldn't calm myself down. Mom and Dad came over to comfort me, and it helped more than I expected. I needed to do this if I wanted to overcome this trauma.

I wore a stunning red silk long gown that perfectly showed off my curves. I also styled my hair into a high ponytail to match the gown. It made me look so elegant. I was busy admiring myself in the mirror when Gabriel suddenly called me. He was already downstairs waiting for me.

I went down and walked over to him. The moment he saw me, I could tell that he was stunned.

"You're... s stunning," he said, suddenly sounding shy.

I smiled at him while he opened the car door for me. We arrived at the venue quickly since it wasn't far from my apartment. The moment we stepped inside, everyone looked in our direction. I immediately felt nervous again. Gab must have noticed because he gently took my hand, silently trying to calm me down.

I followed Gab to his table and had a drink before the event officially started. Even while the event was going on, I could still hear the whispers behind me, and I knew they were talking about me. They were talking about me, the bride, and my failed wedding. But none of them dared approach me because they knew I was Gab's guest. I ignored them and focused my attention on the event instead.

I kept my chin held high and walked beside Gab. He guided me toward the VIP lounge. I was smiling at that moment, but it immediately disappeared when I saw the Hartwell family sitting there as well. Evan was there alongside his parents and his bride, Scarlett. Seeing him with her makes me jealous. I should be the one sitting beside him, sharing those moments and receiving the smile he so easily gives her. No matter how hard I try to ignore it, the sight of them together always leaves a painful ache in my heart.

He looked in my direction when I walked over and took a seat nearby. The moment he saw me, I could tell he wanted to come over, but he suddenly stopped when he noticed Gab's hand resting on my back as he guided me to my seat. I knew he was angry. And that was exactly what I wanted. I wanted him to feel the same pain I felt on our wedding day.

But I never expected him to completely lose control over what he was seeing. The champagne glass in his hand shattered from the force of how hard he slammed it onto the table. The champagne spilled across the white tablecloth, and the shock on the Hartwells' faces was impossible to miss. Even Scarlett didn't expect her husband's reaction.

Full of rage, Evan marched toward us, making the entire elite crowd turn in our direction. Evan grabbed his uncle's collar so aggressively that everyone was shocked. No one dared step in because of Gab's position. Angering him was the same as risking their careers.

"Why are you touching her?! Why did she come with you?!" Nothing about Evan's words sounded like a question. He was too angry. "Why are you with my fiancée?"

I looked at both of them. I couldn't just stand there and do nothing because the situation might get even worse. I remained calm and spoke to him in a soft voice. "I am his guest, Evan. Of course I came with him."

"You're doing this on purpose! You're getting back at me for what happened at the church! This isn't fair, Yanna. I was forced! But you're doing this out of your own free will!" he said.

He wasn't shouting because he didn't want everyone to hear him, but his voice was more than enough for me to hear every word clearly.

Before I could answer him, Gab removed Evan's hand from his collar and stood up. The movement alone made Evan take a step back. The tension between them grew even heavier before Gab finally spoke.

"Watch your tone, Evan. There are a lot of eyes watching us right now. You're only dragging your family's name through the mud. Now go back to your table before I lose my temper."

"You can't threaten me, Gabriel!" Evan shot back, his voice filled with anger. "She was mine! We were together for years! You can't just take her because you want to mess with me!"

Gabriel only smirked. He looked amused by his nephew's outburst.

"I didn't take anything," Gabriel whispered, leaning in just enough so that only Evan and I could hear him. "You threw her away at the altar on your wedding day in exchange for company shares, remember? You decided those shares were worth more than her. I simply picked up the priceless thing you threw away and left behind."

"Yanna..." he called out, desperate for my attention.

I didn't answer him. Instead, I looked at him with nothing but disgust and disappointment.

"Go back to your table now, Evan. You're embarrassing yourself. Go back to your wife. I'm no longer tied to you."

After I said that, two of Gabriel's personal guards appeared out of nowhere.

"Mr. Hartwell," one of the guards said, his hand resting near his blazer. "Your parents are requesting your presence back at the main table. Let us escort you."

Evan looked at the guards, then at Gabriel, and finally at me. Realizing he had completely ruined his own reputation in a single night, he let out a bitter, defeated breath before turning around and walking away with security escorting him.

As the crowd slowly returned to their own conversations, though the whispers only became louder, Gabriel looked at me proudly.

"You've overcome your trauma, darling. Now let's show them your real power in this empire."

I looked toward the main stage where the city's most powerful lawyers and corporate leaders were gathering, and for the first time since my wedding day, a genuine smile touched my lips.

"Yes. Let's show them.”