Chapter 4

As if everything that had already happened wasn’t enough I had to gave him again at the celebratory buffet and I couldn’t decline the invite because it was my sister….

The next event was even bigger than the engagement party.

A celebratory buffet my sister insisted on hosting, something about “bringing both families together properly.” It was elegant, controlled, perfect.

Just like her.

And somehow… I was there again.

Dressed up, smiling when necessary, pretending everything was fine.

Pretending I wasn’t falling apart inside, but I kept my distance this time.

Far from him

Far from her.

Far from anything that could drag me back into that nightmare, not like I could avoid it anyways.

Or at least… I tried to.

“Isn’t that her?”

The voice was low, but not low enough.

I froze.

Was it me?

“Yeah… that’s her.”

Another voice.

Closer this time.

I didn’t turn around immediately.

I didn’t need to.

Something about the way they said it, whispering, yet loud enough made my stomach twist.

“She’s the one I told you about,” the first voice continued.

“Told me what?”

A pause.

Then

“I saw her that night.”

My breath caught.

No.

No. No. No.

Slowly, I turned.

Three women stood a few steps away, glasses in their hands, eyes fixed on me like I was some kind of entertainment.

“I saw her leaving the hall,” one of them said, tilting her head slightly towards my direction. “She could barely walk.”

The others exchanged looks.

“And she wasn’t alone.”

My heart started pounding aggressively.

No.

No, no, no.

“She went into one of the private rooms with some man,” she added, her voice dripping with judgment. “A rich-looking one too”

I could feel their eye on me raining judgements.

“ I couldn’t see his face though, but I know he was rich”

A small laugh followed.

“Of course he was rich,” another said. “Did you expect anything less?”

Heat rushed to my face.

“I think she’s trying so hard to be like her sister,” the third one chimed in casually, taking a sip of her drink. “But she knows she can’t compete.”

The words hit harder than they should have.

“She doesn’t have the class,” the first one added. “So what’s left?”

A pause.

Then……

“She uses what she has.”

Silence.

For a second, the world around me faded.

All I could hear were their voices.

All I could feel was the weight of their judgment pressing down on me.

“She’s probably trying to climb her way into that kind of life,” one of them continued. “It’s obvious, isn’t it?”

“Sleeping her way there?”

“ Probably craving an expensive engagement party like her sister’s” she said again….

They laughed.

Not loudly.

Not dramatically.

Just enough.

Just enough to make it worse.

“I think that’s enough.”

The voice cut through the air like a blade.

Cold.

Controlled.

Familiar.

My heart dropped instantly.

I didn’t need to turn to know who it was.

But I did anyway.

He stood behind them, his expression unreadable, his presence alone enough to silence the conversation.

The women stiffened slightly, their confidence shaking under his gaze.

“We didn’t mean anything by it,” one of them said quickly, forcing a smile.

“Of course you didn’t,” he replied calmly.

But there was something in his tone..

Something sharp.

Something dangerous.

That made it clear he didn’t believe a word.

His eyes shifted.

From them.

To me.

And just like that, everything else disappeared again.

The noise.

The whispers.

The humiliation.

All of it faded under the weight of that one look.

There was no judgment in his eyes.

No mockery.

Just something else.

Something I still couldn’t name.

“You should be more careful,” he said quietly.

My brows furrowed slightly.

“What?”

His gaze didn’t leave mine.

“People are watching.” I said.

My chest tightened.

Not because of what he said.

But because of how he said it.

And there and then I realized he didn’t care if people found out which made it worse.

And somehow…

All I cared about was running away far away from their judgmental glaze..