Chapter 2

My phone buzzed again on the passenger seat, lighting up the dark car like some cruel alarm. I snatched it up before I could think twice. Ryan's name flashed across the screen, but I answered without planning to, my voice raw from that sound I made earlier."What do you want, Ryan?" I said, gripping the wheel with my free hand so tight that my knuckles hurt."Jasmine, thank God you picked up." His words came fast, shaky like he had practiced them. "Look, I know how this looks. But you have to let me explain. Ava and I... it was one stupid moment. The stress from the company, and the wedding planning. It did not mean anything.""One moment?" I laughed, but it came out sharp and ugly. "I walked in on you with my sister, Ryan. My little sister. The one who always got the compliments while I got the 'you would look better if you just tried harder' talks from Mom. And now you are telling me it meant nothing?"He sighed on the other end, that heavy sigh he used when deals went sideways at L

Last Updated : 2026-06-29

Chapter 3

Diana squeezed my hand tighter in the passenger seat, her thumb rubbing small circles like she used to do back in design school when I stressed over a bad critique. "Talk to me, Jasmine. All of it. Do not hold back this time."I let out a shaky breath and stared straight ahead at the building. The sky had turned that soft gray color, the kind that comes right before the sun decides to show up. "Where do I even start, Di? I walked into his penthouse with the dress and the champagne, ready to celebrate finishing it. Then I heard him say her name. Ava. My sister… In his bed."Diana shifted so she could face me better, her leopard print scarf from last night still wrapped around her neck even with the sweats. "Your sister Ava? The twenty-four-year-old who posts those filtered selfies and calls herself the family star? Damn. How long has this been going on?""I do not know," I said, my voice cracking on the words. "He tried to tell me it was one stupid moment and stress from the company. B

Last Updated : 2026-06-29

Chapter 4

Hours later, Diana parked her car in front of my parents' house and killed the engine. She turned to me with that fierce look she gets when she is ready to fight. "You sure you want to do this right now, Jasmine? We can turn around. No one says you have to walk into that trap today."I unbuckled my seatbelt, my hands still a little shaky from the night before. "I have to, Di. Mom will keep calling. And if I do not show up, they will spin it like I am the dramatic one. Again. You know how this family works. I need to hear what they say to my face."She nodded and squeezed my arm. "Fine. But I am coming in with you for moral support. And if anyone starts that gracious nonsense, I will speak up. You are not facing this alone."We got out of the car. The house looked the same as always, that neat two-story with the white trim my mom kept perfect. I walked up the path, my steps heavy. My plus-sized frame felt even more noticeable today, like every curve was on display after what happened.

Last Updated : 2026-07-01

Chapter 5

Diana started the car but kept it in park right there in my parents' driveway. She turned to me, her eyes sharp with that protective fire she always carried. "You okay? Say something, Jasmine. That whole meeting was pure garbage. Your mom basically told you to vanish so Ava could play house with your man."I sat there with my hands in my lap, staring at the house through the windshield. My fingers would not stop shaking. I clasped them tighter together but the tremble stayed. "I told them I needed the key back. To the studio. That is all I said before I walked out. Did you see their faces? Mom looked like I ruined her perfect script. Dad just sat there. Ryan mumbled " Sorry " to the floor like a coward. And Ava... she kept touching her stomach like that made everything okay."Diana let out a long breath and leaned back against the headrest. "I saw it all. Margaret with her 'be gracious' talk. Like you owe them anything after they stabbed you in the back. She has been doing this your w

Last Updated : 2026-07-02

Chapter 6

Diana closed the apartment door behind us and dropped her keys on the table with a loud clink. "Sit down, Jasmine. I will make tea. You look like you need it after that text. Public announcement? Already? They did not waste any time."I sank onto her couch, the one with the colorful throw pillows she collected over the years. My phone felt heavy in my hand. "Read it again. 'Public announcement coming soon by Ryan and Ava.' From an unknown number. Probably one of Mom's friends or someone from Ryan's company. They are really doing this."Diana filled the kettle and set it on the stove, moving around her small kitchen like she needed to keep busy. "Hand me your phone. I will manage it for a bit. You do not need to scroll through the mess right now. Tell me what you are thinking. All of it."I passed the phone over and rubbed my temples. "I am thinking how six years just got erased like it never happened. Last night I walked in on them. This morning the family meeting where Mom told me to