“I don’t think I should be here.” Sofia hesitated as they reached the front door.

“What are you talking about? This is your sister's party, Sophia.” Ryan responded with his arm wrapped possessively around her waist as they entered the hotel for Hannah’s homecoming party.

The hotel was beautifully decorated with glittering lights and expensive artistic portraits on the wall.

Sophia grabbed her dress in a fist like it was her lifeline as Ryan walked forward with her. The lively chatter felt suffocating.

Sophia’s stomach twisted as she spotted familiar faces among Ryan’s friends, their mocking smirks and quiet laughter only amplifying her discomfort.

Ryan leaned down, his lips brushing against her forehead as he murmured,

“You’ll be polite tonight, Sophia. Don’t disappoint me.”

The warning in his tone was clear, but before she could respond, a familiar voice rang out.

“My beloved Sophia! Oh how much I missed you!”

Hannah’s voice was bright and airy, a direct contrast to the sharpness in her eyes as she approached.

She looked breathtaking in her off-shoulder green dress that clung to her like a second skin, her radiant beauty making Sophia feel plain in comparison.

She clasped Sophia's hands with feigned warmth, though her gaze slid past her lingering on Ryan with an intensity that made Sophia's skin crawl.

“Do you hate me, Sophia?” she asked, her voice trembling with fake emotion.

“You never called me once after you left. Not even a text. Have I done something so unforgivable?”

Sophia stood frozen, unsure of how to respond, but Hannah didn’t wait for an answer.

“I suppose I can’t blame you for being upset,” she continued, her voice dropping into an exaggerated whisper as her eyes shone with what Sophia knew were crocodile tears. “I did take all of Mom and Dad’s attention growing up. You must’ve felt so… unloved. But surely you understand, don’t you? Love isn’t something you can force.”

Her words stung, each one carefully designed to cut deep. And yet she wasn’t finished.

“Mom fell ill with cancer disease, you know,” she added, her gaze sharp and accusing. “You didn’t even visit her. Do you know how much that broke her heart? How can I fix our family when you make no effort to mend it, Sophia?”

Sophia's mouth opened to defend herself, to call Hannah out on her hypocrisy, to say something—anything—but nothing came out.

“Sophia still has a lot to learn about relationships,” Ryan interjected smoothly, his hand tightening on her waist. His voice was light, but the edge was unmistakable.

“When I have time, I’ll bring her back to apologize properly.”

His words felt like a slap. He knew what she had endured at the hands of her family—the neglect, the insults—and yet he spoke as though she was the one at fault. Sophia’s heart ached as she realized how little he truly cared.

“I need a drink.” Sophia excused herself from the suffocating crowd, needing air, needing space.

The hallway leading to the bathroom stretched before her and luckily, it was empty. For a moment, she felt like she could finally breathe.

But the breath of fresh air was short-lived.

“Well, if it isn’t the prodigal sister,” Hannah’s voice rang out behind her dripping with mockery.

Sophia groaned internally as she turned to see the last person she wanted to see approaching, a glass of red wine in hand and a cruel smirk on her lips.

Her heels clicked against the polished floor as she stopped in front of Sophia, her eyes scanning her dress with open disdain.

“Is that… vintage?” she sneered, tilting her head. “Or did you raid Grandma’s closet for something appropriately depressing?”

Sophia's fists clenched at the mention of her grandmother, the only person who had ever truly loved her. She was a kind woman who gave her love her father couldn’t. It broke her heart when she was young but forced her to reunite with her father a month before she became bedridden due to heart disease.

Hearing Hannah talk so ill about her made her heart boil but she remained calm.

“Still playing the role of the poor little outcast, I see,” Hannah continued, her voice dripping with malice. “How does it feel, Sophia? To be nothing more than a pathetic school teacher while our parents live in luxury? To grovel for scraps while I stand where you’ll never belong?”

“Shut up, you know nothing about me.” Sophia hissed, her voice trembling with barely restrained anger.

But Hannah only laughed a cold, sharp sound that echoed in the empty hallway.

“Why should I? You handed me all the ammunition I need.” She leaned in, her voice dropping to a venomous whisper.

“Ryan told me everything. Your pathetic early morning shifts, the crumbs you save for your sickly little grandmother. He doesn’t even respect you enough to keep your secrets, Sophia. You’re an open book for me to rip apart.”

Sophia’s breath caught, her words cutting deeper than she thought possible.

“You shouldn’t have come back,” she continued, her eyes narrowing. “You’re nothing but a reminder of a mistake. Unwanted then, and unwanted now.”

Sophia swallowed hard, refusing to let Hannah see her break.

“You already have everything, Hannah. Just leave me alone.”

“Everything?” She laughed again, this time louder, crueler. “Don’t kid yourself. Do you think you can have Ryan? No, Sophia. He’s mine. He always has been, and he always will be. You’re just the placeholder, the little puppet he keeps around to pass the time. Now, I've come to take my place as his wife.”

“You must be desperate then, throwing yourself at a married man. Why? No other man wants you?” Sophia shot back.

Hannah’s eye twitched in anger, but her lips stretched into a smile.

It was so sick, Sophia knew whatever she was about to say next would shatter her.

“Oh, you didn’t know. Did you?” she asked, her voice dripping with mock innocence.

“Every trip he’s taken, every business meeting? He’s been with me. In Paris. In your bed.”

Sophia felt her stomach churn, Hannah’s words twisting like a knife in her gut.

“That red dress he gave you?” she added with a smirk. “I wore it first. For him. Then he fucked me raw in it.” she laughed, “I didn't even wash it when he wrapped it. When did he finally give it to you? He told me how ridiculous you looked in it. How bland, how boring.”

Her smirk deepened as she leaned closer, her breath hot against her ear. “You’ll never be enough for him. You never were. And soon, Sophia, I’ll have everything you’ve been too weak to give him. A real family. A child. While you’re left with nothing.”

Tears burned her eyes, her vision blurring as Hannah’s words crushed what little resolve Sophia had left.

“You’re barren, aren’t you?” she whispered, her tone laced with mockery,

“No wonder he spends his nights with me. Maybe I should give him the child he's been wanting so desperately. ”

Sophia’s body trembled with rage, grief, and despair, every word slicing deeper until she couldn’t take it anymore.

“You can go to hell.” Sophia spat as she turned to leave. But before she could walk out, a scream reached her ears followed by a loud crash.

Sophia’s world spiraled out of control the moment Hannah let out a dramatic cry, collapsing onto the marble floor.

Her breath hitched as the shattering of glass echoed in the hallway, quickly followed by the sound of hurried footsteps. Ryan appeared, his expression thunderous, as his gaze darted between the sisters.

“What the fuck, Sophia! What’s wrong with you?” he barked, his voice reverberating through the hallway.

Sophia flinched at his tone, her mind spinning as she tried to make sense of what had just happened.

“I-I didn’t even do any—”

Before she could finish, Joanne, her stepmother, appeared, her face twisted in fury.

“What the hell is going on here?” Joanne’s sharp gaze landed on Sophia, and her lips curled in disgust.

“What did you do to Hannah?!”

“I didn’t push her! I swear, I didn’t!” Sophia’s voice trembled, but the truth seemed to dissolve under the weight of their accusing stares.

“You’re a liar!” Joanne spat, her hand raised to strike.

Before the slap could land, Ryan’s hand shot out, gripping Joanne’s wrist with enough force to make her gasp.

His dark eyes blazed with anger as he growled,

“Sophia made a mistake, and she’ll make up for it. But she’s still my wife. No one is allowed to lay a finger on her.”

“What?” Joanne’s eyes widened into saucers. She couldn't believe Ryan was defending his wife.

The hallway fell silent, the tension thick enough to cut with a knife. Joanne’s mouth opened and closed, words failing her as she stepped back, clearly stunned by Ryan’s defense.

It was the first time he had defended her publicly and it made her heart flutter with a little hope. But that bubble was busted by a loud cry.

Sophia’s own shock mirrored Hannah’s. Her gaze flickered to Ryan, searching for a shred of understanding, but his face remained cold and unreadable.

“Ryan,” Hannah whimpered from the floor, her tear-streaked face tilted up at him as she clutched her ankle. “Please, help me. It hurts so much.”

Ryan’s hardened expression softened as he turned to Hannah, crouching down to scoop her up in his arms. His touch was gentle, his voice tender in a way he had never been with Sophia.

Sophia’s heart twisted painfully at the sight. She opened her mouth to say something, anything, but Ryan’s flat tone in his voice cut her off.

“Go home, Sophia,” he ordered without sparing her a glance. “You’ve caused enough trouble for one night.”

Her throat tightened as the humiliation washed over her. The eyes of the guests, filled with disdain and judgment, followed her every move as she stood glued to the floor her feet feeling like fucking lead and too heavy to move.

Everyone turned and left leaving only her and Joane on the scene. She folded his arms across her chest as she stepped closer,

“Just because he defended you doesn't mean shit. He probably did it because I'm Hannah’s mother. Now run along.”

“You and your daughter surely try really hard. But you know one thing, you'll always have leftovers. Just like my late mum left dad for you that's how your daughter will get Ryan. Used and finished. Now if you'll excuse me!” She brushed past her.

“You little!-” Sophia was already walking out the door.

…….

Back at the cold, empty house, Sophia sat on the edge of the bed, her hands trembling as she stared at the clock on the nightstand.

Each tick seemed louder than the last, the sound filling the oppressive silence of the room. She clung to a fragile thread of hope, telling herself that Ryan would come home, that he’d explain, that there was some rational explanation for his actions.

But as the hours dragged on, that hope crumbled.

Her phone buzzed, breaking the stillness. Sophia grabbed it quickly, her heart leaping, but her breath caught in her throat as she opened the message.

The screen displayed a photo of Hannah and Ryan in bed together.

Hannah was curled against his bare chest, her face glowing with satisfaction. Ryan’s shirt was unbuttoned, revealing his toned torso and his arm rested possessively around Hannah’s waist with his eyes closed.

Sophia’s stomach churned, bile rising to her throat.

A second message followed:

“Told you he’s mine!”

Sophia’s hands shook so violently that she nearly dropped the phone. Her vision blurred with tears as the weight of Hannah’s words—and the damning evidence—crushed what little remained of her hope.

She curled into herself, sobs wracking her body as her world shattered into pieces around her. Every whispered insult, every dismissive glance, every betrayal slammed into her with brutal clarity. She had been a fool to think she could ever be more than a placeholder in Ryan’s life.

After what seemed like hours, Sophia wiped her tears, her jaw tightening as she stared at the photo one last time before dialing a number,

“Miss Frost, is something wrong?” Anderson, her lawyer asked in concern.

“Yes, I need you to draft divorce papers for me tonight.”