Chapter 4
Adam looked stunned for a second, but then his face twisted with a deeper contempt. "Support yourself? Sophia, have you lost your mind? With that pathetic $ 6,700-a-month salary of yours?"
He burst out laughing, like I'd told the world's biggest joke. "Do you even know how much a house costs these days? Or what it takes to keep a household afloat? Without me, you couldn't even pay half the rent on our apartment."
His voice was sharp, dripping with the outrage of someone who thought his charity had been thrown back in his face.
Every word hammered home how much I'd once relied on him.
My dad, who'd been keeping a straight face, finally stepped forward and stood between Adam and me.
He was shorter than Adam, but his presence was like a mountain. "Get out." He pointed at the door, his voice cold as ice.
Adam froze. "Mr. Carter, you..."
"I said, get out. Are you deaf or something?" My dad's voice suddenly boomed. "The Carter family doesn't want you here. Take your pride and your ego and get the hell out of my house."
Adam's face went livid with rage.
He'd probably never been chewed out like this in his entire life.
He jabbed a finger at me, then at my dad, his hand shaking with fury. "Fine. The Carter family, huh? You win.
"Sophia, let me tell you, if you walk out that door today, tomorrow the whole city will know you're the crazy ex I dumped. Let's see who would ever want you after that.
"Calling off the wedding over something this petty? What a joke you are."
My mom held me close, her eyes cold as she stared him down. "Sophie could stay single her whole life, and it'd still be better than ending up with someone as heartless as you."
Adam spat on the floor. "You don't even know how to appreciate kindness."
My dad couldn't hold back anymore. He stepped forward, grabbed Adam by the collar, and shoved him out the door with all his strength.
The door slammed shut with a loud bang.
Finally, the world was quiet.
Outside, Adam was still cursing and kicking the door, but his shouts soon faded away.
My mom collapsed into my arms, crying. It wasn't sadness, just lingering fear and anger. "My poor girl, you've been through so much. Why didn't you tell me?"
My dad came over and gently patted her back. His eyes were also red. "Alright, that's enough. Sophie did the right thing."
He looked at me, his eyes filled with a strength and tenderness I'd never seen before. "It's a good thing the wedding's off. People like them? We're better off without them."
I leaned into my mom's arms, breathing in her familiar scent. After a whole night of tension, I finally felt myself relax.
I knew I wasn't alone.
I wiped away my tears and pulled away from my mom's embrace.
I picked up my phone, pulled up the bank notification, and showed it to them. "Dad, Mom, look at this."
My mom was still sobbing, her vision blurred by tears, so she couldn't really see the screen.
My dad took the phone first.
He stared, confused at first, then his eyes widened in shock.
He brought the phone closer, then farther away, double-checking as if he couldn't believe it. "This is..." His voice was shaking.
My mom leaned in to take a look. When she saw the number, her crying stopped instantly, and her jaw dropped so wide it looked like she could fit an egg in her mouth. "$14 million?"
I nodded. "Dad, Mom, thank you. I'm not crazy, and this isn't some impulse.
"I've got the guts to break up with him. And I've got the confidence to say I can take care of myself."
My parents exchanged a look, and the shock in their eyes slowly melted into relief and pride.
My dad let out a long breath, as he'd finally dropped a thousand-pound weight.
He handed me back my phone and gave my shoulder a strong, proud pat. "Atta girl. That's my daughter, Sophia Carter. Every dollar was worth it.
"From now on, nobody gets to push you around. If anyone tries, they'll have to deal with me. Anything happens, I'll be the one solving it for you."