Chapter 2
My phone rang.
It was Sophie calling.
I didn't pick up.
She kept calling.
By the third time, my mom shot me a pointed look.
"Go on, answer it. Let's hear what she has to say," she said.
I put it on speaker.
Sophie's sobs came through first.
Sophie said, "Alex, are you home?"
"Yeah, I'm home," I replied.
Sophie asked, "Are your parents really mad? I can come over right now and explain."
My mom just sat there, not saying a word.
I shot back, "Oh, you're coming to explain? What, bringing Ryan along too?"
There was a second of silence on the line.
"His foot was hurting, so I dropped him off first," she said.
I let out a bitter laugh.
My mom closed her eyes.
Sophie's voice suddenly went shaky and panicked, like she realized she'd messed up.
"Alex, it's not what you think. He couldn't even stand at the police station. I couldn't just leave him there," she said.
"So you could just leave me behind?" I snapped.
"You've got your family," she replied.
Even my dad looked up at that.
I gripped my phone, and suddenly it felt like seven years had been split wide open—not blood, just ice-cold water pouring out.
"Sophie," I said.
"Yeah?" she replied.
"You're right," I said.
She sounded like she finally let out a breath she'd been holding.
"So please, don't be mad, okay? I'll come see your parents tomorrow," she said.
I said, "Don't bother."
"Why?" she asked.
"Because I've got my family. I don't need you stepping in for anyone," I said.
Her breathing went all shaky.
"Alex, do you really have to keep twisting the knife?" she choked out.
I stared at the wedding confirmation slip on the coffee table.
"Tomorrow, I'll call the hotel and cancel the wedding," I said.
Her voice suddenly spiked, raw and desperate.
"You wouldn't dare!" Sophie yelled.
My mom's hand trembled.
Sophie was stunned, her anger fading as she softened right away.
"No, that's not what I meant. Alex, everyone's already been told about the wedding. If you call it off now, how am I supposed to explain that to my parents and all our relatives?" she said.
I shot back, "And when you called the cops, did it ever cross your mind how my parents would explain that to our relatives?"
All I could hear on the other end was her crying.
After a long silence, her voice came through, hoarse and desperate. "Wait for me. I'm coming over right now."
I hung up.
My mom tossed the cotton pad into the trash.
"Don't let her come up," she said.
I nodded.
Ten minutes later, her voice message came through.
"Alex, I'm downstairs. Can you come down and see me?"
I stood by the window and saw Sophie in her white coat, staring up at our window.
Ryan wasn't with her.
But all I could hear in my head was her voice, saying, "You've got your family."
I texted her back: "It's late. Just go home."
She replied almost instantly: "Are you really just going to leave me like this?"
I stared at her message for a long time before replying: "Don't you have someone else to take care of you?"
"Alex, you can't just cancel the wedding by yourself," Sophie said.
Sophie Lane stood in the living room of the bridal room, her eyes badly swollen, but her voice remained tense.
I stuffed the contracts and documents from the study drawer into my bag.
"If we're not right for each other, why shouldn't I?" I shot back.
"This is between us," she said.
"And calling the cops was between us too, right? But you went and did that all by yourself. Oh, wait—no, you and Ryan did," I shot back.
She was speechless, her fingers clenched tight on the back of the couch.
This apartment is in South Bay.
I put down seventy percent of the down payment and spent four months overseeing the renovation.
Sophie said she didn't like dark tones, so I redid everything in light wood.
She wanted a white kitchen countertop. I told her it'd be a pain to keep clean, but she just said it looked good.
I said fine.
Over the years, I'd said "fine" so many times, I lost track.
So much that she started to believe I never knew how to say "no."
Sophie followed me to the study door.
"Alex, what are you doing with all that?" she asked.
"My stuff," I said.
"This is your home too," she said.
I zipped up my bag.
"I used to think so too," I said.
Her eyes suddenly brimmed with tears.
"Do you have to be like this? I didn't get a single hour of sleep last night," she said, her voice shaky.
"Me neither," I said.
"Then how can you still be so calm?" she asked, almost in disbelief.
I turned to face her.
"Because I already lost it at the police station. I had to put myself back together, bit by bit, and no one was there to help me," I said.
Her face went pale.
The doorbell suddenly rang.
Sophie flinched, like she'd just touched a live wire.
I went to open the door.
Ryan was standing outside.
He was holding a breakfast bag, his hair perfectly styled, and the prayer beads on his wrist gleamed even brighter than yesterday.
When he saw me, his expression flickered for a moment before he quickly pulled himself together.
"Alex, didn't expect you here," Ryan said, trying to sound casual.
"Up early, I see," I replied.
He forced a smile, but it didn't reach his eyes.
"Sophie was a mess last night. I was worried she didn't eat anything," he said.
Sophie rushed over, her voice strained.
"Ryan, didn't I tell you not to come?" she said.
Ryan lowered his head, spinning his prayer beads.
"You didn't reply to my messages, so I got worried you were in trouble," Ryan said.
Then he looked over at me.
"Alex, don't misunderstand. I'm just a friend," he said.
I stepped aside.
"Come in," I said.
Sophie's face lost even more color.
"Alex" Sophie bit her lip, her voice shaky as tears welled up in her eyes.
I ignored her and pointed to the living room.
"Perfect. Since you were so good at handling the wedding planning yesterday, why not keep helping her out today?" I said.
Ryan froze in the doorway, not moving.
It wasn't that he didn't want to step inside.
He just never thought I'd open the door for him.
Sophie rushed in front of me, blocking my way.
"Don't use him to embarrass me," she said, her voice trembling.
"I'm not humiliating you," I replied.
I picked up the wedding planning book from the coffee table and handed it to Ryan.
"I'm just making room for you two to have what you really want," I said.
Ryan hesitated, but didn't take it.
"Alex, you don't need to go this far. Sophie loves you," he said.
I shot him a look.
"Don't you think you're standing a bit too close when you say that?" I snapped.
His smile faltered.
Sophie sobbed, "Can you two just stop fighting?"
I snapped, "Now you notice we're fighting?"
She froze.
"Yesterday at the police station, when Ryan accused me of pushing him, why didn't you see that as a fight?" I shot back.
"I was really scared," she said.
"Scared? So he's so important to you that you just lost it—and I was the one who had to take the fall?" I snapped.
"No," I said.
"Then what was it?" I pressed.
She opened her mouth, but tears just started falling instead.
Ryan spoke up softly.
"Alex, man up a little, will you? Sophie's been exhausted planning this wedding, so stop cornering her," Ryan said.
I laughed sarcastically.
"Man up, huh?" I shot back.
He nodded.
"Yeah. You two have been together for seven years. Don't let me, an outsider, ruin that," Ryan said.
"Oh, so you actually know you're just an outsider? With a face thicker than a fortress wall—do you even realize how shameless you are?" I shot back.
His face darkened.
Sophie quickly said, "Ryan, just go."
Ryan looked at her, hurt written all over his face.
"So now you think I'm just trouble too?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.
His words were soft, but they landed like a hook, reeling her in.
And just like he expected, Sophie started to panic.
Sophie blurted out, "That's not what I meant."
"Then what do you mean?" Ryan pressed.
"I just want to talk to Alex first," Sophie said, her voice trembling.
Ryan let out a short, bitter laugh.
"Fine, I'll go. Guess I've always been the third wheel," Ryan said, his voice thick with bitterness.
He turned around, dragging his feet, making it obvious he didn't really want to leave.
It was like he was hoping someone would call him back.
Sophie's fingers hesitated, as if she wanted to reach out.
I caught it.
And she noticed that I did.
For once, she didn't say a word.
Ryan made it to the elevator, but turned to look back.
"Sophie, I left breakfast by the door. You know your stomach's sensitive, so don't forget to eat," he said, his voice gentle.
Once the door closed, it was just the two of us left in the living room.
Sophie suddenly crouched down, burying her face in her hands as she cried.
"Alex, I really didn't think things would end up like this," she sobbed.
I put the wedding planning book back on the table.
"You knew. You've always known," I said.
She looked up at me.
"You knew he liked you, and you knew every single thing he said or did was just him trying to get between us—trying to take my place," I said.
Her voice shook uncontrollably.
"He helped me back then," she said.
"So what, you're paying him back by wrecking my life?" I shot back.
She cried even harder, totally losing it.
"I didn't," Sophie sobbed.
I slid a list across the table to her.
The hotel deposit, the wedding planner's advance, the photographer's final payment, the wedding dress rental.
I'd already worked out how to settle each one.
She only got through a couple of lines before her face went pale.
"You already had all this ready last night?" Sophie whispered, barely able to get the words out.
"Yeah," I said.
"So you really want to end things with me?" she asked, her voice shaking.
I looked at her.
"Sophie, it's not that I want to break up," I said.
She gripped the list so tight her knuckles went white.
Spelling it out for her, I said, "You're the one who pushed me out first. I've got my dignity—I'm not going to stick around where I'm not wanted."
"Alex, you canceled the hotel, and my parents have been bombarded by relatives all morning," Sophie said, her voice low and shaky.
I was in the company warehouse, checking orders, when Sophie called.
Her voice was barely above a whisper, like she'd been holding back the whole time.
I set the delivery slip down.
"So what?" I asked.
"So can you just stop making things harder?" she said, her voice tight.
I watched the truck back into the warehouse, its tires rolling through puddles, the sound muffled and heavy.
"Do you still think I'm just joking? Trying to see how you'll react?" I asked.
There was silence on the other end.
After a few seconds, a different woman's voice came on the line.
"Alex, this is Sophie's mom," she said.
My hand froze on the phone.
Mary was always lukewarm toward me.
When I bought a house, she just said, "That's what a man with real responsibility does."
When I fixed Sophie's car, she said young people should look out for each other.
But when things blew up, the first thing out of her mouth was, "You're a man—don't stoop to arguing with a woman."
"Mrs. Thorne, go ahead," I said.
Mary's voice was tight, barely holding back her anger.
"A wedding is a matter for both families. You can't just call it off whenever you want. Where does that leave the Lane Family's reputation?" Mary said.
"The police station's front is pretty spacious—plenty of room for reputations. Mine's been sitting there since last night, and I haven't bothered to pick it up," I replied.
Mary was left speechless.
Mary let out a cold laugh.
"So you think you're all grown up now? Don't forget, when you first started your studio, Sophie was right there with you, sticking it out through all the tough times," she said.
"I haven't forgotten," I replied.
"Then stop acting so superior. I've met Ryan, too—he's cultured and polite, not like you, always with a sharp tongue," Mary said.
I let out a bitter laugh.
So Ryan had already met her family.
Sophie quickly snatched the phone back.
"Alex, it's not what you think. My mom just happened to run into him once," she said.
"When was that?" I asked.
She didn't answer right away.
"Was it the day we went to try on wedding dresses?" I pressed.
She took a deep breath.
Her silence said it all.
That day, Sophie claimed she had to work late at the art gallery and ended up showing up an hour and a half late to try on wedding dresses.
I waited for her in the shop, and the sales assistant asked me three times if I wanted to reschedule.
When she finally arrived, she said sorry and grabbed my arm, giving it a playful shake.
Back then, I just smiled and said it was fine.
Thinking about it now, saying 'it's fine' was nothing but empty words.
Mary was still on the phone, saying, "Alex, I'm telling you, don't be so ruthless. Sophie's got a lot to offer—don't think she won't find someone better than you."
"Then I wish her luck. Looks like she's already got someone ready to step in—seamless transition," I replied.
Sophie suddenly sounded flustered.
"Mom, please, stop," she said.
But Mary didn't stop.
"And that apartment you two have—Sophie owns half of it, doesn't she? If you really break up, it's not like you can just walk off with the whole place," she said.
The breeze at the warehouse entrance made my fingertips cold. 'Guess even the wind knows how messed up things are right now,' I thought.
Ben stepped out of the office, caught sight of my expression, and froze.
I spoke into the phone, "Mrs. Lane, we'll settle the apartment according to the contract."
Mary scoffed.
"You're bringing up contracts with us now?" she said.
"That's right," I replied.
"Fine, then I guess we'll handle the wedding losses by the contract, too. You embarrassed us in front of everyone—don't think you can just walk away from this," she said.