Chapter 3

I had thought that blocking him would be enough to cut myself off from that whole world for good.

But I seriously underestimated just how shameless Ryan could be—and gave way too much credit to human decency.

He was dead set on making me come crawling back.

Or maybe it was all about saving face in front of his so-called friends—trying to patch up the humiliation I'd slapped right across his face.

Ryan actually went all out and threw a flashy housewarming bash for Jessica.

And he even made sure to invite every last one of our shared friends.

He was basically setting me up for a public humiliation.

My best friend Emily Davis was losing her mind on the phone, ranting like crazy.

"Sophie, whatever you do, don't go! Those two are out to humiliate you—this whole thing is just a sick joke so they can laugh at you!

"I'll do it for you! If I don't flip their whole party upside down tonight, you can stop calling me Emily—hell, I'll change my last name to theirs!"

Sprawled out on the soft bed in my five-star hotel room, I gazed at the endless traffic below, feeling utterly hollow inside.

"Don't bother. Let them put on their pathetic little performance," I replied, my words cold and steady.

There was no need for the audience to get involved in the farce on stage and sully their own eyes and hands. Let the clowns have their moment in the spotlight.

Me ignoring him only made Ryan even angrier.

That night, my phone was blowing up nonstop.

Photos and videos came in like a blizzard, one after another.

Every single one was sent by our so-called "mutual friends."

In the photos, Jessica was decked out in a glitzy evening dress I'd never even seen before, her neck sparkling with flashy jewelry. She glided around like she owned the place, grinning with that proud, show-off smile that screamed "look at me".

In the videos, she clutched a glass of red wine, soaking up the crowd's attention as she put on her little speech about moving in.

Jessica sneered, making sure everyone could hear. "Some girls, honestly. All they care about is apartments and cash. Do they even know what real relationships are supposed to mean?

"How could a girl like that ever deserve my brother—a guy who actually knows what real loyalty looks like?"

Everyone around piled on, jumping in to back her up and toss more shade my way.

"Exactly! Ryan deserves way better!" someone exclaimed.

"Jess is so right! Gold-diggers like her—good riddance!" another chimed in.

Just like that, I was painted as the villain—a shallow, money-obsessed witch who couldn't stand her fiancé's sister.

Without a flicker of emotion, I scrolled past all those fake grins in the video and hit delete.

At nine o'clock at night, when the party was in full swing, an unknown number called. I picked up and found it was Ryan.

His voice was thick with alcohol, arrogant and threatening—like he was doing me a favor by even calling.

He slurred, "Sophie, I'm giving you one last chance.

"Get over here this instant, and apologize to Jessica.

"Do that, and maybe—just maybe—I'll consider transferring the apartment back."

I could hear music blaring and his buddies hooting in the background; I could just picture his arrogant, self-satisfied smirk.

He thought he was the center of the universe, surrounded by his crowd, acting like he still had complete control over me.

Without a word, I hung up.

I took my sweet time and blocked that number too—no rush, no second thoughts.

Just a few minutes later, Emily was lighting up my phone like it was an emergency.

She was practically shouting, her voice shaking with both rage and panic.

"Sophie! That bastard! He's totally lost it! He's completely insane!"

Then, a new video popped up on my phone.

In the video, Ryan looked like he was about to explode—me hanging up on him had completely set him off.

Flushed with agitation, he snatched the emcee's mic and stumbled onto the stage.

From his jacket, he carefully fished out the property deed, as if it were a long-awaited heirloom.

Raising it aloft like he was bestowing a prestigious award, he ceremoniously handed it over to Jessica.

Ryan shouted, practically screaming himself hoarse for everyone to hear, "Let me make this official!

"From today on, this place belongs to my sister, Jessica Cooper—every inch of it!

"This is her home now! No one is ever taking it from her—got that?"

The room exploded with thunderous applause and deafening cheers.

Jessica was so fired up, she started bawling and basically latched onto Ryan, kissing and nuzzling him—honestly, they were more all over each other than half the couples I had ever seen.

Some nosy guest slapped a ridiculous title on the video—"The Best Brother Ever: Drops a Million to Set His Sister Up, Ex-Girlfriend Faints on the Spot"—and it went viral in no time.

Watching those two hamming it up for the camera, acting like their sibling bond was some legendary romance, I laughed.

Thanks, Ryan. Just personally delivered the deadliest and most perfect evidence right into my hands.