I pressed my hand against the cool windowpane. “The


    engagement document… that’s real. It’s from before I even met


    him.”


    “They’re twisting everything. And you know the worst part?”


    Rose’s voice cracked with emotion. “People are eating it up.


    Hashtags are trending. ‘Poor Chole! ‘Homewrecker Luna. I can’t


    even read thements.”


    I bit my bottom lip, trying to suppress the emotions boiling


    inside me. “It doesn’t matter what the truth is, does it? If enough


    people believe a lie… it bes the truth.”


    “No,” Rose said firmly. “You’re not going to start thinking like


    that. You’ve been through hell and kept your dignity intact.


    You’re not going to give that up now!”


    I sank onto the edge of the bed, fingers trembling. “I don’t even


    know how to defend myself against all of it. It’s like they wrote


    the whole story in advance, and I’m just ying the viin.”


    “Then rewrite the script,” Rose shot back. “Do what you did at


    the charity g. Hit back–loud and clear. You have the real evidence, Olivia. The recordings. The bruises. The timelines.”


    I rubbed my forehead, heart heavy. “What if everything Chole


    said… what if people think it’s true? The engagement was real.


    That photo–maybe it was staged, but I was really there. I did


    ask for fifty percent. The evidence is overwhelming.”


    Olivia’s POV


    “Olivia.” Her voice cracked with fury. “I swear to god–if I could


    teleport myself into that press room, I’d have wed Amelia’s


    smug face off”


    I didn’t say anything. I didn’t have the energy to.


    “I mean, what the hell is this? A childhood engagement? When


    did they get married 10 years ago, when there was no existence


    of Chole in Ethan’s life? What kind of sick logic-”


    “Rose-<b>” </b>


    “No. No, let me speak,” she said, her tone sharp but trembling. “I


    need to say this. I need to get it out.“”


    “I would put my entire damn life on the line for you, Olivia,”


    Rose said, her voice breaking. “You arenotthat kind of person.


    I’ve seen who you are. I’velivedwho you are. The world is losing


    its damn mind if they’re buying this trash.”


    I swallowed hard, but didn’t respond.


    “And Chole? Don’t even get me started on her maniptive little act. Suicide threats? Damsel in distress? She’s ying


    people like a damn violin. And Ethan-” She made a sound like a scoff. “If I had a dor for every man who confused guilt for


    love, I’d be richer than the Hawthornes.””


    My throat tightened. I forced myself to stay quiet.


    “I remember when he was obsessed with you,” Rose continued, her voice softer now. “Do you remember? You’d be at work, he’d send flowers. You’d sneeze and he’d panic like the apocalypse wasing. I thought,damn, this girl’s found her fairy tale. And then-” Her voice cracked. “You were there for me. When my dad passed and I couldn’t get out of bed for weeks,youshowed up. You made me shower, you fed me, you pulled me through.”


    “Rose…” I finally said..


    “You saved me, Olivia. You don’t deserve to be the viin in


    anyone’s story.”


    “I’m not trying to be,” I said quietly.


    “I know,” she whispered. “Let me help. Let me go live or tweet or scream this from the rooftops-”


    “No,” I cut her off gently. “I appreciate it. But I can handle this


    myself.”


    There was silence on the line. Then, finally, Rose exhaled. hate this. I hate feeling helpless.”


    “I know.”


    “I love you,” she said firmly.


    “I love you too.”


    She hung up with a reluctant sigh.


    The moment the line went dead, the relief I’d been holding


    together cracked like ss.


    I set the phone aside and let out a shaky breath.


    For the next hour, my phone didn’t stop buzzing. Messages,


    mentions, missed calls. But not from my parents.


    That silence hurt more than anything.


    They must’ve seen it. Or would see it soon.


    I gripped the edge of the couch cushion, pressing my fingers into


    the seams. My heart thudded against my ribs like it was trying


    to break out of my chest.


    Then I pounded the cushion hard, once, twice, again–like that could shake off the ache inside.


    Why didn’t I listen to them?


    Why didn’t I trust what they saw before I did?


    I hated myself for being so na?ve. So blind.


    So in love with a fantasy that didn’t love me back.


    Author’s POV


    Meanwhile, Ethan woke up hungover in a hotel room. His head pounded like a drum as sunlight sshed across the hotel room. He cracked open one eye, greeted by the ceiling spinning inzy arcs. His phoney lifeless on the nightstand. No texts, no calls.