“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?”
