I pulled a handkerchief from my pocket and pressed it against my bleeding forehead. I then looked at Sonny. I hoped as her older brother he would step in and reprimand Nicole.
However, Sonny did not do anything. He did not even show any concern that I was injured or the blood was trickling down on my face.
Instead, he rushed over to Nicole and took her hand to examine the skin that had been cut by the shattered vase and bleeding. He held her close. For the first time, his eyes reddened in front of me. Seeing his sister cry and distraught, Sonny felt upset. His voice choked with heartache as he made a promise, "I won’t get married. I’ll stay by your side forever.”
Then he turned to me and said with an icy tone, "You should go home. Don't upset Nicole anymore."
I was not sure how I could describe my feelings at that moment. Was it disappointing? Shocked? Furious? Or hurt?
All those emotions mixed into a bitter humiliation that I had never experienced before. This feeling became more pronounced when I caught sight of Nicole, who smiled sweetly in Sonny’s embrace. The rage and shame hit me harder than ever.
I stormed out of the door, desperate to escape this place as soon as possible. I felt in this confrontation, I was this sibling's opposition. At that moment, I felt completely isolated, as if I was standing naked in front of them, exposed for everyone to mock and judge.
The memories piled up like scars. I had never faced so much humiliation in my life until I met these siblings.
After the incident, Nicole was discharged from the hospital and surprisingly, she took the initiative to talk to Sonny and ask to meet me to make an apology.
At first, I was skeptical but decided to give Nicole the benefit of the doubt. So, when Sonny went to pick Nicole up, I took a few hours off work to buy her favorite cake.
When Nicole arrived, she seemed genuinely sorry. Her attitude was different, she smiled warmly at me as she took my hand and apologized. Then she wrapped her hands around me.
Seeing two people he loved in harmony, for the first time in a long time, Sonny smiled.
As I saw the innocent expression on Nicole, a glimmer of hope raised in my heart and I turned around to get the dessert that I had to queue for a long time to get it.
Sonny then left to get Nicole's suitcase. I used that time to put the cake on the table and said with a gentle voice, "Your brother said that this is your favorite."
However, Nicole who was originally silent suddenly exploded. Before I could react, she had flipped the cake off the table, making the cream splatter all over me.
I stood frozen in place in a daze. Just then the door swung open and Sonny walked in.
“What happened to the cake?” he asked casually, not yet aware of the tension in the room.
Nicole's demeanor changed instantly. She pouted and grabbed his arm then whined, “I told her I’d eat it later, Bella threw it on the floor.”
My jaw clenched with irritation. "Nicole, can you hear yourself? Do you realize how ridiculous your lie sounds?”
I wiped the cream off my ruined dress, my voice edged with bitterness. “I drove miles to get that cake. If I didn’t want you to have it, why would I bring it here?”
I was done playing along. She had finally seen through Nicole's fake act. She used a sweet, innocent façade around her brother, while toward me, she showed her true color, a malicious girl.
My heart went cold as I realized her apology had been another setup. It was her new way to humiliate me. As anger rose in my heart, I laughed bitterly. This time, I wouldn’t let it slide. Seeing Nicole's mask start to slip, I pressed on because I was determined to expose the truth.
