Chapter 2
After a brief moment of silence, Joseph quickly composed himself. "It's no big deal being late. Maria is easy to pacify. She won't
be mad," he said casually.
I ended the video before it finished.
I was absolutely certain he wouldn't come back for me.
Slowly, I got up from the sofa and took off the engagement ring on my finger.
Lately, it wasn't just my hunch.
Joseph had truly changed.
There was no point in self-deception and lingering on the hope of our wedding day.
It was me who'd painstakingly organized this trip.
The hotel was booked, and the itinerary was carefully crafted. But in the end, I was the sole one left behind.
A wave of resentment crashed over me. Just the thought of Scarlett out there, having a whale of a time with what I'd arranged
carefreely made my blood boil.
So, I reached out to the hotel manager. Then, I chucked the ring down the drain.
The water carried away our past, much like Joseph had washed away our relationship.
I choked back the bitterness and reluctance, constantly reassuring myself that these emotions would fade.
Gradually, my heart found a bit of calm.
Joseph and his group spent the whole afternoon at the beach before heading back to the hotel.
But the front desk told them the presidential suite Scarlett was supposed to stay in had been canceled.
It was mine, and since I didn't show up, it made sense to cancel it.
When Joseph tried to book another room for Scarlett, he was told there were no rooms available.
Everyone knew this hotel was owned by the Hopson Group and quickly realized it was my doing.
Scarlett started to cry, looking all innocent and helpless. "Is Maria mad? It's all my fault. If I weren't so slow to learn, you
wouldn't have spent so much time teaching me. Joseph, Mia and I should probably leave."
Breathing heavily, Joseph wasn't reacting to her attempt to leave. Instead, he'd just remembered that he'd forgotten to pick me
up.
With the night closing in, he couldn't help but worry about where a woman with a child could go in an unfamiliar city.
His heart softened, and he wasn't about to let them leave.
Joseph clasped Scarlett's wrist firmly and said, "Cut the nonsense. This has nothing to do with you. If Maria's angry, it's at me.
You stay in my room. I'll head back tonight."
He told his friends to watch over Scarlett and her daughter. Then, without even grabbing his luggage, he was about to dash out.
There was an added sense of urgency in the steps.
But Scarlett stopped him.
"I'll go back with you. If Maria's mad, I'll help you smooth things over." Joseph thought it over and finally gave in.
With Maria's fiery temper, she probably wouldn't budge until he showed up.
And if she really blew her top, it'd take ages to calm her down.
Figuring women could communicate better with each other, he decided to take Scarlett along.
However, Mia was too young to handle a five-hour drive again, and they couldn't leave their stuff behind.
It took another hour to pack up.
Joseph wasn't the most patient guy.
The fact that he waited in the car for Scarlett for an hour said a lot.
In the car, Scarlett was worried that Joseph hadn't eaten all day.
She occasionally fed him some cookies so he could eat while driving.
I saw all this in Scarlett's latest Instagram post.
I forwarded the video to Joseph and sent him a text: [Don't bother coming back. We're done.]
After dropping Scarlett and Mia off safely, Joseph went to the meeting place but didn't see me.
Under the dim streetlights, only a few cars were parked, and it was deadly quiet. A sudden sense of panic washed over him.
He couldn't quite put his finger on it, but it was like he was about to lose something important.
This feeling hit its peak when he read my text.
?
Breaking up with Joseph didn't bring the relief I'd expected.
Instead, I was left pondering what was wrong with me.
I'd firmly decided to end this relationship, yet here I was, on the verge of crying.
It hurt even more because it was Scarlett who'd come between us.
The phone rang. It was Joseph.
I just stared blankly as the screen dimmed and lit up again.
When did things take a turn? When did Joseph, the guy who promised to protect me forever, start taking Scarlett's side?
I was ten when the Hopson family found me.
There was already a girl my age in the house then.
That day, I stood there in my shabby top and worn-out shoes, while up on the balcony was a girl in a princess dress, hugging a
doll.
The difference was so obvious that I felt extremely inferior.
I thought, if I hadn't gone missing, all that luxury should have been mine.
Later, I found out she was just the daughter of our family's maid.
For a long time, I was an outsider in the Hopson family.
They didn't like my habits from the outside world and always compared me to Scarlett, whom they'd raised.
Joseph was the only one who stood by me from the very beginning.
Now, even he was leaving.
The phone kept buzzing.
After what seemed like an eternity, I finally answered it.
His usually calm voice now had a slight quiver. "Ria, I'm downstairs. Can we have a talk?"
Joseph was leaning against his car, his eyes fixed on my window.
I grabbed a coat and went down to see him.
There were so many questions I wanted to ask, but the moment I saw him, all my words got stuck in my throat, and tears welled up
in my eyes.
Joseph quickly pulled me into his arms, promising again and again that it wouldn't happen again.
I pushed him away.
I knew I was losing my cool, but I couldn't help it.
"Joseph, don't you know I hate Scarlett more than anything? She always tries to take everything from me. Can't you get that?"
A look of regret flashed across Joseph's eyes. "I know. I messed up today, Ria. I'm sorry. I won't see Scarlett again."
My vision got blurry, and I sobbed even louder.
I didn't want those promises made in the midst of constant bickering anymore.
"Get out of here. I'll tell my parents about calling off the engagement tomorrow. Or if you want someone else, you tell them
yourself."
I paid no heed to Joseph's reaction. In fact, I was at a loss as to why I'd even come downstairs to meet him.
What I'd intended to do was question him about his change, yet all that greeted me in the end was just an apology.
It was then that I came to the realization that love was incredibly fragile.
Early the next morning, Scarlett showed up at my place with Mia to apologize.
Since her divorce, she'd been around more often.
There was always a room for her in our mansion, the one with the best sunlight.
Even when she was gone, the room was kept spotless, and no one was allowed to enter.
When she saw me coming downstairs, Scarlett jumped up from the sofa so suddenly that she even knocked the pudding out of Mia's
hand.
In front of my mother, Miranda Hopson, she whined, "Ria, Joseph sent me to say sorry. I thought you invited me, so I brought Mia
along. It's all my fault. Please don't be mad at Joseph. He'd been working all day and then drove all the way here. He could've
had an accident."
I scoffed at her fake act and shot back, "Thought I invited you? Then how come you left out the one who supposedly invited you?"
A creepy smile flashed across Scarlett's sweet and innocent face.
Then, right in front of me, she pinched Mia hard.
Mia burst into tears, and my mother, who was in the dark about what was going on, lovingly picked up the child and started
scolding me.
"Scarlett has moved out. How long are you going to keep this up? Even if there's something between Scarlett and Joseph, it's
because you're useless and can't hold onto your man!"
My nose stung, and I muttered angrily, "Since none of you think well of me, let's call off the engagement."
A voice came. "Call it off then. Who do you think you're threatening?"
Barry Hopson, my college-age brother, rushed in from the door, with Joseph trailing silently behind. He pushed me aside and stood
in front of Scarlett protectively.
"Maria, don't act like a spoiled brat just because Mom and Dad feel guilty towards you. In my heart, Scarlett is the only sister I
have. If you dare to pick on her again, don't blame me for being tough on you."
I'd always known that no one in this family liked me.
But it was the first time they'd so blatantly shown their dislike.
I stared at Barry for a long time. In fact, we looked quite alike.
We were supposed to be the closest siblings, but now we were like enemies.
Silence fell over me, and I turned on my heel to leave.
Only when I drew level with Joseph did I halt in my tracks.
A bitter smile tugged at my lips as I finally spoke up, "Joseph, is Scarlett's apology to me up to your mark?" A sharp twinge shot
through Joseph's heart, leaving him tongue-tied.