It was almost midnight, but the lights in Sofia's room were still on. The glow was soft, casting long shadows on the walls, while the three women lay tangled in the blankets of her queen-sized bed like they were trying to hold the world together with silence and shared breath.
Sofia lay in the middle, her eyes fixed on the ceiling, unmoving. Her voice, when it finally came, was barely more than a breath—raw and quiet, but heartbreakingly steady.
"You know I didn't fake that card... right?"
Anne didn't hesitate. "Of course we know." Her tone was sharp with certainty, but beneath it was a trembling kind of fury. "We were there, Sofia. We saw you in that courtroom, standing there in white, trying to keep it together while everyone else waited to see you fall apart."
Elise shifted closer, her hand lightly brushing Sofia's arm.
"And he humiliated you," Anne continued, her voice cracking as anger bled into sorrow. "And now Carla's turning you into some pathetic joke online—like you asked for any of this. Like you're the villain in a story you never even signed up for."
Sofia didn't speak. Her fingers curled into the edge of the blanket, knuckles pale.
"They're not just mocking you," Elise whispered. "They're erasing what you survived."
Sofia let out a shaky breath, the first sign she was still fighting not to cry. Not here. Not tonight.
"I didn't want a fairytale," she said at last. "I just wanted to be seen. To be respected."
Anne's voice softened. "Then we'll make sure they remember exactly who you are."
"We can fight back," Elise said quickly, pulling out her phone. "I took a picture that day. You and Adam at the courthouse. It's not staged, it's real. One post and we can shut Carla down."
But Sofia shook her head immediately, the rejection firm despite the pain in her eyes.
"No," she said. "We're not doing that."
Elise blinked. "Sofia—"
"No," she repeated, stronger this time. "Adam may be cold. He may be cruel. But he's powerful. And if we post anything without his consent, he could bury us in lawsuits. He could ruin your careers and your families. I won't let that happen because of me."
Anne's lips parted to argue but then closed again. There was something in Sofia's gaze that silenced even her fiercest protests. A quiet fire. A dignity no scandal could burn away.
"You're really going to let Carla get away with this?" Elise asked, voice rising. "She's out there calling you delusional to millions of people!"
"I'm not letting her win," Sofia said calmly. "But I'm not going to become like her either."
She sat up from the bed, spine straight, chin held high despite the tremble in her fingers.
"Let the world laugh," she continued. "Let them believe what they want. But the people who truly matter—the ones who know me—you two—you saw the truth."
"I stood there ready to marry a man I didn't even know because I honored a promise made for me. I've lost my home. My name's being mocked like a joke. But I still have my pride. And I won't destroy what's left of it by begging for public approval or dragging Adam into another storm."
Anne's throat tightened. "Sof..."
"I'd rather walk through this fire alone than hold onto a man's name just to save face," Sofia said, her voice cracking just slightly at the edges. "I'm not ashamed of surviving. And I won't be ashamed of walking away, either."
For a moment, the room went silent.
And then Anne slowly reached out and pulled her into a hug, tight and protective.
"You're the bravest damn woman I know," she whispered.
Elise sniffled, sliding in to hug them both. "Seriously. You're like a tragic heroine... but also a warrior."
They all laughed, the sound fragile but real.
Sofia closed her eyes and let herself rest in their embrace. She didn't know what tomorrow would bring.
But at this moment, with her friends beside her and her name still her own, she had already won something far greater than a reputation:
Respect. From the ones who mattered most.
Her voice came out like a whisper. "She really hates me that much?"
Elise sat beside her, wrapping an arm around her. "She's obsessed with making you look crazy. And this... this crossed the line."
"I didn't ask for this," she murmured. "I never wanted attention. I just wanted to survive the week."
Anne knelt in front of her, her eyes full of pain. "You didn't deserve any of this, Sof. Not from John. Not from Adam. And definitely not from that venomous snake."
"I threw those flowers away," Sofia said quietly. "Because I didn't want to be connected to him anymore. And now the whole world thinks I'm begging for his attention."
"They don't matter," Elise said fiercely. "None of them. They don't know you."
"But they believe her," Sofia said, her voice barely audible. "And I don't have the power or the status to stop it."
Silence fell for a beat.
Then Anne stood, eyes blazing.
"Well, maybe he does," she said.
Sofia looked up.
"Adam," Anne continued. "If he sent those flowers, then it's time he grows a spine and defends you. Because of this silence? It's not just hurting your reputation anymore—it's killing your spirit."
Elise nodded. "If he meant anything by that card... he'd better start acting like it. Because we can only fight so much of this on our own."
Sofia swallowed hard, chest rising and falling with the weight of humiliation.
But deep down... somewhere between the pain and disbelief, a flicker of something remained.
Anger. Not at Carla. Not even in the comments.
But at Adam Ravenstrong. Because he had the power to end this circus with a single statement. And he hadn't said a word.
"You're not going to work today?" Anne asked gently the next morning, her eyes flicking to Sofia as the three of them sat around the small kitchen table, the scent of warm bread and coffee softening the heaviness in the air.
Sofia took a sip from her mug before replying, her voice quiet but steady. "I texted my manager... told him I'd be late."
Neither Anne nor Elise pressed further. They knew better. They had watched her unravel and pull herself back together too many times over the past week. Sometimes silence was the only kindness left to offer.
After a moment, Anne spoke again. "You don't have to look for another place, you know. You're always welcome to stay with either of us—for as long as you need."
Sofia paused the fork in her hand hovering midair. Her throat tightened, but she forced herself to smile—a soft, flickering thing that didn't quite reach her eyes.
"I'm touched. Really. I don't know what I would've done without you two." She looked between them, her voice growing smaller. "You've been everything I didn't even know I needed."
And though she fought it, her eyes shimmered with unshed tears—grief, gratitude, and the quiet ache of someone trying desperately to hold on to her last thread of composure.
Sofia walked briskly toward the bus stop, flanked by Anne and Elise. The morning air was crisp, almost biting, and for once, it matched the chill that had settled permanently in her chest.
Her thoughts were tangled—work, rumors, her house, the ache of everything she'd been pretending not to feel. Her friends chatted quietly beside her, trying to keep the mood light, but Sofia barely heard them. Each step felt like a countdown to another blow she wasn't ready to take.
Then her phone rang.
She glanced at the screen. Unknown number.
Her heart skipped.
She hesitated, thumb hovering over the screen. A part of her wanted to ignore it—to delay whatever bad news waited on the other end. But something told her to answer.
She pressed it to her ear. "Hello?"
A crisp voice came through. "Good morning, Ms. Everhart. This is Celeste calling from the property loan division of Elite Republic Bank. We're calling to request your presence at the branch today to finalize some documents related to your house."
Sofia stopped walking.
Her heart began to pound, loud and erratic.
"What documents?" she asked, her voice thin.
"Ownership release forms and confirmation of full settlement," the woman replied with professional cheer. "The outstanding balance has been paid in full. Congratulations, Ms. Everhart—your home is officially yours again."
Sofia's breath caught.
She blinked. "I—what? There... there must be a mistake."
"No mistake, ma'am. Everything is settled. We just need your signature to complete the paperwork."
The call ended, but the words hung in the air like a spell.
Sofia stood frozen on the sidewalk, the phone still pressed to her ear long after the line went dead. Her limbs trembled as the weight of the moment crashed over her like a wave. She was supposed to lose that house. Her last tie to her family. Her last sense of safety.
Anne and Elise turned around when they noticed she wasn't walking anymore.
"Sofia?" Elise called. "What is it? What happened?"
"Are you okay?" Anne asked with concern.
Sofia looked at them, stunned.
"I... I just got a call from the bank," she whispered, her voice still catching up to the shock.
Anne's brows furrowed. "Did they say something about the foreclosure?"
Sofia nodded slowly. "They said the balance was paid. That the house is mine again."
"What?!" both girls exclaimed in unison.
"Paid in full," Sofia echoed, still trying to believe it. "But I didn't— I didn't do anything. I thought it was over. I thought I had lost it."
Anne's eyes narrowed. "Do you think...?"
Elise didn't let her finish. "Adam."
Sofia's jaw clenched. Of course, it was him.
And just like that, the thrill of relief was swallowed whole by a rising storm of confusion, anger, and a heartbeat that refused to slow down.