I don’t even spare him a glance as I walk past them. My steps lead me straight to the bar, where I grab a glass and pour myself a generous shot of whiskey. It burns as I down it in one go, but it’s nothing compared to the way I’m feeling right now.
I hear footsteps behind me, then Dad’s presence looms beside me as he tries again, his tone measured.
“Can we talk like adults?”
I finally turn to face him, my gaze cold. Without a word, I reach into my pocket, my fingers curling around the ring. With a sharp breath, I pull it out and slam it onto the counter.
“Sana ended it.” I say, locking eyes with him. “This is what you wanted, right?”
“Son…” Dad begins. But before he can say anything more, Mom steps in, coming to stand beside him, her expression joyous.
“It’s good that it ended,” she says, as if she’s reassuring me, as if this is something to celebrate. “Girls like Sana… they’re not forever. But Samantha? She’s here, ready to marry you. Even after everything that’s happened, she’s still here for you. She’s exactly the kind of girl you need in your life.”
I don’t move. I don’t react. I just stare at her, my jaw tightening, my chest constricting with something between disbelief and rage. She still doesn’t get it. Still doesn’t see how her own son is breaking right in front of her.
The sharp click of heels against the floor pulls my attention, and I look up to see Samantha come to my side. She reaches out and places a hand on my arm, her voice sickeningly sweet as if she’s already won. “Yes, Aditya. Let’s put the past behind us and start fresh. We can be happy. Just give us a chance.”
“You’re right,” I say, locking eyes with Samantha. “Let’s leave everything behind and get married.”
A satisfied smile tugs at her lips. My mom exhales in relief and my dad watches me with wary eyes.
“But,” I continue, my eyes never leaving Samantha’s, “before we get married, you’ll have to sign a prenup stating that in case of divorce, you won’t get a single penny from me.”
Samantha blinks, her smile faltering. “What?”
I nod as if it’s the most logical thing in the world, not a shocker. “Why are you so surprised? Didn’t Mom already tell you about it? It’s her favorite move. Hell, she made Sana sign it too. I’m sure it won’t be any trouble for her to get the papers done again. She can talk to the lawyer, use the same ones she did for Sana—just swap out Sana’s name for yours.”
Samantha stares at me like I’ve lost my mind. “Aditya, that’s ridiculous. I’m not signing anything.”
I pull my brow together, feigning confusion. “Why not? When Mom told Sana, she didn’t have any problem. Without a second thought, Sana agreed. So why are you fussing?”
Her lips part, but no words come out. My dad’s face hardens, and my mom shifts uncomfortably.
“I’m not Sana,” Samantha snaps. “Don’t you dare compare me to her. No way am I signing that damn prenup. When I marry you, I’m your wife, and whatever’s yours is mine. Even if we divorce, I’m not giving up a single thing.”
“That’s right, you’re not Sana and you’ll never be Sana,” I say with a smirk, every syllable solidifying what I already knew. I turn to my parents, locking eyes with their stunned faces. “So,” I continue, my voice icy and sharp, “this is the selfish woman you wanted for me? The one who claims to love me but won’t even sign a simple paper? Who’s clearly more interested in my bank account than in me? This is your idea of a ‘perfect match’?”
My mom looks like she’s been slapped, her mouth opening and closing like she’s scrambling for words. My dad just exhales heavily, rubbing his temples.
“Aditya,” Mom begins, trying to regain control of the conversation. “That was a foolish test. You don’t have to play these mind games to prove your point. You know the only reason we asked Sana to sign the paper was because we believed she was with you for your money. We just want your…”
“Don’t you dare tell me that you want my happiness,” I snap, my patience fraying. “Sana never cared about my money. It’s this woman, Samantha, who’s superficial but you just refuse to see that. What hurts even more is that you never cared about what I wanted. You only wanted control. Well, congratulations, Mom. You got what you wanted. Sana’s gone. But today, you lost something too. You lost me. Your own son.”
Mom reels back, shock flashing in her eyes, but I don’t stop.
“And you?” I say, turning to Samantha. “I hope you find someone who fits your perfect, shallow world. Because it sure as hell isn’t me.”
“Aditya, you are overreacting,” Mom says, trying to sound calm, but I can hear the panic in her voice.
“Overreacting?” I laugh bitterly, shaking my head. “You took my happiness, my peace, and crushed it like it meant nothing! Do you even care how much this hurts your son? How much you hurt me? I thought—no, I believed—that my parents always wanted what was best for me. That no matter what, you’d choose my happiness. But I was wrong. So damn wrong.”
I turn to my dad, my voice trembling with barely controlled emotion. “Dad, I always looked up to you. I trusted you to stand by me when it mattered the most. But you just stood there… and let Mom rip everything apart.”
I take a shaky breath before shifting my gaze to my mom. “And you… I can’t even recognize you anymore. You act like you love me, but you don’t, Mom. Because if you did, you wouldn’t force me into a life that keeps you comfortable while I fall apart and suffer.” My voice thickens, my vision blurring. “You didn’t just break Sana and me up… you broke me.”
My mom swallows hard while my dad looks away. And Samantha shifts uncomfortably.
I inhale deeply. “I hope all of this was worth it,” I say, locking eyes with Mom and Dad. “I hope you’re happy with what you’ve done because I don’t think I’ll ever forgive you for this.”
