I moaned.“I’m trying to save you.”
“It’s too late for that,” he whispered against my lips.“I’ve already fallen in love with you.”He sounded so wounded.He slowly released me from his grip and walked away from me.
I stood there, immobilized, trying to wrap my head around what he just said.I blinked, gasping softly.I struggled to rein in my tears, shaking my head like I was trying to convince myself that it wasn’t true.
When I eventually succeeded in pushing it to the back of my mind, I returned to the party.He was already in his seat like he didn’t just drop a bombshell earlier.
I tried not to glance at him, so I looked at the stage to see Sofia grabbing a mic.
“Good evening, everyone.”She smiled as though she wasn’t a venomous, condescending bitch.“My husband and I are so glad to have you all grace one of the most important occasions in our lives.”
The guests cheered.
“Aside from wanting to appreciate you all for making time to be here, I believe that there’s someone in this gathering that I have immensely wronged.I need to ask for her forgiveness.That person is my sister, Andrea.”
I choked on my champagne.
I was hit with confusion.Everyone suddenly had their eyes on me.And Sofia?She had on her best innocent look.If I hadn’t been a victim of her bitchiness several times, I’d have fallen for the act.She was up to something, and I didn’t like how it made my skin crawl.
“I have spent so much time being hard on my sister despite how much love she has shown me.”Her voice shook.What the fuck?“I spent so much time thinking she had everything handed to her on a platter.The perfect looks, the perfect life, the perfect job—even the love of our parents.It wasn’t until recently that I found out it wasn’t true.”
Sofia, what are you doing?
My body stiffened.
“When I found out that my sister was engaged, I was so happy for her.”A tear rolled down her cheek.“I thought to myself that love was finally happening for my sister.It came as a shock to me to find out that my sister, whom I loved so much, thought that the family would hate her if she wasn’t engaged like me.She got desperate enough to hire a fake fiancé.”
The ground shifted beneath me.My eyes widened as gasps echoed through the garden.Cold sweat broke out on my skin, and my mouth felt too heavy to move.
“Stop this madness, Sofia!”Papa yelled.
My eyes instantly filled with tears.
“I know, Papa.I was in denial until I heard this too.”She sniffed, waving her phone in the air.
“This whole thing you are doing, being so nice, acting so obsessed with me.You need to stop it.There’s only so much I can take.I already told you.This is an arrangement.You were supposed to come here as my fake fiancé and keep up with the charade until the wedding is over.Not get under my skin and fuck me like you can’t live without me.”
That was my voice.Sofia had me recorded.She overheard Luciano and me in the room.
I gasped, slapping my palms over my mouth to prevent a sob.
“Did I push you too hard to do this?I’m so sorry, Andrea.I’m so sorry.”She sobbed.“I had returned to the dressing room to pick up my purse.She didn’t know I heard her.She didn’t.”Her fiancé rushed to her side to console her.
The world was spinning on its axis, and I was suffocating.I didn’t know what else to do.
I couldn’t face everyone, so I ran.
