Sophie's POV
The phone screen has gone dark in my hands, but I can't seem to put it down. Blaze's happy face lingers in my mind—that genuine, uncomplicated joy radiating from him as he talked about wedding plans and engagement rings.
The guilt sits heavy in my stomach like a stone I've swallowed whole. I'm lying to them again.
The realization stings more than I expected.
After everything we've been through, the deception with Blaze's parents, the slow rebuilding of trust, the friendship that somehow survived my betrayals, here I am, spinning half-truths and deflecting questions like it's second nature.
But this time feels different, I tell myself. I'm not deceiving them to cause harm—I'm protecting them from my personal chaos, keeping my mess from contaminating their happiness.
The distinction doesn't ease the familiar weight of dishonesty pressing against my chest.
I set the phone aside and draw my knees up to my chin, staring at the empty apartment that suddenly feels too quiet, too still. The morning light seems harsh now, illuminating dust motes and the remnants of a night I'd rather forget.
Yesterday
I'd met Eric at a bar downtown—tall, charming, with a smile that promised uncomplicated fun. We'd flirted over drinks, the chemistry building until neither of us wanted to pretend we were interested in conversation anymore.
He'd followed me back to my apartment with the understanding that this was casual, no strings attached, just two adults seeking temporary pleasure.
We'd barely made it through the door before his hands were on me, his mouth hot against my neck. I'd laughed, pulling him toward the bedroom, feeling lighter than I had in weeks.
The TV played softly in the background—some hockey game I'd put on more for ambient noise than actual interest.
"You're not secretly a sports fanatic, are you?" Eric had teased, nodding toward the screen as I unbuttoned his shirt. "Because I have to warn you, I know nothing about hockey."
"It's just background noise," I'd assured him, pushing the shirt off his shoulders. "I promise I won't quiz you on the rules."
We'd tumbled onto my bed, losing ourselves in the simple pleasure of skin against skin. Eric was attentive and enthusiastic, exactly what I needed after months of stress and loneliness.
For a brief, blissful stretch of time, I forgot about debts and deadlines and the father who had abandoned me to clean up his disasters. Then I heard Blaze's name boom through the speakers.
My head snapped toward the television so fast that Eric actually stopped what he was doing, confusion evident on his face.
On the screen, the camera zoomed in on Blaze dropping to one knee on the ice, a velvet box open in his hands, Asher standing before him with shock written across every feature.
"Oh my God," I breathed, scrambling off the bed to get closer to the TV. "Oh my God, he's proposing. He's actually proposing!"
"Um, Sophie? Is everything okay?" Eric sat up, looking thoroughly bewildered by my sudden abandonment.
"My best friend is proposing to his boyfriend on live television!"
I grabbed the remote to turn up the volume, tears already pricking at my eyes as Asher nodded yes, as Blaze slid the ring onto his finger, as they kissed while twenty thousand people cheered.
"This is the most beautiful thing I've ever seen!"
Eric had been gracious about the interruption, even watching the replay with me and asking questions about Blaze and Asher's history. I'd been mid-explanation, still glowing with vicarious happiness, when the doorbell rang.
"Expecting someone?" Eric asked.
"No." I frowned, pulling on a robe and padding toward the door. "Probably just a neighbor or something."
But when I opened the door, my blood turned to ice.
"Sophie, sweetheart." My father’s voice dripped with false affection. "I know it's been a while, but I was hoping we could talk."
For a moment, I couldn't breathe. The shock of seeing him actually standing on my doorstep like he had any right to be there hit me like a physical blow. My hands gripped the doorframe so hard my knuckles went white.
He'd been gone for months. Disappeared without a word while I drowned in the wreckage of his failed schemes, fielding calls from creditors, dodging threats from people whose names I didn't even know.
I'd spent countless sleepless nights wondering if he was dead in a ditch somewhere, hating myself for caring, hating him more for making me care.
And now he stood here with that practiced smile, that rehearsed warmth in his voice, as if he'd just returned from a business trip rather than abandoning his daughter to clean up his disasters.
"You have got to be kidding me." The words came out shaking, vibrating with fury I could barely contain. "You show up here, after everything, and you want to talk?"
“I promise it’s worth it.”
Part of me still hoped, desperately, foolishly, that he'd come to apologize. To acknowledge the damage he'd caused. To offer some explanation that would make his betrayals forgivable, some proof that I mattered to him beyond my usefulness.
"You have two minutes," I said flatly, blocking the doorway so he couldn't enter. "Talk."
"Can't I come in? It's cold out here, and this is a conversation better had in private."
"No. Say what you came to say."
His smile flickered, annoyance breaking through the facade before he smoothed it away.
"Fine. I'll get right to the point, then. I've started a new business venture—completely legitimate, guaranteed to succeed. I just need a small investment to get things moving, and I'm prepared to offer you a decent percentage of the profits in exchange."
The hope in my chest withered and died, replaced by something cold and bitter.
"You're unbelievable," I whispered. "You show up after months of nothing, months of me cleaning up your mess, paying off your debts, trying to save your company from bankruptcy, and you want more money? For another scheme that will inevitably fail?"
"This one is different, Sophie. If you'd just listen…"
"No!" The word tore from my throat louder than I intended. "I'm done listening to your promises. I'm done being your safety net when everything falls apart. Do you have any idea what I've sacrificed to fix what you broke?"
"Sophie?" Eric's voice called from deeper in the apartment. "Everything okay out there?"
My father's expression shifted, his eyes darting past me toward the sound of a male voice. The mask slipped completely, revealing the ugly contempt beneath.
"Well, well," he sneered. "I see you've been busy. Strange man in your apartment at this hour? You really are as much of a loose woman as your mother."
The words hit like a physical blow. "Don't you dare…"
"A whore," he continued, his voice turning vicious. "That's what you are—just like her. I should have known you'd turn out this way."
Something broke inside me. Tears streamed down my cheeks, but my voice came out steady, cold as steel.
"If you treated Mom the same way you're treating me right now, it's no wonder she ran away. Maybe she finally realized she deserved better than a man who uses everyone around him and discards them when they're no longer useful."
I slammed the door before he could respond, leaning against it as my whole body shook with suppressed sobs.
Eric had emerged from the bedroom, concern etched across his handsome features. "Sophie, what happened? Who was that? Are you okay?"
"I'm fine," I'd lied, wiping my eyes with trembling hands. "I'm so sorry you had to hear that. But I think... I think I need to be alone right now. Would you mind leaving?"
He'd hesitated, clearly wanting to stay and help, but ultimately respected my wishes.
Present
Now, sitting in my empty apartment with morning light streaming through the windows, I feel the weight of everything I'm carrying. I'm so close to saving my father's company from the bankruptcy he created—close to finally being free of his shadow.
I don't feel guilty about rejecting his latest scheme, but the sadness remains.
The knowledge that I'll never receive the unconditional love from my parents that I deserve, that no matter how much I sacrifice, it will never be enough to earn their approval.
The phone sits silent beside me. Blaze and Asher are planning their wedding, building their happiness. I won't let my chaos touch that.
Even if it means lying to the only real friends I have left.