Chapter 5

The slam of the front door echoed through the suddenly cavernous house, a fitting soundtrack to the wreckage of my life. Alex's parents, their faces contorted with fury and disappointment, had just stormed out, leaving behind a silence thick with accusation. My gaze locked onto Ren, his jaw tight, his eyes betraying none of the guilt I expected, or perhaps even hoped for. He was the architect of this disaster, the demolition crew that had razed my engagement plans with Alex to the ground.

Why? The unspoken question hung heavy in the air, begging for an answer that he refused to offer.

Ren moved then, with an almost unsettling urgency, as if a fire had been lit under him. He strode towards the entrance, leaving me and my dad standing stunned in his wake.

"Ella," Dad said, his voice laced with disbelief, "is it true? Is that Ren… your boyfriend?"

My head shook instinctively, a denial that felt flimsy even to me. But before I could articulate a proper explanation, my stepmother, Grace, stepped forward, her face a mask of theatrical despair.

"Oh my God, Ella… What did we do to you to deserve this?" She wrung her hands, the perfect picture of a betrayed parent. "Your father worked so hard to earn their trust, to build this relationship! And with your… behavior… everything is lost!"

The accusations stung, but before I could defend myself, a clatter resonated from the kitchen. Grace gasped dramatically. "Oh, dear, I'll go see what that was."

Her theatrics were suffocating, and a nagging suspicion clawed at me. Something wasn't right. Ignoring the bewildered look on my dad's face, I trailed after my stepmother, keeping myself hidden just around the corner of the doorway.

I saw Ren leaning against the counter, his face a mask of cool detachment, but his posture held a predatory tension. My Stepmother stood before him, her eyes darting nervously around the room. They were talking in hushed whispers, but I strained to catch their words, already bracing myself for the worst.

Even though Ren possessed the kind of effortlessly handsome features that could have launched a thousand heartbreaks, I couldn't believe that vanity alone had driven him to sabotage my engagement. He had to have a motive beyond mere whim.

"...Where's the money you said you would pay me?" Ren's voice, though soft, had a sharp edge.

Grace stammered, "I-I'll give it to you later."

"Not later," Ren retorted, his eyes narrowing. "I want it now. Or else I'll go and tell Ella's dad that it was all set up by you. That you orchestrated everything."

The blood drained from my face. Despite the gnawing suspicions, hearing the confirmation was like a physical blow. The air thinned, and my stomach churned. This nightmare was even worse than I imagined.

My stepmother, her composure cracking, fumbled in her purse and began counting out bills. Ren watched her with a cold, calculating gaze. As she was almost at the end, he snatched the stack of money from her hand.

"No need to count," he said, a cruel smile playing on his lips. "I'll take this, thanks." The smile vanished from my stepmother's face, replaced by a tight, controlled anger. "Hah! You should thank me for choosing you a prisoner for this play." She leaned back, a smirk returning, confident she had the upper hand. "After all, you know how much this little play means to you. It's… touching, really."

Ren paused, the weight of the money heavy in his hand. He'd expected the condescension, the thinly veiled barbs. He knew Grace viewed him as a pawn in her game. But the word "prisoner" resonated, hinting at something deeper, something more sinister than simple self-aggrandizement.

He lowered his gaze, taking a slow, deliberate breath. Then, he looked up, his eyes locking with hers. The jovial mask was gone, replaced by a chilling intensity. "Don't forget that I know all your schemes against Ella.

The truth hit me with brutal force. Grace had paid Ren to pretend to be my boyfriend, to expose me and destroy my chances with Alex. The question was why? What did I do to her and Belle to even think about ruining my life?

The sound of my own ragged breath filled the suffocating silence. I had wandered into a trap, a carefully orchestrated drama, and I was nothing more than a pawn in their twisted game. The world tilted, and the weight of betrayal threatened to crush me. The fight was far from over; it was just beginning, Grace will not stop until I say to my dad that I don't want marriage now.