"And why not?!" I snapped. "Your family is arrogant—just like you!"
"Arrogant?!" he shot back, his voice rising. "So that's what you call a family who accepted you when you had nothing? No name, no status, no image—and most of all, no family! They welcomed you, even though you were just an ordinary woman with nothing to offer!"
His words hit me like a slap. I froze, momentarily stunned, as each one cut deep, settling in my chest like shards of glass.
"D-Don't tell me… you really have no idea how they treated me?" I whispered.
I stared at him, searching for even a flicker of doubt in his eyes—but his glare only hardened. Cold. Unyielding.
I wanted to scream at him—to tell him that his family was one of the reasons I left. That their silent scorn, their backhanded comments, and their judgmental stares had worn me down, day after day.
But I could see it now… even if I said it, he would never believe me. He'd defend them.
He'd rather insult me than hear a single word against the people who looked down on me.
It still hurt. God, it still hurt.
Even after all this time.
It was painful to realize that, after everything I went through, I was nothing more than a passing chapter in his life—a simple, ordinary woman who once tasted a life that felt like a fairytale.
A man I once believed would never judge me… who I thought would love me completely, despite the vast difference in our lives… was now throwing my past in my face.
The life he made me feel welcome in—the beautiful mansion, the luxurious lifestyle, the illusion of unconditional love—had come with a hidden price.
Because behind the charm, behind the promises, there had always been contempt.
"I've always known I was just an ordinary woman—even now, I still am. But what shocks me is hearing those belittling words come straight from you!
"....."
"Why? Didn't you once love someone like me—an orphan with no family, no name to be proud of, no social standing, nothing to offer but my heart?!"
My breath hitched, my voice growing weaker, but the anger still burned—too strong to hide.
"But maybe… maybe the truth is that you never really loved me at all. Because it was so damn easy for you to replace me, wasn't it? To marry another woman, just like that.
"You let the world believe I would be the one you'd marry. You gave me a ring, introduced me as your fiancé—only for me to end up humiliated, discarded like I was nothing. Just some foolish woman people could mock and look down on… like I was nothing more than someone easy to hurt and toss aside!"
I hadn't even realized my eyes had started to water. My voice cracked with raw emotion. I tried to hold it back, but the pain was too much.
"Bullshit, Sylvia!!" he snapped, his face contorted with rage. "If I never loved you, then why the hell does it still hurt like this?! You're the one spouting nonsense—just trying to cover up the fact that you were the first one who cheated!"
I stared at him, fire flashing in my eyes.
"H-haha… you're really good at twisting things around," I said sarcastically. "Why would I cheat on you when you were the one who left me hanging first? You gave me false hope!"
"I didn't give you false hope!" he shot back, eyes blazing. "You were the one who cheated first, and you still won't admit it! And worst of all—with Daniel, of all people!"
"What?!" I blurted out, my anger now laced with confusion. "Daniel? What the hell does he have to do with us?!"
I was furious and completely bewildered. But just as he was about to speak again, his eyes flicked toward the door—and his expression suddenly changed.
Following his gaze, I noticed the door was slightly ajar… and from behind it, several curious eyes peeked through. They had been there the whole time listening.
My heart dropped. A wave of shock, followed quickly by embarrassment, washed over me. The raw anger I had felt moments ago was now replaced with shame.
"Tsk… What the hell are you guys doing there?!" Rome barked, clearly furious. "This isn't some damn live drama you can just eavesdrop on like it's a freaking TV show!"
"Aha… haha…"
A sheepish voice responded from behind the door. I recognized it instantly—it was Dave.
Whistling as if nothing had happened, Dave slowly emerged from behind the door like he hadn't just been caught red-handed.
He gave the door a light push, opening it wider—and to my utter horror, out stepped Calyx, Alpheus, Alphonso… and even Lexter, who looked completely startled that Dave had exposed them too.
They all stood there, frozen for a second, like kids caught sneaking cookies from the jar.
"F*ck you, Dave! Why the hell did you open the door?! And you even dragged us with you!" Lexter snapped.
But Dave just shrugged and tilted his head toward us, exposing the fact that they had been caught eavesdropping. Lexter glanced at me and quickly looked down, a bit embarrassed.
"F*ck you all, you nosy bastards!" Rome burst out, his voice sharp with irritation. "Don't act like you weren't all there the whole damn time. Seriously—do you guys have no shame? Spying like this like it's some kind of gossip fest!"
Rome's glare swept over them. "How much did you even hear, huh?!" he demanded.
"Chill, dude! Ease up with the swearing," Calyx chimed in from the side. "Maybe that's why Sylvia left you—because you curse too much!"
Everyone turned to look at Calyx, stunned. His comment was completely off-topic.
"What?"
Calyx blinked, confused by the glares and awkward silence that followed. Meanwhile, Rome shot him a deadly look.
"So… you all heard everything?" Rome asked coldly, his voice low but threatening.
The tension in the room thickened instantly. His friends exchanged nervous glances—most of them now glaring at Calyx, silently blaming him for making things even worse.