Chapter 7 007

Emma's Pov

I stood in the center of the living room, my heart pounding like a war drum, the weight of my shattered engagement still clinging to my chest. My parents, Mr. and Mrs. Sinclair, sat stiffly on the long leather couch. Their expressions were unreadable cold, stern, and void of the warmth I once believed they had for me.

Ryan and Lena stood near the grand window. The golden light of the afternoon sun poured in, but it felt like a spotlight burning holes in my skin. Their presence still stung like acid.

I swallowed hard, refusing to back down even as my knees trembled beneath me.

"I can't go on with the engagement," I said, my voice steady despite the lump in my throat. "It's over. I'm calling it off."

There was silence.

Utter, painful silence.

Then, the eruption.

"What did you just say?" my mother-no, Mrs. Sinclair-rose to her feet, her voice a deadly calm.

"You can't be serious," my father followed, his brows furrowed deep in disbelief. "Do you even know what this means, Emma? The Sinclairs and the Carters have built this union for years. You dare destroy it all because of... what? A tantrum?"

My fingers dug into the fabric of my dress. "It's not a tantrum," I said. "I found Ryan and Lena-"

"Enough!" my mother snapped. "You should be ashamed. You storm into this house like a madwoman, humiliate our family name, and expect us to applaud your selfish decision?"

"She's ungrateful," Ryan added, arms folded, his voice dripping with false calm. "We were trying to manage her attitude, but clearly, Emma has always thought the world revolves around her."

I turned slowly to face him. "Manage my attitude? You were sleeping with my sister."

He smirked. "We were never really anything, Emma. Don't lie to yourself. You were convenient. Polished. Proper. But love? No. We didn't have that."

My chest tightened. It wasn't just the words-it was the way he said them. Like I had been nothing more than a prop in his pretty world.

"And don't act like you didn't notice," Lena chimed in, flipping her hair over her shoulder. She wore my color. The one I had picked out for my engagement. "You had everything, Emma. Mommy and Daddy, the name, the title. I was the outsider. Now it's my turn."

"Lena..." I whispered, stunned by the poison in her tone.

"You're not even a real Sinclair," I muttered.

She grinned. "Yet they chose me."

"Enough!" Mr. Sinclair barked. "This is a disgrace. You want to throw away this engagement? Fine. Then throw away everything else too. You are no longer welcome in this house."

My heart stopped. "What?"

"You heard your father," my mother said, as cold as marble. "Since you've decided to disgrace us, you are no longer our daughter."

Tears stung my eyes, but I refused to let them fall. I stood taller, even as my world caved in.

Ryan's parents entered the room just then-Jonathan and Elaine Carter.

Elaine looked at me with thinly veiled disappointment. "So this is what you call grace? Calling off the engagement hours after the ceremony, in front of reporters and guests? Do you realize the PR disaster you've caused?"

I opened my mouth, but Jonathan raised a hand. "There's no need. The damage is done. I hope you understand, Emma, that our alliance was purely professional. And now, you've made it personal."

They didn't even ask what happened. Didn't care. Ryan stood beside them, smug and untouched.

I was alone.

Completely alone.

"You've always been a disappointment," my mother said. "We gave you everything-how dare you throw it away for a moment of melodrama."

I let out a shaky breath, my fingers curling into my dress as their words sank in. The walls felt like they were closing in, suffocating me with the weight of their rejection. My entire life, I had lived to please them-to be the perfect daughter, the perfect fiancée. And yet, standing here, I realized none of it had ever been enough.

"Is that all I ever was to you?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper. "A pawn? A name to trade for power?"

My mother scoffed. "Don't be dramatic, Emma. You were given everything. We shaped you into a woman worthy of the Carters. You should be grateful."

"Grateful?" I let out a hollow laugh. "For what? For being lied to? Betrayed? Tossed aside the moment I stopped being convenient?"

Ryan sighed, shaking his head as if I were a foolish child. "You always overthink things. This isn't some grand betrayal, Emma. We simply chose what was best for everyone."

Everyone but me.

I looked at them-my parents, Ryan, Lena. Their faces were set, unmoved.

That's when it truly hit me.

I had never belonged here.

And I never would.

"And what will you do now?" Lena asked with a mocking smile. "Live in some small apartment and cry every night about the sister who got everything you ever wanted?"

"Maybe," I said. "But at least I won't have to pretend anymore."

I turned to walk out.

"You walk out that door, Emma," my father warned, "and you are no longer our daughter."

"I walked out the moment you chose her."

I didn't look back.

I walked slowly, feeling the walls I'd grown up with disappear behind me. The laughter, the holidays, the piano in the corner I used to play-it all faded.

At the entrance, I paused. My hand hovered over the doorknob. I didn't have a bag, or a plan, or a clue where I'd go next.

But I had my dignity.

And I wouldn't let them take that too.

As I stepped outside, the breeze hit my face and I breathed in deeply. But just as I reached the driveway, I heard the door creak open behind me.

I turned, half-expecting a sliver of regret.

But no.

It was Lena.

She stood on the porch, arms folded, a wicked grin stretched across her face.

"Hope you enjoy being homeless, Emma," she sneered. "Because trust me, no one is coming to save you."

I didn't respond.

I just kept walking.