Too Late Mr. White! I'm Married To Your Rival Now novel Chapter 6

I turned to her, frowning slightly. "What is it, Martha?"

She gave a polite nod. "Miss Jones, Mr. White is here to see you. He's brought Miss Clarke with him."

My body tensed immediately. "Tell him I'm not available."

Lillian sat up straight, suddenly alert. "Sophia's here too? Oh, this I've got to see." She turned to Martha. "Show them in."

"Lillian—" I protested, but she was already smoothing down her dress.

"Trust me, Aria. I want to see what those two have to say for themselves."

Minutes later, Liam and Sophia entered the living room. Liam looked uncomfortable, while Sophia maintained her usual fragile appearance, clutching Liam's arm as though she might collapse without his support.

"Aria," Liam began, his voice strained. "I came to apologize again for what happened. I know I've hurt you—"

Lillian cut him off with a humorless laugh. "That's the understatement of the century."

Sophia's eyes widened in manufactured innocence. "We truly didn't mean for things to happen this way. I've been feeling terrible about everything."

"I understand you're upset on Aria's behalf," Sophia said softly, tears welling in her eyes. "But you don't know how complicated things were. I was in such a dark place with my depression—"

"Save the performance for someone who's buying it," Lillian snapped. "Using mental illness as a cover for your manipulations is disgusting."

Liam's face hardened. "That's enough. Sophia's condition is real, and you have no right to speak to her that way."

"And you had no right to humiliate Aria the way you did," Lillian fired back. "First you shield this woman instead of your fiancée during the shooting, then you abandon Aria on what should have been the happiest day of her life!"

"I made mistakes," Liam admitted, "but Sophia was vulnerable—"

"And Aria wasn't?" Lillian was practically shouting now. "She was shot, Liam! While you were busy playing hero for your mistress!"

Sophia's tears were flowing freely now. "Please stop," she whimpered. "This is exactly why I didn't want to come. I knew everyone would blame me."

Liam pulled her closer. "This isn't Sophia's fault. If anyone's to blame, it's me." He looked at me, his expression hardening, "Besides, your attitude toward Sophia is terrible. You don't know that Sophia genuinely suffers from—"

"From what, Liam?" I interrupted, finding my voice at last. "From an inability to find a man of her own? From a desperate need to take what belongs to others?"

Sophia's eyes filled with tears. "Aria, please. I understand you're hurt, but I'm not faking my illness. That's... that's cruel."

"What's cruel is showing up at my house after what you two did!" I shot back.

"Aria," Liam said firmly, his arm now around Sophia protectively, "I know I hurt you, but you need to stop attacking Sophia. She's not well, and this stress isn't good for her condition."

"Attacking?" I let out a cold laugh. "You think this is attacking?"

I shot Liam a glance, then without hesitation turned and slapped Sophia hard across the face.

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