Chapter 20 The Other Side of the Story
ARIA’S POV
I showed it to Lillian.
“Speaking of the devil,” she muttered. “Are you going to answer?”
I hesitated before hitting decline. “Not worth it. She’ll just try to manipulate me again.”
Seconds later, a text message came through:
“You bitch! You’re ruining my life with these lies! I’m in the HOSPITAL because of you!”
I showed it to Lillian, who rolled her eyes dramatically. “Yeah, the hospital you checked yourself into after your little performance didn’t get you enough sympathy. Someone should tell her that suicide baiting is disgusting.”
“I’m not engaging,” I said firmly, blocking her number. “She’s had enough control over my life.”
Just as I put my phone down, it rang again. This time it was Liam. I stared at his name flashing on my screen, my heart no longer racing the way it once did. 1
“What do you think he wants?” I asked Lillian.
“To save his ass, obviously,” she snorted. “The internet is roasting him alive right now.”
I accepted the call but put it on speaker so Lillian could hear.
“Aria,” Liam’s voice sounded desperate. “Please take down those posts. You’re destroying Sophia’s reputation!”
I laughed bitterly. “Her reputation? What about mine? She edited footage to make me look like I forced her to kneel in public, then faked a suicide attempt!”
“She’s fragile, Aria! You know about her depression-”
“No, Liam,” I cut him off, my voice steady. “I don’t know anything about her depression because it’s never been diagnosed. It’s just something she claims whenever she wants attention.”
“That’s cruel! She’s in the hospital right now!”
“By her own choice,” I replied. “And honestly, if she’s truly suicidal, she needs professional help, not your enabling. I’m not taking down anything because I’ve said nothing but the truth.”
“You’ve shared private conversations!” 1
“Conversations that show exactly how you two manipulated me for years. I’m done being your victim, Liam.”
I hung up before he could respond, my hand trembling slightly but my resolve stronger than ever.
“That felt good,” I admitted to Lillian.
“About damn time!” she cheered, giving me a high five. “Now, let’s enjoy this breakfast while we watch Sophia and Liam crash and burn.”
We were halfway through our pancakes when my phone buzzed with an email notification. It was from Sophia’s lawyer, threatening to sue me for defamation unless I took down my posts immediately.
“They’re getting desperate,” Lillian said, reading over my shoulder. “Truth is an absolute defense against defamation. You’ve got literal receipts.”
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I forwarded the email to my family’s attorney, then went back to my lunch. For the first time in months, food actually tasted good. 1
LIAM’S POV
I was halfway to Aria’s house when my phone rang. Sophia’s name flashed on the screen. Damn it. Not now.
“Hello?” I answered, already slowing the car.
“Liam…” Her voice trembled. “The doctors say I need someone here. My parents are out of town and… I’m scared.”
I glanced at the road ahead, then at the clock on my dashboard. Aria would understand. She always did.
“I’ll be right there,” I said, making a U-turn.
Twenty minutes later, I was rushing through hospital corridors. When I finally reached Sophia’s room, I found her sitting up in bed, scrolling through her phone, looking surprisingly alert for someone who’d just attempted suicide.
“Liam, have you seen this?” she thrust her phone at me the moment I walked in. “Look what she’s done to me!”
I took the phone, my stomach dropping as I scrolled through Aria’s posts. The private texts. The edited videos. The damning CCTV footage. My entire relationship history laid bare for the world to judge.
“What the fuck?” I muttered, continuing to scroll through the comments.
“She’s trying to destroy me,” Sophia whimpered, tears streaming down her face. “After everything I’ve been through…”
I dialed my assistant without hesitation. “James, I need those posts taken down immediately. Every single one. Use whatever connections we have.”
“I’ve been trying for the past hour, sir,” James replied, sounding stressed. “They won’t budge.”
“What do you mean they won’t budge? We’ve removed trending topics before!”
“They’re saying they can’t remove it. The engagement is too high, and…” he hesitated.
“And what?” I demanded.
“And apparently there’s… pressure from above to keep it up.”
I gripped the phone tighter. “What the hell does that mean?”
“Sir, this appears to be backed by someone with significant influence. More than we have.”
“Find out who’s behind this!” I snapped. “And keep trying to get those posts removed. I want them gone by end of day.”
“Yes, sir,” James stammered before I hung up.
Sophia touched my arm gently. “It’s her husband, isn’t it? That Carter man.”
I paused, the pieces clicking together. Of course. Who else would have both the motivation and the power to keep those posts up?
“Don’t worry,” I assured her, though my blood was boiling. “I’ll handle this.”
After making sure Sophia was comfortable, I headed straight for the Jones estate. I needed to talk to Aria directly.
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As I approached the gates, I spotted Mr. Jones’ car pulling out. I rolled down my window, ready to call out to him.
“Mr. Jo-” I started, but his car sped past mine without slowing. The unmistakable cold shoulder.
Wonderful. Even her father was in on this character assassination.
I parked near the villa and walked to the entrance. The housekeeper who used to greet me with smiles now pretended I was invisible, scurrying away toward the greenhouse without a word.
Fine.I reached into my pocket for my phone, thumb hovering over her name in my contacts-
Then I stopped.
She’d blocked me.
I stared up at her balcony, half-expecting to see her there, looking down at me with that hurt expression she’d worn at the restaurant. But the balcony was empty.
Standing there, locked out of a home I’d visited hundreds of times, I scrolled through the conversation screenshots she’d posted. Our texts from her birthday two months ago when I’d left her celebration dinner because Sophia had called crying.
The weekend I bailed on our trip to Boston-because Sophia was having a panic attack.
The night I was supposed to meet her parents, but ended up spending hours at Sophia’s apartment instead.
Seeing it all laid out like that… it looked bad. It looked really bad.
For the first time, I saw our relationship through Aria’s eyes. Had I really done this to her? Had I really prioritized Sophia over her so consistently? 2
My phone rang, interrupting my moment of clarity. It was the office-an emergency board meeting.
I glanced back at the empty house before walking to my car. I’d come back later. I’d make her understand. I had to.
But as I drove away, a thought nagged at me–what exactly did I expect her to understand? And more importantly, what had I failed to understand all this time?
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