Both of their faces flushed with embarrassment. With one look from Sophia, Ryan grabbed my wrist roughly, forcing me to apologize.
“Stop talking nonsense! It’s bad enough you’re unreasonable with me—now you insult Sophia’s character? You owe her an apology. Otherwise, how is a young woman supposed to face the world?”
“And that dress is one of a kind. How could Sophia afford it?”
Of course she couldn’t. But Ryan could. Otherwise, how else could he have secretly kept her for nine years?
I ignored them and turned upstairs, desperate to pack my things and leave that filthy house.
The air froze. Sophia rushed forward, clutching my hand and falling to her knees.
“Evelyn, it’s my fault… I just wanted to see how I’d look in the dress. It had nothing to do with Ryan. Please don’t be angry with him, okay?”
Ryan let out a sigh of relief and pulled me into his arms with a smile.
“Evelyn, I swear on everything—I haven’t betrayed you. Now that we’ve cleared it up, and Sophia has admitted her mistake, how about I dock her bonus to make it up to you?”
I laughed coldly, staring into his eyes filled with fake tenderness. Then I pulled free of his embrace, snatched up the dress, and tossed it at Sophia.