14 Choosing him
Sabrina‘ s pov
I stood frozen, heart pounding as they approached me, their faces twisted with disbelief and anger. Nicolas and Harvey. They couldn’t believe what they were seeing, what they were hearing. They thought I was lying, pretending. I saw the doubt in their eyes, the way they tried to pull me away in front of everyone, as if they had any right to do so.
“She’s just fooling you!” Nicolas shouted, his voice sharp, full of disdain. “This isn’t real. She‘ s just trying to deceive you all.”
Before I could respond, Bree stepped forward, her calm voice cutting through the tension. “No, this is not a trick,” she said. “This is real. Sabrina is engaged.”
The room fell silent, and I could feel every eye on me. The whispers started almost
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immediately, like a wave of judgment crashing over me. Some of the guests looked at me with pity, others with judgment. I felt exposed, vulnerable. But then I felt a presence behind me, solid,
strong.
Jayden stepped forward, positioning himself in front of me. His arm gently. placed around my waist, protecting me, shielding me from the storm that was beginning to swirl around us. He was unbothered by their accusations, by the tension in the room. He faced them with at calmness that made my heart flutter.
“I’m her fiancé,” Jayden said, his voice steady and confident. He didn’t even look at them as he spoke. “And if you think you can just waltz in and cause a scene at my engagement, you‘ re mistaken.”
Nicolas sneered at us, his eyes narrowing. “Is this really what you want, Sabrina?” he asked, his words laced with bitterness.
“Are you doing this out of jealousy? To
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make us look bad?”
I felt a knot form in my stomach, Jealousy? Was that what he thought this was? 1 glanced at Jayden, who was now standing tall in front of me, his body firm and protective. He looked down at me with a reassuring smile, as if to say, don’t worry, I’ve got this.
But Nicolas wasn‘ t finished. He took a
step forward, challenging Jayden. “You think you can just take her away from us like this?” he spat.
Before I could react, Harvey lunged at Jayden, his hands reaching for him. Jayden was quick. He sidestepped effortlessly, holding me closer, shielding me from Harvey’s reach. I could feel Jayden‘ s muscles tense as he held me protectively.
“You‘ re making a scene for nothing,” Jayden said coolly, not an ounce of fear in his voice. “We‘ ve known each other. since childhood. I’m not going anywhere. I’m going to make up for everything we
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lost. All these years… I’m going to make
them count.”
Harvey froze, eyes wide with shock. His face twisted with confusion and hurt. But Jayden wasn’t done. He stepped closer to them, his words cutting through the air like daggers.
“You two have been involved with Savvy,” he said, his voice dropping, full of accusation. “And now you think you can disrupt my engagement without any shame?”
The room seemed to hold its breath as the tension thickened. I could see Harvey‘ s face change, a flicker of guilt flashing across his features. But they didn‘ t
respond, not immediately. They were taken aback by Jayden‘ s boldness, by his willingness to stand firm.
“No,” one of them finally muttered, his voice barely above a whisper. “Savvy‘ s just a friend.”
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14 Choosing him.
But I was done with the lies, done with the pretending. I wasn’t going to allow them to twist this anymore, to make me feel like I was still caught in their web of confusion and misplaced loyalty. They had no right to disrupt my life anymore.
I stepped forward, my voice strong and clear. “I’ve made my decision,” I said, looking directly at them. “No more explanations. No more apologies. I‘ m done with my old life. I’m leaving it all behind.”
I could see the shock on their faces, the disbelief. They couldn’t comprehend what I was saying, couldn’t understand why I was so resolute. But I knew. I knew I couldn’t keep holding onto the past, to the people who had hurt me, to the life that had caused me so much pain.
Jayden was beside me, his presence unwavering. He looked at me with pride in his eyes, like he was finally seeing me take control of my own life, my own choices.
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“I’m sorry,” I said quietly, the words feeling heavy in my mouth. “But this is over. Don’t try to contact me again.”
Jayden turned to the crowd, his voice commanding as he spoke to the staff at the banquet. “Escort them out,” he ordered, his tone brokering no argument. The two men stood there, their faces pale, looking helpless and broken.
As they were escorted away, I could hear their desperate voices calling out to me, pleading with me to change my mind. “Sabrina! Don’t do this!” Harvey shouted, his voice thick with emotion.
“We can fix this! Please, just come back!”
But I couldn’t listen anymore. Their voices, their pleas, they were just empty echoes now. They didn’t matter. What mattered was the life I was building, the future I was choosing, and the man standing beside me.
I looked up at Jayden, my heart full. He was fiancé. The man I had chosen. And I
my
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wasn’t going to let anyone–least of all those two–try to tear us apart again.
I was done with this. I wanted to put all of this behind me, and start a family with Jayden. To start something new with Jayden. A family, with children of my own. What those two could never give.
As the door closed behind them, I felt a weight lift off my shoulders. I had let go of everything that held me back, everything that kept me chained to a past that no longer served me. The path ahead was clear, and for the first time in a long while, I felt free.
“I’m proud of you,” Jayden said softly, his hand finding mine. He gave me a reassuring smile, and I couldn’t help but smile back. This was where I belonged.
For once, everything felt right.
