Chapter 2My Wallet, His Rules

I watched the familiar scene unfold and could only find it laughable.

Seven years ago, on an afternoon just like this, Georgia had "accidentally" knocked over my desk, then spun a tale of how I had bullied her. And Aiden, without even asking what happened, had torn into me.

Now, here we were again. Same play, same actors.

I lifted my hand and swung.

The sharp crack of the slap echoed through the room. Aiden’s head snapped to the side, his eyes wide with disbelief. Before he could recover, I turned and delivered another slap, this one to Georgia's tear-streaked face.

"Since you two love painting me as the villain, I might as well play the part."

"Isabelle, how dare you hit Georgia!" Aiden roared, lunging at me.

Leo and Ryan immediately jumped in, holding him back.

Aiden struggled against their grip, his eyes turning red with fury. "You just wait, Isabelle. Even if you got down on your knees and begged me now, I would never marry you!"

"Let's go, Georgia!"

He grabbed her hand and stormed out.

Ryan stood there awkwardly. "Isabelle, Aiden’s just blowing off steam…"

I managed a thin smile, ignored him, and walked back to my room.

The moment the door clicked shut, I leaned against the wood, sliding down to the floor. The day Georgia arrived, it was like a switch flipped in Aiden. He started questioning my every word, finding fault in everything I did. The boy who once protected me had become the one who hurt me the most.

A bitter smile touched my lips as I felt the lingering heat on my palm. In a strange way, it felt liberating. At least I had severed this tie myself, before he ever knew my real choice.

He’d probably be thrilled when he found out the truth, wouldn't he?

After all, he was finally free of the girl who had "hounded" him for so long.