Page 23 of A Million Shades Of Love and Betrayal

She giggled. "Of course not. I don't think men were gifted with a sense of fashion or design."

I chuckled, finding it adorable the way she giggled. I tried to say something else, something funny to make her laugh again, however, our blissful bubble was soon shattered by the arrival of unexpected guests. Ethan's mother and sister, whom I had already met, barged into our conversation like a storm cloud rolling in on a sunny day. Their faces twisted with disdain as they eyed Yasmin, their disapproval palpable.

"Look who it is, the disappearing act," Ethan's sister sneered, her voice dripping with venom. Yasmin’s smile faltered briefly, her eyes darting to me before regaining her composure. "Hello, Mrs. Williams, Ava. Nice to see you both."

"Nice to see you, my foot!" Mrs. Williams scoffed, her tone cutting like a knife. "You have some nerve showing up here after what you did."

My heart raced as I tried my best not to let my anger get the best of me. How dare they show up here and confront Yasmin as if she did something wrong? How dare they act as if she deserved to be treated this way? Before I could voice my anger Mrs. Williams continued her tirade.

"Do you have any shame at all, parading around with a different man after what you did to our Ethan?" she accused, her words laced with contempt. "Especially the man that used to be his best friend.”

Yasmin's eyes widened in shock, her hands gripping mine tightly. "I-I don't understand. Ethan and I are divorced. He wanted the divorce."

Mrs. Williams scoffed. "Oh, please! Don't play innocent with us. We know all aboutyour little games. Disappear when it suits you, then show up with a new man on your arm."

My mind raced as I tried to piece together the puzzle. From the garbage Cheryl was spewing, it was clear that Ethan's family didn't know about the divorce. They still believed Yasmin was Ethan's wife, and they were judging her based on that misconception. If they were decent people, they would have been able to detect the confusion in Yasmin's eyes and the truth in her words, but they weren't decent people. They were despicable human beings who got off on making those around them miserable, it was a lucky thing that I wasn't raised to take anyone's bullshit.

"That's enough!" I hissed, careful not to attract more attention to myself. Being the wealthiest person in the room, I was already being watched and talked about and I didn't want to add to it for Yasmin's sake. "Why don't you stop being a bitch and talk to your son before you make an even bigger fool of yourself?"

"How dare you?" she gasped, holding a hand to her chest. "This doesn't concern you."

"I'm making it my business."

This is a matter between family!" She snapped.

"Oh," I stared at her, not moving an inch. "This definitely concerns me, since you're talking to my future wife."

"Wife?" Ethan's sister, Ava, exclaimed. Her eyes darted to Yasmin's ring finger, locking in on the gorgeous ring I placed there. "You're engaged?"

Before we could say anything, the tension in the room escalated as Ethan made his grand entrance. He strode in with the air of someone accustomed to being the center of attention, the model from his Instagram hanging on his arm like a prized possession. My stomach churned at the sight, a mixture of anger and hatred swirling within me.

"Well, well, well, look what the cat dragged in," Ethan's voice cut through the room, his eyes locking with Yasmin's for a fleeting moment before flicking away dismissively.

Yasmin's expression hardened, a mask of determination settling over her features. "Ethan, your mom, and sister seem to think we're still together. You should tell them what happened since they refuse to believe me."

Ethan's smirk was both infuriating and smug. "Oh, they know. They know all about it. "My blood boiled at his words, the pieces of the puzzle clicking into place. Ethan had painted Yasmin as the villain in their breakup, feeding his family lies to suit his narrative. The injustice of it all fueled a fire within me, a fire that demanded justice and truth. My fingers itched with the need to wrap them around his neck, squeezing tightly until his bones began to crack.

"The whole lot of you are sick," I breathed, flexing my fingers. "Let's go, Yasmin."

Yasmin paused flashing them a bright smile. "Vengeance is mine."

We walked away, listening as they scrambled to figure out what Yasmin meant by that. I pulled her closer to me, sharing my warmth. "I'm proud of you," I told her honestly. "The first step in confronting someone is always the hardest, but it'll get much easier to return their hatred in the future."

She smiled, her bright eyes softening as she gazed at me. "Thank you."

"Anything for you."

-17-

Yasmin

As Rafael and I took our seats at the lavish gala, I couldn't help but watch Ethan and his latest bimbo as they circled the room. They were the kind of couple that drew attention effortlessly, with Ethan's charming smile and the blonde beauty on his arm. I tried to avert my gaze, focusing instead on the elegant decor and the soft hum of conversation surrounding us.

However, fate seemed intent on testing my composure that evening, as Ethan and his companion were seated directly in front of us. It was impossible not to notice their every move, and I found myself unwittingly drawn to observing them, much to my dismay.

Lost in my thoughts, I barely registered Rafael's gentle touch as he reached for my hand. His warm lips pressed against my fingers, pulling me out of my reverie. Startled, I turned to him, meeting his eyes filled with affection and understanding. His gesture was like a lifeline, grounding me in the moment and reminding me of the present. It was also a bonus that Ethan frowned the longer Rafael held my hand.

"Are you alright?" Rafael's voice was soft, concern evident in his tone as he studied my expression.

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