Too Late She Already Married Mr. Right (Sophia) novel Chapter 14

Chapter 14

The surrounding guests had been engrossed in their conversations, but Margaret’s outburst suddenly made Sophia the center of attention.

Heat rushed to Sophia’s cheeks as she stared at the woman who was supposed to be her mother.

Of all the people here, she never imagined her own mother would be the one to publicly shame her.

“What did I do to deserve such a disgraceful daughter?” Margaret lunged forward and ripped the earrings from Sophia’s ears.

Sophia’s ears throbbed with a stinging pain. When she reached up, her fingers came away smeared with blood.

Her hand trembled slightly as she met Margaret’s gaze. “I didn’t steal them. The dress and these earrings were both waiting in my room.”

Tears of shame blurred her vision, but Sophia straightened her spine. She could withstand accusations from anyone else, but Margaret’s betrayal cut deepest.

“I did provide jewelry for you to wear tonight,” Margaret countered, her voice turning icy, “but not these ruby earrings. Your grandmother entrusted those to Olivia. Then how did they end up on your ears?”

“I didn’t steal them,” Sophia declared, her voice clear and steady.

A murmur spread through the guests as they drew closer, their disapproving stares fixed on Sophia.

Across the room, Lucas stood watching from the crowd. He witnessed Sophia’s humiliation unfold, yet he remained silent, offering no defense.

The tense silence was shattered as Emily dramatically pressed a hand to her forehead.

“This is all my fault,” she cried. “Olivia trusted me with her precious earrings. Then, Sophia bumped into me upstairs about ten minutes ago…”

Her words hung in the air, artfully implying what she never actually said—that Sophia had planned the whole encounter to take the earrings.

The truth struck Sophia. This was no coincidence, but a perfectly orchestrated trap with her own mother helping to tighten the noose.

Though her eyes shone with unshed tears, Sophia lifted her chin and squared her shoulders.

She looked at the three women standing before her, a united front. The bitter truth settled in her chest-she was the intruder here.

She took a sharp breath, closing her eyes for a beat. When she opened them, the vulnerability was gone.

She knew the stakes-if she didn’t speak up now, the accusation of theft would be all over the city by morning. She refused to let them destroy her name and her life without a fight.

“Emily, are you certain the earrings were in your clutch when we collided?” Sophia asked, her gaze sharp.

Emily ignored her question, smiling sweetly. “Sophia, I know you grew up in a small town and aren’t used to nice things. But those earrings are special. They were our grandmother’s welcome gift to Olivia. If you wanted them, we could…”

Sophia cut her off with a cold laugh. “True, I’ve never seen jewelry like that. But I’m not blind. When your clutch fell, all I saw inside was an open condom wrapper.”