Chapter 5

On the day of the live stream, millions of viewers tuned in.

My parents didn't show up. They only sent me a text, begging me to confess and apologize before the show started to save their faces.

"Chloe."

"It's been three days. Have you finally cleared your head? If you apologize to Hailey and me right now, I can pretend none of this happened. The viewers are waiting for your response."

Austin sat across from me, his eyebrows knit together in mock concern.

I met his gaze, my face completely expressionless.

"Chloe," Hailey chimed in, her voice sweet and dripping with fake sympathy. "This is your last chance. Don't ruin your life over pride."

Austin’s parents sat beside them, silent but smug.

I didn't say a word. I just sat down directly opposite Austin.

The Miller family sneered.

The live chat was filled with comments praising the Millers for being so generous and calling me an ungrateful bitch.

The host, a popular local drama influencer hired by Mr. Miller, stepped up to the microphone.

"Alright, Chloe," the host said, her tone hostile. "Besides Austin forgetting you hate chocolate, do you have any actual, logical reasons for calling off this engagement?"

"Because right now, all we see is a man who loved you dearly, and a woman who threw it all away over a minor mistake."

The entire setup was designed to publicly humiliate me.

Everyone in the room looked at me like I was a joke. Hailey even had a small, triumphant smirk on her lips.

But I remained calm. I kept my eyes on the entrance of the studio.

Right on cue, the double doors opened. Logan Carter walked in.

I finally let out a breath.

"Proof?" I looked at the host. "Oh, I have plenty."

The host blinked, then let out a condescending chuckle. "Well, please, show us. We’re all waiting."

She thought I was bluffing.

The live chat was flooded with: [Let's see what lies she has prepared lol.]

"On the day of our engagement, Austin bought two boxes of chocolate. One dark chocolate, one milk chocolate."

"But he told me he only bought one."

I spoke clearly.

Austin's face stiffened, a flicker of panic crossing his eyes.

"And you," Logan spoke up, stepping to the center of the stage. "Knowing Chloe is deathly allergic to dark chocolate, you purposely handed her the dark chocolate box. Why?"

Logan plugged a USB drive into the console, and Austin's receipt from the chocolate shop flashed onto the giant screen behind us.

The camera zoomed in on the date, time, and the two items purchased.

The chat went quiet for a second before comments started popping up:

[Wait, he did buy two boxes? Why did he lie?]

[Is there something else going on?]

Seeing the shift in the room, the host frantically looked at Austin, signaling him to explain.

Austin licked his dry lips, struggling to find words.

Hailey quickly jumped in. "The other box was for me! Austin didn't tell Chloe because she's incredibly insecure and always gets jealous when we hang out!"

Mrs. Miller immediately shook her head at the camera, sighing dramatically. "Hailey grew up with us. She's like a sister to Austin. He was just being a good brother."

"Exactly," Mr. Miller added. "They are just best friends. Chloe's jealousy is toxic."

Their explanation immediately swayed the chat back to their side. The comments started calling me "insecure" and "crazy."

The host smirked at me. "Is that all you have? Give up, Chloe."

"Don't worry about them, worry about yourself," I replied with a smile.

"Austin and Hailey's relationship is far from innocent."

"Take a look at the screen."

Logan nodded to the tech booth, and the first video started playing.