The revelation hits Sofia like a punch to the gut. Her face pales and her jaw drops in shock, her eyes darting back and forth between Sebastian and Kim.
Sofia: Your...your fiancée? (she stammers, unable to process the news). Who's this Sebastian
Kim: Yes, I was actually planning to surprise him today, but I guess I'm not the only one.
Sofia's grip on her phone tightens, her eyes flickering between the woman before her and the man she loves.
Sofia turns to him, her eyes searching his for answers.
Sofia: Sebastian...who is this?
Sebastian's face falls as he takes in the situation, his eyes shifting from Kim to Sofia and back again.
Sebastian: Sofia go home I will meet you there
Sofia: what!!
Kim: I came to see you, Sebastian. I thought we could finally start planning the wedding.
Kim walks up to Sebastian, and her hand slips into Sebastian's, a territorial gesture that doesn't go unnoticed by Sofia. Kim's smile is cold and calculating, her eyes never leaving Sofia's face.
Sebastian's hand trembles slightly in Kim's grip, his eyes darting between the two women.
Sofia: Congratulations
Sofia's eyes burn with unshed tears as she turns to leave, her heart shattering inside her chest. She hears Kim's triumphant laughter as the door slams shut behind her.
Sofia doesn't know where she's going, but she walks, trying to outpace the pain that threatens to consume her. The world around her is a blur.
Sofia: How could he do this to me? How could he lie?
Her mind is racing, the memories of their time together tainted with betrayal. Sofia arrives at her apartment, closing the door behind her with a resounding click. The quietness of the space is a stark contrast to the chaos of her emotions. She collapses onto the couch, burying her face in her hands as sobs wrack her body.
Sofia: How could I be so stupid? I should have known better.
With a choked cry, Sofia tries to stand, but her legs buckle under the weight of her emotions, her knees hitting the floor with a dull thud. Her hands claw at the fabric of the couch as if trying to anchor herself to a world that no longer makes sense.
The pain is raw and visceral, and Sofia can't imagine how she will ever recover from this betrayal. She presses her forehead against the couch, allowing her tears to flow freely.
Sofia: I loved him ( she whispers, her voice barely audible ). I trusted him. How could he do this to me?
As Sofia wallows in her despair, the betrayal and heartache become a physical presence in the room, suffocating and oppressive. She curls into a ball, her body shaking with sobs as she grapples with the reality of Sebastian's lies.
At that moment, she realizes that her love for Sebastian has blinded her to the truth. The warning signs had been there all along, but she'd chosen to ignore them, placing her trust in him completely.
Sofia: I should have known, ( she whispers, her voice thick with regret ). I should have seen it.
The shrill sound of the doorbell pierces the silence, a sharp reminder of the outside world that Sofia has been trying to shut out. But she doesn't move, her body frozen in grief as she wallows in her misery.
The bell rings again, but Sofia remains unmoved. She doesn't want to see anyone, doesn't want to explain what's happened.
The third ring is more insistent, and Sofia can hear a muffled voice through the door.
Sebastian: Sofia, I know you're in there
Sebastian's voice startles Sofia out of her stupor, and she lets out a shaky breath. The betrayal was fresh in her mind, she was not sure she could face him, let alone listen to whatever excuses or lies he might offer.
Sofia: Go away, ( she shouted her voice hoarse with unshed tears ). I don't want to see you.
She can hear the disappointment in Sebastian's voice as he replies,
Sebastian: Please, Sofia. I know I've hurt you. Let me explain.
But Sofia is resolute.
The door swings open, and Sebastian is caught off guard as Sofia's palm connects with his cheek twice in quick succession. His head snaps to the side with each strike, shock and confusion written on his face.
Sofia: How could you do this to me? ( Sofia cries, her eyes blazing with fury ). You lied to me! You betrayed me!
Sebastian tries to reach for her, but Sofia backs away, her hand coming up to ward off any further attempts at contact. Her heart is racing, and her body trembling with adrenaline.
The silence that follows is heavy with tension, as Sebastian and Sofia stare at each other, a gulf of betrayal and hurt separating them.
Sebastian: I can explain, Sofia, It wasn't what you think. I was going to tell you about Kim.
Sofia snorts in disbelief, her hand balling into a fist at her side.
Sebastian: Really? When were you going to tell me? Before or after the wedding?
Sebastian's face falls the guilt and regret etched across his features.
Sofia: Is that the reason you disappeared for no reason and you don't pick up my calls when you are away because you were with her all this time? Is this what you meant by you were protecting me from finding out the truth
The words hit Sebastian like a punch to the gut, and he can feel his resolve starting to crumble under the weight of Sofia's accusations.
Sebastian: I...I was trying to protect you, I never wanted to hurt you.
Sofia scoffs, her anger flaring as she takes a step towards him.
Sofia: Protect me? ( she laughed ) You've done nothing but lie to me! You've been lying to me this whole time.
Sebastian opens his mouth to protest, but Sofia cuts him off.
Sofia: I stayed with you after Damon warned me to stay away from you, I still choose to stay with you, putting my friendship with him on the line because of you. Don't ( she hisses, her voice low and dangerous ). Don't you dare try to make excuses for this? You've made your choice, Sebastian.
Sebastian hangs his head, unable to meet her gaze.
Sofia: I...I'm sorry, Sofia. I never meant to hurt you. I loved her and when I
Sofia laughs bitterly, the sound harsh and humourless.
Sofia: You love her? What about me? What about the promises you made to me? I was the Other woman all along?
She takes a step closer, her eyes hard and determined.
Sofia: You made me believe that we had a future together, Sebastian, ( her voice breaking as tears threaten to spill from her eyes ). You made me believe that you loved me. How could you do this to me?
Sebastian reaches out to touch her, but Sofia recoils from his touch, disgust written all over her face
Sofia: Don't touch me ( she spits, her voice thick with emotion ). You don't get to touch me anymore. You don't get to pretend that everything's okay. You don't get to have me anymore.
Sofia's words hang in the air like a death knell, the finality of her declaration ringing loud and clear.
Sebastian: Sofia, please, I can make this right. I'll fix this, I swear.
But Sofia shakes her head, her expression set in stone.
Sofia: You can't fix this, Sebastian. You can't undo the damage you've done. You can't take back the lies.
She takes a step back, her hand on the door.
Sofia: I'm done, ( her voice trembling with emotion ). I'm done with you, Sebastian. I'm done with your lies, your excuses. I'm done with all of it.
With one last, piercing look, she turns and opens the door, preparing to shut him out of her life for good.
Sebastian reaches out a hand to stop her, but she's already gone, the door closing with a final, resounding click.
Sebastian stares at the closed door, his heart aching with the knowledge that he may never see Sofia again.
For a moment, Sebastian stands motionless, the silence of the hallway deafening. Then, with a sigh of resignation, he turns and walks away, his footsteps echoing in the space.
Inside the apartment, Sofia sinks to the floor, her body shaking with sobs. She has lost not only the man she loved but also her trust and belief in the future they had planned together.
As the hours pass, Sofia remains on the floor, lost in her grief and anger. Her mind replayed the events of the day over and over again.