Noelle''s response was downright brutal—and she did not even try to hide it.


    Tommy immediately snapped, "What''s wrong with you? Ms. Merlock is being


    generous and asking you to give her some grace, and you actually have the nerve


    to refuse?"


    Noelle retorted, "You wanna kiss up to her, go ahead. But don''t assume everyone


    else is that desperate."


    Tommy''s face turned red with rage. "Who the hell do you think you are? Just


    because you slept with Mr. Greene a few times, you think you''re some kind of


    queen? Ms. Merlock is the one he''s actually engaged to. You''re nothing more than


    a side chick!"


    "Shut up!" Cedric''s punchnded hard, with zero hesitation and even less mercy.


    His voice was icy as he stared Tommy down. "Let me make this perfectly clear:


    I''ve never had any engagement with the Merlocks. The ones who keep spreading


    that rumor better get ready to face the consequences."


    The room went dead quiet.


    Laura could barely hold herposure. She had genuinely believed Cedric would


    protect her dignity—after all, they had known each other since they were kids.


    Yet, he just publicly shut down the engagement rumor as if it meant nothing. Did


    he not care that she would be the joke of their entire social circle? Why


    would he humiliate her like this?


    Her eyes filled with tears as she looked at him. "Ced—"


    Cedric did not even flinch. "I warned you a long time ago to clear things up


    yourself. I didn''t want my girlfriend to get the wrong idea."


    Noelle stood quietly next to him, her ears still ringing from hisst words. She


    looked up just in time to see Laura''s tear-streaked face—so different from the


    woman who had once strutted into a café acting like the legal wife confronting the


    mistress. When it came to ying a part, Laura definitely took the crown.


    Laura noticed Noelle''s look and snapped bitterly, "Happy now?"


    "Seriously? You and Cedric were never engaged. I didn''t start the rumor, and I


    never denied it either. So what does any of this have to do with me?" Noelle


    replied.


    Laura reasoned, "If you hadn''t shown up, he and I might''ve be something


    real."


    Maybe the rumor could have turned into a reality. But now that Noelle was here,


    all of Laura''s wishful thinking had crumbled.


    Noelle did not appreciate being med. "Cedric doesn''t like you. How''s that my


    fault? Maybe ask him instead ofing after me—unless you''vepletely lost


    your mind."


    Tommy stormed toward her again. "Watch your mouth!"


    But Cedric stepped in front of her


    instantly, shielding her. He shot


    Tommy a warning re and


    growled, "Noelle''s not wrong. Even if


    she never existed, I still wouldn''t


    have gotten engaged to Laura."


    The ss slipped from Laura''s fingers and shattered on the floor. Her once-


    elegant poise copsed intoplete disarray.


    Noelle nced around. Everyone in


    the room lookedpletely


    stunned, their faces a mix of


    disbelief and awkward curiosity. But


    all she could feel was her heart


    racing louder than anything else


    around her.


    Cedric stood in front of her like a


    shield, blocking all the stares being


    thrown her way. She lowered her


    gaze slightly, tuning out the rest of


    the room. The only thing echoing in


    her head was what he had just said.


    "Ced..." Laura whimpered, her voice cracking with emotion.


    Cedric did not even look at her. "I have a name."


    "So now that Noelle''s here, you''re cutting ties with me?" Laura asked, her voice


    shaking. She had always been used to getting her way and could not believe this


    was happening.


    Cedric said coldly, "A while back, when my grandmother was hospitalized, I lost


    my phone. You were the one who picked it up.


    "But you had no business answering my calls—especially that one, the one that


    made my girlfriend think I was cheating."


    He did not have the energy to confront her before because all his attention had


    been on Noelle. But now that everything was out in the open, it was time to settle


    it.


    Noelle looked up, startled. All the eyes watching them were starting to make her


    ufortable. She leaned in slightly and whispered, "Alright, enough. There are


    too many people here."


    Laurapletely broke down and yelled, "Noelle! I don''t need your pity!"


    Noelle looked back at her calmly. Laura''s face was soaked in tears now—looking


    nothing like the proud, condescending woman from the café back then.