Chapter 75

**Sarah**

I was momentarily stunned into silence by the announcement of my unexpected visitors: Amir, Grandpa Mitchell, and a few helpers in the dining area were all staring at me. Seeing Philip's face was the last thing I wanted at that moment.

He had lied to me and hurt me deeply! My friend Jakob warned me about him; letting Philip back into my life would only worsen things. He wasn't one to grant second chances at love, either.

"What is that moron doing here?" Amir's accusatory tone cut through the air, aimed squarely at me. I grasped that he meant Philip.

As much as I inwardly wondered the same thing, I replied, "I don't know."

A troubling suspicion surfaced: could Philip have stumbled upon hints about my true identity and was now feigning ignorance, using it as a tactic to win me over again?

Grandpa Mitchell's eyes narrowed in disapproval. "Ha! So your wretched ex-husband dares to come all the way here uninvited... You know better than to entertain his foolishness, Sarah. I expected resilience and wisdom from you as a Mitchell!"

Grandpa Mitchell and Amir rose from their seats, determined to confront my two visitors loitering outside the mansion's entrance.

I took a moment to sort through my thoughts, realizing how foolishly I'd behaved. I'd let Philip mistreat me in the past, and it looked like I was about to fall into the same trap again. I wasted my time with Philip, enabling his behavior as he continued to act without restraint.

But no more! No more games, Sarah.

Steeling my resolve, I went outside the mansion and saw Bronn, who greeted me with a wide, warm smile while Philip's jaw clenched tensely as our eyes met.

"Sarah!" Bronn approached, planting a kiss on my cheek.

"Why are you here?" I inquired of him.

"I have a meeting with your grandfather," he replied.

Suppressing the discomfort in my chest, I nodded.

"Is this your ex-husband, Sarah?" Grandpa Mitchell directed his question at me before turning to Philip. "After you mistreated and disrespected my granddaughter like a ragdoll for three long years, why have you stupidly come here now, boy?"

Unfazed by my grandfather's barb, Philip composed himself. "I've come to speak with your granddaughter, Sir."

"Weren't the past few months of conversation sufficient? Reconciliation with my granddaughter seems unlikely. She's marrying Bronn Martin!" Grandpa Mitchell declared.

Bronn stayed silent, his discomfort palpable, while Philip's eyes narrowed in response to Grandpa Mitchell's words.

Undeterred, Grandpa Mitchell pressed on, "Do you believe you lack resources, young man? My Sarah deserves better than an incompetent person like yourself!"

My grandfather's words resonated with truth. I gave Philip more time to seek redemption and mend things between us, even just a little. But deep down, my heart knew that he couldn't let go of his overbearing, manipulative mother. It proved Philip and I just weren't meant to be. Too much had happened, and it was too late to fix things between us.

"Grandpa, please allow me a private conversation with my ex-husband. It's uncomfortable for Bronn," I requested.

My grandfather let out a loud huff of displeasure, his brow furrowing, but he ultimately respected my wishes. Bronn flashed me a reassuring smile before gently guiding my grandfather by the elbow and leading him inside the opulent mansion.

A palpable tension hung between Philip and me, but I refused to avert my gaze. I met his accusing eyes head-on.

"So, this is the real you, is it? You've been lying to me this whole fucking time!" Philip's fist clenched in response to my grandfather's insult.

His anger stoked mine. How dare he blame me when all I did was protect myself out of love?

"What else have you kept from me? Besides completing your coursework online at Crestwood University? You're Blaze Belle, the Benner princess, and you're marrying Bronn Martin?!" His questions came rapid-fire, his voice escalating.

"Why? Did discovering the truth about my background and family name severely bruise your ego? Is that it?" I retaliated.

Philip's voice had an unmistakable tone of pain and anguish as he continued his tirade.

"This is just great! My father used me as a pawn in business for years. I grew weary of seeking his approval, knowing deep down he'd never accept me into Luminary Productions because I am my mother's son. And my mother was no better-she manipulated me constantly, pushing me to do this, do that, micromanaging every aspect of my life until it practically drove me insane! But what could I do? She's my own mother!

"You, Sarah, were the only person I believed was genuine in my life. And now I discover that it was all built on falsehoods? You played the role of a gentle, submissive wife so convincingly! Why did you play me for a fool and deceive me like this, Sarah?"

Tears streamed down my cheeks, though I clenched my jaw in determination. "You have no right to interrogate me, Philip Cornell. Answer me this: did you ever love or love me now?"

It was the second time I had asked Philip that question. For weeks, I had hoped that I would somehow find a place in his heart amidst our fleeting moments of happiness.

His eyes narrowed, his anger palpable, the sense of betrayal emanating from him. "No, Sarah! I could never love a woman who only loves herself! Whatever existed between us was nothing more than lust!"

His cruel words felt like a dagger plunging directly into my chest.

"Why did I even bother to ask? You didn't love me then, so why would I think that would change now? Your family betrayed me when I was lying in that hospital, devastated and feeling like a lost soul... But you'll never understand that feeling because your privileged life continues"

As angry tears poured down my face, I realized the harsh truth.

"While you ascended to the presidency of Luminary Productions, I was left here, adrift, foundering without any direction or purpose! You betrayed me and abandoned me, Philip, when you chose to turn a blind eye to your mother's doing!"

For weeks, I had clung to the naïve, faint hope that Philip would eventually come around and do the right thing for me and our unborn child, who was so cruelly taken from me! But it seemed impossible because he never truly loved me from the start.

Philip stared back at me with that distant, empty expression in his eyes, a look I had become familiar with during our doomed marriage.

**Philip**

"Is this Philip Cornell? What on earth are you doing here in our mansion?" Amir's words shot out like a bullet.

My gaze hardened at his accusation. "I need to speak with Sarah."

"Sarah doesn't want anything to do with you anymore! She just confessed that she'll be accepting Bronn Martin's proposal because you've proven yourself to be nothing but a worthless piece of shit!"

An angry fire burned within me, and I clenched my fists, wanting nothing more than to knock that sneer off Amir's face. But I knew better than to stoke the flames.

Sarah is marrying Bronn Martin!

"Do you think I'm unaware of your connection with Mariano? I haven't told Sarah about the deceitful games you've been playing, but you persist in dragging her into your mess! My sister has already sacrificed so much for you! Just leave her be!" With that final snarled command, Amir turned and stormed away.

When I caught sight of their Grandpa Mitchell, his disdainful expression cut deep. I knew I had many mistakes and failures in my past, but they seemed to relish tearing me down further.

This is unbearable! Their humiliation knows no bounds! I realize I am unworthy of Sarah. I've caused her nothing but pain.

When she asked me if I loved her, the question confused me, leaving me flustered and uncertain of how to respond. What did "love" even mean if she's not happy?

I vow to change, but I can only feel her anguish. I failed to shield Sarah because I recklessly made a pact with the devil. Letting her go, as much as it shattered my own heart into pieces, seemed the only choice I had left...