The Battery Rule That Only Applied To Me Chapter 04

I’d assumed Sophie’s “fake engagement party” would just be dinner with a few of her relatives.

But when I arrived at the hotel, the first thing I saw was an enormous welcome sign.

A photograph of Caleb and Sophie was displayed above their names.

[Caleb Whitaker & Sophie Langford — Engagement Party]

My fingers went numb. This was the ballroom my parents had originally reserved for Caleb and me.

The receptionist checked the reservation and said politely,

“Ms. Prescott, your parents originally booked this ballroom. But Mr. Whitaker told us there’d been a family emergency, so the event was canceled. He had the reservation changed to today’s party.”

I could barely breathe.

Dad was still in the hospital. And my engagement party had become someone else’s.

I stopped outside the lounge and heard Sophie’s voice coming from within.

“Do you think Winnie will get upset when she sees all this? Will she make a scene?”

Caleb answered indifferently.

“She won’t keep making a fuss for long.”

“With her dad in the hospital, she’s even less likely to risk falling out with me.”

I stood outside the door, digging my nails into my palms.

Then I pushed open the ballroom doors. The room went quiet.

Sophie stood on the stage in a formal gown, a ring glittering on her finger. Caleb stood beside her. I looked straight at him.

“Did either of you ask me before throwing this engagement party?”

The room erupted in shocked murmurs.

Sophie’s face drained of color, and tears immediately spilled down her cheeks.

“Winnie, please don’t do this.”

“I just wanted to put my family’s minds at ease. Why would you say something like that?”

Her mother charged over and slapped me across the face.

“You shameless little homewrecker!”

“My daughter finally got out of a bad marriage, and now you’re trying to steal her man?”

My head snapped to one side. My ears rang from the blow.

Sophie’s mother pointed right at me and raised her voice.

“Everybody, look at her! She’s been chasing after my future son-in-law nonstop!”

“My daughter was kind enough to let her stay in the house for a few days, and now she acts like she owns it!”

“Her father’s in the hospital and she needs money, so she’s trying to latch onto the Whitakers. When that didn’t work, she came here to ruin the party!”

The guests all started talking at once.

“So she’s trying to squeeze money out of them.”

“She looks so quiet. Who knew she was that nasty?”

“Showing up after they’ve gotten engaged? Doesn’t she have any shame?”

I turned toward Caleb. All he had to do was tell them I was his girlfriend.

Instead, he approached me and lowered his voice.

“Do you have to make this so ugly?”

My cheek burned.

“They’re calling me a homewrecker and a gold digger. Can’t you hear them?”

“Sophie’s already been through one divorce,” he whispered. “She can’t afford any more gossip about her.”

I stared at him.

“So it’s fine if they drag my reputation through the mud instead?”

His expression hardened. I reached for my phone to pull up our messages. He clamped his hand over my wrist so hard I thought the bones might crack.

Then he turned to the crowd.

“Winona and I used to be friends.”

“Her family is going through a difficult time, and she’s not herself today. Please don’t hold it against her.”

I went completely still.

With two sentences, he’d erased every year we’d spent together.

Mrs. Langford gave a derisive laugh and held up a document from the building’s management office.

“You claim you’re his girlfriend? Then why is my daughter listed as the resident of the house?”

I took the paper. The building’s resident records now listed Sophie instead of me.

I looked up at Caleb, my voice shaking.

“My parents paid half the down payment. And you changed the registration to her name?”

He looked away.

“Sophie isn’t safe living alone. It’s just a name on the building records.”

The room grew chaotic.

Someone shoved me. My phone slipped from my hand and hit the floor, its screen splintering.

The battery indicator still showed 49%.

Caleb saw it. His first words were cold and accusing.

“See? You’re below fifty percent again.”

“How many times have I told you not to go out when your battery’s that low?”

I’d been slapped, insulted, and publicly accused of things I hadn’t done. And all he could see was my phone battery. Hotel staff and security finally arrived.

Caleb spoke to them in a low voice.

“She’s upset and causing a disturbance at our engagement party. Could you escort her outside so she can calm down?”

As security escorted me out of the hotel, I looked down at my cracked screen.

His precious rule said that whenever my battery dropped below fifty percent, every plan for the day was canceled.

Fine.

Then I’d cancel something, too.

Our entire relationship.

I borrowed a staff member’s phone and dialed a number. Someone answered almost at once. The man’s voice was cool, but I could hear the tension beneath it.

“You finally decided to call me.”

I looked at the engagement banner hanging above the hotel entrance.

“You once said you’d marry me. Do you still mean it?”

Silence stretched between us for several seconds.

“Yes.”