Chapter 273

Jamar’s face turned pale, his stomach twisting into a knot. Embarrassment settled deep in his chest, heavy and suffocating. Back then, when he stood with the others, throwing accusations at Phoebe, it didn’t seem like a big deal. He never stopped to question if they were actually in the wrong. However, now hearing the recording, broadcast for everyone to witness, the weight of it hit him like a truck. Hearing his own words from an outsider’s perspective made him realize just how far they had gone, how cruel they had been. And now, there was no escaping it. Not with the live-stream running, not with thousands of people watching them get exposed in real-time.

Jamar swallowed hard and looked at Phoebe. “I’m sorry. We went too far. I admit it. After you came back, we just blindly took Sienna’s side without even bothering to hear you out. That was wrong. I was wrong. I’m really sorry.”

Phoebe didn’t even blink. Her gaze was cold, unreadable. Then, she said flatly, “I don’t accept your apology.”

Her words landed like a slap, sharp and final. There was no hesitation, no false politeness. “If a simple sorry could fix everything, then wouldn’t that make my suffering a joke?” she continued, her voice steady, almost eerily calm.

Maddox scoffed. “Exactly. What’s the point of an apology now! Phoebe doesn’t need it. She’s terrified of you guys; just leave her alone already.”

Phoebe nodded. “Yeah. I don’t care anymore.”

There was a time when she might have wanted an apology, might have hoped it would bring some kind of closure. But not anymore. She had been through too much. And after everything, after all the backstabbing and cruelty, the people she once trusted still didn’t understand. Ironically, the only person who truly saw her, who actually understood what she was thinking, was Maddox.

Shar glanced at him again; her expression softened just a little. A faint smile ghosted her lips.

Meanwhile, Reece had been watching her ever since the recording played. The more he listened, the tighter his chest became. He never realized things had been this bad for her. She had never told him, never complained, never even hinted at how much pain she had been carrying. And now that the truth was out, he could see just how unbearable it had been.

Reece hated himself for not asking, for never digging deeper. Instead, he had blindly accepted whatever his mother told him and turned his back on Phoebe. He had been a fool. No wonder she broke up with him the moment she found out about his relationship with Sienna and how he tried to pull strings to get her on the show. He had done nothing but betray the one person who had stood by him all these years. Reece wasn’t just another bystander in all of this, but one of the people who had hurt her.

The pain in his chest felt sharp, like tiny needles digging into him, one after another. And it only got worse when he saw what had just happened—Cain going after Phoebe, and Maddox immediately stepping in to defend her. It wasn’t the first time. He thought back to every other episode—Jamar and Jordma had gone after Phoebe before, and each time, Maddox had shut it down without hesitation. He never cared about how it looked on live TV or what the audience thought; he just had her back. Meanwhile, Reece had stood there and done nothing.

Before coming to Solara City, he would have defended her in a heartbeat. No hesitation. No second-guessing. However, after he got there, he let himself be influenced by the people around him. He started watching from the sidelines, keeping his distance. Somewhere along the way, he had turned into exactly the kind of person he used to hate.

Then, he saw it. The way Phoebe looked at Maddox—it was different now. And that realization hit him harder than anything else. He knew, deep down, things were moving in a direction he least wanted them to go.

He wanted to say something—anything. But the words wouldn’t come out. He wanted to blame Jamar and the others for what had happened, but he knew the truth—he wasn’t innocent either. Maybe he hadn’t been as harsh, but he had still hurt Phoebe. He had no right to point fingers.

And now, if he tried to stand up for her, it wouldn’t mean a damn thing. Maddox had already done it. If Reece spoke up now, it would only come across as performative. And even if he hated to admit it, he knew one thing: Phoebe didn’t care anymore whether he defended her or not. Because when she actually needed him, he wasn’t there. So what would it change if he spoke up now? Nothing. And that realization stung.

Jamar wasn’t doing much better. His own sister wouldn’t even accept his apology. That could only mean one thing: she had been hurt beyond repair. Phoebe had always treated them well, and they had thrown that away.

Tightening his jaw, he looked at her and said, “I know you don’t want to hear this, but I’m still going to say it. I’m sorry. I want to make up for what I—”

But Phoebe didn’t even hesitate. She shook her head. “No, I don’t need you to make up for anything. Just stop dragging me into your mess. That’s all.”

Her words were cold, maybe even a little cruel. But no one in the room thought she was wrong or overreacting. She just wanted to be left alone, and if that hadn’t been the case, she wouldn’t have cut them off in the first place.

Jamar felt something twist in his chest, sharp and deep, like an old wound being ripped open again. For a moment, all he could see was the little girl who used to trail behind him, tugging at his sleeve, looking up at him with bright, trusting eyes.

Taking a slow breath, he forced himself to stay calm, though his voice was strained when he finally spoke. “Alright. If that’s what you want, then I won’t bother you anymore.”

That was all he could offer her now. She didn’t want apologies. She didn’t want empty gestures. She just wanted them out of her life. And if that was the only thing he could give her, he would.

Cain, who had been standing quietly at the front, hesitated before stepping forward. His expression was conflicted, like he was debating whether to say anything at all. But after a long pause, he finally spoke.

“We’re family,” he said, his voice softer than before. “We’re related by blood. Do you really have to be this harsh about it?”

Phoebe looked at him, completely unimpressed. “Yes,” she said flatly. She let out a slow breath, then spoke again, clear, sharp, and deliberate. “And I say it again, in front of everyone. I have nothing to do with the Jenkins family anymore. I cut ties with all of you a long time ago.”

“So don’t bring up family with me again. It’s meaningless. Honestly, it’s laughable coming from you.”

She just couldn’t understand the way the Jenkins family thought. Just because they were family, that didn’t mean they could hurt her and not even apologize.

Jamar grabbed Cain’s arm before he could make things worse. “Cain, stop. Think before you talk.”

“You’re standing here acting like none of this is a big deal, but Phoebe was the one who got hurt the most. It’s not up to us to decide how she should feel about it.”

He couldn’t believe how stubborn Cain was for saying something like that now. If there was one thing Phoebe hated the most, it was them bringing up family again.

Cain clenched his jaw, his face burning with frustration. He hated feeling like the bad guy in all of this.

“We never meant to hurt her,” he muttered. “And I still think she’s misunderstanding a lot of things.”

“I thought we were family. If she and Sienna just talked things out, maybe we could all get along again.”

He didn’t think he’d done anything wrong. “It’s not like we adopted the wrong kid. That was our parents’ decision, not ours. Sienna didn’t do anything wrong either, so I don’t get why Phoebe’s taking it out on her.”

“This whole thing isn’t even that big of a deal. If they both took a step back, wouldn’t everything just work itself out!”

“Sienna already made the first move; she greeted Phoebe, didn’t she? That was her way of making peace.”

“But Phoebe ignored her. So, if she’s refusing to let things go, of course I had to step in and say something—”