I Ctrl+Alt+Deleted My Ex and Ctrl+C'd His Uncle novel Chapter 2

**Through Silent Meadows We Trace Stories Left Behind**

**Chapter 2**

“Can you believe that insufferable Sophie? All flash, no substance. I’m done with her,” Liam declared, his voice dripping with disdain, echoing through the walls like a chilling wind.

Sophie felt the air in her lungs freeze.

“Once I siphon off the Chandler family’s wealth after the wedding, the first thing I’ll do is toss her aside like yesterday’s trash,” he continued, his words slicing through her like shards of ice. Three long years, and this was the truth of his feelings for her.

Laughter erupted from the room, cruel and mocking. “Damn, Liam, you’re ruthless! But smart. Why toil away when you can just marry into money?”

“Honestly, she makes it too easy,” Liam’s voice oozed with contempt, each word a dagger. “That desperate little princess is fighting her parents for me. All I have to do is flash a smile, and she hands over everything.”

Sophie felt her legs weaken, nearly buckling beneath her. The hallway closed in around her, the heavy scent of expensive cologne mingling with the acrid smoke, making it hard to breathe.

She couldn’t bear to hear another word.

In a daze, Sophie stumbled toward her car, her mind racing. Three years of battling her parents for him, three years of believing in his love. She had starved herself to fit their expectations, cried herself to sleep over late-night phone calls, and nearly severed ties with her own family—all for a man who dismissed her as a desperate little princess.

All of it had been a web of lies.

Slumping into the driver’s seat, she rested her hand on her stomach, the reality crashing down on her. The baby wasn’t even his. But whose was it? That night two months ago was a fog of intoxication and fragmented memories, a haze she wished she could forget.

Her phone buzzed, breaking through her spiraling thoughts.

A text from Liam flashed across the screen.

[Hey babe, where are you? Thought you were coming over?]

Staring at the message, her heart turned to ice. Even now, he was playing the role of the caring boyfriend, the act so convincing, yet just moments ago, he had mocked her.

The drive home blurred into a haze of confusion and anger. By the time she pulled into the driveway, night had draped itself over the villa, wrapping it in shadows.

The house felt desolate, an echo of silence greeting her as she curled up on the couch, her mind replaying every moment of their relationship like a broken record. Had there ever been a spark of authenticity? Had he ever truly cared for her?

Her parents had warned her. They had been right all along. Liam belonged to a lesser branch of the Morgans—ambitious, yes, but ultimately powerless. And she had unwittingly become his ticket to a life of luxury.

The light in his eyes dimmed instantly, his smile faltering for a split second before snapping back into place. “That’s… that’s fantastic news, baby,” he stammered, trying to mask his disappointment.

She watched him struggle to conceal his true feelings. He had been expecting something entirely different, perhaps news about the baby he somehow already knew about.

“Isn’t that worth celebrating?” she asked quietly, a hint of defiance in her tone.

“Of course! Absolutely!” he exclaimed, scrambling to recover. “This calls for champagne! Well, maybe sparkling cider for you since…” He caught himself, the words hanging in the air awkwardly. “Since you look a bit under the weather.”

Nice save, she thought, but she had caught the slip.

“I just thought maybe you were going to say your family had finally agreed to the wedding,” she remarked, watching him navigate through the moment with a practiced ease. Three years of falling for his charm, three years of being his “desperate little princess.”

But that version of Sophie was gone, buried under the weight of reality.

A genuine smile broke through her facade, though it was not for the reasons he presumed.

“Don’t worry,” she said softly, her voice almost melodic. “I have plenty more surprises coming.”