𝐿𝑜𝑣𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝐴𝑢𝑏𝑟𝑒𝑦 𝐺𝑟𝑎𝒉𝑎𝑚( 𝐻𝑎𝑝𝑝𝑖𝑛𝑒𝑠𝑠 𝐴𝑓𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝐴𝑙𝑙?)

Breaking Point

Toronto, Canada
Graham Residence
7:30 PM

The house was quiet except for the soft hum of the television playing cartoons in the background. Adonis sat on the couch, clutching a stuffed dinosaur while Aubrey prepared dinner in the kitchen. Adrianne sat at the dining table, rocking Promise in her arms, her eyes scanning the court documents once more.

"You know," she said softly, glancing up at Aubrey, "I thought I'd feel more at peace after the judge's ruling, but I don't. I keep thinking about how Sophie looked today. She's spiraling, Aubrey."

Aubrey placed the cutting board down and wiped his hands. "I know," he admitted, leaning against the counter. "But what can we do? We gave her every chance to be better, to be a stable parent for Adonis. She chose this path."

Adrianne hesitated, staring down at Promise's tiny face. "What if taking everything from her only makes her worse? I'm scared she's going to do something reckless."

Aubrey's jaw tightened, his voice low but steady. "That's why I made the decision I did today. To protect Adonis. Sophie needs to hit rock bottom before she can get better. And if she doesn't? We'll still be here, holding things together for him."

Adrianne nodded, though the unease in her chest lingered.
_______

Sophie's Apartment
10:45 PM

The apartment was dark except for the faint glow of Sophie's laptop screen. She sat on the floor, her knees pulled to her chest, scrolling through pictures of Adonis from years past. His baby pictures, his first birthday, his first day of kindergarten—they all stared back at her like ghosts of a life she no longer recognized.

Her phone buzzed beside her, the notification lighting up the screen.

Text from Kenya:
I hope today finally opened your eyes. Leave my sister and her family alone. Focus on getting yourself together, Sophie. This isn't a game anymore.

Sophie's fingers hovered over the phone, her anger simmering beneath the surface. She threw it across the room, the device clattering against the wall before landing with a dull thud on the carpet.

Her bad angel appeared once more, lounging against the doorframe with a smug expression. "You see? They're all against you. They don't want you to be happy. They want to erase you from your son's life."

"Shut up," Sophie muttered, rubbing her temples.

The angel chuckled. "You don't really mean that. You know I'm right. They think they've won, but you still have power, Sophie. You still have the one thing they can't take from you: your love for Adonis. Use it."

Sophie's head snapped up, her eyes narrowing. "How? They've taken everything from me. How do I fight back when they have all the control?"

The angel smirked, leaning closer. "By reminding them that you'll never go away. They can't stop you, Sophie. Not if you don't let them."
________

Graham Residence
1:00 AM

The house was silent, the family fast asleep. Adrianne stirred in bed, her dreams restless. A loud knock at the front door jolted her awake. She sat up, her heart racing as the sound came again, more urgent this time.

"Aubrey," she whispered, shaking him gently. "Someone's at the door."

Aubrey groaned, blinking groggily before sitting up. The knocking persisted, louder now. "Who the hell is banging on our door at this hour?" he muttered, grabbing his phone from the nightstand.

Adrianne followed him downstairs, her anxiety growing with every step. Aubrey checked the security monitor by the door, his expression darkening.

"It's her," he said flatly.

"Sophie?" Adrianne's voice was barely a whisper.

"Yeah."

Adrianne felt a chill run down her spine as the banging grew more frantic. Aubrey unlocked the door but kept it chained, cracking it open just enough to see Sophie's disheveled figure on the other side.

"What are you doing here?" Aubrey demanded, his voice low but firm. "You're not supposed to be anywhere near this house."

Sophie's eyes were wild, tears streaking her face. "Please, Aubrey," she begged, her voice cracking. "I just want to talk. I need to see Adonis. Please don't shut me out."

"You're breaking the restraining order," Aubrey replied, his tone hard. "Go home, Sophie. I'm not calling the cops this time, but if you come back, I won't hesitate."

Sophie's face crumpled, her hands trembling as she clutched the doorframe. "He's my son, Aubrey. You can't keep him from me forever."

Adrianne stepped forward, her voice calm but unwavering. "You need help, Sophie. Please, for your sake and Adonis', get help before it's too late."

Sophie's gaze snapped to Adrianne, her expression twisting into a mix of fury and heartbreak. "You," she hissed, pointing a shaking finger. "You're the reason all of this is happening. You took him from me. You ruined my life."

Aubrey pushed the door shut, locking it as Sophie's voice rose into a desperate scream.

1:30 AM – Police Arrival

Red and blue lights flashed outside as officers escorted Sophie away from the property. She screamed incoherently, her voice echoing down the quiet street. Aubrey watched from the living room window, his arms crossed tightly over his chest.

Adrianne sat on the couch, holding Promise close as tears welled in her eyes. "How did it come to this?" she whispered.

Aubrey shook his head, his voice heavy with regret while engulfing his family into his arms"I don't know. But I won't let her destroy our family."

As the police car disappeared into the night, Adrianne couldn't shake the feeling that this was far from over. Sophie had reached her breaking point, and they all knew how dangerous that could be.
________

Welp Sophie is goneeeeeee😩

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