But I'm a screenwriter—I can throw words right back. I matched her insult for insult, and in the end, I came out ahead.

Ryan, stunned by his mother's agitation, turned to me and said, "Aria Campbell, how can you be so vulgar?"

I huffed, "I adapt to the situation. If you think I'm being rude, I can be polite and insult you more eloquently."

Ryan's dad rolled up his sleeves, preparing to strike. "You bitch! How dare you insult my son and my wife! I'm going to show you what's what."

Before he could reach me, my dad intercepted him, "My daughter isn't for you to discipline."

I took the opportunity to hide behind my dad and said, "Ryan isn't my man, and your family isn't my in-laws. Today, I'm making it clear—I'm done with Ryan, and this wedding is off."

I grabbed my parents' hands and said, "Dad, Mom, let's go."

Ryan blocked my path, "Aria, apologize to my parents."

I spat at him. "Ryan, with your parents looking to drain my family dry, you have the nerve to ask for an apology? I'm going to pack your things up and leave them at the gate. You can come by later to pick them up yourself."

Ryan's face was serious as he said, "Aria, are you really going to be this uncompromising? You're your parents' only child, so those things will eventually be yours. We're just using them a bit earlier."

Hearing this, I was disgusted by how he could make such a self-serving justification sound so noble.

I sneered. "The things my parents have will be mine someday, but they will never be shared with you. Freeloader."

Ryan's eyes were red with anger.

Ryan's mom sneered, "Let them go. When her belly gets bigger, she'll come begging us."

Since I wasn't actually pregnant, I couldn't "get bigger".

But I didn't want to argue with them any further. Let them keep dreaming.

Once we were in the car, my mom finally lost her composure. "Aria, I feel so bad for you! I can't believe you're pregnant with a child from someone like that!"

I laughed and said, "Mom, I'm not pregnant."

Thinking I was just being stubborn, my mom said, "Aria, if you're feeling down, just let it out. Whatever you want to do with the baby, your dad and I will support you. Isn't that right?"

My dad agreed, "Yes, of course."

I sighed and said, "Mom, I'm telling the truth. That was just a prop for a shoot, and the stagehand messed up the name."