Chapter 6
1168 Words
When Catherine woke up that morning, Mia's call came through.
Mia asked worriedly, "You contacted the divorce lawyer?"
Catherine answered calmly, "I did. I originally planned to wait until the project was finalized before talking to Michael about the divorce. But after thinking about everything that happened these past few days, I realized some things need to be settled as soon as possible. I don't want to drag it out and create more complications."
Mia sighed softly over the phone, "I'm glad you've finally thought it through."
Catherine felt a sense of comfort and ease from her friend's concern. She admitted that, in the past, she had always believed that she and Michael still had a chance.
But everything that had happened recently made her see the truth clearly. The gentle care and warmth Michael showed her had become worthless the moment Selena returned. It felt more like compensation than love. The more he favored Selena, the more guilt he felt toward Catherine.
And those gestures were nothing more than his way of making up for that guilt and soothing his own heart.
Mia said, "Alright, since you've decided on divorce, don't keep torturing yourself over it. I managed to get tickets to the cruise fireworks show you love. Want to go together tonight?"
Catherine agreed to her invitation. After finishing her work, the time they had arranged for the evening arrived before she realized it.
The luxury cruise fireworks show was incredibly popular, and tickets were nearly impossible to get. The two of them only managed to get spots on the lower deck. Although the deck was cold, it offered a wide and open view. Before the show began, a wave of excited cheers suddenly came from above.
Mia looked up. The sound came from the second floor of the cruise ship. She could only vaguely make out the floor-to-ceiling windows and the extravagant lights glowing inside. Without even seeing it clearly, she could imagine how comfortable it must be up there with music, fine drinks, and warmth, but they could only stand on the lower deck, freezing in the wind.
Mia stopped a passing server and pointed toward the upper floor. "How do you reserve the second floor? Why haven't I seen any tickets for it?"
The server replied, "The second floor is made up of VIP private suites. They aren't open for public booking."
Mia could only give up reluctantly. Catherine comforted her, "The view here is actually pretty good. Being higher up doesn't always mean seeing everything better."
After hearing that, Mia felt much better and stopped dwelling on the seating arrangement.
At eight thirty, the fireworks began right on schedule. Brilliant bursts of color filled the night sky, creating a breathtaking spectacle.
After the first round ended, a server recognized Catherine and handed them two tickets to the second-floor VIP area. The unexpected surprise caught Mia completely off guard, and she immediately pulled Catherine upstairs.
But the moment they opened the door to the private room, Catherine saw Selena sitting on the sofa.
Only then did she understand what it meant to desperately avoid someone, only to find that no matter how far she ran, she could never truly escape them.
When Selena saw Catherine, the corners of her lips curved upward. "You're here? Come sit down."
Catherine didn't move.
Selena smiled. "I was the one who asked the server to bring you upstairs. It wouldn't be appropriate for Mrs. Stewart to stand out on the deck freezing in the cold. People might misunderstand."
She was openly flaunting her position, acting like she was the true hostess of the place.
Seeing that Catherine remained silent, the smile in Selena's eyes faded slightly. "Michael booked the entire second floor tonight and even arranged for a bigger fireworks display. With everything prepared on such a grand scale, I couldn't possibly let his wife stay below freezing while I enjoyed herself up here. I wouldn't feel comfortable with that."
Catherine replied, her voice calmer than she expected. "I only came up because my friend was cold. It has nothing to do with you."
Selena lifted an eyebrow. "Really? Then you should stay up here and warm yourself up. Michael went to take a call. Why don't you wait for him?"
Then Selena casually shifted the topic. "By the way, you saw tonight's fireworks, didn't you? They were more than twice the size of the usual shows. Michael said he regretted not being able to watch fireworks with me last year because I was abroad. So this year, he specially arranged one to make it up to me."
Catherine's heart suddenly clenched.
That had been their first wedding anniversary. He had once prepared a fireworks display for her by the river. But now she realized that, back then, the person he had truly been thinking about was Selena.
Noticing Catherine's pale expression, Selena continued with a smile. "Come to think of it, it's actually quite funny. When Michael and I were together, he loved setting off fireworks too. Some habits really are hard to break."
"That's enough." Catherine cut her off.
She stepped forward and looked down at Selena. That face, so similar to her own, was filled with fake concern, while her eyes revealed the pride she couldn't hide.
"You went out of your way to bring me up here just to say all this?" Catherine stared at her. "To show off that he reserved this private room for you, to show off that he arranged these fireworks for you, to show off that even last year's fireworks were because of you. What exactly are you so desperate to prove to me? That you aren't as confident as you pretend to be?"
Selena's smile stiffened for a brief moment.
Catherine continued, "You're afraid that even after he divorces me, he still won't choose to marry you, so you have to come here and prove that you still have a place in his heart. I was freezing on the deck while you enjoyed everything in this room. Isn't the thing you're really enjoying just that pathetic sense of superiority?"
The smile on Selena's face finally faded. "Catherine, you..."
"You think you're better than me?" Selena suddenly let out a laugh, her voice turning sharper. "You only married into the Stewart family because of this face. You know it better than anyone. Michael has always seen you as nothing more than my replacement!"
Catherine's fingers slowly curled at her sides.
Seeing her silence, Selena's smile became even more triumphant. "What happened? Nothing to say now? Weren't you always so good at arguing? You're nothing but a copy. I came back, and you still refuse to leave. You..."
Catherine picked up a glass of champagne and splashed it directly across her face.
The champagne ran down Selena's hair and cheeks. She trembled with rage. "Catherine!"
Catherine set the glass down and looked at her coldly. "I'm the copy? Then what does that make Michael? Isn't he a copy too?"
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