CLAIRE
We walked forward, my heels clicking softly against the marble floor, each step felt like walking through water, slow and impossible. Vanessa saw us first.
Her smile froze on her face, her eyes went wide, then narrowed into slits of pure hatred.bShe touched Ethan's arm, her perfectly manicured nails digging into his sleeve and he turned, and when he saw me, saw us, his entire body went rigid.
For a long moment, no one said anything.bGuests continued flowing around us, offering congratulations to the happy couple, but the four of us were locked in our own frozen bubble of shock and tension. Finally, Vanessa's mask slipped back into place. She smiled, but it didn't reach her eyes.
"Claire," she said, her voice dripping with false sweetness. "What a... surprise."
I didn't answer,
