Chapter 1
It was not until a week later that Arthur and Leah finally made it back.
Leah could hardly contain her excitement as she started showing off all the little trinkets she had picked up in Valdoria. "Arthur picked out these fire opal diamond earrings especially for me," she said. "He said the style was really beautiful and that they really suited me."
Her voice rang out through the high-ceilinged living room as she settled herself right in the middle of the velvet sofa, looking every bit like a princess who had just won a great victory.
The table was covered with gifts they had brought back from Valdoria, and every friend who had come over received something, except for me, who ended up with nothing at all.
I sat in the armchair tucked away in the corner, staring at the cup of coffee in my hands that had gone completely cold.
"Arthur bought this necklace too," Leah said. "He noticed it the moment he saw it and thought it matched the earrings perfectly." She deliberately craned her neck forward so everyone around could get a better look, letting the diamonds catch the glow of the crystal chandelier and send out a blinding glitter.
"Oh, and there is Messi's autographed photo too!" she added, holding it up and waving it lightly with a sweet, playful smile. "Arthur went to all that trouble just to get me the chance to take that picture with him, and honestly, if it had not been for Arthur, I would never have had the opportunity to stand next to my idol in my entire life."
A wave of envious gasps and excited murmurs immediately swept through the room.
Looking at the signed photo she held up, I could not help but think back to my birthday last year, when I had casually mentioned that I would really love a signed poster of James.
Arthur was so deep into his game at that moment that he did not even lift his head, just shrugged and said, "Vivienne, seriously, how old are you to still be going after celebrities like that? Just grab one off eBay if you want it so badly."
I told myself back then that he was probably busy with work, and I did not want to bother him with something so small, so I swallowed that disappointment quietly and never brought it up again.
But look at him now, because Leah threw out one casual comment, he did not hesitate to fly all the way to Valdoria and pull every string he could to get her face to face with Messi, and even that limited edition jersey Leah had been wearing in the photo was the very one I had custom-ordered at a premium price three full months in advance.
Kevin Brook, a friend we both knew, was sitting across from us and could not help throwing out a half-joking remark. "Arthur, you are really playing favorites with Leah, aren't you? Vivienne is your actual fiancée, and you did not even bring back a single thing for her?"
The whole room went dead silent at that, and every pair of eyes turned to my empty hands, which had absolutely nothing in them.
Arthur, without missing a beat, wrapped his arm around my waist and said in that steady, unhurried tone of his, "Your custom Cartier necklace is being flown in from overseas and should arrive next week. These little diamonds are not even worthy of you anyway."
He said, as if he were laying down some fundamental truth of the universe, "Leah has not been doing well lately, and the doctor suggested this as a way to comfort her, so do not hold it against her."
Around us, our friends all nodded and murmured their approval, with comments like, "Vivienne is a high-level executive in finance. She is hardly going to hold that against some young girl," and "Exactly, she is an independent woman. If she wants something, she can always buy it for herself."
I sat there taking in all those polished, empty praises, and I could not help but sneer inwardly because the underlying message was painfully obvious—my competence meant I was perfectly fine to be forgotten, while her fragility meant she deserved to be coddled and placed on a pedestal.
Then, Leah suddenly turned to me with that timid, almost vulnerable look and asked, "Vivienne, you are not angry with me, are you?"
But beneath her delicate eye makeup, I could see the barely concealed provocation she was not even trying to hide.
She bit her lower lip, let her voice drop to an even quieter whisper, and added, "About that jersey... if you really mind, I will wash it and give it back to you."
As she said that, she started to reach for her suitcase, and her eyes instantly welled up with tears.
Arthur immediately knitted his brows, grabbed her hand firmly as though he himself had been terribly wronged, and said, "It is only a shirt. There is no need for you to do that."
He turned to look at me, a faint note of reproach creeping into his voice as he said, "Vivienne, Leah hardly ever gets a chance to go out and enjoy herself, so please do not keep looking so stern and frightening her."
I watched him and Leah performing their little routine back and forth, and I set my cup down slowly on the marble table, the porcelain letting out a sharp, muffled clink against the stone. The living room fell completely still at that moment.
I fixed my eyes on Arthur with a cold smile, saying, "Do not forget. She was the one who started this in the first place. I had that jersey custom-made to wear to the matches, and my initials are embroidered right along the inside of the hem."
Then, I let my gaze drift calmly across Arthur's startled expression before landing on Leah. "Since you seem so fond of my used thing, go ahead and keep it."
Arthur's face went dark in an instant, and he snapped out my name. "Vivienne!"
But I simply rose from my seat, picked up my handbag from the couch, and said, "Well, now that the gift-giving is all done, I have an important meeting to attend, so I will be on my way."
Truthfully, I did not want to stick around for one more second at such a hollow gathering anyway.
