Chapter 3

Vivian

"Know your place and live the life you should live, stop putting on that holier-than-thou face for me all the time!"

Caden's words hit me like a blow, making me dizzy. I struggled to stand steady and looked into his eyes, which were still full of undissipated disgust.

The entire living room fell silent for a second, and Caden also paused. He closed his mouth, released my wrist, and silently stepped back. Then without looking at me again, he walked upstairs with a stern face, and the bedroom door slammed shut with a bang.

After hearing that sound, I could no longer support my body and collapsed onto the sofa. My wrist was already red in a large area, but I couldn't feel the pain.

Yes, my heart was already numb with pain, how could I distinguish anything else.

A business marriage... right, in his eyes, this was nothing more than a deal to save the Holloway family from dire straits.

Perhaps the him in front of Camille was the real him?

Having mixed in New York's elite ladies' circles for three years, at socialite gatherings, charity galas, various occasions, I wasn't unaware of the rumors about Caden. Those ladies would sourly remind me to be careful of his inseparable childhood friend secretary.

I didn't take it to heart. Actually, I was sober enough and trusted him enough—or rather, trusted the him I thought I knew.

Until tonight, reality gave me a solid slap in the face.

I knew Caden and Camille had always been close. Business trips and daily schedules were all arranged by her, and Camille knew all his personal habits like the back of her hand. Thinking about it now, that anonymous text this morning was probably sent by her too.

But I never expected that the man who promised in front of everyone at our wedding that he would treat me well would let things go this far.

And on the night of our third wedding anniversary at that.

Perhaps he would never know that when father announced the arranged marriage partner was Lux Group heir Caden Lux, I was so excited I almost screamed out loud.

Actually, long before the adults from both families formally discussed it, I had already fallen for Caden.

It was an extremely secret past acquaintance. On a desperate evening with pouring rain, he was the one who held an umbrella over my head, and also planted a seed in my heart.

It's just that Caden seemed to have long forgotten.

Three years ago, Vivian Holloway was New York's youngest principal ballet dancer, regularly performing on the Lincoln Center stage. After marriage, due to my status as Mrs. Lux, I gradually reduced my stage appearances but remained actively involved in various ballet companies' charity and teaching activities. But all of this was my willing choice.

I stood up and slowly returned to my room—that cold and tidy bedroom where I lived alone.

The ring on the nightstand sparkled brilliantly; it was what Caden gave me when he proposed. Back then, when he looked at me, the amazement and affection in his eyes couldn't be hidden. He stammered through his vows, then hugged me and laughed wildly the moment I said yes.

I was immersed in false happiness. But then Camille came back and took away Caden's affection for me.

I looked at the ring for a long time, then reached out and threw it into the drawer. Then my phone on the nightstand buzzed.

It was a WeChat message from Caden. Between the lines was his signature commanding tone, not a single superfluous word.

[Tomorrow night at seven, business banquet at Meridian Club. Dress appropriately. Tomorrow morning Camille will bring a stylist to help with your makeup and styling.]

Camille.

The woman who was straddling my husband's legs and waving at me just an hour ago would brazenly appear at my door tomorrow in her secretary capacity to help me, the legitimate wife, select a dress. How absurd this was.

I lay down and buried myself completely under the cold, soft silk quilt, covered my mouth, and finally let tears flow in the darkness.

No, you can't be weak, Vivian. Tomorrow's banquet is equally important for the Holloway family, you need to pull yourself together.

But I barely slept all night, my dreams filled with Caden's disgusted gaze and Camille's presumptuous smile. Almost as soon as dawn broke, I opened my eyes and got up to wash.

The woman in the mirror had dark circles under her eyes and looked deeply exhausted.

I took a deep breath. It's okay, Vivian.

At exactly nine o'clock, the doorbell rang, which annoyed me. But I still adjusted my expression and opened the door.

"Good morning, Vivian."

Camille Reed was standing at my door, wearing a tight mermaid dress, her dark brown hair permed into big waves hanging at her waist, her makeup flawlessly exquisite. She was greeting me with her mouth, but her eyes unconsciously glanced behind her.

Behind her were three stylists, and several bodyguards carrying two oversized mobile clothing racks and a suitcase-sized makeup box.

I frowned very slightly. She called me Vivian, not Mrs. Lux.

"Caden said tonight's banquet is very important, so I specially brought several options."

She didn't mention last night at all, her smile perfect and flawless.

"Alright," I suppressed the churning feeling in my stomach and stepped aside.

Camille walked into the living room with a familiar composure, as if she had always belonged here.

"This one," she raised her chin slightly and took a dress from the rack. In the sunlight, the fabric reflected a perfect luster. She displayed it to me, her tone slightly raised, her eyes carrying a mockery I couldn't quite understand yet. "Caden specifically asked me to bring this for you."

It was a white silk dress with French vintage tailoring. The diagonal hem would sweep a perfect arc on the ground, and any woman would look good in it.

I walked over, took the hanger, and looked down. But this glance made my hand suddenly tighten, and I froze in place.

At the zipper, there were traces of being worn, a subtle looseness that silk fabric leaves after being stretched and then rebounding. There was a residual perfume smell on the fabric, sickeningly sweet, not mine.

When I looked up, Camille was watching me with that familiar innocent expression.

"Sorry, I hope you don't mind," she tilted her head, causing the jade earrings on her earlobes to flash. "Caden insisted I try it on first to confirm the effect, I had no choice. I just didn't expect that the size difference between us..." Her gaze was full of mockery as she swept over my body, very briefly but pointedly, "would be so significant."

My fingertips holding the dress instantly went white, and bitterness flowed down my esophagus all the way to my stomach.

"It's fine," I heard myself say, my voice surprisingly calm even to myself. "Since that's the case, I have my own preparations. I have rehearsal this morning, so I'll leave first."

"Oh, Vivian. But Caden—" Camille made a fake attempt to detain me.

"He's upstairs, you can go find him." I picked up my bag and walked out of this cold place that was supposedly my home.

Half an hour later, I arrived at the rehearsal studio. The familiar scent of rosin and sweat in the practice room instantly soothed my agitated mood. I pushed the door open and felt some space loosen in my chest for the first time. This was the world that belonged to me.

"Vivian!" Maria—our artistic director—walked across the rehearsal room toward me, her steps carrying some long-suppressed excitement. "Perfect timing! I need to discuss something with you."

"What's wrong, Maria? Did this round of funding come through?"

"Something better, it's about our tour." Maria's tone contained uncontainable excitement as she handed me a document. "Departing next month, to Paris. Vivian, we've reserved the absolute female lead role in Swan Lake for you, never gave it to anyone else. But we need your answer."

I took the document and flipped through it carefully.

Half a year ago, a year ago, two years ago, I would have said no before she even finished speaking—because Caden needed me to attend too many occasions, because the Lux family dinners required my presence. So I had always carefully tailored my career, controlling it within a delicate range that could satisfy everyone's expectations.

But at this moment, standing in this rosin-scented rehearsal room, thinking about last night, thinking about that white dress, a voice in my heart was screaming wildly.

I opened my mouth.

But my phone rang first.

Caden's name was on the screen. Maria looked at me while I stared at that name for a second, then opened the message.

[Come back to change clothes before seven. Clear your schedule for this weekend, we're returning to Hampton Manor.]