Chapter 6

Vivian

The cement floor of the parking garage was cold as an ice cellar. I unconsciously stepped forward a few paces, my high heels clicking on the cement, each step producing hollow echoes.

The taillights of Caden's black Maybach completely disappeared into the night, taking Camille with him. When he left just now, he didn't even look back once.

I stood there as cold wind poured in from the garage ventilation, blowing my dress hem wildly.

Honestly, at that moment I had only one thought in my head—for this damn banquet, I hadn't even brought a coat. How stupid of me.

Camille was doing well, wrapped in his custom suit jacket, helped into the car like a rescued princess in distress. And me? I stood here like a secondhand sofa discarded on the roadside.

I took a deep breath, but I didn't cry. In these three years, for the Holloway family, for those ridiculous, self-righteous girlish fantasies, I had endured too long and retreated too much. Until this moment, when cold wind poured in from the exit, numbing my whole body, I discovered I was unusually calm, as if I didn't care at all anymore.

I suppressed that sticky nauseous feeling in my chest, took out my phone, and called an Uber. Then leaning against a pillar, I looked up at the gray ceiling of the parking garage, my mind blank.

My phone buzzed. It was my friend Penny.

Penny: "Babe, how was tonight's banquet? Did that bitch Camille cause trouble?"

I stared at that message, typed a few words, then deleted them. After being silent for a while, I gave up all pretense and replied: "Let's talk in person."

Penny replied instantly: "Oh my God. I'm at home. Wine is ready, just come over."

Penny's way of comforting people was always like this. She never asked useless questions like "are you okay?" She would directly pour you wine, which allowed me to drop all pretenses about being Mrs. Lux in that alcoholic atmosphere.

Forty minutes later, I stood at Penny's apartment door. Shortly after pressing the doorbell, the door was energetically pulled open from inside.

Penny wore loose pajamas, and the moment she saw me, the smile that had been on her lips instantly froze—my hair was slightly messy from the earlier scuffle with Camille in the parking garage, and that dark green velvet gown looked utterly lonely under the dim hallway lighting. Most importantly, I think my expression must have looked terrible at that moment.

Penny was briefly silent. She didn't ask any questions, just had heartache and anger written all over her pretty face. Then without another word, she grabbed my ice-cold wrist and pulled me into the house, locking the door behind us.

Within minutes, a cup of hot mulled wine with rich cinnamon aroma was forcibly shoved into my hands.

"Hold this, warm up your hands first. No matter what terrible thing happened, I'm here with you." The wine was still steaming, and the scent of cinnamon and orange drifted into my nose, making my eyes suddenly sting.

"Alright, spill." Penny sat cross-legged across from me, arms crossed, assuming an "I'm ready to curse someone out" stance. "From the beginning, don't leave out a single word."

I took a big gulp of wine. The scalding temperature gradually spread from my fingertips to all my limbs, finally giving my stiff body some sensation. I smiled self-mockingly and began to speak.

I kept my voice low, starting from Camille wearing the dress that should have belonged to me, to her framing me, and finally to Caden not even asking me a single question, taking off his coat to wrap around Camille, and leaving with her. Leaving me alone in the parking garage.

"Fuck!" After hearing everything, Penny slammed her palm hard on the marble table, bounced up from the sofa, and began pacing back and forth in the living room. "What kind of demon is this Camille? That shameless bitch! And Caden—is his brain caught in a door? No, even being caught in a door wouldn't make him this stupid!"

"Maybe he just... cares about her." I stared at the cup in my hands, the wine reflecting dark red light under the lamp. "You know, men are all blind when it comes to women they care about."

"Cares about her?" Penny turned around, hands on her hips, her expression like I had just said the biggest joke. "Vivian, listen to me. If that man really liked her, he wouldn't have married you. He's the eldest son of the Lux family. You think he could be forced into marriage? No one can force Caden Lux to do anything."

I fell silent. She was right, but I still didn't understand why Caden married me when he clearly didn't care about me at all—had he made some agreement with his family?

"He's just an asshole!" Penny delivered her verdict. "An asshole blinded by a bitch!"

"Maybe." I said softly. "But regardless, Camille dares to be so brazen only because she relies on Caden's favoritism and trust."

Penny's voice stopped abruptly. She looked at my eyes that were calm to the point of desolation, her own eyes starting to redden, full of undisguised heartache.

She sat beside me and hugged my shoulders tightly. "Baby, listen to me. You didn't lose to her, you lost to Caden's blindness. But this isn't your problem, it's his problem. He can't see you."

I rested my head on Penny's shoulder and closed my eyes.

"You know what? I've been thinking about something all day."

"What?"

"I want to return to performing with the dance company."

Penny's grip tightened. "Really?"

"Mm." I opened my eyes, looking at the crystal chandelier on the ceiling. "To be a good Mrs. Lux, I turned down 'Giselle,' turned down 'Swan Lake,' even refused the Royal Ballet's invitation. I used to think that since I chose marriage, I should live up to that choice. But now thinking about it..."

"It's not worth it." Penny finished my sentence. "A man is worth your sacrifice, but a man who doesn't even care where you are isn't worth you giving up anything."

"So even if I don't go on tour, I want to start performing again." I said. "I want to dance my 'Swan Lake' again."

Speaking of this, I paused, Caden's text flashing through my mind, my fingers tightening slightly. "But before submitting the application to the dance company, I need to accompany Caden back to the manor first. I'm worried about Grandfather's health recently. He's the only person in the entire family who's genuinely good to me. After going to the manor and settling the accounts that need settling, I'll submit a formal application to the dance company."

"I support you." Penny gently hugged me.

That night, I slept in Penny's bedroom. The bed was comfortable, the quilt was soft, but I still had insomnia.

I stared at the ceiling, my mind repeatedly replaying that scene in the parking garage—Caden taking off his coat, wrapping it around Camille, then leaving without looking back.

I turned over and buried my face in the pillow.

Forget it. What's the use of thinking about this? He won't suddenly have an epiphany and rush back to say "sorry" to me.

Maybe he'll sleep in Camille's tender embrace tonight? But I don't care anymore either.

Penny beside me moved closer, her familiar scent making me feel slightly more at ease. I closed my eyes and forced myself to fall asleep.