The One That Got Away

This must be the difference between love and apathy, I thought to myself.

Quentin had made arrangements to care for the cats and dogs I rescued, while Justin used their lives to threaten me.

In Marina Sands, I had lived as an ordinary person.

I had planned to wait for Justin’s proposal before revealing the truth to him.

Losing half of an investment would spell disaster for anyone starting a business.

Justin gently took Alice’s hand, his eyes filled with tenderness.

“A gem this beautiful deserves to adorn the graceful hand of an artist. Look at your hands—short, stubby, and constantly in surgeries.

“Who knows how much blood, waste, and filth they’ve touched? I can hardly stand holding them most of the time.”

Unable to watch any longer, Collin stepped forward to mediate.

“Those are hands that save lives. They’re the most beautiful of hands. Let’s step outside for a smoke, Justin.”

As he left, Justin turned back to look at me.

“Don’t overplay the hard-to-get act, Viola, or it’ll stop being fun.”

Once they had gone, Alice ripped the ring off her finger and flung it to the ground with a loud clink.

I hurriedly bent down to pick it up.

Alice stood over me with an air of superiority.

“You’re just a girl from a working-class family, Viola. In your lifetime, you never would’ve come into contact with people of our class.

“Justin only noticed you because you look like me. Now that I’m giving him back to you, you’d better cherish him.”

I straightened and studied her features carefully.

She wasn’t wrong—we did look somewhat alike.

So Justin’s attraction to me was because of this.

“Let me guess,” she said, her voice trembling slightly.

“Your favorite restaurant is The Chuchoter, your go-to walking spot is Coastal Lane, and the jewelry he buys for you is always from Tiffany’s, right?”

Not a single detail was off. A sharp pain ran through my body.

“How… how did you know?” I stuttered.

Though I had already guessed the answer, I needed to hear it confirmed.

“Because those are all the things I like,” Alice replied with a faint, mocking smile.

“He’s only looking for glimpses of me in you.”

“If you two like each other so much, then why aren’t you together?” I asked, bitterness creeping into my tone.

Alice looked at me pitifully, her voice laden with feigned melancholy.

“The Hunts are relocating to Arcania for business. To secure our position, I must marry into a prominent family there. My father has already chosen my match—the Langleys’ heir.”

“Quentin Langley?” I asked.

Alice’s gaze swept over me, cold and disdainful.

“You seem to know a lot. But for someone like you, landing Justin is already a miracle in itself.

“As for Quentin? That’s someone you could only dream of meeting.”