chapter 4

"So let me get this straight, Selene—you found out I'm marrying Georgina this fall, found out I bought her a beach villa, and that was enough for you to lose it and throw red wine at her?"

I bit down hard, trying not to let the anger show.

"I didn't throw anything. I don't even know how it spilled. If you really think I did this to her, you can check the security footage for proof."

I wasn't dodging blame. I hadn't grabbed the glass.

I'd barely moved. I only tried to stop her from refilling my drink.

But Nathaniel didn't care.

And neither did anyone else.

The whispers started almost instantly, soft but sharp enough to cut through the noise.

"Ohhh ... that makes sense now. I was wondering why Selene would throw wine on someone she barely knows. Total jealousy move."

"I know, right? She always seemed so calm and sweet. Who knew she had this side to her?"

"Yeah, classic. Quiet on the outside, bitter on the inside."

"Back in college, she and Nathaniel were all over each other. Then right after graduation—boom, they break up. Now she's watching him succeed and marry someone famous. No wonder she snapped."

I felt my patience fray, but I kept my tone steady even as my thoughts screamed. My eyes nearly rolled out of my skull, but I still managed to get the words out.

"Georgina's the one who started pouring. She kept insisting I drink. If she wound up wearing it, that's not on me."

"Insisting?" Georgina blinked at me, her brows arching like I'd just committed blasphemy. "Ms. Jottingson, I simply wanted to thank you for stepping aside and giving me the chance to be with such an incredible man. How on earth does that count as pressure?"

She tilted her chin, feigning innocence, her voice as light as air.

"Of course, I'll admit—I had a small agenda. I just hoped you'd finally move on from Nathaniel. It's not healthy to pine after someone else's fiancé."

The rock on her ring finger caught the light and flashed like a warning flare. It was so bright it nearly stung.

For a moment, I just stood there, stunned into silence.

What a pair.

A man who thought the world owed him everything and a woman who thought she was the world.

"Ms. Kingsley, do you want me to recommend an eye clinic? Because I don't know where you're seeing any trace of me being hung up on Nathaniel."

Georgina gave a sharp laugh, as if I'd said the funniest thing she'd ever heard.

"Don't act coy, Selene."

She gave me a slow once-over, her tone sharp as glass. "Look at your outfit. It's obvious life hasn't exactly been kind to you. Missing out on someone like Nathaniel ... that kind of mistake eats people alive. I bet you're drowning in regret."

That was the final straw. I rolled my eyes so hard this time, I didn't bother hiding it.

"Regret?" I scoffed. "Breaking up with him is probably the best decision I've ever made. Maybe even across several lifetimes."

Nathaniel's face twisted immediately. He let out a bitter snort that echoed through his clenched jaw.

"Georgina, let's just say I spilled the wine."

The crowd around us had swelled, eyes glued to the mess like they were watching a car crash. I didn't want it to blow up any more than it already had. My roommate didn't deserve to be caught in the fallout.

"How much was the dress? I'll cover it."

As soon as I said it, Nathaniel's face contorted like he'd just stepped into a role he'd been dying to play.

"We're all old friends here. I was going to let it slide. But if that's the attitude you're going with, sure—750 grand."

Silence slammed over the room like a door.

Every single head turned. A few people gasped, sharp and audible.

Nathaniel, puffed up with self-importance, looked like he'd just won an award.

"It's not about the money," he said, with a smug little shrug. "The dress was a gift. It means something."

Then he turned toward me again, voice dripping with scorn. "What's wrong, Selene? You look like you've just realized your whole life's a joke. You think someone like you—what, working in some rural factory—could ever afford that? Not in ten lifetimes."

He chuckled and leaned forward, like he was enjoying every second of it. "Tell you what. I'll be generous. Get on your knees. Apologize to me and Georgina, and I'll let it go."

He stood there like some self-anointed saint, acting like the moral backbone of the century—as if just being present was a gift to humanity. I almost laughed out loud. Almost.

Before I could say anything, someone shoved me hard from behind. My heel twisted, and I stumbled forward with no time to catch myself.

Georgina was still draped all over Nathaniel, lost in her own syrupy theatrics, completely unaware.

I crashed into her. We both went down hard—limbs tangled, fabric twisted, and the air knocked clean out of both of us.

"Selene, what the hell is wrong with you? You won't pay for the dress, you won't apologize—what, are you trying to kill us now?"

Nathaniel's voice cut through the air, sharp and seething. "We're done, Selene! I tried to give you a chance. You're the one who let it all go!"