Clara wanted to leave.
But a warm hand gently closed around her wrist.
It was Vivian.
"Clara, please don't go, okay?" Her voice trembled slightly. "Ever since you remarried, we've barely spent any time together… I just want you to shop with me for a little while. Just a little while, please?"
Clara lowered her eyes and looked at that hand.
Once, that hand had held hers all night when she had a fever. It had hugged her while she cried after her first divorce. It had wiped away her tears when Victor and Margaret announced that she was not their real daughter.
But now, that same hand had just slipped out of Julian's grasp, only to reach for her again.
How ironic.
Clara said nothing. She simply tried to pull her hand free.
Just then, Julian strode over.
His gaze burned with concern, but it was not for Clara. His eyes landed on Vivian's face, his tone edged with reproach. "Vivian, you look awful. I'm taking you to the hospital."
Vivian shook her head, her eyes reddening. "I'm not going. Clara hasn't agreed to have cake with me yet…"
"If she doesn't want to, then forget it!" Julian's voice darkened. At last, he turned to Clara, his eyes cold. "Clara, Vivian has given you everything she has. You can't even spare her this little bit of time? Do you even feel anything?"
Clara let out a faint, bitter smile. "Julian, you're right. I don't."
Julian looked at Clara's expressionless face, and a sudden wave of panic rose in his chest. Did she know something?
Clara tried again to pull free from Vivian's hand. Vivian seemed to twist her wrist slightly, and her brows drew together.
Julian's eyes darkened. He stepped forward. "Clara, you hurt Vivian."
"Julian!" Vivian suddenly raised her voice and rushed in front of Clara, spreading her arms. "Don't talk to Clara like that!"
Julian froze. "Vivian?"
"I said I'm not going to the hospital!" Vivian's eyes were red, her voice shaking, yet unusually firm. "Either you leave right now, or you stay and spend Clara's birthday with her. Choose."
"But you look terrible. What if—"
"There is no what if!" Vivian cut him off, tears finally falling. "It's Clara's birthday today. Are you going to celebrate it with her or not?"
Julian went still and instinctively looked at Clara.
Clara had lowered her head, her long hair hiding her face, but the slight tremble of her shoulders betrayed her.
Julian clicked his tongue, as if trying to cover the panic in his heart. "Fine, fine. I'll celebrate it with her, okay?"
Vivian took a deep breath and turned to Clara, her voice softening. "Clara… it's your birthday today. I ordered a cake, bought you a present, and booked a table at your favorite café… Please don't leave, okay?"
Clara's eyes burned.
How badly she wanted to believe this was real.
But she knew better than anyone that this was only another performance put on by the two of them.
"Thank you for the gift. I really like it. As for the cake… you two can have it."
With that, she turned and left.
Silence fell behind her.
A few seconds later, she heard Julian say quietly to Vivian, "I'll take you home."
"No." Vivian avoided his hand. "If you treat her badly, I'll leave right now. I'll disappear forever, and you'll never find me again."
Julian was silent for a long time before finally giving in. "Fine. I'll treat her well."
Clara did not look back, but her steps slowed for a moment.
So Julian's tenderness toward her had only been an illusion created by Vivian's words. How ridiculous. Vivian had been with Julian just to make him treat Clara better.
Clara kept walking, every step feeling as if she were treading on the edge of a blade.
She should have hated Vivian.
But she couldn't bring herself to.
Because Vivian truly loved her.
And she truly loved Julian too.
But in this world, some things could never coexist.
