Hendrick, with Yvette in tow, came late to the Triken project's launch ceremony.
The elders had already left after completing the handover, and only the younger generation remained, messing about and eagerly awaiting to watch the drama unfold.
Yvette's hair was messy, her lipstick smudged, and her cheeks flushed pink. Hendrick, on the other hand, had a satisfied grin on his face, and there were even visible bite marks on his neck.
One of the men nearby could immediately tell what had transpired between the two. He raised his wine glass while his gaze darted between the three of us, eagerly waiting for me to fly into a rage.
The past me would've slapped Yvette across the face by now. The current me, however, remained seated while calmly eating some pastries.
Hendrick placed himself in front of Yvette protectively to stop me from lunging forward and hitting her but also to seek an excuse to yell at me.
After finishing my pastries, I relaxedly sipped my coffee as if none of this concerned me.
Hendrick looked upset when he realized he didn't have a reason to yell at me. Then, he snorted as a thought suddenly crossed his mind.
"So, you've become all meek and gracious now, just so you can marry me? That's very self-aware of you, Whitney. That's right. If you want me to marry you, then you'd better behave!
"Since today is the first day you've taken over the project, I've brought you a present."
He reached into his pocket to pull it out and was just about to hand it to me when Yvette snatched it from his hand.
"Ricky! This brooch is so pretty!"
When Hendrick saw how happy Yvette looked, he blurted, "You like this, Yvie? Then go ahead and keep it."
Yvette looked at me awkwardly, but it was obvious from the slight tilt of her lips that she was already celebrating inside.
"That wouldn't be right, though. You wanted to give this to Whitney as a present. If you gave it to me, would that upset her?"
Hendrick wrapped his fingers around Yvette's hand holding the brooch and said gently, "If you like it, then take it. Don't worry about anyone else."
He then turned and shot me a look of disdain. "As for her?"
He walked over to the waiter who was removing the floral centerpieces from the tables, plucked a leaf from the arrangement, and tossed it at me.
"Have this," he said before bursting into laughter and turning to Yvette. "That's the present that suits her best."
The leaf floated to the ground, and a gust of air blew it right in front of Hendrick. He then lifted a foot and stomped down on it.
"Oh dear. Why aren't you cherishing the present I gave you? You didn't hold on to it properly, and now it's gone."
The surrounding crowd was trying to hide their chuckles when one of the men teased, "But it doesn't matter what Hendrick gifts Whitney because she'll love it either way. She just wants to avoid embarrassment right now, but later, she'll surely pick that leaf up and put it away carefully."
Hearing this, the others joined in on the jeering.
"Everyone knows how head-over-heels in love Whitney is with Hendrick. I bet she'll love it even more now that the leaf has his footprint on it."
As I stared at their sneering expressions, I suddenly felt like it was all rather pointless.
In the past, I had eagerly longed for Hendrick's presents.
Indeed, he had once given me a piece of chocolate that he had taken a bite out of and didn't want anymore. And because his scent lingered on it, I treasured it so much I couldn't even bear to eat it. I even cleaned out the fridge so I could preserve it.
Those from our social circle had all laughed at me. They had said that even if Hendrick gave me a crumpled piece of paper, I'd still take care of it as if it were a priceless treasure.
I poured more coffee into my empty cup, then picked up another pastry and enjoyed it slowly, looking unbothered.
When Hendrick saw how calm I was, he became displeased, and his expression turned stony.
He hurriedly pulled Yvette to sit down next to me, and the two of them started flirting with each other like a couple madly in love. They also shot taunting glances toward me every now and then, expecting me to fly into a jealous rage.
Feeling utterly disinterested, I wiped my hands and stood up to leave.
Seeing this, Hendrick immediately grabbed my hand. With a condescending tone and a smug expression, he said, "What? Are you already feeling jealous? I've already told you, Whitney. You won't be the only woman I have around, so you'd better start getting used to it now."
Thoroughly disgusted, I yanked my hand back and wiped it with a tissue. "You didn't even wash your hands before touching me. How gross of you!"
Hendrick froze, not expecting to hear that from me. But he soon broke out into laughter.
"Are you playing hard to get? We're about to get married, so why're you still pretending to be all modest?"
How ridiculous. If it weren't for his grandmother, Sophia Lancaster, instructing me to keep my choice a secret for now, I would've cut ties with him.
I stared at him speechlessly before retorting with a low chuckle, "We're not married yet, Hendrick, so don't be so full of yourself."
He froze for a second before bursting out into another round of laughter. When the people around us saw him laughing, they joined in on the laughter too.
Hendrick was laughing so hard he almost stumbled backward. He pointed at me and snorted, "Everyone in Jedina knows that you're head-over-heels in love with me and won't marry anyone else.
"Our families have a marriage arrangement. If you don't marry me, then who are you going to marry? My widowed uncle? Or the youngest brother, who's not even 18 years old yet?
"My second youngest brother is sickly and weak and will likely…" he trailed off.
"Or… are you intending on becoming a widow?
"Who else can you possibly be married to other than me, Whitney Xander?
"It's not as entertaining when you go overboard with this act of yours, so hurry up and admit you've made a mistake!"
