I'd barely stepped out of the marital home when a message came in from my mother.
【Here's Jesse Baxter's contact info. In a few days there's a get-together with his family to talk over the marriage. Get to know each other privately first.】
【I always said that Merlin Fisher was no good. Thank goodness you saw through him before you told him about our family's situation.】
In college, I'd deliberately hidden the fact that I was the Finch heiress.
I lived in the shared dorms, ate normal cafeteria food, even wore only custom pieces with no logos on them.
I'd genuinely believed that because Merlin Fisher and Virginia Sullivan had known me from my humble days, they were people I could give my whole heart to.
Even Virginia's job had been something I quietly arranged through my family's connections.
Thinking of that, I made a call.
"Mom, have Dad tell Uncle Graham Lambert there's no need to hold the promotion slot for Virginia anymore."
"Why's that?"
"The woman Merlin cheated with is her."
My mother went quiet for a beat, said nothing, and hung up.
A little later a message came through.
【Your Uncle Graham says her work was never up to much anyway. If it weren't for your sake, she'd have been let go long ago.】
【There was an overseas training opportunity he was thinking of adding her to. Forget that now.】
I thought about it. Sure enough, last week Virginia had mentioned she was going abroad for a month of training.
She'd been over the moon about it, even said she'd cook and treat us to dinner.
The next second, I walked straight into the two of them coming in arm in arm.
The moment they saw me, they sprang apart like they'd been shocked.
I spoke first, feigning surprise.
"Merlin, Virginia, didn't you say you both had to work overtime this weekend? What are you doing here at this hour?"
Virginia went white as a sheet and stumbled through an explanation.
"Oh, I have a relative who lives here. They've been unwell lately, so I asked Merlin to help drive them to the hospital to get checked."
I nodded.
"Then you'd better hurry. Don't let it drag on."
Once I was in the cab, Virginia tagged me in the group chat.
【Carrie, come over for dinner at my place tonight. Let's celebrate me getting the training slot.】
I smiled a little and replied, "OK."
Coming back a month later, Virginia's place looked a lot emptier.
I asked, offhand,
"Where's your old furniture? Are you moving?"
She and Merlin traded a smile.
"Yeah, Carrie. Once we've moved in, we'll have you over for the housewarming."
They thought I was completely in the dark, never guessing that I was the one who'd designed that apartment.
Watching the two of them prep food in the kitchen with practiced ease, I pulled out the receipts she'd stashed under the coffee table.
A couples' hot-spring ticket, dated exactly the week Merlin lied to me about working overtime. Dozens of hotel charge slips on top of that.
Even the silver bracelet pressed in beside them was the same design as the one on Merlin's wrist.
I photographed every one of them before they came out.
Sitting at the dining table, I looked at the boiling pot of spicy broth, and a sour ache turned in my stomach.
Hot pot again, dip-and-cook. Virginia's favorite.
And half a month ago I'd just had surgery for a stomach polyp. I was supposed to watch what I ate.
Merlin remembered her tastes down to the last detail. Anything about me, he'd forgotten clean.
Seeing that I hadn't touched a thing, Virginia, tucking in happily, asked in passing,
"Carrie, why aren't you eating?"
"I just had polyp surgery. I can't eat spicy food."
The words were barely out before both of them froze.
Virginia tugged at me, guilty.
"I'm so sorry, Carrie, I forgot."
"What do you want to eat? Let me go make you something."
"No need."
I shook her hand off me.
Merlin glanced at her wounded face and his expression darkened.
"Carla, aren't you overdoing it a little?"
"Just because Virginia's always been the one to accommodate you, you're going to blow it up like this?"
Watching his angry face, I let out a snort of laughter.
"What are the two of you putting on a show for? I meant there's no need to go out and buy anything. Just take your phone and order delivery."
