The bluntness of her words made both Vincent and Courtney freeze.
Courtney’s eyes welled up instantly. “Vincent, I’m sorry. I didn’t think your girlfriend would get upset over something so small…”
“Roxy, you’re being ridiculous,” Vincent cut in, his expression darkening. “Courtney just wanted to meet you. Why blow it out of proportion? Apologize to her. Now.”
Roxanne’s jaw tightened.
“Tell me, Vincent—am I really overreacting, or is it just that your heart isn’t in the same place anymore?”
“I didn’t do anything wrong, so no. I’m not apologizing.”
Suddenly, Courtney stood up and grabbed her wrist firmly. “Roxanne, don’t be mad. I’ll apologize, okay? I didn’t mean to upset you.”
Roxanne instinctively yanked her arm back.
And in that moment, Courtney lost her balance and crashed to the floor.
A snapping sound echoed through the room, followed by the sharp clatter of crystal pieces scattering across the floor.
Roxanne’s eyes widened. She dropped to her knees, scooping up the shattered remains of her crystal bracelet. Her fingers trembled as she held them up.
“You did that on purpose, didn’t you?”
She could feel it—Courtney had tugged on the bracelet as she went down, pulling it hard like she meant to break it.
“I didn’t!” Courtney’s voice trembled, eyes glassy. “Roxanne, just because you’re jealous doesn’t mean you get to throw accusations around. I really just tripped…”
Then, as if gathering courage, she added with a shaky smile, “Don’t worry, I’ll pay you back. How much is it?”
Roxanne’s cheeks flushed with fury. “How much? Do you even know that—”
“I’ll pay it, alright?” Vincent cut. He stepped in, helping Courtney up. His face was unreadable as he pulled out his checkbook and started writing. “One million. That enough?”
Roxanne gritted her teeth. “Not even close.”
That bracelet was a birthday gift from her dad. No amount of money could replace it.
Without looking at her, Vincent ripped out a blank check and threw it at her. “Fill in whatever you want. You’re losing it over a broken bracelet.”
Roxanne stumbled to her feet, her voice cold and steady. “That ‘broken bracelet’ was a birthday gift from my father.”
Vincent froze, looking away awkwardly.
“Why didn’t you say it was from your dad?”
Roxanne let out a bitter laugh. “Oh, I did. I posted it in my socials. Everybody saw it wished me a happy birthday.”
Caught off guard, Vincent actually tried to explain himself. “I was busy today. Didn’t have time to check social media.”
“Right,” she said icily. “Busy picking up your long-lost darling from the airport. Who has time to care about their girlfriend’s birthday?”
“Don’t mind it. It’s just a joke. They love trolling in my account,” Vincent’s expression tightened. “And besides, I’ve known Courtney for over a decade. If something were going to happen between us, it would’ve happened already. You think she’d still be single if she was interested in me?”
Roxanne let out a laugh, more amused than angry now.
“Maybe she is still single because she thinks you’re not good enough.”
Vincent’s eyelid twitched. “What the hell is that supposed to mean?”
Roxanne smiled faintly. “Don’t mind it. Just a joke.”
And with that, she grabbed the check and walked out. She moved quickly, almost like she needed the momentum to push out the bitterness building in her chest.
Back home, she went straight to her studio and pulled out her sketchbook. Ninety-nine pages. Every single one filled with sketches of Vincent. She had planned to give it to him as a wedding present. Now, what a joke that felt like.
She tossed the book into a metal bin and lit a match.
The flames caught fast, the paper curling in seconds. As the fire grew, so did the flood of memories.
Vincent carrying her on his back through rain-soaked streets…
Vincent holding her close at the top of the Ferris wheel, whispering forever…
Vincent staying up all night to take care of her when she was sick…
The fire roared, devouring each memory page by page.
All the love she’d carefully painted onto each sheet—gone. Turned to ash.
So were the memories. And so was her heart.
