Arlene POV
The grand ballroom was thick with the scent of expensive perfume, old money, and unspoken rivalries. Crystal chandeliers dripped diamonds of light onto polished marble. Julian's hand was a possessive weight on my lower back, guiding me through the throng. I was an accessory. A puppet performing for his audience.
"Smile, Arlene," he murmured, his lips brushing my ear. The shiver it sent down my spine wasn't pleasure. It was dread.
Arthur Stephenson, the seasoned chairman of Aperture Dynamics' board, raised his glass. "And now, a tradition from Arlene's family—the Memory Box!"
A hush fell over the crowd as a large, ornate wooden box was brought forward. My heart hammered. I knew what was inside. Arthur, unaware of the true nature of my marriage, believed it would be a heartwarming gesture. He had no idea what fuse he was lighting.
Arthur reached in and pulled out a faded photograph of a younger Julian standing beside my father. The room chuckled politely.
Then his hand dipped in again and pulled out a stack of envelopes tied with silk ribbon. My breath caught. No. Not those.
Julian's head snapped towards the letters. "What are those, Arthur?"
"Ah, these look like old love letters. From Arlene, by the looks of her handwriting. Care for a read?"
"Arthur, please," I whispered. "They're private."
But Julian's eyes held a glint I hadn't seen in years. "Read them. Read them out loud."
With a sigh, Arthur untied the ribbon and began to read.
"My dearest Julian, every day with you feels like a new invention, a breakthrough in my heart. I know you're busy building your empire, but please know my love, that I'll always be here, quietly supporting you..."
Another letter. "Julian, I saw you across the room today, and my heart still skipped a beat, just like the first time. I know you're still thinking of Blair, but I hope, someday, you'll see me, truly see me..."
The words—my most private confessions—hung in the air, naked and exposed. I was being stripped bare, my deepest vulnerabilities laid out for all to see.
Julian's face was a mask of shock. He took a step closer. "Arlene, I..."
His phone buzzed. Blair's image flashed across the screen. "Julian! He's here! He found me!" she shrieked.
Julian's face, which had softened with confusion and nascent understanding, hardened once more. He pulled his hand back.
"Stay here, Arlene. Don't move."
Then he was gone—a blur of motion, his security detail falling in behind him. For Blair. Always for Blair.
I walked to the nearest balcony. Below, Julian was confronting a group of rough-looking men, his fists flying, his body a shield for her. He would always protect her. Always choose her.
I reached into my pocket and pulled out the letters. I ripped them to shreds, the sound a ragged tear in the fabric of my heart. Then, with trembling hands, I pulled out my father's silver lighter and set the fragments ablaze. The flames consumed my words, my hopes, my love.
"Goodbye, Julian," I whispered, watching the last flicker of light die. "You never truly saw me, and now, you never will."
