Chapter 3
To Vanessa, being part of the Sinclair family was basically a free pass to do whatever she wanted.
"A measly 100 million dollars, and you dare try to rip us off?" Vanessa sneered, her eyes brimming with disdain. "Are you all broke or stupid?
"You think the Sinclair family can't cough up that kind of cash? 100 million dollars is pocket change to us, barely enough to throw at a beggar.
"Don't dare to look down on us. If you piss off the Sinclair family, your auction house can forget about doing business in this circle again."
As she spoke, Vanessa moved closer to Edward, slipped her arm through his, and gave it a playful shake, as if flaunting their connection. "Mr. Sinclair, isn't that right?
"They're making things hard for us, trying to cash in while they can."
Edward didn't push her away. He frowned, his face still grim.
But the panic in his eyes wasn't as obvious as before.
It was clear that Vanessa's words struck a chord with him.
All his life, what he took the most pride in was the Sinclair family's scholarly background.
The auction house manager's face went ashen and then flushed.
He tried to say something, but thought better of it and swallowed his words.
He knew how powerful the Sinclair family was, and how much sway they held in the world of antiques and culture.
But the rule had to be followed.
The 100 million dollars in compensation was determined by the contract and industry procedures, not some arbitrary number made up to rip them off.
"Professor Sinclair and Ms. Reed," the manager said, gritting his teeth as he forced himself to speak. "We're not trying to make things hard for you.
"The 100 million dollars in compensation was calculated according to the rule of placing an unlimited bid, the artifact damage clause, and the market impact losses.
"Each item is accounted for, with full documentation to back it up."
"So what if you've got all the documentation?" Vanessa stopped him, her tone rude and dismissive. "If I say you got the numbers wrong, then you got them wrong.
"Mr. Sinclair's family has tons of connections. If you really want to make a scene, you won't stand a chance."
I stood to the side, watching them coldly. It felt like I was watching a circus.
It was ridiculous when Vanessa talked about a scholarly family.
*****
Edward and I really were childhood friends, growing up together.
Both our families were true scholarly families. Our ancestors were lifelong scholars, modest and reserved, always staying true to themselves.
They taught us to be humble, courteous, and self-restrained.
When we were kids, Edward and I would recite our lessons together in the courtyard of the old family estate.
We learned calligraphy and book conservation from our elders.
Back then, he was gentle and refined, always speaking in a soft voice. He never would've let someone get away with nonsense as he was doing now.
And he wouldn't have been tossing around that "scholarly family" label to show off.
Our elders used to say we were made for each other.
They always said that when we grew up, we'd get married and carry on the legacy of both families.
I once believed it, too.
I thought we'd be like our elders, treating each other with respect and staying by each other's side for a lifetime.
I thought he'd always hold on to the lessons our elders taught us, and never forget the promises we made together.
But everything changed when he became a college professor and took Vanessa as his student.
Vanessa was nothing like us.
She came from a regular family, but was always desperate to climb higher.
She flaunted designer clothes and acted loud and pushy. There wasn't a hint of a scholar in her.
I never understood what Edward saw in her.
Maybe it was her youth and beauty, or maybe it was the way she always looked up to him and tried to win his favor.
Or maybe it was that untamed, fearless vibe about her that he had never seen before.
Since Vanessa became his star student, Edward had changed his character.
He never said no to Vanessa's needs.
He'd always give her whatever she wanted, and whenever she messed up, he'd be right there to bail her out.
Three years ago, Vanessa posted a long article online.
The whole thing was full of malicious speculation and insults.
She mocked me, calling me old-fashioned and boring, and said I didn't understand anything about romantic relationships.
She claimed I wasn't good enough for Edward, and that he was settling for me.
Worse yet, she dropped hints that she knew more about intimacy than I could, and made it sound like she and Edward had been getting up to something shady for ages.
The post went viral online.
I was the punchline of every joke, with people all over making fun of me.
They said I was holding onto a relationship that was already over, that I had no idea how to be romantic, and that I couldn't keep a man.
Some even jumped in with Vanessa, calling me shameless.
I was fed up with all the harassment, so I went to face Vanessa directly.
I thought she would at least feel a bit of guilt, delete the post, and apologize to me.
But when she saw me, she didn't show a shred of guilt. If anything, she got even more brazen.
Right to my face, she repeated all the filthy language from her post, and deliberately said Edward preferred girls like her over uptight old-school types like me.
I couldn't take it anymore, so I slapped her across the face.
I put everything I had into that slap. All my pent-up hurt and anger came pouring out.
But I never imagined that slap would be the thing that finally broke everything between Edward and me.
As soon as Edward found out, he came straight to me.
He didn't ask how much I'd been hurt, or about all the awful things Vanessa had said about me.
Instead, he chewed me out without letting me get a word in.
He yelled I had no right to hit someone and said Vanessa was a young girl with no sense. As a grown woman, I looked petty picking fights with her.
He said I'd embarrassed him badly. People would talk, saying his fiancée had slapped his student in public.
He told me to apologize to Vanessa. Otherwise, we'd be done.
I didn't apologize.
I asked him whether he cared more about me, his fiancée, or that stuck-up student of his.
I asked if he couldn't find out that Vanessa had been provoking me on purpose and tearing our relationship apart.
But he didn't listen at all.
He only thought I was throwing a fit out of nowhere, that I was jealous of Vanessa, and that I couldn't stand his student.