Chapter 3
Two days before the award ceremony, I had an unexpected visitor.
It was four in the afternoon, and I was in my studio, going over the product selection with my design team. Jane knocked and came in, her expression a little off.
"Ms. Sutton, there's a woman outside who wants to see you. She didn't make an appointment. She says she's an old friend of yours," Jane said.
Old friend? As if I ever had any.
"Let her in," I said.
The door swung open.
The woman who walked in was someone I knew.
It was Edith Ford, the PR director at Andrew's company, and Jessica's best friend.
She was dressed in a beige trench coat and three-inch heels, her makeup perfectly done. When she smiled, a little dimple showed at the corner of her mouth, giving her a soft, sweet vibe.
But I knew she was no pushover.
Back when I was still living with the Collins family, every time Edith came over, she'd give me the once-over, sizing me up from head to toe.
It was always that look, the kind that swept one from head to toe and decided, "Yeah, you're nothing special."
"Claire, it's been a long time," Edith said, walking over and sitting down across from me like she owned the place.
I didn't bother asking Jane to get her any coffee.
"What do you want?" I asked.
Edith let out a soft laugh. "Why so indifferent? Can't old friends catch up for a bit?"
"We're hardly friends. Cut to the chase."
Edith's smile faltered for a split second, but she quickly recovered.
"Alright, I'll get straight to the point," she said, crossing her legs and casually playing with the chain of her purse. "You're the gift sponsor for the award ceremony in two days, right?"
"Yeah," I replied.
"I just wanted to give you a heads-up," she said, her eyes glinting with that subtle air of superiority. "Jessica will be there too. She's Andrew's date.
"At this award ceremony, Andrew's planning to officially introduce her to his circle."
I looked at her. "So?"
"So," Edith said, setting her bag on her lap and tilting her head, "we all see each other all the time, and I don't want things to get awkward at the ceremony.
"You know Jessica. She's easily embarrassed. I don't want her to feel uncomfortable."
I leaned back in my chair. "Edith, you came all the way here just to tell me that?"
"I'm trying to help," Edith said with a smile. "Giving you a heads-up. Since you're with the sponsor, it'd be best if you just stay backstage and don't try to get involved up front. Let's all keep it classy."
I stared at her for a few seconds, and then smiled. "Edith."
"Yeah?"
"Late Sequence is my company. At the dinner, I'm not with the sponsor. I am the sponsor. I'll sit wherever I want."
Edith's smile vanished. "What do you mean by that?"
"Nothing," I said, standing up and straightening my cuffs. "Just so we're clear, you don't get to tell me where I sit."
Edith stood up, clutching her bag, and stared me down for a couple of seconds. "Claire, don't push your luck."
"Trust me, I know exactly what I'm doing," I said, locking eyes with her. "You can leave now."
Edith pressed her lips together, spun around, and strode out. Her heels hammered out a rapid rhythm on the floor as she stormed off.
Jane waited until Edith was out of earshot before poking her head in. "Ms. Sutton, who was that? She was so rude."
"Nobody," I said.
I sat back down and picked up my coffee.
Edith coming all the way here just to warn me meant that Andrew's crew had already turned this award ceremony into Jessica's grand debut.
They had no clue what was waiting for them at the dinner.
I took a sip of my coffee.
Perfect. Not a single one should miss it.
*****
The night before the award ceremony, Ian came running out of his study, holding up the six-legged robot he'd built himself.
"Mom, look. I finally got the voice module working. It can actually understand you now," he said.
He flipped the switch, and the little robot's six legs clicked across the table, taking a couple of steps.
"Go forward," Ian said.
The robot marched three steps forward.
"Turn left," Ian said.
The robot pivoted left.
"Stop," Ian said.
The robot stopped.
Ian looked up at me, his eyes shining like two little stars.
"Isn't it awesome?" he asked.
"It is," I said, pulling out the navy blue suit I'd just bought for him a couple of days ago. He'd wear it tomorrow. "Come here and try this on."
Ian took the suit and slipped it on. The sleeves were a bit too long, so I crouched down to roll them up for him.
"Mom, why are you making me dress up so fancy? It's like I'm about to win some huge prize or something," Ian said.
"Hey, it is a big deal. You're the city champ," I replied.
"Well, that's nothing," Ian said, tilting his chin up.
I held back a laugh as I rolled up the other sleeve and gave his shoulder a little pat. "Is tomorrow a big deal for you?"
"Not really."
"It's a big deal for me."
Ian looked down at me, and then suddenly tilted his head. "Mom, you're acting weird today."
"Weird how?"
"Your eyes," he said. Thinking for a moment, he added, "It's like you're thinking about something really, really big."
Not bad for a nine-year-old. He really noticed things.
I ruffled his hair. "You'll find out tomorrow."
Ian didn't ask any more questions. He just nodded, grabbed his robot, and went back to his room.
After he fell asleep, I opened the iron box on the top shelf of my closet.
There were two things inside.
One was a photo. It was our wedding photo from three years ago. Andrew stood next to me, his expression unreadable. There was no sign of happiness or sadness. I was smiling so hard that it almost looked forced.
The other was a copy of our divorce agreement. On the last page, stamped right next to his signature, were the words: [No children during the marriage.]
I set the two items side by side on the table and stared at them for a while. Then I put them away and turned off the light.
I'd see Andrew again tomorrow.