Chapter 2
Betty: "3 million dollars? For someone like Julian, you should be asking for at least 10 million! This is a total fire sale!"
Cora: "I know Sophie, she's the campus queen of the dance department, a real catch. But Vivian, are you really okay with this? Julian treats you like a queen."
Watching the chat explode with messages, I felt a cold emptiness settle in my chest.
Could I really let go?
How could I possibly let go?
Five years. Even a dog would grow attached after all that time, let alone someone like Julian, practically perfect in every way, except for one thing: he just didn't love me.
He'd awkwardly make me ginger tea whenever I was on my period.
He'd turn down contracts worth tens of millions of dollars just to spend the whole night with me in the hospital when I was sick.
He'd have his assistant buy out a bakery the very next day, just because I happened to mention their cake was tasty.
His care for me was so tender and meticulous, it often made me fool myself into thinking he might actually love me.
But every time that thought crept in, I'd snuff it out immediately.
I was just a canary in a gilded cage, and he was my patron.
A canary can't afford to fall in love, if she does, she'll end up broken beyond repair.
I replied to the group chat, my tone as calm and steady as always.
"No need to get sentimental. All good things come to an end. Better cash out while I'm still young and pretty, think of it as my retirement fund."
Just then, someone who'd been quietly lurking in the group finally spoke up.
Her profile picture was solid black, and her username was simply "Q."
Q: "What's Julian's emotional weak spot?"
That question hit the nail on the head.
The group chat fell silent.
Julian always seemed invulnerable. So what was his emotional weak spot? I
After a long pause, I finally typed a message.
"He doesn't really have any weaknesses. Or maybe, his only weakness is that legendary ex-wife, the woman he couldn't get over. But he never mentions her."
Q: "Then make him bring her up."
I frowned.
I replied, "How am I supposed to make him bring her up?"
Q: "Make him think you're about to walk away. Men are all the same, the ones they can't get and the ones they've already lost always haunt them."
That sentence was like a key, opening a door in my head.
I got it.
I replied, "Appreciate the advice."
Q: "No need. Just give me ten percent of the profits when the project succeeds."
The group chat blew up again.
"Damn! Queenie's a real veteran, she knows her stuff!"
"Now that's what I call a real mentor!"
I stared at the screen, my finger hovering over that black profile picture for a moment.
I wondered who exactly Q was.
The real work was about to begin.
I had Sophie over at my place, and kicked off a week of hardcore training.
"Julian likes the scent of jasmine, but not as a perfume, he prefers it in his body wash. I've already bought the brand he likes for you.
"He doesn't like women wearing makeup, especially lipstick. He says it ruins the way a kiss should feel.
"He's a bit of a neat freak, he can't stand seeing even a single stray hair at home. So you'll need to pick up every strand you shed, every day.
"He loves wearing white shirts, so you'll have to learn to hand-wash and iron them, washing machines just don't get them as spotless as he wants.
I was like a strict drill sergeant, pouring all the hard-earned lessons from my five years with Julian into Sophie, covering every last detail.
Sophie caught on quickly and was genuinely dedicated.
She even carried a tiny notebook, scribbling down every tip and trick I shared.
Watching her work so hard to mimic me, I felt strangely out of it.
She wasn't just learning how to please Julian, she was learning how to step into my shoes and become the next "Vivian."
After a week, Sophie could mimic my every expression and tone to perfection.
She wore the white dress I'd picked out for her, the faint scent of jasmine clinging to her, and looked at me with that pure, innocent gaze.
"Ms. Lawrence, I'm ready," she said.
I nodded and pulled out my phone.
"Last step. Add Julian on FedChat. Tell him you're my cousin, visiting Aurelian City, and your phone's broken, so you're using mine."
This was the most critical step in our plan.
My goal was to spark Julian's curiosity about Sophie naturally.
Sophie took the phone, her hands trembling, and sent the friend request using the lines I'd drilled into her.
Every second felt like a century as we waited.
Finally, the phone buzzed.
Julian accepted the friend request.
Sophie was so excited she nearly jumped out of her skin.
But I just stared at the screen, totally calm, my heart didn't even twitch.
Everything was unfolding exactly as I'd planned.
Now, it was time to reel him in.
I orchestrated a "chance encounter."
At one of Julian's favorite upscale restaurants.