Chapter 2
Since when did I ever craft some flawless persona for myself?
Time wasn't an issue, and I wanted to see what else she'd come up with, so I let her talk.
But I regretted it almost immediately.
It was just a bunch of boring nonsense.
"Do you even realize how much Julian's been hooking me up lately, both out in the open and on the down low?" Sienna boasted, sounding totally smug.
Her bragging dragged my attention back to her.
"Doesn't matter if my projects are worth anything or not; they all sail through, no problem," she went on.
"I know it's him making it happen for me," she added.
Seeing my expression change, Sienna got even more brazen.
"I'm about to get promoted to associate professor. Once I'm on Julian's level, you'll be out of the picture," she said.
I could even hear a touch of condescending pity in her voice.
"You'd better wise up and walk away from Julian before he kicks you to the curb," she said.
"Don't wait until he dumps you and that happy life image you've built comes crashing down. You'll end up totally embarrassed," she added.
Seeing Sienna so smug, I let out a chuckle and said calmly, "I don't know if I'll ever lose face, but I can make you lose yours right now. Care to find out?"
Sienna looked totally unfazed.
"You're just a painter. What could you possibly do to me?" she scoffed.
I interrupted her, calm and collected.
"I still have those photos of you and Julian in bed together," I said.
After saying that, I paused, pretending to be troubled.
"I wonder what would happen if I posted them on your workplace's official forum. Think that might ruin your shot at associate professor?" I asked.
Sienna was completely caught off guard. She never expected I'd still have those photos.
"Didn't you delete them?" she blurted out.
"Oh, did Julian tell you that? Yeah, I deleted one. Deleting one still counts as deleting, doesn't it?" I shot back.
I watched her stumble away, humiliated and flustered.
At that moment, I felt no sense of triumph.
My hand, resting on my lap, was clenched so tightly that my nails dug bloody grooves into my palm.
I forced myself to stay calm and looked up the list of candidates for associate professor at Sienna's workplace.
Since she picked a fight with me, she'd have to face the consequences.
She might have no shame, but I wasn't about to sink to her level and disgust everyone by posting those photos online.
I bundled up the photos and passed them over to Zoe, the one most likely to take Sienna down.
From here on out, I could just sit back and watch. Her rival would finish her off for me.
My good mood evaporated the moment I walked through the door.
Standing in the doorway, I overheard Sienna tearfully complaining to Julian over the phone.
Julian was silent for a long moment before finally speaking up to comfort her.
"Sienna, I'll take care of this," he said.
"I told you, I'll always support your career. No matter what happens, I'll always be your safety net," he added.
What a smooth talker! I was unable to keep the sarcasm out of my mind.
I couldn't even wait for Julian to finish the call, and I just started clapping right then.
Clap, clap, clap...
The sound caught Julian off guard, and Sienna heard it through the phone, too.
Honestly, I didn't even need to think about it. I knew I must've looked like a total joke earlier today.
Arms crossed, leaning in the doorway, I watched Julian pull himself together in a split second.
"When did you get back?" I asked as he hurried to end the call.
His tone was as calm and indifferent as always.
I paused for a moment, recalling Sienna's "Julian, it's all Yvonne's fault. What are we supposed to do now?"
That sugary, needy tone made my skin crawl.
That's when I walked in just as she said that.
Julian kept a straight face, not showing a hint of emotion.
He walked over, grabbed a pair of shoes from the cabinet, and squatted down in front of me.
"Here, put your shoes on. You don't want to get cold," he said.
I rested my hand on his shoulder and followed his lead, slipping my feet into the shoes.
After getting myself together, I sank into the couch and sipped the warm water Julian had poured for me.
He was bustling around in the kitchen, getting dinner ready.
This scene used to be the one thing that always made me feel at ease, but tonight, I just felt weary of it all.
I set my glass down and stood by the kitchen door.
"So this is your idea of 'no contact'?" I asked.
Julian stiffened, his hand pausing mid-chop.
"You keep helping her out, and she still has access to you whenever she wants," I said.
I couldn't help but scoff.
"Being her safety net, huh? That's really touching," I said, my voice dripping with sarcasm.
Fixing my gaze on Julian's back, rage churned in my chest, so intense it felt like I might explode.
After a long, tense silence, Julian finally moved.
He turned around, looking genuinely at me.
"She's been through a lot with me. I can't just abandon her completely," he said.
"But you have my word. I won't ever let her come between us again," he added.
I stared at Julian, feeling nothing but sarcasm. His promises? They meant absolutely nothing to me.