Chapter 7
My husband had insisted I put it on this morning, saying it was a gift from a friend and that it looked good on me.
I didn't really ask about it.
But now, turned out it was not so ordinary after all.
"Hey, check out that thing below her collarbone,' someone suddenly shouted, pointing right at me.
The emerald ring, soaked in red wine, looked even more striking under the lights.
Emilia's eyes locked onto the ring, and her face changed.
"Galilea, are you married?" Emilia asked.
I nodded.
Emilia forced a smile. "Congratulations. What does he do? Why didn't you bring him along?"
Kayla was still wiping the wine off her face, but she cut in with a cold laugh. "Seriously, who hangs a diamond ring around their neck? If you wore it on your finger, anyone could tell it's a fake.
"That thing isn't even worth 300 dollars, and she's acting like it's some priceless treasure. The only person she's fooling is herself."
The whole room erupted in laughter.
Emilia didn't laugh, but she didn't stop them either.
She just sat there quietly, giving me that look—like she was embarrassed for me, but couldn't say anything.
That look was even worse than if she'd laughed at me.
"Enough!" Rashad's words shut everyone up instantly.
The room fell silent.
He stood there, glaring at Emilia, his face stormy.
"Emilia, is this your idea of an apology?" Rashad said.
Emilia's smile disappeared instantly. "Rashad..."
"From beginning to end, you were fanning the flames with every single word. You think I didn't see right through it?" Rashad shot back.
Everyone was left speechless.
Emilia's lips trembled.
"I didn't. I just wanted to patch things up with Galilea," Emilia said.
Rashad didn't even look at her. He turned and walked straight over to me.
He took off his suit jacket, handing it to me gently.
"Your clothes are soaked. Shannon's not here yet, so go change first," Rashad said.
He handed me his jacket, his voice carrying a warmth I hadn't heard from him in ages.
I didn't reach out to take it.
"No, I'll handle it myself," I said.
I took a half-step back.
His hand hovered in the air, and his face twisted like he'd just been pricked by something sharp.
Emilia was behind him, her tears streaming down her face even harder.
"Rashad, you're really going to treat me like this in front of everyone? What did I ever do to deserve this?" Emilia cried. "She said she was married, so why are you freaking out?"
Her voice was edged with raw, wounded emotion.
"Or is it that you just can't move on until she forgives you?" Emilia pressed.
The room was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.
Rashad's fist was clenched so tight you could see the veins popping, but he still didn't turn around.
Just when everyone was at a loss for how to break the tension, the door to the private room swung open from the outside.
Shannon walked in, grinning from ear to ear. Her hair was a lot grayer than it was six years ago, but she looked as lively as ever.
"Sorry, traffic was a nightmare. Hope I didn't keep you all waiting too long," Shannon said.
Everyone's attention shifted to Shannon.
Then, they saw the man standing behind her.
He was tall and slender, dressed in a gray cashmere coat. His features were striking and well-defined, and he had the kind of charisma that made you look twice—even without any designer brands.
He stood at the doorway, not in any rush to come in. His gaze swept across the room, locking onto me with precision.
Then he noticed the wine stains still clinging to my hair and neck, and the stained collar of my shirt.
His gaze shifted.
It wasn't anger—just a chilling calm that made my skin crawl.
Someone finally recognized him, their voice shaking.
"Is that Cameron Johnson from the Hawthorne Group?"
"No way. Why would he show up at our reunion?"
"Oh my god, I saw him on TV at last year's youth business summit. That's definitely him."
"The Hawthorne Group? You mean the Johnson family that dominates real estate, finance, and healthcare? The ones who've been number one in private enterprise for twenty years straight?"
"Shannon actually knows him? This is next-level face for our reunion."
I watched him walk in—the man who fought me for the blanket every night, who refused to work in his study and camped out on the couch, and who never left for work in the morning without hanging an emerald ring around my neck.
I honestly didn't see that coming.
It wasn't his showing up that caught me off guard.
It was just that he showed up so early.