Rebecca’s lip trembles, but she says, “I trust my boyfriend.”
“Don’t be naïve,” Crystal snaps. “Men are scoundrels—they always want another woman.”
The audience explodes into gossip again. Leilani wants to cover her ears and run from the room, but she can’t help but overhear the designers and employees.
“Oh my God, I think Crystal has finally lost it,” a female voice says. “She’s always had a bad temper, but this is crazy. She insulted a client in front of everyone.”
“Not just any client,” a deeper male voice says. “She insulted Mr. Bamford. She’s definitely going to get fired.”
“No way,” the woman says. “Don’t you know, she’s protected by a powerful patron. It’s rumored he’s a very important man. She can do whatever she wants.”
“There’s no way that man is more powerful than Mr. Bamford,” the man says. “Just you wait and see. She’ll be out of here before the end of the day.”
“Want to bet on it?” a new female voice asks. “I know, Crystal. She may have a temper, but she always has a plan. She wouldn’t accuse Leilani of seducing a client unless she had some sort of proof.”
“You might have a point,” the man says. “If Leilani’s innocent, why doesn’t she defend herself? Do you see her? She’s just sitting there in silence.”
Leilani twists her hands in her lap. She knows she should say something, but she doesn’t know what she should say. It seems pointless to lie and deny the relationship. She steals a glance at Waylen, hoping he’ll do something to silence the crowd. If not for me, surely he’ll do it to protect Rebecca’s feelings, she thinks. But Waylen continues to stand with his hands in his pockets, his lips twisted in a strange smile.
“I have evidence,” Crystal shouts, running up to the stage. “Look!”
She grabs the remote from the podium, and a picture flashes across the screen. Leilani’s stomach drops. In the center of the photo, she and Waylen are locked in a passionate kiss against her car. Waylen’s hand is in her hair, and her arms are around his neck. In the background, she can see the D.O. parking lot. It’s blurry, but she recognizes her name painted on the wall by her parking space. She suddenly understands the bright flashes she saw in the parking lot—they were the flash of a camera.
“Leilani, what’s going on?” Rebecca asks, running across the aisle. “I don’t understand. Please tell me what happened?”
“Do you have anything to say to Waylen’s girlfriend, Miss Peters?” Crystal asks.
“Crystal, don’t talk nonsense,” Sophie says, pushing Crystal away from the podium. “Do you have any idea who Leilani is?”
Crystal pulls away from Sophie and says, “I couldn’t keep this a secret. Miss Peters pretended she didn’t know Mr. Bamford, but it’s clear she did. This competition is unfair, and Miss Peters’ behavior is disgusting.”
Leilani squints at the screen, wondering if anyone else has noticed the background of the picture. The photo is zoomed pretty close, and most parking garages look the same anyway. She takes a deep breath and stands up.
“Yes, I kissed my ex-husband,” she shouts. “If we never shared a kiss, how would I have gotten pregnant?”
For a moment, the room falls silent, and then it explodes with noise. People shout questions, encouragement, and insults at the top of their lungs. Leilani listens to the crowd shout, but the one person she wants to hear most is silent. Rebecca stares at her, her mouth open with shock.
“Wait, I’m confused,” a male voice says. “Leilani was married to Mr. Bamford? For real?”
“Do you think they divorced because of Miss Arlington?” a woman asks.
“I’m sure,” the man says. “You know how these rich men are. They get bored with their wives so quickly. As soon as they get what they want, they’re ready to move on to the next one.”
Leilani can’t take it any longer. She pushes past Rebecca and runs backstage to get her purse. She hears Rebecca chasing after her and she runs faster. But even in high heels, Rebecca overtakes her.
“Leilani, wait,” Rebecca says, grabbing her hand. “Is it true? Were you really married to Waylen?”
“I was,” she says.
“And—and, the baby is his?” Rebecca asks. “I thought it was Andrew’s?”
“No, the baby is Waylen’s,” Leilani whispers.
“Oh,” Rebecca says. There’s a long silence and then she asks, “Why didn’t you tell me before? Did you want to humiliate me?”
“No, of course not,” Leilani says. “I just—well, I’m embarrassed about the whole thing. I was trying to forget about it.”
“I can’t believe this,” Rebecca says. “I came to this country without any friends, and out of all the women I could have befriended, I chose my boyfriend’s ex-wife. I’m so embarrassed. I really treated you as a friend, Leilani.”
Leilani looks down at her shoes. She wants to leave, but Rebecca is still holding her by the wrist.
“Tell me, why did you two get divorced?” Rebecca asks. “Wait, I’m sorry. That’s none of my business. It’s just a lot to process. Waylen never told me he’d been married before, and this was a horrible way to find out.”
Leilani bites her tongue and tries to think of something to say, but her mind has gone blank. She wants to tell Rebecca the truth, but she’s not even sure what the truth is. She looks down at Rebecca and wonders how the other woman is staying so calm.
“Okay, Leilani, I’ve thought about it, and I forgive you,” Rebecca says. “Clearly, you have your reasons for wanting to keep your past quiet, and I can understand that. If you don’t mind, I’d like to stay friends. If you say it’s over between you and Waylen, I believe you.”
“I’m sorry,” Leilani says. “I’m not as comfortable as you are with this situation. I have to go.”
She pulls herself free from Rebecca’s grip and runs backstage to get her purse. She takes the back door out of the auditorium, and races down the stairs to her car. She jams the keys in the ignition and drives out of the garage as fast as she can.
Rebecca watches Leilani run away with a small smile. She rubs her eyes with her fists as hard as she can and then walks back toward the auditorium to look for Waylen. Waylen’s seat is empty, but the company’s employees are still milling around and gossiping about the dramatic presentations.
She pushes through the crowd, getting sympathetic looks from the employees. The women especially seem to feel bad for her. They offer her encouraging smiles as she passes. The others whisper behind their hands.
“Do you think she just had a fight with Waylen’s ex-wife,” a female voice whispers. “She looks like she’s been crying.”
“I wouldn’t be surprised if she was crying,” a male voice answers. “I’ve heard that his ex-wife is a nightmare.”
She grabs her handbag from her seat and looks around the room. She catches Crystal’s eye and nods at the designer before walking to the door. She takes the elevator down to the garage and hops into her car. She drives straight to a small café, and parks at the meter outside.
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.
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