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Novel Catalog
78
Vivian’s sudden outburst caught everyone off guard, and for a moment, the room fell silent. Her friends stared at her, their expressions a mix of confusion and disbelief, as they hadn’t anticipated such a reaction from her. Vivian’s usual calm and composed demeanor had cracked, and it seemed like the weight of the situation was finally getting to her.
One of her friends, a bubbly woman who had been talking the most, hesitated and then spoke softly, “Vivian, we were just… excited. It’s a big day, right? You and Adrian, the divorce, and everything…”
Vivian’s eyes narrowed, the tension in her body palpable as she took a deep breath to steady herself. She had always been the one who kept up appearances, the one who smiled through her disappointments and kept her pain hidden behind a mask. But today, hearing her friends’ excited chatter about the very thing she had been so desperate for—a divorce, a future with Adrian—was too much.
She clenched her fists, her nails digging into her palms as she forced herself to speak in a controlled voice. “Excited?” she repeated, her tone cold and biting. “You think this is something to celebrate? You think that after everything, I should be happy to finally get rid of her?”
Her words struck the group like a slap. They hadn’t expected her to snap like this, and they certainly hadn’t considered the emotional toll everything was taking on her. The realization seemed to sink in slowly, and the room grew quieter.
“I—” one of them started, but Vivian held up a hand, cutting her off.
“Don’t,” Vivian said, her voice trembling with restraint. “Don’t pretend like you understand. You don’t know how much I’ve sacrificed, how much I’ve put up with, just to get to this point. And now, when things should be going as planned, everything is falling apart.”
Her eyes flickered with a mixture of anger and vulnerability. “I’ve been so patient, so careful, but it feels like… nothing ever goes right. Even now, he’s still tied to her. And you’re all here celebrating like it’s already over.”
A heaviness settled over the group, and they finally realized that perhaps they had been too caught up in their own excitement to truly understand what Vivian was feeling.
“I’m sorry,” one of them spoke up, the tone apologetic. “We didn’t mean to make light of it.”
Vivian’s chest tightened as she nodded once, trying to calm herself. “It’s fine,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper, though the bitterness still lingered. “It’s just… a lot right now.”
She turned away from them, walking over to the window and staring out at the bustling city below, lost in thought. There was so much she had envisioned for her future with Adrian, but now, with everything hanging in the balance, she wasn’t sure what to believe anymore. She had wanted this life, this position, but at what cost?
Her friends were silent now, watching her with guilt and uncertainty. No one spoke for a while, allowing the weight of the moment to settle in. It was clear that Vivian was not as ready to celebrate as they had assumed, and perhaps the reality of what she was about to lose had finally hit her.
Meanwhile, at the hospital, Adrian returned to the ward where Eva was waiting. He took a moment to glance at her before sitting beside her. His expression was unreadable, but the tension in his shoulders suggested the conversation with Vivian had left him unsettled.
Eva noticed his quiet demeanor and looked at him with concern. “Everything okay?” she asked softly.
Adrian didn’t answer immediately, his eyes flickering toward the door. “Vivian wanted to come here, to see your grandmother,” he said after a moment. “But I told her it’s not the right time.”
Eva didn’t say anything at first, her mind processing his words. She understood the delicate situation—Vivian still clinging to a hope that Adrian might choose her over everything else. But she could feel the shift in the air, the growing tension between the three of them, and she didn’t know how long this could last.
Adrian seemed to sense her unease, and after a long pause, he turned to face her. “I know this is difficult for you, Eva,” he said, his voice low. “But I promise, we’ll take care of everything. Your grandmother, the situation with Vivian… I won’t let it affect what we need to do.”
Eva nodded slowly, not entirely convinced, but appreciating his effort to reassure her. The air between them was heavy, though, and even though they were together in this, both of them knew things were far from simple. They still had a long road ahead, filled with uncertainty and difficult choices.
“Let’s just focus on Grandma for now,” Eva said quietly, trying to shift the conversation back to the present. “We’ll deal with everything else later.”
Adrian gave her a small, understanding nod, and together, they remained by Granny Blackwood’s side, the weight of the moment pressing down on them both, but they knew there was no turning back now.
