Chapter Three

ELOISE

Twenty minutes later, a car pulled up in front of Alex's house. I was sitting outside, waiting beside Alex for Laura to arrive. The screeching sound cleared the rest of the alcohol from my system.

I looked up to see Laura stepping out, her long black hair swinging as she hurried towards me. Her face was filled with concern, but there was a familiar hint of frustration in her eyes.

When she saw how pale I was, she sighed, clearly feeling sorry for me, but it didn’t stop her from giving me a piece of her mind.

“You’re still young and beautiful, Eloise! Damon is so going to regret doing this to you. I promise to make sure of that. It's better you divorce him.” She turned towards Alex and gave a fake giggle. "Hi, Alex. Thank you for not calling me. I've been going around town searching for her."

"You are welcome," Alex replied with a smile.

Those two never stayed a minute without fighting each other.

I shook my head, my heart aching. It felt as if the pain in my heart worsened after the alcohol faded. “Is it really that easy to divorce someone you love with everything you have, Laura? Is that what you think?”

“That man is a narcissist! I told you nothing good would come from being with someone like that. Look at what he’s done! He went and married another woman and even took her on a honeymoon without you knowing?”

"No one said he went on a honeymoon. At least not yet," I assured her.

"Oh, seems you’ve been offline all day," Laura muttered.

I sighed, realizing just how foolish I’d been. “Laura, do you think this is because I can’t conceive? He mentioned it… I don’t know what’s wrong with me.”

“Baby or no baby, Eloise, you deserve better than Damon. He played you until the very last minute, using your father's influence to become a powerful CEO. Well, since your marriage is pretty much over, let’s get you a new man.”

I blinked at her in disbelief. “What? I don’t want to move on just yet.”

Laura’s expression hardened. “He clearly doesn’t care about moving on, and you shouldn’t either. And don’t you even think about going back to him—I’ll make sure of it!” She grabbed my arm, pulling me toward her car before I could protest any further.

"Should I come along?" Alex asked.

"No. You’d spoil the fun," Laura replied and drove off.

Minutes later, we pulled up to a shopping mall.

“The dress code is black. It’s a billionaire’s party,” she said with a grin. “Even if you don’t find a new husband, you might just meet a sugar daddy who’ll take care of your bills. Sorry, I forgot you had a rich parent. Find a gigolo instead, get wasted, and live tomorrow like Damon never happened.”

“What?! Laura, I can’t… I’m still—”

“… a married woman? Look at yourself, Eloise. Do you *feel* married? I’ll ask you one more time—do you want to get back at your so-called ex-husband?”

“We’re not even divorced yet… I'm sure I didn’t sign any divorce papers. Do you believe I have dementia?” I muttered.

“Stop being so delusional!" Laura yelled.

I sniffled and wiped my eyes. “You’re right. Let’s do this. I’m going to live tonight like I was never married.”

“Really?” Laura’s face lit up. She stopped her car at the front of the mall and practically dragged me into the mall, finding a stunning red gown with a long slit for me to wear.

Next, we went to Lucy’s beauty shop. After we exchanged pleasantries, she ushered me into a chair.

“Would you like your hair straightened or…?” Lucy asked gently, but I ignored her question.

I stared at myself in the mirror, a sad chuckle escaping my lips. “It’s not like I’m getting married to my first love or someone I care about, so why should I care about looking excited or pretty?”

Lucy smiled knowingly. “Trust me. I’ll fix your broken heart starting with your hair.” She got to work, braiding my hair into a sleek side braid and decorating it with delicate hairpins.

“Make sure to cover the dark circles under her eyes,” Laura chimed in once Lucy started with my makeup.

Lucy nodded. “I can tell she has cried a lot.” She expertly applied makeup, hiding the evidence of my emotional breakdown.

When she finished, I opened my eyes and gasped at my reflection. The red dress clung to my light tan skin, making me look… breathtaking.

“Gosh, no man will be able to resist my best friend now!” Laura said, grinning.

I couldn’t help but smile back at my reflection, even though I hadn’t meant to. I looked… different.

"Are you sure about this, Laura?" I glanced at my friend, feeling a knot of anxiety tightening in my stomach. My eyes shifted to my wristwatch—10:00 PM already.

Laura pulled up at a reasonable distance from the spotless cave, and we had to walk our way in.

Every step we took toward the club sent shivers down my spine. Something about this party felt… off. All the rules Laura had rattled off earlier still bothered me, swirling around in my mind.

“Everyone must wear a mask. The dress code is a red gown with silver shoes. Once inside, you can’t leave until the party is over. And you can’t enter without your one-million-dollar ticket.” It all felt too strange, too secretive.

"Laura... shouldn’t we go back?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.

"We’re already here, scaredy cat," Laura shot back, sounding annoyed. To her, she’d done me a huge favor by getting these tickets. Tickets that cost a fortune. But I couldn’t shake the uneasy feeling crawling under my skin.

"The last time I disappointed my father was in high school."

"You are an adult now. At least you won't be grounded," Laura joked.

"Tickets?" the security guard at the entrance asked as soon as we approached. Laura dug into her purse and pulled out two invitation cards—the entrance tickets. She handed them over, and the man checked the screen of his laptop after glancing at us both.

I frowned. "Why did he look at me like that?"

"He checks every face that enters, to confirm the ticket isn’t stolen," Laura said, rolling her eyes.

"How did they even get my face on there? And didn’t you say you got the tickets with a kiss? How come there's extra?" I asked, narrowing my eyes at her.

Laura smirked and winked at me. "I sent them your picture earlier. And yes, for a kiss. Everyone has their own talents."

"So, you had all this planned out before today?" I couldn’t help but feel even more anxious.

"Nope. Can you stop bugging me with questions, Eloise? I wasn’t going to let you drown in your pain," she said nonchalantly.

I sighed, nerves bubbling up again. "I’m really nervous, Laura."

"About what? This? Look, it’s your first party, so you’re bound to feel a little jittery. I felt the same at my first one. But hey, I’m still here—alive and dripping in cash," she laughed.

"Yeah, like that’s supposed to make me feel better," I muttered under my breath, scanning the dark, quiet street around us. Something about this place didn’t sit right with me, and I couldn’t shake the feeling.

Laura huffed, grabbing my hand and pulling me forward. I followed her sheepishly through the hallway until we stepped into a large room filled with thumping music.

I immediately slunk into a corner, my face hidden behind a mask, my nerves only growing worse. The disco lights flashed around the room, casting strange reflections that made it feel like I was seeing the same person in multiple places. Everyone wore nearly identical outfits.

The anxiety never left me. In fact, the knot in my stomach tightened as I surveyed the scene. I would’ve turned around and left, ticket price be damned.

I tried walking further into the room, but the men’s eyes felt like they were burning holes through me. I tugged at my gown, hoping to cover myself more, but all that did was expose more of my chest.

Laura noticed and laughed, leaning close to shout in my ear over the music, "It’s not like they’re going to eat you!"

I forced a fake smile and grabbed a glass of wine from a passing waitress. Even the staff had their faces covered, dressed in black trousers and white shirts, their identities hidden just like everyone else’s.

I took a deep breath and tried to focus. Unlike me, everyone here seemed… eager. I felt like the odd one out, dragged into something I wasn’t ready for. My eyes wandered over the crowd, and I noticed every kind of couple—straight, gay, lesbian, all mingling and engaging with each other without hesitation.

My mind was blank as I continued to observe, trying to take in every little detail. My gaze landed on a couple that caught my attention. The woman acted shy and innocent, but I could tell she was faking it. The man tried to kiss her, but she turned away, teasing him. He stood up, grabbed her hand, and pinned her against the wall. I quickly averted my eyes, not wanting to watch what came next.

When I looked around again, my heart sank—Laura was gone. I scanned the room desperately, finally spotting someone in a dress similar to hers, sitting with a guy. I couldn’t be sure if it was her or not , though, not with the mask.

I took a long sip of the wine, trying to calm my nerves. "I’m only here because Laura wanted me to get over my heartbreak," I reminded myself, not to hook up with anyone.

Yet I could still feel eyes on me. Too many eyes. Even people with partners were staring.

"Damn… I really don’t like the way they’re looking at me," I muttered, a little too loudly.

A sultry, unfamiliar voice beside me chimed in. "And how exactly do they look at a sexy, beautiful girl like you, huh?"

I turned to see a slim woman approaching me, her movements slow and seductive. My stomach dropped. I took a step back, feeling uncomfortable.

"Sorry, I’m not into girls," I said with a nervous laugh, trying to be polite. "I, uh… I love dicks."

She didn’t seem too pleased with my response, but I didn’t care. I quickly looked away, focusing on the crowd again, trying to drown out her presence.

Suddenly, I felt something cold hit my skin. The woman had grabbed a glass of wine and thrown it at me.