Long Visit

VIVIENNE

I stood by the doorway, watching as Emily and Robert—or rather, Leonardo, as he liked to be called—walked around my house, their eyes scanning every corner like they were evaluating something they had the right to criticize. And, of course, it didn’t take long for the comments to start.

I wanted to roll my eyes. One of my pet peeves was people arriving in my house unannounced, especially if they were the people I didn’t like. Two perfect examples were them—Emily and Leonardo.

“This place has quite the charm,” Leonardo said, but there was something in his tone that made it sound more like a backhanded compliment.

His gaze lingered on the artwork hanging on the walls and the furniture, as if mentally tallying the cost of everything.

Emily, never one to hold back, chuckled lightly as she ran her fingers over the edge of a decorative table.

“Well, well, Vivienne,” she said, her voice dripping with condescension. “You’ve certainly come a long way from where you started, haven’t