Chapter 3

Lydia froze, then frantically wiped her wet face.

She was wearing makeup, and it had smeared as soon as she rubbed at it.

"Cough, cough... What the hell are you doing? Are you crazy?!"

"Oh my God," I mimicked her. "False lashes, foundation, lipstick, and an outfit that barely covers anything. What are you here for, to flirt for tips? Are you the karaoke bar's little princess?"

Charles frowned, stepped between us, and snatched the glass out of my hand.

"Tanya Larkin. Apologize."

He looked down at me, his expression cold and disapproving.

My eyes reddened.

"Didn't you hear what she said to me? She made fun of me first!"

"Two wrongs don't make a right. You've already insulted her back. Now you need to apologize for throwing a drink in her face."

"You need to own up when you do something wrong. Be reasonable. Stop acting like a child."

He said it as if the matter were settled.

"Just apologize. Lydia won't hold it against you."

I let out a cold laugh.

"Go to hell."

Charles's eyes widened.

"Tanya, you've really gone too far this time. You go off to college and suddenly you think you can talk like that? Apologize. Now."

I didn't bother answering.

I turned and walked out.

For the next three days, I ignored his calls and messages.

On the third day, Charles finally came looking for me.

He was standing below my dorm window, holding my favorite jasmine-and-guava milk pudding drink. There was pink whipped cream on top and one of the little cherry-blossom decorations I loved.

His voice softened when he called up to me.

"Tanya, come downstairs. Let me make it up to you. I was wrong the other day."

I went downstairs and took the drink.

I had a sip. It tasted exactly as I remembered, but the knot in my chest remained.

"Do you think I'm spoiled, petty, and overdramatic? Do you think I made a big deal out of nothing that day?"

Charles was quiet for a moment.

"Lydia's just blunt. She doesn't mean any harm. Don't take everything she says so seriously. You're always picking at things, and that's why you don't have many friends."

I froze.

The sweetness of the drink suddenly turned bitter in my mouth.

So even now, after three days of silence, he'd come all this way just to tell me I was the problem.

No matter how much Lydia hurt me, in Charles's eyes, I was always the petty one. The one who couldn't get along with anyone.

After that, things between us stayed distant and awkward.

When we graduated from college, both families started pushing us to get married. We were old enough, they said, and it was time to have the wedding.

Charles didn't object, so the date was set for my twenty-second birthday.

I thought that, despite everything, he still wanted to marry me.

I didn't know how wrong I was.

On the wedding day, Lydia put on my wedding dress and stood in the bridal suite.

She claimed she just wanted to see how she looked in one.

I was wearing my red reception dress when I walked in.

Lydia looked me up and down, then smiled.

"Tanya, red doesn't really suit you. It makes your skin look even darker."

She glanced at my dress again.

"And that shade is way too loud. You look like some tacky bride at a country wedding. Ha-ha."

I ignored her comments and pointed at the wedding dress.

"Take it off. If you want to try on a wedding dress, rent one yourself. This one is mine."

Instead, she turned in front of the mirror.

"Oh, come on. You've already worn it today. What's the big deal if I borrow it for a minute? Charles said it was fine. Why are you so stingy?"

I stared at her.

"Charles said you could wear my wedding dress?"

"Of course. Why would I lie about that?"

She gave me a smug little smile.

I reached for the dress.

"It's my wedding dress. Give it back!"

We struggled over it. Somehow, Lydia caught her foot on something and stumbled, landing hard on the floor.

Her hair came loose as she let out a startled cry.

At that exact moment, Charles walked in.

He saw Lydia on the floor, then looked at me.

I didn't even have time to explain.

His hand came down across my face.