Then I heard Robert take the phone and say, "Trudy, if you don't come over, I'll keep the painting that I promised you."
My resolve crumbled. Robert had photographed an oil painting that I had long wanted. He promised me that he would give it to me but he never did. Apparently, he was using it to blackmail me. I sighed, got up and went there. Fine. A few more days of dealing with these repulsive things wouldn’t kill me.
When I arrived at the restaurant, they had already started drinking. Diana and Robert sat at the head of the table. They were a picture-perfect couple.
As soon as she saw me, Diana made a show to stand up and with a feigned warmth called up, "Trudy, you're here! Sit here." Then she prepared to move to the seat beside her to make room for me.
Robert immediately grabbed her hand, "She can sit anywhere. You stay here. You’re the star tonight."
Diana gave me an apologetic look. "I'm sorry, Trudy. Robbie's been drinking some wine and is a bit drunk. Don’t mind him."
I calmly took a random seat and sat down. "It’s fine. Whenever I sit do not matter. Besides, Robert's right. You're the main star tonight."
Robert’s friends began to tease. "We were just talking about Robert picking you up at the airport. Honestly, you two look so good together. That trending photo? I was in a daze. It’s like something out of a movie."
"You two really should be together. Breaking up before was such a waste. Now that Diana is back in the country to develop her career, you two can start over."
Robert glanced at me briefly and said indifferently, "Don’t talk nonsense. Diana is destined to be a violinist.”
His words cut deeper than I expected. He neither denied their supposed compatibility nor acknowledged me, his actual fiancée. All he did was highlight her career aspirations as if that alone justified everything. How could I have been so blind? How could I have wasted years loving a man whose heart had always belonged to someone else?
Diana bit her lip, her gaze turning toward me. “Trudy, don’t listen to them. They’re just joking. Don’t take it to heart, okay? Oh, I got you a little gift! I hope you like it.”
She handed me a jewelry box, her face glowing with an innocence that felt carefully rehearsed. I opened it to find a pair of earrings. They looked familiar, too familiar. So I raised my eyes at Diana. Then I noticed that aquamarine necklace draped around her neck.