Pursuit of art
My preppy, picture–perfect childhood
sweetheart, Ethan, fell for Lily, a girl from the
wrong side of the tracks. He went against his
entire family, broke off our engagement, and
married her. Heartbroken, I left for Paris to
pursue my art.
Years later, I returned. At my welcome–back
party, Ethan, the guy who once defied the world
for Lily, stood there, a cold, almost disgusted
look on his face as he watched her fumble with
a conversation. “I told you to stay home,” he
said, his voice laced with ice. “Why are you
embarrassing yourself?”
- 1.
I wasn’t expecting Ethan at the party. Seven
years ago, he’d told our families that he’d
rather marry a dog than me if he couldn’t have
Lily. It was a brutal insult, a complete disregard
<
for years of friendship between our families.
Exhausted and humiliated, I begged my parents
to let me out of the engagement. They finally
agreed, making it clear to everyone that it was
the Millers, not Ethan, who were backing out.
After that, I left for Paris.
Now, here he was. Taller, more mature, with a
handsome, almost aloof demeanor. His dark
eyes met mine. I turned to Chloe, my best friend
who’d organized the party.
“I didn’t invite him, Viv,” she rushed to explain.
“He somehow heard you were back and insisted
on taking over the party planning.” She added
weakly, “It wasn’t me, I swear.”
Ethan chuckled, his voice suddenly warm, like it used to be when he’d pick me up for school. “Viv, it’s been years. I was young and foolish. I hurt you, and I wanted to apologize.” He
paused, looking directly into my eyes. “Do you
<
still hold a grudge?”
The question was loaded. I offered a bright,
dismissive smile. “Like you said, it’s ancient
history.” We were still in the same social circles,
and it really was over. “Chloe tells me you and
Lily got married a while back. Congratulations.”
I raised my glass. “To you.”
He took a sip, his expression unreadable. It
didn’t look like a celebratory drink. More like a
shot of whiskey to numb the pain.
I didn’t care. My friends were thrilled to see me,
and the conversation revolved around my life in
Paris, my art exhibitions, and my newly opened
galleries. Someone jokingly complained about
how successful I was, making their parents
expect the same of them.
Ethan, silent until now, spoke. “You’ve learned
to be modest, I see.” His tone… it was almost
flirtatious. I wasn’t sure how to respond. Before
I could, he added, “I saw ‘Whispers of Dreams.‘ It was incredible.”
That got everyone’s attention. The air crackled with unspoken questions. I kept my expression neutral. “Oh, thanks.” Then, with a touch of
playful malice, I added, “Did you see it with Lily? Where is she tonight? I haven’t seen her in ages.”
His face closed off. “She’s at home. Something came up.” He said it like she was a stranger. I didn’t know why he was so cold towards the woman he once fought so hard for.
I changed the subject.
Later, as we were leaving, we saw Lily sitting in the lobby, staring anxiously at the VIP elevator. When the doors opened, she jumped up. She’d clearly been waiting for us.
Everyone froze. She tried to smile, her eyes
く
darting around until they landed on me. Her
face went white. She looked at me, lost and
almost afraid, as if I was her worst nightmare.
I was completely baffled.
