that’s nothing?
I pushed him away, my mind scrambling for a
suitably violent response. Then, Maya, as if
unable to bear it any longer, rushed forward.
“Ethan,” she whispered, her voice barely
audible. She wasn’t screaming or crying. It was
as if she’d been drained of all emotion. Her
eyes, brimming with unshed tears, met his,
devoid of any expression beyond mild surprise.
“Aren’t you going to explain yourself?”
“You were following me?” Ethan’s voice was
sharp, accusatory. Then, coldly, “Vivian is an
old friend from school. I came to pick her up. I didn’t tell you because I didn’t want you to overreact.”
<
Little Noah frowned, his childish voice full of
disapproval. “Mommy, you shouldn’t follow
Daddy!”
Maya’s lips trembled, but no words came out.
Her face was ashen.
Enough. This was pathetic.
“Our marriage was a business decision made
by our families. I’ve given you enough face for
all these years,” Ethan said, his voice dripping
with contempt. “You have no right to interfere
in my affairs, no right to question me.” He
reached for my hand.
I slapped it away. My head throbbed. I could
barely manage to spit out, “Get lost.”
Ethan seemed not to hear, his mouth moving
soundlessly. My ears rang. The world swam.
This was Sylvia’s airport. I didn’t want to cause
a scene here. I needed to leave.
12:47
100
I stopped in front of Maya, intending to offer a quick clarification. “Ms. Pierce, there’s nothing between Ethan and me-
My voice trailed off. I froze, staring at the pale, delicate woman before me. The agonizing pain that had plagued me for years vanished. The distorted world in my vision righted itself. The fog in my mind cleared. My body felt…normal. I could smell the crisp autumn air, the scent of fallen leaves. Everything was crystal clear.
Since the onset of my illness, I’d lived in a constant state of low–grade pain. Moving abroad had minimized it, but I still considered myself “sick.” And lonely. My family, my life, was here. I couldn’t expect everyone to relocate with me. I’d accepted the pain as the price of
returning.
Until now.
It folt on if a noiconed thorn had boon ovtracted
It felt as if a poisoned thorn had been extracted from my very being, leaving behind a sense of
wholeness I hadn’t experienced in years. I
was…cured? I couldn’t believe this was a
coincidence. It had to be Maya.
I looked at Maya again, surprised to find no
resentment in her eyes. She hadn’t directed her
anger at me, despite Ethan’s behavior. This
wasn’t surprising. In my dream, she was a
woman who’d rather hurt herself than others,
even in her final moments.
“Maya Hughes,” I said, removing my glove and tucking a stray hair behind my ear. I extended my hand. “My name is Vivian Sterling.”
She stared at me, stunned. Perhaps she remembered my earlier “joke.” A faint blush
colored her pale cheeks. Unsure of my
intentions, she hesitantly took my hand. “Hello.”
The moment our fingers touched, the sense of
く
healing intensified. I reluctantly let go, already
missing the clarity. The Hughes family, thought
reclusive, owned several businesses, including a
high–end bespoke tailoring company known for
its exquisite embroidery. I’d learned during my
research that Maya shared this passion. To
figure out what was happening and prevent
future episodes, I made a snap decision. I
needed to get closer to Maya. And the best way
to connect with someone was through shared
interests.
“I don’t know Ethan well,” I said, “we went to
school together, that’s all. But I’ve heard a lot
about your embroidery. I love the Hughes‘
designs. Maybe sometime…”
Maya’s eyes brightened.
“Vivian, don’t mind her,” Ethan interrupted,
oblivious to my intentions and the undercurrents
between Maya and me. “You and she aren’t in
the same world. She wouldn’t understand what
<
you’re talking about.” He continued, “You’ve
just gotten back. I’m sure your place isn’t ready
yet. You once mentioned you liked the maple
trees in Westlake. I bought a villa there, fully
furnished, just for you.”
I frowned. How presumptuous. While my return
was somewhat sudden, my family had
undoubtedly prepared a room for me. Besides,
my mother had built a sprawling estate in
Westlake as a birthday gift. I already had
everything I could possibly want. What did I
need a married man for?
My gaze flickered to Maya. “I heard Ms. Hughes
is going to be on that TV show.” In my dream,
Maya, isolated as a homemaker, started a
lifestyle blog documenting her daily life. During
my investigation of the Pierces, I’d often liked
her posts. Her status as Mrs. Pierce garnered
the blog significant attention, leading to an
invitation to appear on a new reality show
called “The Wives‘ Club.”
12:48
100
The show was a slow–paced slice–of–life
program, requiring each participant to invite two guests to showcase their daily routines. Maya, eager to spend time with her family and create the illusion of a close–knit unit, despite
Ethan’s frequent absences, had agreed to participate. She’d wanted to invite Ethan and
Noah. Noah, being a child, was excited about
being on TV. Ethan, however, had refused,
accusing Maya of seeking attention and
restricting her access to funds.
In my dream, Ethan eventually relented, but the
show became a disaster. Maya was portrayed
as a bad mother, even subtly accused of child
abuse, fueling online hate and exacerbating her
illness. The “Vivian Sterling” character in the
dream had played a significant role in this,
fanning the flames and positioning herself as a
better alternative.
Perhaps because I was no longer in pain, I
wasn’t angry, just amused. It was… darkly
<
“I’m free for a while,” I said, handing Maya my
card. “Call me. Looking forward to it.”
It was a blatant invitation.
Before leaving, I patted Noah’s head, my voice
laced with meaning. “You like me now, don’t
you, kiddo?” I smiled. “Trust me, that’s going to
change.”
