Twenty-Six receipts of betrayal Novel novel Chapter 58

Chapter 3

That night I lay in bed scrolling through my phone, Sean’s arms wrapped around me from behind.

A message from Brittany popped up.

“Holy shit! Lanie! That Heart of the Ocean necklace Sean bought at the charity gala last week–that’s gotta be for you,

right?!”

Below was a high–resolution photo.

In it, a massive sapphire necklace glittered under the lights.

I thought back to the necklace Sean had clasped around my neck.

It was beautiful, well–crafted even–but nothing compared to the one in that photo.

So that necklace… wasn’t meant for me.

A sour, hollow ache spread through my chest, creeping into my limbs until they went numb.

I bit my lip to keep the tears back, but the movement woke Sean.

Sensing my quiet sobs, he let out a soft, affectionate sigh, rolled me over gently, and peppered my face with tender

kisses.

When his lips met the wetness on my cheeks, he whispered, “I’m sorry, baby. I made you cry again.”

That was Sean. Right or wrong, he always knew exactly how to melt me.

The next morning, his side of the bed was empty. A courier arrived with a white cocktail dress.

My phone rang. Sean’s deep voice came through.

“Morning, sleepyhead. You up? I need you to come to an event with me tonight.”

I hesitated.

He chuckled reassuringly. “Don’t worry. It’s just a birthday party for a friend’s son.”

I ended up wearing the dress.

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That evening, Sean took my hand as we stepped out of the car. Dozens of eyes fixed on me instantly.

Whispers buzzed around us like flies.

“So *that’s* the sugar baby who’s been waiting for seven years?”

“She’s pretty, I’ll give her that. Almost thirty though, right? Guess she finally made it.”

I nearly tripped. Sean caught me by the waist, steadying me with a reassuring pat and a warm smile.

I exhaled slowly and straightened up.

Within minutes, a group of business associates pulled Sean away.

I stood there clutching a glass of champagne, feeling utterly out of place.

Suddenly, a ripple moved through the crowd.

I looked up. Charlotte Vanderbilt was walking straight toward me, her arm looped through a handsome guy.

She wore a stunning red gown. Her pregnancy didn’t show yet.

But the enormous sapphire around her neck practically seared into my vision.

She stopped right in front of me, her gaze dropping to the necklace at my throat.

“Miss Brooke, that necklace looks lovely on you. Guess I picked the right one.”

I froze. My blood ran cold.

She continued, as if she hadn’t noticed my face draining of color, her tone light and sweet.

“Sean’s hopeless at this stuff. Total guy, you know?”

“He mentioned wanting to get you a gift, I thought I’d save him the trouble and pick something out myself. I hope you don’t mind?”

Mockery. Pity. Schadenfreude.

Every expression I’d feared seeing flashed across the faces around me.

I bolted, stumbling through the crowd.