03: strangers in the night

Sally's POV:

"Sally? Is that you?" A voice called out behind me, slipping through the hushed murmurs of the crowd. My spine stiffened before I even turned around.

Turning on my heel, I came to see a man. My brows furrowed as I immediately recognized him. "Leon?"

Leon walked up to me, his blue eyes shining as he smiled. His stride was confident and assured, his signature cologne wrapped around me like a shroud. "It's you! What a surprise!"

I blinked, as if to make sure it was really him. "Yes...and you?"

"I just returned to the country." He said with a small laugh. "Stopped by the concert and saw you. What in the coincidence is this?"

My fingers tightened around my purse and offered him a stiff smile. It's been a long time since I last saw Leon. Although we were old friends, he had pursued me romantically in the past. It was rumoured that he went abroad because of me.

Seeing him now again made my stomach twist into a bundle of nerves. I won't lie, it felt uncomfortable seeing him again.

"You look well," He said, his voice polite and firm.

I felt my shoulders relax involuntarily. "It's good to see you, Leon."

"I saw you with someone...that's Derek right?" I nodded. "He had something to do?"

"What do you mean?"

"I saw you and him come in together. But, why are you alone right now?"

Tilting my chin, I kept my voice steady as I spoke, even though my racing pulse betrayed me. "He had something urgent to take care of." I said in Derek's defence.

Leon's eyes narrowed as if he didn't believe me. His stare cut through me, like he saw through my lie. My mask of confidence faltered.

"He has something urgent? But I just saw him backstage, with Anna..." He suddenly stopped talking, and there was only the unstoppable embarrassment and my embarrassed face in the silence.

He tried to change the subject to ease the silent awkwardness. But it was useless. “Since he has something urgent, why don't I take you home? It's not safe for you to go home alone…”

His mouth opened and closed, but I couldn't hear what he said at all over the rush of blood in my head.

Anna? The supermodel from the banquet? The name alone knocked the breath out of my lungs like I had been punched hard.

I grit my teeth as my heart skipped a beat. It felt like a bucket of ice had been thrown over my head. The something urgent Derek had to do was Anna?

My eyes burned and my throat felt like it was being squeezed with an iron grip. I forced myself to smile and let Leon's eyes defiantly.

"What? You're going to say that they're just friends?" Leon said.

All color drained from my face. No way did he just say exactly what I wanted to say!

He scoffed lightly. "I thought so."

I opened my mouth to say something, deny it, defend myself, and no words would come out. My tongue felt dry, and I could swear I tasted the betrayal at the back of my throat. I swallowed thickly, as if that would help the massive lump in my throat.

Derek left me just to see Anna? Couldn't he wait even a moment at least?

Leon closed the space between us and took my hand in his. He looked at me, his eyes pitiful. His touch made me flinch and I felt like his pity was wrapped in venom.

He sighed, as if he was the one burdened with my complex emotions. "You know the history he has with Anna, don't you?"

I bit my inner cheek and refused to speak.

"What is your plan, Sally? Now that his first love is back, are you going to continue being his mistress? Is that what you want?"

Something snapped into my head. My senses, maybe. I immediately yanked my hand back from Leon as if it burned and chastised myself for letting it happen.

"Forget it " I snapped, my back straightening. I didn't need his pity or his assumptions

He doesn't know the truth. He has no idea of the real nature of my relationship with Derek. A mistress? I am his wife. But Leon doesn't know that.

Why would I listen to him? He knows nothing. Derek is the one I believe.

I should believe Derek.

"Sally," Leon called softly. "You have to listen."

Embarrassment crawled into my gut and I quickly averted my eyes. It felt too suffocating here, like all the windows had been shut off. The walls closed in on me.

I needed to leave. I needed air

"Excuse me." I said to Leon, my lips moving without my brain registering the words. "I need to use the bathroom."

I turned on my heel immediately, eager to escape the stiffling air with Leon. In my haste, I didn't see the person walking up to me. i bumped into them, mumbling my apologies. My ankle twisted as my heel gave way under me.

Panic flared through me as I slipped. Pain shot up my leg from my ankle. A scream caught in my throat. I squeezed my eyes shut and braced myself to fall.

Just before I could face plant the ground, strong arms caught me and held me up.

For two seconds I was stunned, completely out of it. "Careful now," Leon said, his voice dangerously close to my ear.

I felt his hot palm flush against my exposed waist. I spun my head around, my eyes wide with shock and horror. He stared at me, something dark clouding his eyes.

"What are you doing?!”