Chapter 9

Vivian forced a seemingly surprised smile and quickly came up with an excuse. "I just brought my bag over for some maintenance. Figured I'd shop around a little too."

She was carrying a pink Chanel bag. The starting price was probably around eighty thousand dollars.

Sheryl recognized the bag. She'd seen it on Vivian's Instagram before. It was one of the many bags Brandon had gifted her.

Raising an eyebrow, Sheryl asked, "That bag really suits you. When did you get it? I've got the same one, except mine's in white."

That one had been a gift from Brandon too. He brought it back from a business trip in Fedoria. Sheryl's post had gone up a day before Vivian's.

"My boyfriend gave it to me," Vivian replied, clutching the bag's chain tighter as she quickly changed the subject. "What about you two? What are you doing here?"

"My mother-in-law's birthday is coming up. Thought I'd come pick out a gift for her," Sheryl answered with a smile. "Just so happened to run into him picking up a bag and perfume he ordered for me."

Vivian froze for a second, surprise flickering in her eyes before landing right on Brandon's face. Her heart felt constricted. She could barely breathe.

That bag had taken more than twenty days to arrive. The perfume was a limited edition. The boutique in Nexville had only that bottle left.

Now it belonged to Sheryl.

Although Brandon was looking at her, it was a distant, unfamiliar gaze. The slight smile on his lips felt more like polite formality than anything else. Vivian suddenly felt wronged, but she didn't dare to show it.

She turned her face away and bit her lip, trying to keep her emotions in check.

Sheryl casually glanced around the boutique, then teased, "You came by yourself? Where's your boyfriend? Didn't you say you'd introduce him? How about tonight? There's no better time than the present."

Vivian's throat tightened. She glanced at Brandon awkwardly. "He's busy with work. He probably won't be able to make it."

"Give him a call. Maybe he's just tied up right now."

Vivian looked caught off guard, cornered even.

Sheryl's smile widened, though there was a quiet ache behind it.

She'd always considered Vivian her closest friend. All these years, she truly believed she had done right by her, even going as far as gifting her things she liked and helping her land a job at Moran Art Gallery after college.

This was how Vivian repaid her.

They were best friends in public, but Vivian had backstabbed her in private.

"I'll send him a message on WhatsApp," Vivian said, trying to brush it off. "He might be busy and can't pick up."

Her palms were sweating as she forced herself to stay calm, took out her phone, and opened WhatsApp. Her gaze paused briefly on a contact before she hit the record button.

"Babe, my bestie wants to have dinner together tonight. Will you be free?"

Her voice was sweet with a hint of flirting. It was just enough to give anyone goosebumps.

Sheryl, who stood nearby, glanced casually at Vivian's phone screen. Sure enough, the profile picture was an oil painting. It looked like a sunrise.

Vivian was texting Brandon's alternate account.

That was bold.

Clearly, she still thought Sheryl was in the dark about this. Sheryl's heart ached. That 'babe' came out sweeter than she'd ever said it. Brandon probably loved hearing it.

Vivian put her phone away. Her earlier pout was replaced by a cheerful smirk. "Let's see if he replies."

Sheryl asked with genuine curiosity, "What does your boyfriend do?"

"He's in high-end interior design and manufacturing," Vivian said, tightening her grip on the phone.

It was a spur-of-the-moment lie. She hadn't expected to bump into Sheryl here today. She had to make something up on the spot.

"There are only two or three companies like that in Nexville," Sheryl noted thoughtfully. "There's the Sullivan family from Eastfield, the Walker family from Southhaven, and-" She trailed off and glanced at Brandon.

"The Langdon family from Southhaven," Brandon offered.

Sheryl nodded as if it clicked. She then turned back to Vivian.

Vivian quickly smiled. "Oh no, I wouldn't be that lucky. My boyfriend's from a small business family. He's not based in Nexville."

She wouldn't dare drag any of those three families into her story. That'd be impossible to fall back on later. Especially since Sheryl ran in the same elite circles. It wouldn't take more than a few calls to uncover the truth.

"Oh? Now I'm even more curious. What kind of guy was able to win you over?" Sheryl teased.

Vivian laughed and nudged her, "Quit teasing. Come on, let's shop." Then she turned to Brandon, "You don't mind me third-wheeling today, do you?"

Brandon smiled gently. "Not at all. As long as Sheryl's happy."

Vivian swallowed the bitterness rising in her throat and affectionately wrapped her arm around Sheryl's. "Hmph. Let's go, Sheryl."

Sheryl let herself be pulled into the Louis Vuitton boutique. The moment the staff recognized her, they rushed over enthusiastically.

"Ms. Moran, Mr. Simrod. Good afternoon."

She nodded politely and was ushered into the VIP lounge. Soon, coffee and pastries were served.

"Bring out all your new arrivals," Brandon said while taking a seat beside Sheryl.

"Of course, Mr. Simrod, Ms. Moran. Please give us a moment."

Within minutes, staff filed in, presenting over a dozen items that included bags, watches, scarves, perfumes, and rings.

Sheryl's gaze lingered slightly longer on a pair of diamond earrings.

Brandon noticed and reached out to pick them up. "You like them? Let's get them."

She was taken aback.

Brandon had always been thoughtful and generous. Whenever they went shopping, if her gaze lingered on something even briefly, he'd ask if she liked it. If she hesitated? He'd buy it right away.

She glanced at the Hermes bag by his side.

There was no doubt he was like that with Vivian too. His tenderness and affection were no longer reserved for her alone.

"Aren't we here to shop for your mom?" Sheryl asked.

"These wouldn't suit her, but they'd look great on you," Brandon said softly with a look of fondness in his eyes. He turned to the staff. "Wrap these up."

The store manager stepped forward. "Mr. Simrod, this necklace pairs beautifully with the earrings. Mrs. Simrod would look stunning with the full set."

The store manager deliberately switched to calling Sheryl 'Mrs. Simrod'.

Brandon seemed to like it. His smile widened noticeably. "Wrap that up too."

Watching all this, Vivian felt her coffee turn sour. She popped a cookie in her mouth to mask the growing sourness. The way he doted on Sheryl had stung.

Thirty minutes ago, he'd had his arm around her, saying he'd buy her anything she liked. He had told her she deserved the best the world had to offer.

"I think that pink crocodile-skin bag would look perfect on your mother-in-law," Vivian piped up, trying to cut in. "It's youthful and elegant."

Sheryl followed her gaze, studied it, and shook her head. "That color is a little off. Do you have it in burgundy?"

Back in the day, pink was all the rage for mistresses. Elaine loathed anyone calling her a mistress even though she was one. She always saw herself as the first wife. Her wardrobe was full of crimson and burgundy, never pink.

"That model does come in burgundy, but it's a limited edition," the manager explained with a sheepish smile. "We'd have to order it from abroad."

"How long would that take?"

"Three to five days. Mrs. Simrod, would it be alright if we delivered it the moment it arrives?"

Elaine's birthday was next weekend, so that timeline would work.

Sheryl nodded. "That scarf looks nice too. Add it to the order."

After the staff left, only the three of them remained in the lounge.

Vivian, now realizing her mistake, looked embarrassed and shot Brandon an apologetic glance. He frowned and said nothing.

Noticing her discomfort, Sheryl smiled sweetly. "Vivian, did your boyfriend reply yet? Is he coming tonight?"

"Huh? Oh, let me check." Vivian pulled her phone from her bag. "Still nothing. He must be swamped."

Sheryl said, "It's still early. Let's look around some more. Anything you've been eyeing lately?"

"Nothing's really caught my eye yet."

"Then come on, let's keep looking."

"Sure."

As they left the lounge, Brandon pulled out his card to pay and had everything sent to their house. Then, naturally, he reached for Sheryl's hand and walked out with her.

-

They wandered around for over an hour. At some point, Brandon stepped away to use the restroom. Just four or five minutes later, Vivian's 'boyfriend' finally texted back.

She promptly showed her phone to Sheryl, pouting in mock frustration. "Busy, busy, busy. He's always so busy. Can't even find time to have dinner with us!"

Sheryl glanced at the message. It was clearly from Brandon's alternate WhatsApp account.

"Babe, I've got a business dinner tonight. Can't get out of it. Next time, okay? Tell your friend I'm sorry."

He had been next to her the entire time. How would he even get a chance to reply on WhatsApp? Of course he had to use a bathroom break.

What a joke.

Who knew if Vivian left it open on purpose, but she hadn't deleted her chat history with Brandon. It was easy for Sheryl to quickly read the recent conversation.

The last message was from around 3 o'clock yesterday afternoon. Vivian had said she wanted the caramelized pear and vanilla sponge cake from Northwood. Brandon had replied, "Sure, I'll get it for you once I'm done."

Then at around half past eight, Vivian had texted again. "Babe, the vanilla sponge cake was so good, but the caramelized pear didn't taste as nice after being reheated." She had ended the message with a cute emoji.

Brandon hadn't replied until after 8 o'clock this morning. "We'll go to Northwood next time to eat it in person."

Sheryl suddenly found it laughable. That was practically the same line he'd used on her last night.

So this was his standard routine for coaxing someone.

She let out a soft chuckle while masking the contempt in her eyes. "It's fine. He's busy with work. We can eat anytime. We'll just go tonight."

"Alright," Vivian said with some regret, putting away her phone and wrapping her arm around Sheryl's. She then rested her head on Sheryl's shoulder. "We'll ask him out again when he has time."

"Okay," Sheryl replied softly. She resisted the urge to pull her arm away.

-

By the time they left Starlight Mall, it was already past five and starting to get dark. They'd already picked a barbecue restaurant near Serenity Estates for dinner.

Brandon, having the better poker face, had said 'sure' without blinking when Sheryl suggested it. However, Vivian flinched. Her heart skipped a beat, and her gaze shifted around awkwardly.

Maybe guilt was getting to her. She hesitated, "Serenity Estates is kind of far, and it's rush hour, so there's bound to be traffic. Plus we might have to wait for a table. Should we go somewhere else?"

Sheryl caught her uneasiness and smiled slowly. "It's fine. We still have over thirty minutes before rush hour really hits."

Vivian opened her mouth to argue but couldn't find a decent excuse. She tried to comfort herself. 'It's just dinner. What's there to be afraid of?'

After thirty minutes of driving, they arrived at the barbecue place. It was only a street away from Serenity Estates.

The three walked in together, got seated, and ordered as usual.

While grilling, Sheryl's little finger accidentally brushed the hot edge of the grill plate. She recoiled instantly.

In the next moment, Brandon reached for her hand and frowned. "Let me see. Did it turn red?"

Her delicate finger showed no redness. When she looked up, his eyes were filled with almost overflowing concern.

"Does it hurt?"

She how he always put her first.

After the first time she'd entered the kitchen and cut her hand, he never allowed her to cook again. He wouldn't even let her help.

"I'm fine. It doesn't hurt."

She didn't know why, but lately, all the memories that had been buried by time were suddenly coming back. Everything felt so vivid. His betrayal felt all the more brutal in contrast.

That kind of pain felt like her heart was being torn apart.

"I'll do the grilling," Brandon said. "Don't move."

Sitting across from them, Vivian watched how tender and concerned he was with Sheryl. It left a bitter taste in her mouth.

She "accidentally" brushed her hand against the grill plate too and let out a sharp gasp. Her wide eyes instinctively turned to Brandon for comfort.

Sheryl was the first to speak. "Are you okay, Vivian?"

Brandon only responded blandly, "Be careful. If it's red, go rinse it with cold water."

Vivian felt a pang of dissatisfaction. She bit her lip. "It's nothing. It's not red. I just zoned out a little."

"Were you thinking about your boyfriend?" Sheryl teased.

Vivian shot her a playful glare. Her cheeks were slightly flushed. "Eat your meat before I stuff it in your mouth."

While speaking, her foot had already slipped under the table and lightly hooked Brandon's leg.

His hands paused briefly in the middle of grilling. His gaze darkened, but he calmly continued placing meat on Sheryl's plate while moving his leg away.

When Vivian tried to follow, he frowned, clearly displeased, and shot her a sidelong glance.

Vivian froze. There was something in that look. It was a silent warning. She suddenly remembered something he once told her at the start of their affair.

"You can do whatever you want when it's just us. But in front of Sheryl, not a single slip-up."

Sheryl had always been his first choice. Vivian knew that. But her heart had long since sunk into the warmth and sweetness he fed her day and night.

She had grown dependent, and deeply so. She felt jealous. She felt bitter. She felt unfairly treated. But more than anything, she felt afraid.

She was afraid of losing him, the lavish lifestyle, and everything else that came with it.

After weighing it all, she clenched her fists and finally pulled her leg back. She pouted a little but quietly ate her meat, pretending to behave.

Sheryl had no idea what had just happened under the table. She wasn't enjoying the meal all that much anyway.

When dinner was over, Sheryl offered to drive Vivian home first, but Vivian waved it off.

Sheryl didn't insist.

On the way back, her phone suddenly chimed. Sheryl glanced down at the screen.

"Brandon's going to use a business trip as an excuse to spend tomorrow with Vivian."