Chapter 2

The next evening, the doorbell rang.

Vivian and Oliver were standing at the door, holding takeout bags. They said they'd come to make amends.

Mom welcomed them in warmly, a complete change from the way she'd torn into me the day before.

They unpacked the containers. There was grilled steak, baked cheesy shrimp, and tiramisu—all Vivian's favorite food.

They set down a plate of ceviche in front of me. The raw fish slices still glistened with moisture, the stench of it wafting up from the plate.

I pushed the plate away on reflex.

Back in sophomore year, Vivian took me to a Tovanese restaurant and deliberately ordered a spread of raw fish.

The fish had been sliced open but was still flopping on the cutting board. When its blood splattered onto my face, I threw up on the spot until my stomach cramped.

Vivian filmed the whole thing on her phone, laughing so hard that tears came out of her eyes.

When Oliver found out, he just patted her on the head and called her cheeky.

Ever since then, I'd get nauseous at the smell of raw fish.

Vivian picked up a slice of raw fish and placed it on my plate.

"Aria, didn't you want to overcome your fears? Why don't you start with the small things first?" she asked with a smile.

I stared at the translucent slice of fish, bile rising against the back of my throat.

Mom rapped the edge of my bowl with her fork.

"Don't be so dramatic. Fish isn't water—it won't kill you."

Fighting down the nausea, I picked it up with my fork and put it in my mouth.

Even though my stomach was churning and the fishy taste surged up my throat, I swallowed it.

All three of them looked at me with satisfaction, as if they were watching a pet that had finally learned to shake hands.

Halfway through dinner, Oliver brought up the client proposal meeting at the company tomorrow.

"Aria, since you get nervous in front of crowds, how about you let Vivian present your ocean-themed resort proposal instead?"

I had spent two weeks rendering the design for that proposal and pulled all-nighters revising it four times. I knew every color scheme and every figure by heart.

"I want to present it myself."

The table went silent for two seconds.

Oliver frowned.

Mom let out a cold snort. "What could you possibly have to say for yourself up there?"

Vivian tried to smooth things over. "I support Aria in giving it a try. If it doesn't work out, I'll just take over."

She then smiled at me, but it was one that didn't reach her eyes.

That night, I practiced my presentation in front of the mirror until 3:00 am.

The next day, I went up on stage and opened the PowerPoint, only to find all the core design slides were completely blank.

All that remained was a single line of text that read, "You can do it! Thinking on your feet is just another way to grow. Love, Vivian."

Dozens of eyes were fixed on me.

Oliver sat in the front row, shaking his head slightly. Then, he turned to Vivian with a look of exasperated affection.

"You're just too mischievous!"

Vivian stuck out her tongue playfully.

The clients were checking their watches.

My hands were shaking.

But I had memorized all the figures, color codes, and sources of inspiration.

I tossed aside the clicker and walked over to the whiteboard. Then, I picked up a marker and freehanded the main design.

I spoke as I drew. My voice trembled, and I stumbled twice in the middle. But I made it through the end.

When I finished, the room was silent for a few seconds.

Then, the clients applauded.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Oliver's and Vivian's expressions had become very stiff.

As I stepped off the stage, my phone buzzed with a text from Sage.

"I've booked the ferry tickets. See you at the dock the day after tomorrow."

The proposal was approved, and the company held a dinner to celebrate.

After a few rounds of drinks, Vivian started telling "funny stories" about me.

"Did you know Aria fell into the neighborhood fountain when she was little? The water barely came up to her knees, yet she cried for two hours."

The whole table burst into laughter.

Vivian nudged Oliver with her elbow. "Tell them about that time at the beach."

He hesitated for a moment, glancing at me.

Vivian tugged at his sleeve.

In the end, he said, "Yeah, the waves were only this high. But Aria was so scared she clung to the lifeguard and wouldn't let go."

Another round of laughter erupted.

I dug my fingernails into my palms as I shot to my feet.

"Can you please stop?"

The whole table fell silent for a moment.

A colleague leaned in and whispered to me, "You shouldn't go up against Vivian. She's best friends with the boss' girlfriend."

Mid-sentence, she suddenly stared at me in shock, as if something had just dawned on her.

"Wait, aren't you the boss's girlfriend? Then how come—"

Her gaze darted back and forth between me and Vivian.

"The boss and I are just colleagues," I said with a wry smile.

I had fought so hard to get into this company because I wanted to be closer to Oliver.

But when I ran into him in the elevator on my first day of work, he said, "You need to learn to stand on your own two feet. I don't want people thinking I'm giving you special treatment. "

He even had my desk assigned to the farthest corner.

In the second half of the dinner, someone suggested that we should go to a newly opened deep-sea themed escape room. The entire set was a shipwreck, the ocean floor, and an underwater escape.

When it came time to split into groups, no one chose me.

A colleague half-joked, "If we're in your group, we're afraid you'll faint and drag us all down."

In the end, it was just me, Oliver, and Vivian left.

Vivian wrapped her arms around Oliver's.

"Oliver, let's pair up. It's pitch black in there—I'm scared."

He glanced at me, conflicted, then stepped over to her side and gently patted my head.

"Aria, you can't keep relying on me all the time. Try doing it on your own this time. Think of it as building some courage."

After taking a deep breath, I pushed open the escape room door.

Inside was all blue light and simulated sounds of water. There were jellyfish props hanging from the ceiling too.

Halfway through, Vivian burst out from some hidden passage, shrieking.

At the same time, a bucket of cold water was dumped over my head.

I slipped on the wet floor, my knee slamming into a metal frame.

All the lights came on.

Everyone was standing at the end of the corridor, taking photos.

Vivian was bent over laughing. "Oh, my god! The look on your face was priceless!"

Oliver came running over. When he saw my darkened expression, he asked worriedly, "Are you mad? Vivian was just—"

"Just having fun." I finished the sentence for him. Then, I brushed the water off my clothes and stood up. "I'm not mad."

He smiled and ruffled my hair. "You're the best, Aria."

The party broke up, and he went to see Vivian home.

"It gets pretty dark around her place at night, so she's afraid to walk back by herself."

I looked at him. "Why does Vivian get a pass on facing her fears?"

Oliver's mouth opened, then closed.

"Forget it. Just take her home."

When I got back, Mom was munching on chips. She asked who had brought me home, and I said I took a cab.

She looked disgusted. "Vivian knows how to act all cute and coy in front of Oliver—unlike you. No wonder you always come up short next to her."

I turned to her and said, "You're right, Mom. Vivian is definitely a better match for Oliver than I am. And she'd make a much better daughter for you too."