CHAPTER 3

SCARLET

I rarely ever had dreams. But that night, I had a very strange one. It was my father. He was fine this time, smiling and even waving at me.

When I tried to reach him, I couldn’t move. I cried and tried to call out to him multiple times, but he kept moving away from me.

“Please…please don’t leave me.”

He smiled again, slowly disappearing into the light behind him.

“Please!”

I woke up with a sharp gasp, something wet hitting my face almost simultaneously. 

Another gasp left me again, and I tried to wipe some of the water that had gotten into my eyes.

Julian’s dark eyes nearly made me jump. 

When did he get into my room? 

He tossed the cup that had been in his hand, irritation laced in his eyes.

“My mother will be here in a little over an hour. She wants to have breakfast with us. Get your sorry self ready before she gets here.”

Without another word, he left the room. His cold words stung, hitting a painful spot in my heart. A small shudder hit my shoulders, tears blurring my vision. I let the grief sink in. 

“You know what you signed up for.” I scolded myself in between sobs.

Of course, I hadn’t expected love in this marriage. But this stung more than anything I had ever felt. 

After a while, I wiped the tears away and got out of bed. As much as it hurt, I would be meeting Julian’s mother soon. I had to get ready.

The bathroom was bigger than our apartment back home. There were luxury soaps and enough body treatment products to open a new store.

As soon as I was done with my shower, I moved to the closet. The different designer labels stared back at me. Bright colors, expensive fabrics, and tags I’d seen in magazines. All Vivian’s taste in clothes.

I picked a cream-colored off-shoulder gown. The makeup took longer than it should have, as I struggled to hide the dark circles under my eyes.

I made sure the makeup was done in shades that Vivian usually wore. By the time I looked at my reflection in the mirror, you could barely tell me apart from her.

Same face, same eye color, but different souls behind them.

As soon as I stepped out of my room, Julian appeared from the one at the opposite end of the hall. It had to be the master bedroom.

He sized me up quietly, eyes devoid of any emotion. Then he finally stopped at my face. “Manageable.”

It was offhand enough that I wasn’t sure if I wanted to thank him. He briefly adjusted his cufflinks before turning back to me.

“My mother is a shark,” he explained. “She’ll smell blood in the water before she even sees it.”

Just then, the doorbell rang, and my heart nearly stopped. Julian, on the other hand, beckoned towards the living room.

As soon as he opened it, Eleanor Cross walked in with the grace of someone who owned the place. She rivaled Julian in height with the heels she wore.

Her peppermint hair had been pulled back into an elegant bun, accentuating the diamonds on her collar. 

“My darling.”

She embraced Julian, giving him a kiss on both cheeks. He had a small smile on his face. “It’s good to see you, Mother.”

“Likewise, my dear.” Once she let go, she finally turned to me. The smile was still there. But it didn’t meet her eyes. “And you must be Vivian.” She continued. “How lovely it is to finally meet you. You must forgive me for being absent at the…eh…wedding. Prior obligations.”

My throat tightened with fear, but I tried to force a smile. “It’s a pleasure to meet you as well, ma’am.”

She grabbed my hand and gave it a warm squeeze. “Oh, please. Call me Eleanor.”

Before I could respond, she let go of my hand and walked into the house. Her eyes left no stone unturned as she silently judged the place.

Julian quietly guided her to her side. “Breakfast, mother. Shall we?”

Her lips curved into a smile as she took her son’s hand. “Gladly.”

The table was lined with various dishes. Pastries, fruit, bacon, smoked salmon, and whatever you could name.

Eleanor sat at the head of the table while Julian and Eleanor took opposite sides. Something about the whole thing felt twisted.

“So, Vivian.” Eleanor smiled, reaching for a fork. “Tell me more about yourself. I feel I hardly know a thing about you, despite the information we were given.”

Information?

I swallowed quietly. “I—uh—I studied Business Administration at Ashford College.”

“How lovely. And your father’s company. Imports, what was it? What exactly does he import?”

“Textiles from Asia mainly.”

“Interesting.”

She took a sip of her coffee. “I heard you spent a summer in Paris. Which arrondissement did you stay in?”

I had no clue what to say. Vivian had been the one who went there. Not me. 

The pause was already stretching on for too long. I had to do something quick or risk blowing my cover.

“The sixth,” Julian cut in smoothly, dabbing his lips with the napkin. “Near the Luxembourg Gardens, if my memory hasn’t failed me.”

“Is that so?”

Eleanor’s eyes glinted. Barrage after barrage of questions followed after that. 

Each one was intended to be a test. I couldn’t count on Julian’s help after the first one, since he quietly ate his food and stared.

He must be enjoying it too.

“Do you remember the Red Gala, Julian?” His mother’s eyes never left mine. 

“Where you and Vivan first met?”

“Yes,” Julian answered smoothly.

“Yes, what were you wearing again?” Eleanor asked.

“Oh, uh,” I thought of something to say. 

“It was green.”

Eleanor turned to her son. “Oh, was it now?”

My heart slammed in my throat the longer Julian stayed quiet. Something in his eyes darkened, and I knew I was utterly screwed.

“Was it, my love?”

Those two words of endearment sounded like a complete mockery. 

He was toying with me in front of his mother, knowing fully well what would happen if I was exposed.

“Oh, I remember.” A slow smile spread across his face. “It was emerald green. Matched her gorgeous eyes.”

His mother’s gaze swept across mine. Was she now suspicious?

 Slowly, she smiled. “How delightful.”

The rest of breakfast went off in mostly silence. Then suddenly, she got out of her seat. “I simply must be leaving. But before then…”

She opened an encrusted box and pulled out a ring. “This is a family heirloom. Julian’s grandmother wore it. As did I. And now, it’s your turn, Vivian.”

She reached for my hand and slowly pushed the ring on. It was too loose, too big for my hand. 

Eleanor’s eyes narrowed slightly. “That’s strange. I had it sized based on the measurements you gave us. Or perhaps you lost a bit of weight?”

“Must have been stress,” I lied through my teeth. “I had to diet for the wedding so I could fit into my gown.”

Eleanor’s eyes were as sharp as a blade, like they could cut through me where I stood. She nodded her head in understanding, then made her way to the door.

Just as she reached the threshold, she paused. “Oh, and by the way, I got a call from your sister yesterday.”

My blood went cold. “My sister?”

She nodded, her smile as sweet as poison. “Yes. She introduced herself with your name. Is that something you both do? A running joke in the family?” 

When I struggled to get my words out, she went on.

“She seemed really confused as to why you hadn’t invited her to your ceremony yesterday. Said she’s been in the Maldives all week, with her new boyfriend, I believe.” 

A thoughtful look found its way to her face. “Isn’t that odd?”

My breath stilled, my heart hammering so loudly in my chest that it was all I could hear. I tried to speak, but my lips wouldn’t budge.

Eleanor shrugged, the smile returning to her face. “I’m sure you must have forgotten. These things happen, after all. Have a good day.”

And with that, she was gone.

I was frozen on the spot for a while, unable to move as the ring hung loose on my finger. My whole body felt numb and paralyzed on the spot.

Julian was staring at me now, and he looked furious. Before I could open my mouth, he grabbed my hand roughly, nails digging hard enough that I whimpered.

“You really are naïve, and utterly foolish.”

I frowned, trying to speak, but his nails only dug deeper. “I really don’t know what happened. I tried…”

“She knows.”

My eyes widened. “What?”

“My mother knows.” He answered, eyes cruel enough that I felt I was about to be consumed.

“She knows you’re not Vivian. And you walked right into her fucking trap.”