9– Confrontation

The roar of congratulations had settled slightly, and now Lena was with her father, speaking to a few of his friends who attended his birthday party.

They spoke of everything and nothing at the same time. Some of the men spoke mostly of Lena’s beauty and carriage and the way they’d like her to meet their sons on dates.

Lena, on the other hand, politely declined their offer, stating directly that as she was stepping into a role as important as CEO, she did not want any distractions.

Just as the conversations carried on, Lena caught through her peripheral, the opening of the party hall’s door. What caught her attention was the violent way it was pushed open and the way her brother stormed inside.

Her eyes followed as Leo crossed the room to the bar area. Though she did not hear what drink he requested, she saw them pass him a glass of clean whiskey.

“Excuse me for a moment, Dad,” Lena said. She waited for her father’s nod of approval before leaving, moving with intent straight to her brother.

Leo exhaled a sigh when Lena reached him, and dumped the remaining liquid into his throat, groaning as it burned its way down.

“How selfish of you to gulp it all at once just when I wanted to ask for a sip,” Lena said, her voice touched by light playfulness.

“Since when did you start drinking,” Leo questioned.

“Since now,” Lena answered, a coy smile on her lips. When Leo remained silent, she asked, “what got you in this mood?”

“The question is who,” Leo corrected, giving Lena a glance before looking away. He gestured the bartender to pour him another drink.

Lena’s interest piqued. She suspected that it was Julian who had gotten her brother in a terrible mood, but she was unsure. 

“Is it a relationship matter?” Lena asked instead, dismissing her earlier suspicion.

“You believe I’ll be like this because of a girl? And I am not a relationship kind of guy, sister,” Leo said, almost offended.

“That is not something to be proud of,” Lena said half seriously.

“Well, I am not. Deal with it,” Leo bit out.

Just as Lena was about to start teasing her brother, the party hall’s door opened again. And this time, it was Julian who stepped in. Even though it was barely invisible, Lena sighted the slight bruising on his bottom lip.

Julian stopped short at the door as his eyes connected Lena’s like magnets that seemed to find each other even in the most crowded of places. 

Though Julian’s gaze was anything but soft. He was glaring. His chest was rising and falling as though he wished to rip both Lena and Leo apart for their humiliation. After a moment, Julian looked away and walked off.

Lena turned to Leo, her eyes trailing his frame, only stopping when she found that the knuckles of his fingers which were wrapped around the tumbler were bruised.

“What did you do?” Lena asked, already breathing uneasily.

“Don’t start with me,” Leo grumbled, already aware that his sister knew what he’d done.

“I’m asking what you did,” Lena insisted.

“I got into a fight,” Leo said, his voice so nonchalant as though fighting at parties was a normal occurrence for him.

Lena scoffed in disbelief, then asked, “With Julian of all people?” 

The question roused Leo’s anger. And perhaps it was not the words spoken, but the tone used.

“What do you mean by ‘Julian of all people?’ Who the hell is he?” Leo bit out, his brows knitted together as if saying Julian’s name alone was disgusting.

“You’ve misunderstood what I meant, Leo,” Lena breathed.

“And you’re judging me without knowing why it got to that point,” Leo asserted unrepentantly.

“Then tell me why,” Lena insisted. Her voice was rising at this point, though not loud enough to pull the attention of those around them.

“I was provoked,” Leo said.

Lena inhaled a long, calming breath and exhaled in the same way as she urged herself, especially her voice to calm. “In what way were you provoked, Leo? Did he attack you first? Did he get physical first? What?” She asked.

Leo downed his drink at one go, and slammed the tumbler against the counter top. He then straightened. His chest rose and fell on a heavy exhale. “That man has no remorse for what he did to you. He claims you both had an agreement and if there’s a liar between you two, then it has to be you because you lied to him about your identity for years.” 

Those words stung far more painfully than Lena expected. She was surprised that after two years, Julian did not once think of her, or even attempt to reach out to her; even for the sole purpose of cordiality. And even now, instead of remorse, he was angry.

What was he angry about? She wondered.

Julian was desperate for a wife at the time, so desperate that he in fact cared very little about the background of the woman he was marrying. And because Lena, for the first time in her life needed an escape from her family’s expectations, appreciated that she found a husband who did not care about her name or life.

But the moment Lena began to develop feelings for Julian, she attempted so many ways to reveal the truth to him. But at the time, it seemed Julian intentionally avoided any deep conversations with her. 

If Julian had just waited on their third anniversary, then he would have found out. 

But it’s a good thing, Lena thought, it’s good that he did not find out about me. If not, he may have remained in the marriage and continued to play pretend because of my family name. 

“He doesn’t owe me anything, Leo, not even his remorse,” Lena said at last.

“How can you suggest a thing a like that?” Leo said in disbelief.

“Because it’s the truth. Everyone is different. We cannot hold everyone to the same standards we hold ourselves. So please do not get into any more fights with him or with anyone because their moral compass is not on the same level as yours,” Lena gritted.

Before Leo could find his words, Lena walked away. She roamed around the room, wondering where she might go in order to find solace. She certainly was in no mood to speak to her brother, and did not want her father introducing her to any more of his friends.

Lena was now realizing that the room had become too overwhelming for her. Perhaps she truly did not belong there in the midst of people who only judged by appearance and name.

After a moment of thinking, Lena decided to go to the restroom.

She pushed open the restroom door and stepped inside, the soft hum of conversation from the party immediately muted behind her.

The room was empty.

She walked straight to the sink, gripping the edge of the marble counter as she leaned forward. Her reflection stared back at her, composed on the surface, but her eyes burned, stinging with unshed tears.

Lena turned on the tap and splashed cool water onto her face, dabbing carefully beneath her eyes, once, twice, until the heat subsided. Her breathing was louder than she intended, uneven inhales and slow, deliberate exhales as she steadied herself.

“Pull it together.” She continued to murmur to herself as she steadied her breathing.

When she had attained some degree of calmness, Lena straightened, smoothing her hair back into place, adjusting the fall of her dress. She had walked into that ballroom with her head high. She would not leave it unraveling.

The faint creak of a stall door broke the silence.

Lena froze for a fraction of a second before lifting her gaze to the mirror.

Rose stepped out from the last stall.

Their eyes met through the glass.

Rose’s lips curved slowly into a knowing smile. “Overwhelmed already?” she asked lightly, walking toward the sinks. “I suppose this sort of environment can be… a lot for someone like you.”

Lena said nothing. She reached for a paper towel and patted her hands dry, her movements calm, deliberate.

“Didn’t I tell you before? You don’t belong here. Even if you somehow managed to worm your way into a rich family, it doesn’t change who you are.” Rose scoffed in mockery.

Still, Lena remained silent.

Encouraged, Rose stepped closer and continued. “This is a sophisticated crowd. People with breeding, with history. Not—” her gaze flicked Lena up and down pointedly, “—pretenders.”

Lena folded the paper towel and set it aside, finally lifting her eyes. Her expression was unreadable.

Rose leaned in, lowering her voice. “And don’t you dare get ideas. Don’t even think about crawling back to Julian. Whatever you think you’re doing tonight… this little performance, it won’t work.”

Lena turned to fully face Rose, her brows raised.

Rose continued, her words tumbling out faster. “I know your type. This was the plan all along, wasn’t it? To become CEO, get close to Julian through business, and force your way back into his life. But you’ll fail, Lena. Julian is mine. He will never look at you again.”

Lena’s lips curved as she let out a mocking laugh. “You sound very sure for someone who’s clearly insecure,” she said calmly.

Rose stiffened. “What did you just say?” she asked, her voice biting.

“I said it’s obvious that you’re so insecure you can’t even help yourself,” Lena repeated firmly as she picked up her purse from the countertop.

“How dare you speak to me like that? Insecure? Me? Who exactly am I supposed to be insecure of? You? The same woman who married a man I left behind as a placeholder and was discarded once I returned?” Rose giggled even though she was threatened by Lena.

Hearing the words out loud from Rose’s mouth reminded Lena of her past foolishness. Not wanting to drag words with a woman like Rose, she walked past her.

Rose’s hand shot out, gripping Lena’s wrist and yanking her back. “How dare you walk away from me when I’m still talking to you? Know your place, you bottom feeder,” she hissed. 

Lena’s eyes darkened. “Let go of me. Get your filthy hands off me,” she said evenly.

Rose didn’t.

Lena’s control finally snapped. When she began speaking, her voice was so sharp that anyone who was not in the room would not know it was her voice. “If we’re talking about people who don’t belong in rooms like this, Rose, you should be first on the list. Didn’t you leave Julian years ago in the name of finding yourself and building a career? Where is it, Rose? Where is the career?”

Rose’s grip faltered, her eyes opening and closing in sharp blinks.

Lena’s throat squeaked with mocking laughter. “You failed as a model. You failed in television. You failed in everything you touched because you have such a rotten attitude no one wants to work with you.” 

The smile on Lena’s face, even though mocking, disappeared, her expression becoming threatening as she pulled her wrist free from Rose’s grip.

“I’m the least of your problems, Rose. And understand this, from today onward, if you ever put your dirty hands on me again, you’ll have more to deal with than a failed career.”