Chapter 17

I never called myself the prettiest girl on campus, but I was nominated for it once in college. Later, I lost to another girl from a wealthier family–not that I cared, though it gave the gossip mill plenty to churn over.

“The runner-up belle,” I said with a self-deprecating smile.

The man hosting us was Lloyd Johnson, dressed in a tailored suit that screamed corporate success.

People crowded around him, laying on the praise. He wore the smug look of a man who’d made it, though his gaze kept flickering to me.

Truth was, only Melissa knew I’d married Jared. The rest just assumed I had a rich husband and left it at that.

“Victoria!” A voice cut through the chatter. I turned to see the class loudmouth–a guy who’d once tried to date me.

I used to skip these reunions back then. It wasn’t hard to feel insecure when everyone else had successful careers while I stayed home. My bank account might have been full, but not my sense of self-worth.

A black Mercedes-Maybach rolled to a stop nearby, just as a group of people emerged from the lobby entrance.

At the front was a young man–tall and lean, probably over six feet–in a tailored navy suit and gold-framed glasses. When he heard that guy call out my name, he stopped mid-step and turned to look at me.

The vintage-style lights above the door cast a glow over his face, and for a brief moment, our eyes met.

“Mr. Hallman, what a pleasure to meet you!” Lloyd nearly stumbled in his haste to approach. “Hello, Mr. Hallman, I’m Lloyd Johnson from Luminovate Tech–we met several weeks ago.” He scrambled to pull out a business card and offered it with both hands.

The man addressed as “Mr. Hallman” nodded and took the card. “Hello,” he said.

Then, without warning, his gaze flicked toward me before he slid into the Maybach.

I’d been watching him the whole time. Not that I could help it–amid a crowd of unremarkable men, a face that handsome was impossible to ignore.

Lloyd practically tripped over himself to close the car door, his farewell wave oozing false charm.

Melissa’s lingering crush on Lloyd vanished the moment she saw him turn into such a suck-up.

The dinner table became a stage for male bravado while we women ate in comfortable silence.

“I’m a stay-at-home mom,” I answered when asked about work. Then the conversation died right there.

When Jared called halfway through dinner, I let my phone vibrate itself into silence.

When someone eagerly proposed moving the party to a karaoke bar, Melissa and I declined with polite excuses and made our escape.

I helped Melissa all the way into her apartment, where she collapsed on the sofa with unexpected clarity. “Maybe you were smart to marry young, Victoria. These days I can’t stand any man. Should’ve grabbed someone when I had the chance.”

“Don’t be ridiculous,” I said. “Men aren’t that special–same basic parts as the rest of us. Plenty of good ones left.” With that pep talk delivered, I headed home.

The car hummed with music, and without a care weighing me down, I felt completely at peace.