Chapter 407
It was around 11 PM when Ryan dropped me off at the entrance of my apartment complex. The early autumn night was chilly, and I was still wearing the dress he’d given me. Without the glamour of the stage, the dress made me feel a little awkward.
Ryan stayed in the car and told me, “Get some rest. See you tomorrow.”
I glanced back at him, and he raised his hand, saying, “I’ll wait until you’re inside.”
I gathered up one side of my dress, said goodbye, and walked straight into the complex without looking back.
Once Ryan couldn’t see me anymore, I finally let myself relax. Being so on edge tonight wasn’t how I usually lived, and it just made me feel restless.
The first thing I did when I got home was take a shower and change out of the dress. I slipped into a light, comfy camisole nightdress, then sat down at my computer to get some work done.
When I checked my phone, I noticed I’d missed a message.
It was from Jessica: “Hey Victoria, it’s Jessica. Heard you’re in Shaville. Want to grab lunch tomorrow?”
Jessica King. Her name sent me into a daze for a while. Then I remembered–she was the wealthy wife who moved to Shaville with her husband three years ago. Neither of us came from money, and that made us alike. We got the cold shoulder from the other wives, so we stuck together, became friends, and had each other’s backs.
I never thought she’d reach out to me. In my memory, Jessica was the cautious type–she bent over backwards for her husband’s family, could talk sweet but play hardball. I remembered she once taught me a trick. She said she’d spent ages studying what men really want and came to the conclusion that men aren’t really capable of love. If a woman could give them pleasure and a touch of motherly care, they’d never be able to leave. She told me that’s exactly how she landed her husband–pleasure in bed, mothering him outside the bedroom.
It’s been three years now. I wondered if she’d leveled up her game and could show me a few new tricks. My work schedule was pretty flexible, and since I’d promised to get Ryan a gift for his zodiac year, I figured I could grab lunch with Jessica King and maybe hit the shops together afterward.
The next morning, I met up with Jessica at a Hunan restaurant. She was decked out in all her bling. Her whole look was even more glamorous and upscale than before, and she definitely had that rich-lady vibe now. It looked like she’d had a little work done—her nose was sharper, and her eyes were bigger and brighter, probably thanks to some surgery.
“Victoria… I’ve been dying to see you,” she said, coming over with that sweet, delicate vibe and pulling me into a hug.
I smiled and patted her back. “Ever since you moved to Shaville, we really haven’t kept in touch for years.”
“Oh, don’t even get me started. I’ve spent even more time in Falansia and Aurelia these past couple of years, hardly ever in Shaville. But this time, I’m back because I’m having a baby,” Jessica said, gesturing at her barely changed belly. “Two months along, twins–both boys. It’s already been a real struggle with these two little troublemakers.”
Jessica was still the same old Jessica–loved to overshare, just like I remembered.
“I’ve already ordered. I still remember your favorite dishes,” she said with a bright smile, then started sizing me up. “Victoria, I heard you and Mr. Holcomb split up. Is that true?” Jessica asked, giving me a sympathetic look.
I nodded. “That’s right. It’s been a few months now.”
“Seriously? How did that happen? You’re drop-dead gorgeous," she said, looking genuinely anxious. "Even you couldn’t hold onto your man? That kinda makes me nervous too, Jessica.”
I laughed. “Hey, everyone’s got their own story. You’re pregnant–no way you’re in the same boat as me.”
She tried to play it cool, but I could still catch that subtle air of superiority about her.