“Huh?” Christian blinked awkwardly. With attention now on them, Victor cleared his throat and maintained his composure.
“Just wondering,” he said.
“About?”
“How you’re coping with her. You know, old habits die hard. You must know why I divorced her. I couldn’t tolerate her embarrassing behaviors, and I have standards. I’m sorry you fell into the hands of such a woman,” he added, patting Christian’s shoulder.
Christian glared at his hand, and Victor quickly withdrew it. He turned fully toward him.
“Embarrassing behaviors?” Christian repeated.
“Yeah, I mean… cheating…”
“Oh,” Christian cut him off. “She’s too well-mannered for that. But even if she did, it’s very understandable.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean…” Christian smirked, “who wouldn’t? Every woman deserves good pleasure, and that pencil between your legs is doing nothing.”
“What?!” Victor exclaimed.
Everyone gasped and began to laugh. Victor, deeply embarrassed and insulted, turned bright red with anger.
“What are you saying?” he raised his voice, growing defensive.
“Wondering how I know?” Christian sighed and shook his head in mock pity. “She was way too tight and bled on our first night. How can you call that peanut below your abdomen a penis? It couldn’t even break her hymen. Such a shame.”
At this, the crowd erupted in laughter. The embarrassment was too much for Victor, who immediately threw a punch at Christian. But Christian skillfully dodged it, causing Victor to lose his balance and fall flat on his face. Everyone burst into another round of laughter.
“What a loser,” Alice cursed under her breath, glaring at Victor in anger.
Victor’s face turned as red as a ripe tomato in anger. He clenched his fists and gritted his teeth as he glared at Christian, who maintained a cold, emotionless expression.
“And stop spreading rumors about my wife because of your own incapacity,” Christian said, his voice laced with darkness. “I won’t sit still the next time I hear someone defame her. But there’s room to dare me,” he added, his tone intimidating. The air around him grew thick with tension, causing everyone present to quiver in fear, reconsidering their words about his wife.
Meanwhile, Clarisse was in the restroom, shivering and struggling to breathe. The voices still echoed in her ears, and the image of his mocking face flashed before her eyes. The humiliation wrapped around her like a cold blanket. She screamed out loud, startling the other ladies in the restroom, who quickly hurried out, avoiding her as if she had gone crazy.
When the scream finally subsided, a new feeling welled up inside her, threatening to explode. She felt the urge to break everything she could lay her hands on, wishing for the world to end.
Frantically, she looked around, searching for something to use. The anger inside her was like a volcano, threatening to burst.
“What did I do wrong? What did I do wrong?” she screamed, her voice trembling on the edge of tears. “Why do I deserve all this? Why?” she shouted, her eyes falling on the mirror, where she saw her reflection, the dress… the dress.
In a fit of rage, she reached for the tip of the gown and began tearing at it. ‘You look so beautiful.’ His compliment echoed in her mind, and she paused, the anger now mixed with guilt. Judging by the fabric, she knew the gown must have cost a fortune. He had made her look beautiful, and she repaid him by tearing the dress.
She felt both sorry and angry at the same time, but those emotions didn’t last long.
“I don’t care what happened anymore,” she whispered to her reflection. “I don’t care if this is the last day of whatever this is. I’m going to make this night a day I’ll never regret.” Her eyes changed. Her voice changed. It was filled with new determination, a sense of acceptance of a new feeling, a new thought, and a new personality.
She opened her purse and poured out its contents, quickly retrieving her phone along with a needle and thread. With a steady hand, she tore the gown around until it reached above her knees. The torn piece was carefully placed on a dry surface. She removed the dress, cutting the torn parts into different shapes. With the needle and thread, she skillfully transformed the gown’s sweetheart neckline into a halter neckline, making the dress a body-hugging gown that reached above her knee. She then decorated the body of the gown with the shapes she had cut out.
Satisfied with what she had done, Clarisse put on the modified dress and turned to the mirror. Stunned by the transformation, she felt a sense of accomplishment and washed her face. One of the ladies in the restroom made to leave, but Clarisse quickly stopped her.
“Wait, please,” she pleaded. After gaining her attention, she said, “Please, I ruined my makeup. Can you help me?”
“Sure,” the lady replied, smiling and admiring her dress.
Once they were done, the lady left before her. Clarisse returned to the scene just in time to see Victor being humiliated. After what Christian had said, the DJ decided to change the atmosphere by playing music. The first song that played was Unstoppable by Sia.
Just as the DJ tried to change it to something more fitting for the occasion, everyone gasped and turned in unison to one direction. His curiosity piqued, and instead of changing the song, he stretched his neck to see what was causing the commotion. His jaw dropped when he saw the woman who had captured everyone’s attention.
With calculated steps, in perfect rhythm with the music, the lyrics went so well with her feelings-her anger and acceptance, her frustration and rage. She was going to make use of all of them to ensure that this night would be one she would never regret.
Some people’s jaws dropped in awe at her beauty, and the gown, which exuded uniqueness and opulence. They were shocked to see that the most expensive gown, which had been torn into two pieces, had been transformed into something even more breathtaking. The new design made the dress even more beautiful, and the stunning lady wearing it left the women feeling envious, wanting to tear the dress off her body and wear it themselves.
While some saw a new woman-independent and determined-Alice’s heart skipped a beat. She could see the darkness in Clarisse’s eyes. Above all, she felt humiliated and embarrassed to see the dress she had fought so hard for torn like that, especially now that it had been turned into something even more remarkable.
Clarisse avoided looking anyone in the eyes as she walked past them, until her gaze landed on Christian. Among the crowd, there he was-the only one her eyes could settle on. The only one she could look in the eyes. There he was, smiling at her instead of scowling for what she had done to the dress.
When she reached him, their eyes locked. He placed his hand before her. Clarisse didn’t know if she could ever trust anyone, especially him. But despite the rage bubbling inside her, her eyes were clouded with indifference, and her hands curled into fists as a protective reflex. Yet, this time, she took the hand he extended.
People change. At times, change is not a choice but a result of circumstances. Pain forces change-frustration, anger, broken hearts, and shattered souls. When trust is lost and expectations are no longer placed in others or the world, constant betrayal molds people. It turns the soft-hearted cold, and the fragile and timid grow indifferent, protecting themselves from the same hurtful emotions. People change, not always because they want to, but because they are forced to.
Christian watched as she walked in, her scream for protection still echoing in his mind. His gaze was fixed on her; every step she took spoke volumes. The way her head was held high told him she was ready for the worst, and her dark eyes, guarded, told him her walls were firmly in place. As she entered the room, the crowd fell into a hush. Her presence commanded attention-an ethereal vision of grace and beauty, almost otherworldly. A soft, radiant glow seemed to emanate from her flawless skin, as though an inner light was shining through. Her deep, mesmerizing blue eyes sparkled with an enchanting brilliance, drawing everyone in with their captivating depth. Framed by cascading waves of lustrous hair, her face was the perfect harmony of delicate features-high cheekbones and a dainty nose.
Her dress was a masterpiece, accentuating her elegant figure. As she moved through the room, she left a trail of awe and admiration behind her. Every guest was unable to tear their eyes away from her beauty, and the stunning gown made her appear as if a celestial being had graced the earth with her presence.
When her eyes met Christian’s, he smiled. As she approached him, he reached out to her, not once breaking his gaze. She looked so stunning that he felt an overwhelming desire to pluck out every man’s eyes who dared look at her. But beyond the beguiling figure, he saw her for who she truly was. He wished more than anything for her to take his hand.
A beaming smile spread across his face as her palm met his. He took her soft hand in his, and their eyes remained locked, neither willing to look away.
Kyle, standing beside Ashley, was mesmerized by the impeccable beauty before him. He couldn’t stop staring-from her captivating blue eyes to her dainty nose, and her well-shaped lips that seemed to call for his touch. He longed to feel her flawless, smooth skin, to experience its softness against his palm. No woman had ever had such an effect on him. He had never drooled over a woman before; she was the first to make his heart race. Seeing her in another man’s arms made him feel sick to his stomach.
Victor, who slowly rose from the floor, couldn’t believe his eyes. She looked so different, especially her beauty.
Soon, the party began, and after cutting the cake, they made their way to the dance floor.
“Want to dance?” His voice made her heart skip a beat, sophisticated and soothing to her ears. Clarisse looked at him with uncertainty, and he could immediately tell.
“Don’t worry, I’ll take care of you,” he reassured her, smiling sweetly. He took her hand and led her to the dance floor, wrapping her arm around his shoulder as he held her other hand. “Step on my toes a little,” he instructed. She complied. “Now follow my lead,” he added, and with that, he placed his other arm around her waist, pulling her closer-close enough for her to feel his breath. She gasped.
Their eyes locked, and the proximity sparked an unspoken heat between them, something neither their eyes nor words could fully express. He could feel her soft skin beneath his palm, and her tiny waist fit perfectly in his arms.
He began to move slowly, his eyes never leaving hers, while her heart raced and butterflies danced in her stomach. “You look so beautiful tonight,” he whispered in her ear, his breath sending shivers down her spine.
“You said that earlier,” she replied, her voice low enough for only him to hear.
“It wasn’t enough. ‘Beautiful’ is an understatement.”
She struggled to keep herself from smiling.
“You’re not angry?” he asked.
“Angry? For what?”
“For what I did.”
“So you know what you’re doing?” he said as he spun her around, pulling her back into his embrace.
“I’m sorry,” she apologized, though her expression didn’t show much guilt.
“An apology won’t cut it, Ari. Apologizing for driving me crazy won’t cut it.”
She was surprised-it wasn’t what she had expected to hear.
“Driving you crazy?”
“And for making me feel this way,” he added.
“How… how are you feeling?” she asked.
“You want to know?”
Drawn into the depths of his grey, charming eyes, she nodded, as if hypnotized.
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.