Chapter 3

Just as I was about to order an Uber, my screen lit up with an incoming call from a high-end boutique.

I answered it.

"Good evening, Mrs. Sterling," the associate said politely. "The custom evening gown you ordered three months ago is ready. You can drop by tomorrow morning for a final fitting and pick it up."

Standing under the streetlamp, fragmented memories drifted through my mind.

Right. I had ordered that gown months ago specifically to accompany Julian to tonight's charity gala.

Now, this marriage had run its course.

Canceling the dress would be a fitting closure.

"Alright," I replied. "I'll be there tomorrow morning."

After hanging up, I took a cab and checked into a nearby hotel.

Between the fever-reducing meds and the lingering concussion, I drifted through a night of feverish nightmares.

It wasn't until daylight broke that my head finally cleared.

Later that morning, I walked into the boutique and explained why I was there.

The manager led me into the fitting room, where I slipped on the gown.

It truly was a masterpiece, custom-tailored to hug every curve of my waist flawlessly.

Right then, the glass doors of the salon chimed open.

Mandy walked in, wearing oversized sunglasses.

Her gaze swept across the floor, locking straight onto the gown I was wearing, her eyes flashing with pure envy.

Once she realized it was me, she froze for a second before slipping off her sunglasses and stepping over with an innocent smile.

"Savannah? What a coincidence!"

The smile on her face seemed sweet, yet dripping with mockery. "That dress is gorgeous. But haven't you always hated these high-society parties? Why not just let me have it?"

I looked at her reflection in the full-length mirror. "No. I'm wearing it tonight."

Mandy’s smile hardened, replaced by a subtle sneer.

"Why force yourself? You can't force love, you know. Don't you know who actually holds Julian’s heart?"

I turned around, matching her mocking gaze. "Really? All I know is that on paper, I'm his legal wife. Isn't that enough?"

Mandy dropped her act, her expression souring.

"You probably don't know this, but Julian didn't 'forget' your birthday last year. I was sick, and he stayed by my side the entire night."

"And on your wedding anniversary? I was feeling down, so he spent the whole night keeping me company. Julian doesn't care about you at all. Clinging to the title of Mrs. Sterling like a desperate parasite—don't you feel pathetic?"

A pang of dull ache hit my chest, but I maintained a cold, piercing glare.

"Parading around as a dirty side chick—if you don't feel ashamed, I feel ashamed on your late father’s behalf."

The color drained from Mandy's face. The words lodged in her throat, leaving her temporarily speechless.

Her chest heaved with rage as she glared daggers at me.

"Savannah, keep acting tough."

She whipped out her phone and dialed Julian.

"Let's see how Julian reacts when he hears how you slander his mentor."

The call connected almost instantly, and she couldn't wait to play the victim:

"Julian, I found the most gorgeous gown, and Savannah is here too, but she refuses to let me have it."

"We had a little disagreement, and she started saying horrible things about my dad."

Silence hung over the receiver for a second before Julian’s deep voice came through:

"Is Savannah next to you? Put her on."

A smug smirk flashed across Mandy’s face as she switched to speakerphone and held the screen in front of me.

Julian’s familiar voice drifted out, smooth, calm, and utterly biased:

"Savannah, give the dress to Mandy. It's very important for her tonight. I'll take you out to buy a better one in a few days."

Holding the phone, I asked coldly, "Julian, I ordered this dress three months ago specifically to go to the gala with you. It's important to her, so my feelings don't matter at all?"

Julian paused. "It’s just a dress. Why do you always have to blow things out of proportion?"

He hadn't even bothered to ask what had happened. He had just instantly ordered me to hand over what was mine.

I gripped the phone tightly. "Julian, in your eyes, I'm always the one who has to back down, aren't I?"

I stood there, feeling a chill seep into my bones.

"Fine. She can have the dress."

Looking at Mandy, I said calmly, "I paid twenty thousand dollars in full for this gown. Venmo me right now."

Julian's voice chimed in over the phone: "I'll have Carter wire you fifty thousand."

I hung up on him immediately.

Stepping back into the fitting room, I changed back into my own clothes and handed the gown to the shop assistant.

"Box it up for Miss Evans. Mr. Sterling has already paid for it."

Mandy tilted her chin up triumphantly. "Savannah, you’ll never beat me."

I gave her an indifferent look.

"The dress is yours. Enjoy wearing fifty-thousand-dollar sloppy seconds."

Leaving her with a furious scowl, I turned and walked straight out of the store.

Stepping into the bright daylight, the last trace of hesitation in my heart completely vanished.

No wonder the old Savannah had been driven to drive into a guardrail.

Trapped with a husband who perpetually sided with someone else, enduring it for three whole years—anyone would have lost their mind.

That single phone call was all I needed to see through him completely.