billion book
Chapter 27
“Sorry, I’ve got no clue who you are,” Leanne said bluntly, peering at the patient before her, “And with the way you’re looking now, I wouldn’t recognize you anyway.”
Penelope scolded, “Selina, show some respect. This is Dr. Castillo, who operated on you.”
Selina let out an exasperated sigh. “Well, thanks a bunch.”
Leanne was puzzled. “You seem to have a problem with me. Have I wronged you in some way?”
“Not at all,” Selina retorted, “But I thought I’d made quite an impression on you. You remember crashing Devin’s birthday bash two years ago to find your husband, don’t you?” Selina’s tone sounded contemptuous. “I asked him a question that night.”
Leanne frowned.
“I asked him, ‘Why the sudden leap from dating Suzan to marrying you?’ ” Selina’s face twisted into a sneering smirk as she continued, “Do you need me to jog your memory about his response?”
How could Leanne forget?
Curtis hadn’t left the country yet, but for some reason, he’d become distant, not coming home for days at a time.
Unable to reach him and clueless about what had happened, she knew he’d be at Devin’s party. Despite not being invited and loathing such events, she swallowed her pride and asked Devin for the address.
She arrived late from work that day, as the party was heating up with rounds of drinks.
Curtis was nursing half a drink, slumped on the couch with a look of boredom, watching the crowd play a silly game of Truth or Dare.
When the bottle pointed to him, Curtis chose truth.
Devin teased him for being a buzzkill. “I had a wild dare ready for you, and you chose truth?” Then he wickedly asked, “Out of all your girlfriends, who was your favorite?”
Leanne had just walked in when Curtis, seemingly noticing her yet not, casually leaned back into the leather couch and replied with a smirk, “My ex.”
Her hurried steps froze at those two words.
Everyone thought Suzan was Curtis’ first love, but that wasn’t true.
Leanne had known Curtis since high school, two years his junior. She watched as girls flocked to him, one after another, never seeing him attached.
12:14
He was choosy, only dating the pretty ones, known for his charm and fickleness.
Curtis and Suzan grew up together but didn’t date until college, and before marrying Leanne, Suzan was his most recent ex.
Who in the room didn’t know Curtis’ ex was Supan? The jeers began, suggesting he still couldn’t get over her.
Who in the room didn’t know that Suzan was Curtis’ old flame? Immediately, there was a collective jeering, saying ‘He’s obviously still got a thing for Suzan!
As Leanne listened to the raucous laughter and saw that careless grin on Curtis’ face, unchallenged, she knew he saw her.
He was aware she was there.
Then, a girl asked, “Curtis, if things were so good with Suzan, why the rush to marry someone else?”
Leanne felt nailed to the floor, a shrill ringing in her ears, but Curtis’ cold voice was crystal clear.
“If I can’t be with the one I love, then who I marry doesn’t matter.” he said icily.
It was as if she’d been plucked from a warm, blissful day on the beach, clad in a beautiful sundress, basking in the sun, and then unceremoniously dropped onto the tundra, her veins icing over.
Her publicly shattered pride, the mocking or pitiful looks thrown her way when people realized she was there constantly pricked at Leanne’s heart.
From that day on, she became a joke in everyone’s eyes.
It was unforgettable.
Leanne slipped her hands into her coat pockets, feigning nonchalance to hide the gaping, unhealable wound inside.
“So, you and Curtis are still together?” Selina’s voice dripped with mock. “I don’t get you clinging to a man who doesn’t love you. Have you no self-respect?”
“We’re still married. What about it?” Leanne responded calmly, her voice barely fluctuating, “Suzan’s not in a hurry, and why are you?”