Chapter 6 - The Woman in the Red Dress
Celeste announced an engagement gala.
Not hers.
Mine.
Or rather, my memorial foundation’s.
Julian created the Amelia Reed Vision Initiative in my name.
The cruelty was almost artistic.
A man who kept his blind wife from receiving surgery was now raising money for visually impaired women.
Maya showed me the invitation.
I nearly tore it in half.
Then stopped.
“Who’s attending?”
“Board members. Investors. Media. Northstar representatives.”
“Julian?”
“Obviously.”
“Celeste?”
“She organized it.”
I smiled.
Maya saw my expression.
“No.”
“What?”
“You’re thinking something reckless.”
“I’m thinking I need to see them.”
“Absolutely not.”
But I did.
Not as Amelia.
Nina helped arrange cosmetic changes.
Dark hair extensions.
Different makeup.
Green contact tint over my now-healed eyes.
A red dress instead of the pale colors I used to wear.
I attended as Maya’s assistant.
Julian walked into the ballroom twenty minutes later.
Seeing his face unlocked something inside me.
Memory hit like lightning.
His smile on our wedding day.
His hands over mine during chemotherapy when my mother was dying.
His face beside my hospital bed after the crash.
And his eyes on the bridge.
Cold.
Resolved.
Not grieving.
Relieved.
My knees nearly failed.
Elias, standing nearby as my guest, caught my elbow.
“You can leave.”
“No.”
Julian passed within ten feet of me.
He didn’t recognize me.
That hurt more than expected.
Celeste joined him.
She kissed his cheek.
Not discreetly.
My chest tightened.
They weren’t hiding anymore.
A reporter asked Julian whether he ever imagined loving again.
Julian lowered his eyes with practiced sorrow.
“Amelia was the love of my life.”
Celeste touched his arm.
I almost laughed.
Then I heard her whisper:
“After the vote, we stop pretending.”
Julian replied:
“Four more weeks.”
“Then Northstar owns everything.”
My pulse jumped.
Maya’s hidden recorder captured it.
Not enough.
But useful.
Later, Celeste walked toward the restroom.
I followed.
At the mirror, she refreshed her lipstick.
I stood beside her.
“You knew Amelia Reed?”
Her eyes met mine through the reflection.
“Why?”
“I admired her.”
Celeste smiled.
“You shouldn’t.”
“Why not?”
“She was weak.”
My hands curled.
Celeste continued.
“She inherited everything and understood nothing.”
“Her husband seemed devoted.”
Celeste laughed softly.
“Julian is devoted to whatever survives.”
My memory flashed again.
Celeste at the bridge.
“Do it.”
I nearly turned toward her.
Then she looked directly at me.
For one terrible second, I thought she recognized me.
Her smile vanished.
“Have we met?”
My heart stopped.
I forced a small laugh.
“I don’t think so.”
She stared.
Then shook her head.
“You remind me of someone.”
“Hopefully someone alive.”
Celeste’s face changed.
I walked away before she could answer.
Outside the ballroom, my hands trembled violently.
Elias found me.
“What happened?”
“I remembered.”
“What?”
I looked back toward the doors.
“Celeste was there.”
“At the bridge?”
I nodded.
“She told him to push me.”
May you like
For the first time, the memory was complete.
And now there were two people I intended to bring down.
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(1048x378:1050x380)/Jenna-Bush-Hager-100223-c94955eb572d47ea815a340c18c6e771.jpg)
