Sarah stared at him. She shook her head, her expression an unreadable mask. "I don't want an explanation, Julian."
Julian froze, terrified. His mind raced frantically, desperately trying to figure out how he was going to make her listen, how he was going to make her believe him, and how he was going to ensure he didn't lose the only woman he would ever love.
***
Sarah
Sarah adjusted the strap of her black dress, excusing herself from a group of college friends gathered by the bar. Across the room, a flash of crimson caught her eye. It was Emily, slipping away from the main ballroom and heading down a secluded corridor. That loud, attention-grabbing red dress wasimpossible to miss. Knowing exactly what her sister was capable of, Sarah set her drink down on a passing waiter’s tray and followed her.
She reached the hallway just in time to hear voices drifting from one of the private meeting rooms. She recognized her sister’s purr instantly. Stopping just outside the slightly ajar brass door, Sarah listened.
Her chest tightened. She heard Emily’s vile, desperate offer, and a cold knot of dread pooled in her stomach. As much as she loved and trusted Julian, fear clawed at her throat. Emily was undeniably beautiful, a master at manipulating the men she desired. She waited for Julian’s reply, her breath caught in her lungs.
Then came Julian’s voice, ringing with disgust and unwavering loyalty. He rejected Emily without a shred of hesitation. He called her worthless. He declared his love for Sarah.
A wave of profound relief washed over her. The remaining insecurities she carried from her past shattered completely. She took a deep breath, pushed the brass door open the rest of the way, and stepped inside.
She watched Emily try to spin the situation, wiping her mouth and offering that venomous lie. Julian looked completely terrified. His eyes were wide with panic, pleading with her to listen. He actually thought she’d fallen for her sister’s sick game.
"I don't want an explanation, Julian," Sarah said, her expression softening the moment the words left her mouth.
She walked right past her kneeling sister and went straight to him. She reached up, placing her palms gently against his pale cheeks.
"Thank you," she whispered, her voice thick with emotion. "Thank you for being perfect for me."
Standing on her tiptoes, she pressed a quick, loving kiss to his lips. Julian blinked, the sheer relief washing over his features so clearly it made her heart ache with love.
Sarah turned her attention back to the floor. "You can get up now, Emily. Drop the act. I was standing in the hallway; I heard every single word."
Emily’s fake smirk vanished. She scrambled to her feet, her face flushing a deep, ugly crimson. Before her sister could hurl an excuse, Sarah looked back at Julian.
"Please leave us alone for a minute, Julian."
He hesitated, his protective instincts flaring. "Are you sure? I don't want to leave you with her."
"Yes," Sarah replied firmly. "I need to have this conversation with my sister. Alone."
Julian nodded reluctantly. He glared at Emily one last time before stepping out and closing the door behind him.
The room felt entirely different with just the two of them. The faint thumping of the bass from the party outside was the only sound for a few ticking seconds. Sarah stared at the woman who shared her blood, searching for any trace of the girl she used to play with.
"Why do you hate me so much?" Sarah asked. The question wasn't angry; it was just tired—baffled. "What did I ever do to make you want to destroy my life?"
Emily’s face twisted into a snarling mask. "Because you have everything!" she yelled, her voice echoing off the paneled walls. "You always get the best of everything. It just falls right into your lap, Sarah, and you don't even appreciate it! The perfect grades, the parents' approval, the successful firm, and now the billionaire fiancé."
"I worked for my firm," Sarah shot back. "I rebuilt my life from the wreckage you caused."
Emily let out a manic, bitter laugh. It was a harsh, grating sound. "The wreckage I caused? You think you were the victim in that marriage? You think Harrison belonged to you first?"
Sarah frowned, her stomach twisting. "What are you talking about?"
Emily took a step forward, her eyes gleaming with a twisted sense of victory. "He didn't tell you, did he? Saint Harrison kept his dirty little secret right to the end." She smiled, a look devoid of warmth. "I met him two years before you did, Sarah. In San Diego. We spent two weeks having the kind of sex you’re too repressed to ever give him. You’re too much of a prude to actually know how to fuck a man, Sarah—and that’s exactly why Harrison always wanted me. I had him first. He was mine."
The revelation hit Sarah like a physical blow. Her mind raced back to the day she introduced Harrison to her family. The way they had looked at each other.
"You lied to me," Sarah whispered, the scale of the betrayal expanding in her mind. "Both of you. For years. You stood at my wedding and smiled at me."
"He could have told you the truth, Sarah, but I suggested he keep his dirty little secret—and he listened. The minute we were all living in the same house, he was begging for it.” Emily spat. “We were fucking on the kitchen counter while you were upstairs reviewing blueprints. He was taking me in the basement, in your bathroom, on the hood of his car while you were completely oblivious. You were just his safety net, Sarah. I was his real obsession."
