Evelyn's fingers touched the edges of the envelope with the gold on it. The familiar weight of it aroused something deep inside her memories she had long pushed away. Alexander Bennett's name sparkled on the card, his company's prominent seal anchoring everything in place.
Her heart thudded in her chest as her thumb traced the words once more:
"You are cordially invited to the annual charity gala." She hadn't heard from him in years.
Not since their cataclysmic breakup, the one that had damaged more than just her trust. She only learned the truth after the fact, which has haunted her every waking second since. The memories came back right away, clear and strong.
What was he thinking, giving her this invitation?
Was this some kind of cruel prank, or had he forgotten the reason they'd parted ways?
The gala was a glittering event with the city's elite, the same folks he now hung out with.
Evelyn closed her eyes, trying to focus.
Could she finally talk to him after all this time?
The feelings, the perplexity, the questions she'd never had answers to, they all came to the surface. Her thumb was hovering over the "RSVP" button. Should she go, face him, and get closure?
Or leave, saving herself the anguish of bringing back memories of their past?
The decision weighed heavily on her chest. She breathed sharply, her hand shaking ever so slightly. Her mind raced, but her finger stayed stuck above the button. She convinced herself that she had moved on. She had learned to exist without him, to repair the wounds he left behind. And still, her finger pressed down, hovering over the choice.
When Evelyn walked into the event, the big chandelier above her sparkled. The marble floors glittered under her heels, and the quiet buzz of chatter filled the air. It seemed like a dream, or maybe a nightmare, because this world wasn't hers.
There were a lot of costly suits and sparkling gowns in the room, and they all moved around in a flurry of color. But Evelyn stood out in her deep red dress, simple and lovely, but not the opulence that surrounded her. She felt the pain of being an outsider in this world that Alexander suddenly seemed to be a part of.
As she strolled through the crowd, her gaze kept going back to the middle of the room. There he was, Alexander. He looked just as she recalled, tall, imposing, with an effortless charm that seemed to command attention. His black eyes caught hers, even from across the room.
For a short while, it felt like time stopped. She stopped breathing, and memories came rushing back: the feel of his hand on hers, the sound of their laughing, and the vows they made to one other. But then, as though a wall had slammed down, he turned his back on her and resumed his talk.
A callous, uncaring gesture that broke her heart. Evelyn stood still for a time, not knowing what to do.
Should she approach him, challenge him?
Or retreat and protect herself from the harm he seemed so anxious to offer?
Evelyn finally made her way through the crowd, the intense aroma of perfume in the air, to where Alexander stood with a group of coworkers. His back was to her, but he didn't need to see her to know she was there. "Evelyn." His speech, low and remote, scarcely registered in her ears. She offered a small nod, her heart hammering.
"Alexander," she said, her tone bland, disguising the maelstrom inside. He looked at her for a moment, and his lips curled into a courteous smile that didn't reach his eyes.
"I didn't expect you to show up." "Neither did I," Evelyn shouted back, trying to disguise the animosity she felt creeping up on her.
He pointed to the crowd that was forming. "It's a charity event." You know, for the greater good. His remarks were as vacuous as his look. Evelyn swallowed hard. She couldn't help but wonder if he ever thought about their history.
Did it mean anything to him?
"The cause, right?" she said in a voice that was thick with skepticism and contempt. "Just like everything else." "Alexander, the cause was never real." He cut her short, his smile now gone.
"What's up, Evelyn?" An apology? She clenched her fists, but her voice stayed steady. "No, I don't need that. But you should be honest about what you want."
He drew closer, his breath brushing against her ear. "I don't want anything from you." Not anymore." The coldness in his words ripped through her, leaving her standing there, stunned, a distant ache creeping across her chest. They moved to a quieter part of the room, away from the commotion and flashiness of the party.
Evelyn watched him, hoping he would say anything, anything that would explain why he had been so distant. But he didn't say anything. Instead, the quiet between them grew thick, laden with years of unspoken words.
Finally, he turned to look at her, and his dark eyes were icy and distant. "So, what do you want to find here, Evelyn?"
She opened her mouth but quickly shut it again. She wasn't sure anymore what she was hoping for. She had come for answers, but perhaps she already knew them. "I came for closure," she replied quietly, the words tasting alien. "I had to know if you ever cared about me."
For a minute, his stare softened, just enough to make her question if the man she once knew still lingered beneath the surface. But it didn't last. His gaze hardened again, and he moved back. "Closure?" he said again, as if the phrase made him sick.
"You messed everything up, Evelyn. Everything.
And now you want to end it?
You believe I can give you that?
Evelyn flinched, the sting of his words penetrating deeper than she had intended. She had always understood that he saw their love as a fiction, something he could throw away when it no longer worked for him. But seeing him say it, hearing the venom in his voice, struck her like a blow.
Alexander's hand closed around her arm, guiding her out of the bustling room. She tripped slightly as he took her into a small, dimly lit study off to the side of the ballroom. The door clicked shut behind them, and the noise of the gala faded into an almost oppressive calm.
"Why the hell are you here, Evelyn?" he demanded, his voice low and fierce.
Evelyn pulled her arm away from him. "I'm here because I had to be. Because I need to know why you did what you did. He looked at her for a minute, his jaw tense. "You had your chance, Evelyn. You had an opportunity to fix things, but you left. She stood straight and didn't let him see the cracks that were growing inside her.
"You never gave me a choice, Alexander. You never gave me the chance to explain."
His eyes widened, and disbelief showed on his face. "You really think I'd believe that? After all that? After you left me like that? Evelyn's voice sank to a whisper, strong and determined. "You never let me choose."
The words hung in the air, breaking the tension. Alexander's eyes darkened, his expression unreadable, and for the briefest time, Evelyn wondered whether he felt it too, the weight of the years, the harsh truth between them.