Page 106 of The French Kiss

She’s still attached to Simon’s side like a barnacle, and while he’s not touching her, he’s not stopping her from touching him either. Chloe grins happily as she gives Simon an intimate look. “Oh, just a little kiss for old time’s sake.”

“What?” I say quietly as the words slap me squarely in the chest. “You two...” I point back and forth between them.

Chloe laughs, a tinkling sound of condescension. “Of course.”

Simon pushes her away then, his eyes imploring me. “A long time ago. She’s Venerable’s niece.”

Chloe flashes innocent doe eyes my way, “Oh! Are you two... I didn’t know.” But she knew. It’s obvious that she knew when she gives me a smug smirk of victory.

I hold my hand up, palm toward her. “Say one more word and I will show you a straight-up WWE Smackdown, starting with that pretty face of yours. Take off my dress, get your hands off Simon, and get out of my sight,” I yell. “Now!”

Chloe looks like she might say something else or throw a barbed comment my way, but when sees that I’m deadly serious, she retreats quickly.

“Autumn.” Simon’s voice is hard, commanding. “We’re in the middle of backstage.”

He’s warning me that everyone has frozen and gone silent at the spectacle we’re making... thatI’mmaking. They’re all listening and watching us. But I don’t care. I have nothing to lose here... I’ve already lost it all.

“And?” I ask. “I think they’ve already figured out that I’m the fool, don’t you? Beatrice warned me... Simon the playboy, Simon the womanizer, but I believed you. Tobias told me, but still... I trusted you.”

I’m ranting, hands flailing as I shout, and Simon stands there and takes it, letting me rage. He doesn’t argue a single thing I say, which lets me know... I’m right.

“What did Tobias say?” he says quietly.

“Men have their wife, their mistress, and their whore. And they should never meet.” I narrow my eyes, daring him to disagree.

He steps closer to me, and on his bare chest, I see the necklace I so carefully placed there and suddenly become aware of the weight of the one around my own neck. When he’s quiet, I reach under my collar and grip my necklace tightly, the disappointment firing through me like lightning, and then I yank it as hard as I can. The sharp pain at the nape of my neck as the clasp gives makes me cry out, but I don’t let that stop me. I shove the necklace at his chest, and when he doesn’t take it, I let it fall to the floor with a clatter.

I want him to rage with me, tell me I’m wrong and make me believe again when all the hope I had just publicly shattered into a million pieces.

“Autumn, you know that’s not true.” Simon’s jaw is hard-set, his nostrils flared, and his eyes stone as he glares at me. “You know what this is.”

I thought I did, but all I can hear is Tobias. Wife, mistress, whore. And all I can see is Simon kissing Chloe.

“Don’t tell me which one I was. I think I know.”

I storm off, shocked silence and uncomfortable side eyes everywhere, until a few people snicker, talking behind my back now that they’re confident I’m not going to throw punches in their direction. I go back to my area, gathering my personal items up.

I should’ve known!I think, shoving stuff into my bag.Why am I so stupid? I was just a tool. A check item on his list of conquests! All that talk about my being different was probably him wanting to try something new. More cushion for his pushin’! I’m such a gullible dupe for his poor-me pity story.

Nobody says anything to me as I sling the strap for my bag over my shoulder and turn around, pain-filled tears burning in my face.

“Fuck you,” I hiss, storming for the door. As I do, I see Beatrice and Chloe fist bump, and it hits me like a ton of bricks...

They sabotaged me.

It’s like acid on my already wounded heart, and this perfect storm of fuck-ups swirling around me sends me into a tailspin of epic proportions.

I let the vitriol loose, snidely telling Chloe, “I wouldn’t be celebrating too much. You might’ve fucked up my relationship with Simon and my designs, but did you forget that the entire fashion world just saw you bomb the runway? I’d be surprised if you ever walk again.” I flick my eyes to Beatrice, and with hurt in my voice, I say, “I helped you. I cheered you on. I thought we were... friends.”

Beatrice looks sad, tears popping to her eyes as she quietly says, “Autumn—”

“Save it,” I bite out and spin, walking straight out the door.

Once I’m on the street, I break down. I get quite a few strange looks as I ugly cry, wiping snot on my sleeve as I stomp down the sidewalk. At first, I don’t know where I’m going, but eventually, I find my way back to the House Corbin building.

I can barely stand the sight of the building any longer, but I have some personal items in the workroom, and while a pair of scissors might not mean much to some people, they mean something to me.

I gather my things, shoving them into my bag and berating myself.

---