Chapter 4
The next morning, Calista got the message right after waking up.
Eric was taking Estelle to an auction, and Estelle had specifically requested that she come along.
Calista knew she did not have the option to say no, so she quietly changed her clothes and got ready.
In the car, Eric kept Estelle close in his arms.
He adjusted the seat back for her, held her water bottle, and even buckled her seatbelt himself.
Every gesture was full of care, so different from how cold he was toward Calista.
“Eric, I want some strawberries,” Estelle said sweetly.
Eric told the driver to pull over immediately, walked into a roadside fruit store, and came back with a box of the priciest strawberries. After that, he fed them to her one by one, smiling as he did.
Calista sat quietly in the front seat, catching Estelle’s smug smile in the rearview mirror.
Only then did she realize the real reason Estelle brought her along was to show her just how deep Eric’s love ran. A love that would never belong to her.
If this had happened before, her heart might have shattered.
Now, she didn’t even flinch.
The auction venue was stunning.
Eric spent freely, bidding on every piece of jewelry and artwork Estelle lingered on, no matter the price.
Estelle nestled into his side, throwing triumphant glances Calista’s way from time to time.
Calista stayed in her seat, quiet as a shadow, doing everything she could to blend in.
Then, when the final item appeared on stage, the room burst into chaos.
Calista’s private photos were suddenly projected onto the large screen.
In crystal–clear detail, her clothes were messy, and her expression hazy. The man’s face was blurred, but she knew that body. It was Eric.
she knew
“Oh my god, isn’t that the Callahan family’s driver’s daughter?”
“She always looked so well–behaved. Who knew she was like this…”
“Look at the poses. Clearly not her first time…”
The whispers and judgment hit her like waves. Her whole world crumbled in seconds.
She had no idea how those pictures were leaked, and she had no clue how they ended up here, of all places.
“No…” She shook her head in disbelief, her voice cracking, “Please….. Stop it…”
Her nails dug into her palms so hard that blood started to seep out, but she did not feel a thing. All she wanted was to disappear–to find a crack in the ground to hide in, or just stop existing altogether.
J
“Take it down!” Eric shot up from his seat, his voice icy cold. “I’m buying all of these photos.”
Without another word, he grabbed Calista and stormed out.
“Eric!”
“Eric!”
Estelle called after him, but he did not spare her a single glance. His grip on Calista’s wrist was tight, almost painful.
He said nothing the entire way, just dragged her through the corridor straight to the rooftop.
The night wind was sharp and cold, cutting through her thin clothes.
“Is money really that important to you?” He shoved her against the railing, his voice colder than the wind. “You actually dared to sell those photos at an auction?”
Calista’s eyes widened. She was stunned that he would believe that of her.
“It wasn’t me…” she whispered, her voice trembling. “I would never…”
“Then who else?” Eric grabbed her chin, rage burning in his eyes–rage she had never seen before. “If you’re so desperate for money, why didn’t you come to me?”
His voice was low, gritted out through clenched teeth. “Do you really think anyone in Chicago is wealthier than me?”
His grip tightened, and tears welled up in her eyes from the pain.
She did not get why she was being treated like a criminal when she was clearly the one who got hurt.
“If you still don’t get it…” Eric gave a bitter laugh, then suddenly grabbed her collar. “Then I’ll make sure you do–right now.”
2345)
