Chapter 3

Dora POV:

The lunch was a torture. Dawson, my supposed lover, barely acknowledged my presence. His entire attention was fixated on Arleen. He refilled her water glass before it was half empty, cut her steak into bite-sized pieces, and leaned in attentively every time she spoke, his gaze never leaving her face. He hung on her every word. It was a devotion so absolute, so profound, it made my stomach churn with a bitter mixture of jealousy and utter devastation.

"Dawson, darling," Arleen chirped, reaching across the table to gently pat his hand. Her touch lingered, overtly affectionate. "You're spoiling me."

Darling. The word, intimate and possessive, sliced through me. I remembered how I once tried to call him "my darling" in a moment of tender vulnerability. He had gently, almost imperceptibly, pulled away, his expression unreadable. "Just Dawson, little bird," he'd said, a faint frown creasing his brow. "It suits me better." The memory of that small rejection now felt like a gaping wound.

Arleen then launched into a nostalgic retelling of Dawson's childhood, a stream of anecdotes about his mischievous pranks and adorable antics as a boy. "Oh, Dawson, remember that time you tried to bake Mom a cake and put salt instead of sugar? You were such a little terror!" She laughed, a tinkling sound that filled the elegant restaurant.

Dawson chuckled warmly, his eyes crinkling at the corners. He listened, utterly captivated, a soft, fond smile on his face, as if reliving the cherished memories. That was the smile I had always craved, the genuine warmth that had been so conspicuously absent when he looked at me. He was completely at ease with her, completely himself.

My heart ached, a sharp, physical pain. He had never spoken of his childhood with me. Never. Every inquiry I had made, gentle and tentative, had been met with a vague shrug or a quick change of subject. He wanted no past with me, because in his mind, I had no future with him.

Suddenly, Arleen gasped, her hand flying to her finger. "Oh, clumsy me!" she exclaimed, a tiny drop of red blooming on her perfectly manicured nail. She had nicked herself on the edge of her fork.

Before anyone could react, Dawson was on his feet, rushing to her side. He took her hand, examined the minuscule cut, his face contorted with genuine alarm. Then, with a tenderness that stole my breath, he brought her finger to his lips, gently kissing the tiny wound. "Does it hurt, my love?" he murmured, his voice laced with such profound concern, such raw devotion, that it physically hurt to witness.

My mind reeled. He had never once shown me such unrestrained affection, such unguarded panic. Not even when I had accidentally cut myself badly in the kitchen, slicing my finger to the bone. He had merely handed me a bandage and told me to be more careful.

Then, to my horror, I saw it. A subtle but undeniable tightening in Dawson' s trousers. His body was reacting to Arleen, not just with concern, but with raw, primal desire. The blood drained from my face. I was just a prescription. Arleen, his 'goddess,' was the real thing. The truth, in that moment, was a humiliation so profound it threatened to consume me. I bit my lip until I tasted blood, trying to keep my composure, to stop the tremor in my hands.

After Dawson had adequately fussed over Arleen's tiny cut, he presented her with a small, velvet box. "Happy early birthday, darling," he said, his eyes shining with adoration. Inside lay a diamond necklace, glittering under the restaurant lights. It was breathtakingly beautiful, and undeniably expensive.

Arleen gasped with delight, her eyes sparkling. "Oh, Dawson, you shouldn't have! It's exquisite!" She leaned in and kissed his cheek, a lingering, intimate gesture. "You always know just what I like."

Dawson watched her, his gaze unwavering, full of a love so potent it was almost tangible. It was a gaze I had always yearned for, but had never received.

As Arleen fastened the necklace around her slender neck, her eyes caught on my wrist. "Oh, Dora," she said, her voice dripping with careful kindness. "What a beautiful locket you have. Is that an antique?"

My hand instinctively went to the silver locket on my wrist. It was an heirloom, passed down through generations of women in my family. The only tangible link to my past, the only thing I had woken up with in this modern world. It was simple, unadorned, but infinitely precious to me. "Yes," I replied, my voice barely a whisper. "It belonged to my mother."

Dawson, who had been basking in Arleen's glow, turned to me, his expression suddenly stern. "It's quite lovely, isn't it?" he said to Arleen, ignoring my explanation. "Dora, why don't you let Arleen try it on? I'm sure it would look even more stunning on her."

My heart plummeted into my stomach. Give my mother's locket to Arleen? The symbol of my lost family, the only piece of my true identity? "I... I can't, Dawson," I stammered, my voice barely audible. "It's very old, and very special to me. It's... a family heirloom."

Dawson's jaw tightened. His eyes, usually so charming, turned cold and flinty. "Don't be silly, Dora. It's just a trinket. Arleen admires it. It would be rude to refuse." He reached for my wrist, his fingers closing around the locket. "Come on, be a good girl."

I pulled my hand away, my heart pounding. "No, Dawson. Please. It's truly important to me." My voice was firm, a sliver of defiance cutting through my fear.

His face darkened instantly. "Dora," he growled, his voice low and dangerous. "Don't make a scene. Arleen wants it. Give it to her."

Arleen, ever the diplomat, placed a gentle hand on Dawson's arm. "Oh, Dawson, don't be cross with her. It's quite alright. I wouldn't dream of taking something so sentimental from Dora. Perhaps she can loan it to me for a short while, just to admire it properly?" Her words were honeyed, but her eyes, when they met mine, held a sharp, triumphant glint. She knew exactly what she was doing.

Dawson, still fuming, nodded curtly. "See, Dora? Arleen is being gracious. Just for a loan." He gave me a look that promised severe repercussions if I continued to resist.

I swallowed hard, my throat tight. The locket felt heavy, burning against my skin. The casual dismissal of its value, the blatant demand to hand over my only link to my past, was a fresh wound. I knew then, with chilling clarity, that I meant nothing to him. Nothing at all.

The rest of the meal was a blur. I sat in numb silence, the forced conviviality around me an unbearable mockery. My appetite was gone. My love for Dawson, once a roaring fire, had dwindled to a few dying embers, now extinguished completely.

As we were leaving the restaurant, a sudden, torrential downpour erupted. Fat raindrops hammered against the pavement, quickly turning the street into a chaotic mess. Dawson rushed to open the door for Arleen, shielding her with his expensive umbrella. "Careful, darling," he murmured, his voice full of concern.

He then turned back to me, his face still etched with residual anger from the locket incident. "Get in the car, Dora," he ordered, his voice sharp.

I moved to open the back door, but he slammed it shut an inch from my fingers. "Don't you ever defy me again," he hissed, his eyes blazing with fury. With a terrifying click, he locked the doors from the inside.

"Dawson, wait!" Arleen called out, her voice laced with what sounded like genuine concern. "What are you doing? She'll get soaked!"

Dawson turned back to her, a chilling smile on his face. "She needs a lesson in obedience, Arleen. Sometimes, a little discomfort teaches a great deal." He then climbed into the driver's seat.

Arleen watched me with a flicker of something unreadable in her eyes, a mixture of pity and smug satisfaction. She gave a small, helpless shrug, then turned away.

Dawson started the engine, a roar that drowned out the pounding rain. He glanced at me through the rearview mirror, his eyes cold and unforgiving. He then sped away, sending a wave of dirty rainwater splashing over me as the car disappeared into the downpour.

I stood there, drenched, shivering, and utterly alone, the icy rain mimicking the tears that streamed down my face. My mind flashed back to a memory, a false promise he had once given me. "I'll never leave you in the cold, little bird," he had whispered, holding me close. "Never."

The lie echoed in the emptiness of the street, a cruel testament to his deception.