Chapter 5

The terrace was cold, the night air biting at Elinor's bare arms. She leaned against the stone railing, letting the chill seep into her bones. It was a relief after the stifling heat of the club, the suffocating weight of Dempsey's stare.

She took a deep breath, counting to ten. Then again. The anger was still there, a simmering pot ready to boil over, but the fresh air helped clear her head. She was not going to cry. She was not going to break down. She was done being the fragile, heartbroken wife.

She heard the click of heels on the stone behind her. She turned, expecting Jaylynn.

It was Darcy Lynn.

The other woman looked pristine, her white dress glowing in the dim light of the terrace. She held a glass of champagne in one hand, a smile playing on her lips. It wasn't a friendly smile.

"Elinor, right?" Darcy said, her voice soft and sweet, like poisoned honey. "I don't think we've ever officially met. I'm Darcy."

Elinor straightened up, her guard instantly rising. "I know who you are."

Darcy stepped closer, her eyes scanning Elinor's face. "I just wanted to come out here and say thank you. Really. Thank you for taking care of Dempsey these past three years. I know it couldn't have been easy, playing house while he was waiting for me."

The words were a slap, sharper than the one Elinor had given Dempsey. They were designed to humiliate, to reduce her three years of marriage to a babysitting gig.

Elinor's hands curled into fists at her sides. "I didn't play house, Darcy. I was his wife. Legally. Publicly. While you were... what? A memory?"

Darcy's smile didn't waver. If anything, it grew sharper. "A memory? Is that what he told you?" She let out a light, tinkling laugh. "Oh, Elinor. You really don't understand men like Dempsey, do you? He married you because you were safe. You were convenient. You were a placeholder."

She took another step closer, closing the distance between them. The sweet smell of her perfume was overwhelming. She lowered her voice, her eyes glittering with malice.

"Do you honestly believe he was thinking of you during those quiet nights? A man like Dempsey? He married you for convenience, but his heart... his heart was always somewhere else. You were just keeping his bed warm until the real owner came back to claim it."

The words hit Elinor like a physical blow. Her breath hitched. Her chest constricted, a sharp, stabbing pain that made it hard to breathe. The image Darcy painted was grotesque, degrading. It stripped away every moment of tenderness Elinor had clung to, every hope she had harbored that maybe, just maybe, Dempsey had cared for her even a little.

She felt the blood drain from her face. Her skin turned cold, clammy.

Darcy saw the reaction and her smile widened. She had found the wound, and she was pressing her thumb into it. "It's sad, really," Darcy continued, her voice dripping with fake sympathy. "But the contract is up. The placeholder is no longer needed. I'm back now. And I'm not going anywhere."

She reached out and patted Elinor's arm, a gesture so condescending it made Elinor's skin crawl. "So be a good girl and sign the papers. Walk away quietly. Don't make this harder than it has to be."

Darcy turned to leave, her white dress swirling around her legs. She looked like a victor leaving the battlefield.

Elinor stood frozen, the echo of Darcy's words ringing in her ears. Keeping his bed warm. The nausea rolled through her stomach, hot and acidic. She had endured three years of loneliness, three years of being second best, and this woman had the audacity to tell her it was all a lie, a sick game of pretend.

The pain was immense, a crushing weight on her chest. But beneath the pain, something else stirred. A cold, hard fury. How dare she? How dare Dempsey let her speak to his wife like this?

The terrace door banged open. Jaylynn stormed out, her eyes blazing. She must have seen Darcy leave the booth.

"Are you okay?" Jaylynn demanded, rushing to Elinor's side. "What did that bitch say to you?"

Elinor didn't answer. She was staring at the door, her vision tunneling. She could see Darcy's blonde head through the glass, walking back toward Dempsey's table, a triumphant sway in her hips.

The anger exploded. It was a white-hot flash that consumed the pain, the humiliation, the heartbreak. It burned away the last of her hesitation.

"Nothing important," Elinor said, her voice flat. "She just needed to be put in her place."

She started walking toward the door. Jaylynn grabbed her arm. "Elinor, don't. She's not worth it. Let it go."

But Elinor wasn't listening to Jaylynn. She was focused on one thing: wiping that smug smile off Darcy Lynn's face.

She pushed through the door and strode back into the club. The music seemed louder now, the bass thumping in time with her racing heart. She saw Darcy approaching Dempsey's booth, saw the woman's face light up as she prepared to resume her role as the adoring mistress.

Elinor moved faster. She cut through the crowd, her silk dress brushing against strangers who gasped and stepped aside. She reached Darcy just as the other woman was about to sit down.

"Darcy," Elinor said, her voice cutting through the noise.

Darcy turned, surprise flickering across her face. "Elinor? What-"

She didn't get to finish the sentence. Jaylynn was right behind Elinor, and she wasn't interested in words. She grabbed a full martini glass off a passing waiter's tray.

"Hey!" the waiter yelped, but Jaylynn was already moving.

She stepped in front of Elinor, her arm drawing back. The glass caught the light, the clear liquid and the green olive suspended in mid-air for a split second.

Then, she let it fly.

The martini hit Darcy Lynn square in the face. The alcohol splashed across her perfect makeup, the olive bouncing off her forehead and landing on the floor with a wet plop. The ice cubes clattered against her collarbone, sliding down her white dress and leaving dark, wet trails.

Darcy screamed. It was a high-pitched, shocked sound that cut through the music like a knife. The immediate area around them fell silent, a bubble of stunned quiet in the thumping heart of the club. The DJ didn't cut the track, but heads turned, phones lifted, and the ambient chatter died, replaced by a focused, predatory hush.