Chapter 3 Worthless
Juliet's breath caught in her throat.
For a moment, she couldn't breathe.
All this time, she had kept forgiving him because she believed their arguments meant nothing. She thought they would eventually make up, just as they always had. She thought that beneath all the fighting, Vincent still cared.
But the man sitting across the room looked completely unmoved by her pain.
There was no remorse in his eyes.
No regret.
No concern.
And something inside her finally snapped.
Juliet roughly wiped the tears from her cheeks and straightened her back. Her trembling hands slowly curled into fists at her sides.
If nobody in this room cared about her dignity, then she would protect it herself.
The next second, she pushed the door open.
Bang!
The sound echoed through the private room like a gunshot.
Every conversation stopped instantly.
Heads snapped toward the entrance.
Shock flashed across several faces.
For a brief moment, complete silence filled the room.
Instead, their eyes instinctively shifted toward Vincent, waiting for him to react.
But Vincent gave them nothing.
Leaning comfortably against his chair, he continued watching Juliet with the same calm, unreadable expression.
Juliet ignored him.
Lifting her chin, she walked straight toward the table.
The sharp click of her heels echoed across the silent room.
Then her eyes landed on Alexa.
Her steps slowed.
And stopped.
The moment she saw the dress Alexa was wearing, all the color drained from her face.
The room disappeared around her.
Her gaze slowly moved over the dress, taking in every detail.
The emerald-green fabric.
The delicate hand-stitched embroidery.
The intricate flowers and vines woven into the design.
A dress she knew better than anyone.
Because she had designed it herself.
The dress had been custom-made by a renowned designer and paid for with the money her parents had left behind for her. She had spent months perfecting every detail, from the embroidery to the cut of the skirt, making endless revisions until it looked exactly the way she had always imagined.
It was supposed to be the dress she wore at her wedding reception.
The dress she had dreamed of wearing while standing beside Vincent.
The dress she had once imagined walking toward her future in.
For a long moment, Juliet simply stood there, staring at it in silence. A thousand memories flashed through her mind—late nights spent sketching designs, excitedly discussing fabrics with the designer, and the foolish happiness she had felt while planning a future she had believed was certain.
Slowly, she lifted her gaze to Alexa.
Any trace of shock had already disappeared from her face.
What remained was something far more unsettling.
Her expression was calm.
Terrifyingly calm.
When she finally spoke, her voice was so composed that it sent an inexplicable chill through the room.
"Take it off." Her gaze remained fixed on the emerald gown as she slowly lifted her eyes to Alexa's face. "Why are you wearing the dress I planned to wear at my wedding reception?"
The room instantly fell silent.
No one spoke. No one even seemed to breathe.
Juliet's voice hadn't been loud. It hadn't trembled or cracked. If anything, it was unnervingly calm, the kind of quiet that came before a storm, and every single word echoed clearly through the room.
Because she knew that dress.
She knew every inch of it.
She had personally ordered that exact shade of emerald green.
She had spent months working with the designer, going through sketch after sketch until everything was perfect.
She had carefully chosen the neckline, the intricate embroidery along the bodice, and even the placement of every tiny bead sewn into the fabric.
Countless evenings had been spent discussing details with the designer because she hadn't wanted just any dress.
She had wanted the dress.
The dress she had planned to wear at her wedding reception with Vincent.
Back then, she had still believed they would have a future together. She had imagined herself wearing this very dress while standing beside him, imagined dancing with him in front of their family and friends, imagined beginning the next chapter of their lives together.
Now, that same dress was draped over Alexa's body as though it had always belonged to her.
The realization made Juliet's stomach twist painfully.
Because Alexa wasn't just anyone.
She was Vincent's closest female friend. The woman who had constantly inserted herself into their relationship. The woman who had repeatedly crossed boundaries while pretending she meant no harm.
And now she was standing there wearing the dress Juliet had once dreamed of wearing on one of the most important days of her life.
Slowly, she took a step forward, never taking her eyes off Alexa.
"How did you get that dress, Alexa?" she asked, her voice still frighteningly calm. "Because unless someone broke into my house and stole it, I can't think of any other explanation."
Alexa was her cousin, the daughter of her mom’s sister. Growing up, Juliet had treated her like a sister. Whatever Alexa wanted, Juliet gave without hesitation. Clothes, jewelry, gifts, attention—she had never been stingy with her.
Never once had she imagined Alexa would sit in a room full of people and mock her behind her back.
Never once had she imagined Alexa would take something that meant so much to her.
Alexa glanced at her before turning to Vincent. A playful smile curved her lips as she slipped her hand around his arm and gave it a gentle shake.
"Vincent, look," she said with a light laugh. "She's upset. I told you she'd get upset, but you wouldn't listen."
Juliet's brows slowly furrowed.
A strange feeling settled in her chest.
Her gaze immediately shifted to Vincent.
Vincent calmly placed his whiskey glass on the table and leaned back in his chair.
"I gave it to her."
His tone was casual.
As though they were discussing a handbag instead of her wedding reception dress.
"There is nothing to make such a big scene about. It's just a dress. If you want one, buy another."
Alexa's smile instantly widened.
"Exactly." She smoothed her palm over the emerald fabric and admired it. "I told Vincent to show it to me, and the moment I saw it, I fell in love with it. He said I could have it if I wanted."
She looked at Juliet and smiled sweetly.
"So it's mine now."
Juliet stared at her.
For a moment, she wasn't sure she had heard correctly.
"That's my wedding reception dress, Alexa."
Her voice came out quiet.
Almost numb.
"The dress I was supposed to wear when I married Vincent."
She repeated it slowly, hoping that hearing the words aloud would make them understand why she was hurt.
Neither of them looked affected.
Not even slightly.
"Stop being such a bitch about it, Juliet."
Vincent's irritated voice cut through the room.
He frowned at her, clearly annoyed.
"It's just a dress. Stop dragging this out already. You're giving everyone a headache."
His expression hardened.
"We came here to enjoy ourselves, not listen to your bullshit."
The room became so quiet that a pin could have dropped.
Juliet felt something crack inside her chest.
Yet Vincent continued.
"Stop being so narrow-minded. Isn't Alexa your family?" he said impatiently. "Why are you making such a big deal out of something this small? If you want another dress, buy another fucking dress."
Juliet never looked away from him.
In fact, the tears in her eyes slowly disappeared.
The pain remained.
But something else was replacing it.
Something colder.
Something that made Vincent's brows knit together slightly.
Slowly, Juliet tilted her head.
"So if something becomes worthless..." she asked quietly, "...and someone steals it from me, I should simply replace it?"
"Obviously."
The answer came immediately.
Juliet held his gaze for several seconds.
Then she nodded.
"Alright."
Her voice was calm.
"I will."
Without another word, she turned and walked away.
Nobody stopped her.
Nobody called after her.
Her heart pounded violently against her ribs as she strode through the club. Music blasted around her, but it sounded distant beneath the roaring in her ears.
Every breath hurt.
Every heartbeat hurt.
Moments ago, she thought the worst part was hearing them mock her.
She had been wrong.
The worst part was realizing that the person she had spent years with was standing among them.
And choosing them over her.
The flashing lights blurred before her eyes as she pushed through the crowd.
She just needed to leave.
She headed straight for the exit.
The moment she reached the doors, she shoved them open with both hands.
Cold night air rushed against her face.
Juliet stumbled outside and bent forward slightly, drawing in a shaky breath.
Then another.
And another.
As though she had been drowning all night and had only just managed to reach the surface.
The very next second, Juliet's heel caught awkwardly on the edge of a step.
Her ankle twisted.
A startled gasp escaped her lips as her balance disappeared beneath her.
"Ah—!"
She instinctively reached for the railing, but her fingers closed around empty air.
Everything happened in a blur.
Her body pitched forward. Her shoulder slammed painfully into the metal railing before her forehead struck the sharp corner of a concrete step.
Bang!
The sickening sound echoed through the quiet night.
A burst of pain exploded through her head, stealing the breath from her lungs.
"Juliet?!"
Amara's horrified scream rang out immediately.
She rushed forward so fast she nearly tripped herself, dropping to her knees beside Juliet at the bottom of the stairs.
"Oh my God! Juliet!"
Juliet barely heard her.
The world spun violently around Juliet.
The bright neon lights outside the club blurred into streaks of color, twisting and merging together until she could no longer tell where the ground ended and the sky began.
A sharp ringing filled her ears, drowning out the music thundering from inside the club and the distant sounds of traffic passing by.