Chapter 5

Vivienne turned to see a handsome, affable gentleman approaching her. "Spencer?" "I thought I saw you from a distance earlier, but I didn't think… that you'd actually be here." Spencer stopped beside her, his eyes inscrutable as he stared at her. "I thought I'd never see you again." Spencer had confessed to having romantic feelings for Vivienne before she got married and even warned her that she and Sebastian would not work out. However, she had been so set on marrying Sebastian at the time that she turned down Spencer's affections. After that, Spencer went abroad, and they lost contact. Courtesy of what Jason had told her not long ago, Vivienne suddenly realized just how much she had given up for Sebastian. She'd even forgotten about Spencer, the man who had been like a brother figure to her growing up. Now that she saw Spencer again, she couldn't help the guilt and shame that seized her. "Mr. Goodhall," the banquet manager greeted Spencer respectfully upon seeing his arrival. Spencer's gaze flickered as he asked casually, "What's going on here?" The banquet manager explained in hushed tones, "This young lady reportedly snuck into the banquet without an invitation… Mr. Goodhall, surely you're aware of Mr. Goodhall Senior's rules about unwanted guests." Melanie and Regina had gone still with disbelief when they realized Vivienne and Spencer knew each other. Melanie, in particular, couldn't resist asking, "Mr. Goodhall, how could you possibly be acquainted with a woman like Vivienne? Have you perhaps… mistaken her for somebody else?" Spencer cast her a questioning look. "I'm not so addle-minded that I'd mistake one of my friends for somebody else… Also, I'm curious what you mean by 'a woman like Vivienne.'" Regina interjected with a sneer, "A woman shameless enough to do anything it takes to marry into a family way beyond her league, of course! Vivienne is unemployed and spends her days blowing through my grandson's hard-earned money, yet here she is, dressed like a harlot and asking for indecent attention! You'd best not be duped by a hussy like her, Mr. Goodhall!" Spencer countered coolly, "Age is catching up with you and robbing you of your judgment, Mrs. Holt Senior. I can understand why you've mistakenly treasured below-average, common fare." He glanced at Sebastian and added, "Speaking of poor judgment, I didn't expect you to suffer from that affliction too, Mr. Holt. Not only have you failed to recognize your own wife, you've also accused her of sneaking in without an invitation and asked that she be thrown out of the banquet." Spencer's gaze swept over Melanie's face, and mockery dripped from his otherwise deep and pleasant voice as he said, "I knew you were a womanizer, Mr. Holt, but I didn't think you'd be so… crude." Upon hearing this, the banquet manager froze. He couldn't believe that the woman they were about to throw out of the banquet was Sebastian's wife. He'd thought the woman on Regina's arm was married to Sebastian, but she turned out to be a homewrecker instead. Was Sebastian choosing to abandon his reputation by shielding his mistress over his lawfully wedded wife in public? Other respectable families would have kept such scandalous affairs a secret while putting on a show with their legal spouses for the sake of their public image, but the Holts were practically flaunting their dirty laundry. Had they lost their minds? Spencer's sharp words left Melanie in an extremely awkward and humiliating position, but he wasn't done with her yet. "As far as I know, miss, I did not invite you to my grandfather's birthday banquet. The invitations I sent did state that the invitees are allowed to bring their families, but you… don't seem to be related to the Holts at all. Am I right?" He cut a meaningful look at the banquet manager, who got the hint immediately and approached Melanie. "Miss, please leave the banquet at once." The banquet manager's face was full of indifference and disdain. Melanie's eyes prickled at the sight of this. She turned to Sebastian and pleaded pathetically, "Sebastian…" Sebastian was about to say something when Spencer cut in, "Mr. Holt, seeing as you reported seeing an uninvited guest at the party, I take it that you understand the rules. In that case, I wouldn't expect you to show preferential treatment toward anyone out of personal sentiment." A shadow passed over Sebastian's face. He turned to Melanie. "Go home first, Melanie." Reluctant as Melanie was to leave, she knew she had no choice. She walked away, glancing over her shoulder now and then. When Melanie was gone, Sebastian gripped Vivienne's wrist. "Come with me." Spencer frowned and stepped forward, but Vivienne gave him a subtle shake of her head. He stopped in his tracks. Sebastian did not miss the quiet interaction between Spencer and Vivienne, and he was less than pleased about it. He grimly dragged her to the garden in the back and sneered. "Are these the only lousy tricks you have, Vivienne? Asking for a divorce and playing hard to get so that I'd give you attention?" "Playing hard to get? Asking for your attention? Who do you think you are to flatter yourself that way, Sebastian?" Vivienne looked as if she'd just heard a big joke. "You ought to see a doctor about your narcissism before it worsens." Sebastian's chiseled face hardened in the moonlight. He ground out, "Did you forget that you got close to my grandfather on purpose and pulled all kinds of tricks just to marry me, Vivienne?" At the mention of Edwin, Vivienne's heart tightened. Years ago, she had saved Edwin by chance after he suffered a heart attack, and it was only after the fact that she learned he was Sebastian's grandfather. Edwin had taken a liking to her since and longed for her to be his granddaughter-in-law. At the time, Vivienne had come to Sanvia for Sebastian, but she had no idea he was in love with Melanie. As such, she did not reject Edwin's efforts to set her up with Sebastian. However, she never expected Edwin to drug her and Sebastian as part of the setup. Edwin passed away from his illness not long after Vivienne and Sebastian got their marriage license. Before his passing, he apologized to Vivienne and confessed that he'd only pulled such a stunt because he knew his days were numbered. As underhanded as his methods had been, Edwin was the only person in the entire Holt family who had been kind to Vivienne. After that, no matter how hard she tried to tell Sebastian she was innocent, he believed she'd approached Edwin intentionally and colluded with the old man to set Sebastian up. Vivienne didn't bother explaining past events to Sebastian. "I was blind before, but now that I know better, I won't allow myself to get hung up on you," she said icily, her red lips curving into a wry smile as her snide gaze dipped below his abdomen. "Especially considering the trash you've been with… Heaven knows if I caught any disease." Sebastian barked a harsh laugh. "Did you lose your mind trying to seduce me, Vivienne? Did you think you could provoke me into touching you?" Vivienne was rendered speechless. No matter what she said, he'd only brush it off as an attempt to get his attention. There was nothing she could do about a self-centered jerk like him. Not wanting to waste her breath on him, she cut to the chase. "Sebastian, I know all about you and Melanie. I know you don't love me, and since you and Melanie have more or less gone official, we may as well divorce—the sooner, the better. If this goes on, it's only a matter of time before the media catches you with Ms. Schafer and labels her a homewrecker." Sebastian's dark eyes were frosty and full of loathing. "What nonsense are you spewing now? Are you seriously throwing a fit just because your stalking didn't work out as well as you'd hoped? You're just making baseless accusations now." "Nonsense? Baseless accusations?" Vivienne's gaze grew cold. "At least have the guts to admit to your shenanigans, Mr. Holt."