“Ares has only ever dated blondes with either blue or green eyes.”
“So? He has a type. So do I. I like my man strong, wide-shouldered and beautiful, with a sharp mind and beautiful blue eyes.”
“Idiot. He’s been searching for his ‘true love’ all these years. Countless PIs have been hired to look for her. At least once a month they report to him, and—”
“And how exactly wouldyouknow that?” I interrupt.
She scoffs, crossing her arms in a way that says,Isn’t it obvious?“Don’t you sometimes check his phone to see what he’s up to?”
“No. But I can see why he isn’t with you anymore ifyoudid.” Maybe she’s the reason Ares is so hung up on respecting boundaries.
“Only naïve fools don’t keep tabs on—”
“But what does that have to do with his relationship history?” I ask, trying to steer her back to the topic.
“He’s been dating women who look likeher. You and I—we’re just substitutes. Get it?” Soledad sneers. “There’s no eternal happy ending for you, just like there wasn’t for me. Not even the baby is going to change that.” She pauses, giving me a chance to process.
Her words claw at me—my pride…or my heart… Or it might be the tiny kernel of hope I’ve secretly harbored that one day Ares would care for me—and wouldn’t mind that I’m nothing like the ideal woman he’s described. I keep forgetting our union isn’t about love.
That asshole. He’s too nice! And it’s unfair. He even called himself my knight, even though at that time he wasn’t quite sober. Shouldn’t he have treated me with respectful indifference? Kept himself busy while coming home early enough for dinner once in a while? Not worried about what I can or can’t eat. Not cut a young coconut for me or say that he’d love to take me to Thailand. Not buy me canvases or a set of beautiful paints or brushes and set up a studio in a sunny room that looks out over the garden full of blooming lilies.
He keeps making me feel special. But…
Come on, Lareina. You’re smarter than this. Don’t let this ex with a grudge get to you. You don’t know Ares’s side of the story. This woman could’ve made everything up.
Soledad stares at me, chin raised. She clearly has an ego. She’d never put herself down by calling herself a substitute. No matter how painful the pang in my heart is, I can’t let her win by acting like I believe her.
I put on another bland smile. “Substitute? Says who? What makes you think I’m not the original?” I tilt my head. “That ever cross your mind? I’m not only blonde, but have both one blue and one green eye. Up till now, he had tosettlefor either blue or green eyes because most people don’t have one of each like me.”
The color drains from Soledad’s face.
“The only substitute here is you. I’m hiswife. Thereal thing. Now, if you don’t have anything interesting to say, leave before I call the police.”
At the mention of the police, she grows even paler. Then she turns and runs.
That afternoon, Ares doesn’t text. And he’s still not home when I finally go to bed at midnight.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Lareina
The next day, I step into a bustling dim sum restaurant. I always thought, based on videos I’ve seen, that a place like this would be busy and have very Asian-themed décor—dragons and phoenixes or something. Instead, the hall is inlaid with frosted green jade pieces designed to look like a life-sized bamboo forest.
A host comes over, and I give her the name of my lunch date. She leads me to the back, and I wave when I catch sight of Ethan.
Since our previous meeting, we haven’t had much contact. I did mail the small sketch to him, but face-to-face time wasn’t really necessary, since he knew what I wanted. After all, I’m not paying him to check up on me, just help me claim what’s rightfully mine. And after that, punish Doris and her family. There probably isn’t enough evidence to make them pay criminally in a court of law, but there are other ways.
Ethan’s in an exceptionally well-tailored navy suit that fits his shoulders and lean torso well. The only splash of color is the burgundy tie, but his confidence helps him carry off the otherwise bland ensemble. Now that I think about it, Ares only wears black, blacker and maybe navy. Must be the lawyer uniform, although Jeremiah seems to like bold colors in order to make a statement.
“Hey,” Ethan says with a smile. “Thanks for agreeing to meet on such short notice.”
“No problem. Thanks for letting me pick the cuisine.” When he asked to meet for lunch to discuss my trust, I suggested dim sum. With Zoe, I didn’t care if I couldn’t eat a bite, which oftentimes makes the other party uncomfortable. But Ethan’s another matter.
“No problem. I haven’t had Chinese in a while. This’ll be good.”
We order. He goes mainly for the dumplings, but I choose fried rice, noodles and veggies that have to be shared from the same plates. Then we agree to get a large pot of jasmine tea to split—thank God. The service is brisk, and soon our food comes out.
Ethan serves me crab fried rice, while I pour tea for both of us. I wait until he takes a bite of his portion before I chew on mine.Ah… Heavenly.The perfectly blended flavor of Dungeness crab meat and freshly chopped veggies is chef’s-kiss good.
