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"This one is a white gold bracelet with four small diamonds around it. And this other one is also made of gold, but its coloring is a rose gold tone and just like the previous one, it has four small diamonds inlaid."
"What is the price of each?"
"They are worth seventeen hundred dollars, miss."
Dang. I have to hold onto the counter after hearing the price.
I have the money, but just now that I'm not working and solely living off my savings, I have to think really hard to spend that much.
"Okay," I say after considering it for a few seconds. It's a gift for my sister and this expense is worth it. "I think I'll wear the rose gold bracelet. I bet Sophie will love it."
"Excellent choice," replies the salesman.
"I will wrap your purchase for you, in the meantime you can stop by to cancel to the cashier to pay."
I pay and shortly after return to the salesman who already has the gift in a bag.
"Here you go," he says holding it out, and the moment I raise my left hand to take my purchase, I can't miss how his gaze is riveted on the ring I'm wearing. "Oh miss, let me confess that I love your ring.
"Thank you so much," I say shyly, bringing my gaze back to the sapphire ring that just today after a long time, I decided to wear.
"You know, I don't forget the day that young man came to buy it," he confesses, and hearing his words, my heart flips. "It is a unique model in the world, and the most expensive engagement ring ever sold in the store."
"What?" I hear Chloé say behind me.
I feel as if my heart has stopped beating and is paralyzed.
"That's just it," the salesman replies. "I guess your fiancé didn't tell you the cost."
"I..." I try to formulate, but I can't even speak. I feel a lump in my throat and it's as if everything is starting to spin now.
"Having met you both, I can assure you that you are one of the cutest couples I've ever seen," he says with a gentle smile.
"Juliette, let's go," Chloé says, but I can't react.
"Oh, sorry if I made you uncomfortable," I hear the gentleman say as he notices my expression. "I wish you much happiness in your marriage, and have a happy new year."
I don't even thank the salesman and rush out of that store without looking back, I need to fill my lungs with air. My chest feels tight and my eyesight becomes cloudy as I step outside.
"Juliette! Juliette, are you okay?" questions Chloé, but I can't even nod, my gaze is lost and inevitably my mind flies to that moment when he asked me to marry him.u
Flashback:
"How much did this cost you, Gérard?" I asked.
"That doesn't matter."
"Tell me, I need to know if I could get my finger cut off for wearing this."
"Seventy thousand dollars."
"Juliette, please react," I am brought back to reality by the voice of my friend, who has placed her hands on either side of my face, causing me to focus my eyes on her. "Doll, breathe."
She is with a noticeable expression of concern on her face.
The moment her arms wrap around me, unable to contain it, tears spill from my eyes running down my cheeks, and the tightness in my chest increases, this can't be true.
"Julie, hey you can't let him get to you anymore," she says, trying to remove all traces of the crying covering my face."
"I..." I try to say, but I find it hard to speak. "I'm sorry, I just can't."
I try to continue, but my breath catches. I can't finish understanding this.
"Why?," I ask myself after remembering. "Why did he have to do all this to me? I can't take this whole situation anymore," I mumble almost inaudibly.
"Easy, Julie," Chloé says, "I think what you should do is put that ring away."
"I don't know, I..." I'm about.to finish the sentence, however, the loud boom of fireworks displaying in the sky interrupts my action.
"January first," my friend says, and my chest tightens again, along with the cry that comes out again. "Happy New Year, doll."
"It's his birthday," is all that comes out of my mouth.
Gérard's POV
The music of the club in which I find myself, does not stop booming in my ears while I'm sitting in one of the armchairs in the VIP area.
The pill I just ingested has begun to take effect, preventing me from seeing things clearly and giving me the familiar feeling of euphoria in my body. Everything around me seems blurry and confused.
My senses are clouded, but my breathing and heart rate have increased due to all the mixture of narcotics I have consumed. I'm not even worried that I'm about to go into cardiac arrest by feeling like this, because if that were the case, I would really appreciate it.
After losing count of the time I have been here, I try to stand up from the sudden overwhelm I am beginning to feel from being surrounded by so many people. However, in my attempt to stand up, a body that I hadn't noticed before, pushes me back into the seat and then lands on my lap.
I can't make out the person's face because of the club lights shining directly in my face. But from her silhouette, I know it is a woman who is now rocking on top of me provocatively, rubbing her pussy on my crotch.
Her act is not exciting to me at all, but I don't push her away anyway, and let her continue with her repetitive movements, as she caresses my chest with her hands and runs her tongue down my neck. I can't think clearly about what I'm doing, the only thing I know is that I need to clear my head, to forget about the world, about the shit I'm doing but mainly: of her.