196
"I need my own car."
"For what?"
"To travel on my own, I don't want to be in an SUV full of men."
"You don't need it."
"I'm not asking you, let alone begging you," I clarify. "I'm going to buy one for myself."
"You're quite irritating today, you know that?" he retorts, prompting me to shoot him a murderous glance.
"Don't talk to me again," I warn him, very annoyed by what he just told me.
He's insufferable! He started it and now he's acting offended.
I thank God when we finally arrive at Paul's mansion, and I can get out of this man's car. I couldn't stand sharing another second of oxygen with him.
I walk inside without waiting, and upon reaching the entrance, the man of the hour himself greets us.
"Juliette, I'm glad you came," he says, visibly pleased.
"Paul, happy birthday. I couldn't miss your..."
Hold on a moment. We didn't bring a gift.
Damn it.
"Paul, I have to apologize. I didn't bring you a gift."
"What are you saying, darling? It's not necessary. Your presence is more than enough. Come on in."
I give him a sheepish smile and enter the huge and luxurious house, while Gérard stays outside chatting with him.
Being here, I can spot several guests in the place. They seem to be wealthy individuals, but I'm surprised to see a few artists and entrepreneurs that I've heard of before gathered here.
I think I'm going into fan mode.
"Juliette!" I hear a familiar voice exclaim my name, and all of a sudden, I notice Sean in front of me.
"Sean! How are you?" I greet him, giving him a genuinely happy hug upon seeing him.
"Incredibly well now that you're here," he says, making me laugh. "But look at you, you look stunning."
"Thank you, Sean," I reply, blushing.
"And where's your magazine-worthy guy?" With some annoyance, I'm about to respond to this question, but Sean interrupts me immediately. "Oh, I spoke too soon, there's my good friend, Gérard Durand."
As he speaks, I simultaneously feel the presence of Lionel behind me.
"How's it going, brother?" he greets him with that typical manly hug.
"Seeing how these idiots are looking at my woman a bit too much," I hear him say, to which I roll my eyes, exasperated.
"Friend, the only way for someone not to look at your woman is to cover her from head to toe, and I bet even then they wouldn't stop looking at her," he quips, teasingly. "Don't sour up, enjoy, because tonight is to celebrate old Paul."
He suddenly gives him a pat on the shoulder before walking away behind a girl.
"I hope you won't be plagued with your ridiculous jealousy here," I warn Gérard, distancing myself from him.
I look for a seat, and without noticing whether he follows me or not, I settle into one of the sofas at the back of the huge room, being very careful as I sit down. I don't have anyone to talk to since I technically don't know anyone present apart from Sean, Paul, and the insufferable Gérard who...
Who is currently right where I left him, chatting with a woman with pink hair, a woman wearing a mini dress covered in sparkles and strange shoes.
I observe the situation closely, and my eyebrows raise on their own as I see him smile in response to whatever words that woman is saying to him.
Who the hell is that chick, and why is she so close to him?
My brow furrows as I watch her place one of her hands on his shoulder and then lean in to whisper something in his ear, causing their inevitable closeness. With just that tiny gesture, my body burns with anger at the scene I'm witnessing. And even though Gérard gently pushes her away, the woman clings to him like a damn tick.
I don't even realize when I started walking towards them, but there I am, standing in front of him, staring at him intently.
"Juliette," he says my name as if nothing's wrong, making the woman turn to look at me.
"Who are you?," I ask the blue-eyed woman who won't leave my man alone.
"I could ask you the same thing," she retorts with an arrogant look.
"Olivia, she 's…"
"Juliette," I interrupted him. "Nice to meet you, Olivia."
I look at her without any hint of cordiality or joy.
"Oh," she huffs, looking me up and down. "So, you're the lucky one. I'm Olivia Brooks."
"Juliette, she's an actress, like Piero," the idiot who unfortunately will be the father of my child explains. "Olivia, this is my wife Juliette Durand."
"Moreau," I correct with a dry voice. "My last name is Moreau."
Unable to bear that woman's presence for another second, I storm off, leaving them alone to enjoy their stupid conversation.
I walk aimlessly through the house, on the verge of exploding with anger. I can feel my face turning red and my hands trembling with the urge to slap them both.
I'm fed up!
If it's not one woman, it's another. And he… that idiot will be sleeping on the couch.
"Juliette!," I hear him calling me from behind, but I don't stop until I find a room, and just as I enter, I slam the door in his face before he can catch up to me.
I look around and realize I've entered some kind of library. There are shelves with hundreds of books and a desk in the center.
But I can't focus on this much because the idiot who claims to be my husband grabs my arm to face him.
"Could you tell me what's wrong with you?," he demands with a hardened voice.
"Let go of me."
"Not until you tell me what's bothering you!," he insists.
"Let go of me," I retort, managing to free myself. "Go be with Olivia and leave me alone."
"Are you serious? And I was the one who wasn't supposed to have ridiculous jealousy," he says with a smile, throwing back at me what I said earlier.
"I told you to go away," I pleaded, stepping back.