Chapter 34 Chapter 34: Just a Dress
Catharine's P.O.V
I can't take this anymore. The sight of Caroline in my dress, the dress Xavier gave me on our anniversary, is too much to bear. Something inside me snaps and before I can stop myself, I'm storming back down the stairs, my heels clicking furiously against the hardwood.
"What is going on?" I demand, my voice sharp and loud in the quiet living room. Both Xavier and Caroline turn to look at me with startled expressions. "Who gave Caroline that dress?"
Xavier's face hardens and he takes a step forward, positioning himself slightly in front of Caroline. The movement is subtle but I notice it immediately and it feels like a knife twisting in my gut.
He's protecting her. From me.
"Cathy, calm down," Xavier says, his voice firm and authoritative in a way that makes my blood boil. "There's no need to make a scene."
"Calm down?" I repeat, my voice rising. "Why is Caroline dressed in my anniversary dress? Why is she standing here with you, ready to go to this party like she's your date?"
Xavier runs a hand through his hair and lets out a long sigh, like I'm being unreasonable, like I'm the problem here. "I was the one who gave her the dress, Cathy. I specifically chose this one because I hardly see you wear it. I thought you may have outgrown it or something. It's been hanging in your closet for months without you touching it."
I stare at him, completely stunned by his casual tone. "Outgrown it? Xavier, you gave me that dress on our anniversary. It's special to me. It's not just some random piece of clothing that I can let anyone borrow."
"I thought it fit Caroline well," Xavier continues, completely ignoring my words. "That's why I gave it to her, so she can go to tonight's party. She needs to make a good impression and this dress is perfect for the occasion."
I look at him incredulously, my hands clenching into fists at my sides. "How can you give my dress to her so casually and then act like it's no big deal? Do you not understand what that dress means to me?"
Xavier's expression changes and I see a flash of anger cross his face. His jaw tightens and when he speaks, his voice is cold. "It is not a big deal, Cathy. You're overreacting about a piece of fabric. I'll give you my card right now so you can buy several more dresses of your choice. In fact, buy ten dresses if that makes you happy."
He reaches into his pocket and pulls out his wallet, taking out a black credit card and holding it out to me. The gesture feels like a slap across the face.
"And let's not forget," Xavier adds, his tone dripping with condescension, "I did buy you all the dresses in your closet. So the one you're wearing right now? That's my gift too. Everything you own, I bought for you."
The words hit me like a physical blow and I actually take a step back. My mouth falls open and for a moment I can't breathe. Xavier has never, ever spoken to me like this before. He's never thrown his money in my face or reminded me of my poor background. Not once in six years that we've been together has he made me feel small or less than because of where I came from.
Until now.
I feel tears prickling at the corners of my eyes but I refuse to let them fall. I won't give him the satisfaction of seeing me cry. "Xavier," I whisper, my voice shaking. "How could you say that to me?"
But he doesn't seem to care about the pain in my voice. He doesn't even seem to notice it. Instead, he takes another step closer to Caroline, his hand coming to rest protectively on her shoulder.
"Look, Cathy, tonight is a big night for me," Xavier says, his voice softer now but still firm. "I plan to secure some very important foreign investors. These are people who could take my business to the next level, people who could change everything for us. And since Caroline's father is also a businessman and she is fluent in Spanish and French, she can assist me with communication and translation."
I stare at him, trying to process his words. Caroline speaks Spanish and French? Since when? And why does that matter?
"It'll be better if you don't make a big deal out of this and come to the party peacefully," Xavier continues. "I need you to be supportive tonight, Cathy. I need you to understand that this is important for my career, for our future. Can you do that for me?"
Our future. The words sound hollow and meaningless right now. I look between Xavier and Caroline, at the way he's standing so close to her, at the way she's looking up at him with those grateful eyes, and I feel something break inside me.
"Fine," I say quietly, my voice barely above a whisper. "Let's just go."
Xavier nods, seemingly satisfied with my response. He turns to Caroline and smiles at her, that warm smile that used to be reserved just for me. "Come on, Caroline. Let's head out."
I watch in stunned silence as Xavier holds out his arm for Caroline. She takes it with a shy smile and they walk toward the front door together. I follow behind them, feeling like a ghost in my own life, invisible and forgotten.
When we step outside into the cold night air, I expect Xavier to open the back door for Caroline. That would be the normal thing to do, the respectful thing to do. But instead, he walks her straight to the passenger side door and opens it for her.
My heart stops. The passenger seat. My seat.
Caroline hesitates for a moment, glancing back at me with an uncertain expression. "Xavier, maybe I should sit in the back. Cathy usually sits in the front, right?"
"It's fine," Xavier says quickly, his hand on the small of Caroline's back, gently guiding her into the seat. "Cathy won't mind. You'll need to be up front so we can discuss the strategy for tonight, go over which investors to approach and what to say. It makes more sense this way."
Caroline slides into the passenger seat and Xavier closes the door carefully, making sure her dress doesn't get caught. Then he walks around to the driver's side without even looking at me.
I stand there on the driveway, frozen in place, staring at the car. The passenger seat is occupied by someone else. Someone wearing my dress. Someone who is apparently more important to Xavier tonight than I am.
This is really happening. This isn't just in my head. I'm not overthinking things or being paranoid or jealous for no reason. Something is definitely wrong. Something has fundamentally shifted in my relationship with Xavier and I don't know how to fix it.
Slowly, I walk to the back door and open it myself. Xavier doesn't get out to help me. He doesn't even turn around. I climb into the backseat and close the door, settling into the leather seat that suddenly feels foreign and wrong.
From my position in the back, I can see Xavier and Caroline's profiles. Xavier starts the car and pulls out of the driveway, and immediately he and Caroline begin talking in low voices. I can't hear everything they're saying but I catch snippets about investors and business deals and networking strategies.
They talk like they've done this before, like they're a team. Their conversation flows easily and naturally and I realize that I've never talked to Xavier about his business like this. I've never been able to help him with investors or translations or strategies. I've never been useful to him in that way.
Maybe that's the problem. Maybe I've never been enough for him. I lean my head against the cold window and watch the city lights blur past. In the reflection of the glass, I can see my own face staring back at me, and I barely recognize the woman I see. She looks lost and broken and completely alone.
And as Xavier laughs at something Caroline says, his hand briefly touching her arm in an affectionate gesture, I feel the last piece of my heart shatter into a million tiny pieces.
Now I'm sure. I'm absolutely certain that I'm not just overthinking this. Something is definitely wrong between Xavier and me. And I have a terrible feeling that tonight at Hunter's party, everything is going to come crashing down around me.