Too Late To Love Me I Already Left With His Twins (Lydia and Dave) novel Chapter 10

Dydia Poy

Too tired to perform dignity in front of people who had already decided where I ranked.

So I did the only thing I could do without embarrassing myself further.

I stepped back.

And let it die.

The guests arrived in waves,

Laughter filled the house.

Glasses clinked.

Voices layered over each other.

Everyone complimented the setup that no longer felt like mine.

Cyn floated through the room like a co–host.

Dave stayed just near enough to be seen and just far enough to be unreachable.

And me?

I smiled when necessary.

Spoke when spoken to,

Stood where I was needed.

A decorative wife in satin and restraint.

At one point, I caught Cyn leaning toward one of the women and saying something low enough not to hear.

They both glanced at me.

Then smiled.

That was enough.

I was done.

By the time dinner ended, my cheeks hurt from fake politeness and my chest felt hollow.

The last guest left a little after ten.

The house slowly emptied of sound.

Staff began clearing glasses and plates.

Someone folded napkins.

Someone dimmed lights.

And in the middle of all of it, I stood by the table staring at a half–melted candle and wondering why disappointment still managed to surprise me.

sergus

177

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Behind me, footsteps approached.

Nurned too quickly.

It was Dave.

Finally.

For one stupid, embarrassing second, hope ruse.

Maybe now.

Maybe he would say something.

Anything.

About Cyn.

About tonight.

About the fact that I had spent two days building something only to watch him let another woman dismantle it in front of me.

He stopped a few feet away.

Looked at the room.

Then at me.

And said, flatly, “You should’ve asked before planning the menu.”

That was it.

That was all.

I stared at him.

Actually stared.

Because surely-

Surely that could not be the sentence he had chosen.

My laugh came out soft and unbelieving.

“Wow.”

His expression didn’t change.

“She knows what works for these dinners,” he said.

I felt something in me go still.

Not break.

Still.

A colder thing.

Cleaner.

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“Of course she does,” I said quietly.

must have heard something in my voice, because his gaze sharpened slightly.

But I was already done.

Too done to cry.

Too done to shout.

Too done to let him see that he had managed, in one evening, to make me feel exactly the way my family used to.

Small.

Replaceable.

Unnecessary.

So I nodded once. 2

Just once.

Then stepped around him and walked away.

He didn’t stop me.

Of course he didn’t.

Because by the time I got upstairs, kicked off my heels, and shut my bedroom door behind me, I was exactly one inconvenience away from setting something expensive on fire.

My earrings came off first.

Then my bracelet.

Then my patience.

I stood in front of the vanity and stared at my reflection like she had personally offended me.

My makeup was still intact.

My lipstick was still perfect.

My hair was still in place.

And somehow, that irritated me even more.

Because I did not feel put together.

I felt stupid.

Stupid for spending two whole days planning a dinner for a man who could not even be bothered to pretend I deserved basic respect in my own home.

Stupid for standing there while Cyn dismantled everything I had arranged like she was correcting a hotel setup. 1

Stupid for the tiny, deeply embarrassing part of me that had actually hoped Dave would walk in, see the effort, and maybe say something decent.

Anything decent.

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Instead, he had looked around at all my work and basically said, You should’ve consulted my mistress first.

Beautiful. 2

Absolutely beautiful.

I reached for the zipper at the back of my outfit and twisted awkwardly, trying to drag it down myself.

It got stuck halfway.

“Of course,” I muttered. “Why would anything work tonight?”

I tugged harder.

Nothing.

I exhaled sharply and let my hands fall to my sides.

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15

I stared at him.