Secrets of the Upper Class
Chapter 1
I was engaged to my childhood sweetheart, a
match made in heaven, or so everyone
thought. Then he fell for a girl from the wrong
side of the tracks, a real Cinderella story,
except I was the one getting dumped.
To marry her, he defied his family and broke
off our engagement.
Heartbroken, I went to study abroad.
By the time I returned, he and Lily had been
married for almost two years.
I’d moved on.
But at my welcome–home party, the same
guy who’d once rebelled against the world for
Lily, gave her a withering look and sneered,
“Didn’t I tell you to stay home? Why are you
out here making a fool of yourself?”
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My friends threw a huge party for my return.
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My friends threw a huge party for my return.
And there he was, Jackson.
Seven years ago, for Lily, he’d insisted on
breaking up with me, telling my parents and
his that he’d rather marry a dog than me.
That hurt. It was a brutal insult, a blatant
disregard for the years of friendship between
our families.
That day, I finally broke down, crying for an
hour in front of my parents, begging them to
let me end the engagement.
I didn’t want Jackson anymore. I didn’t want
to marry him.
My parents, seeing my pain, finally relented.
They spoke with Jackson’s parents for an
hour, privately.
The result? It wasn’t that Jackson didn’t want
me; it was that my family refused to give me
away.
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After the debacle, the engagement was over.
The relationship between our families wasn’t
completely shattered, but it certainly cooled
considerably.
I left for Paris.
Until today.
Jackson looked so different. Taller, more
confident, handsome with a regal air. His dark
eyes were fixed on me.
No one told me he’d be here. I turned to my
best friend, Sophia.
Sophia quickly denied any involvement, “I
didn’t invite him, Willow! Jackson heard you
were coming back and volunteered to host
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this party for you.”
Then, nervously adding, “It wasn’t me!”
I said nothing. Jackson smiled, a gentle smile,
like the ones he’d given me when he picked
me up for school all those years ago. “Willow,
I was young, reckless. I hurt you. I’m here to
apologize.
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He paused, his eyes on mine. “Do you still
hold a grudge?”
If I said yes, I’d sound petty.
So I smiled, bright and confident. “You said it
yourself, it’s the past.”
We were all still part of the same social circle,
and so much time had passed. He was
irrelevant to me now.
Let bygones be bygones–at least, on the
surface.
I raised my glass, my smile effortlessly breezy.
“Sophia told me you and Lily got married over
a year ago. Congratulations! This one’s for
you.”
His expression was flat. Even for someone
reserved, he should have shown more
emotion after finally marrying the woman he
loved.
Before I could ponder, he drank the wine.
More like a shot of regret than a toast.
But I didn’t care.
Old friends reunited, the conversation flowed.
I was the center of attention, everyone was
happy to celebrate, the talk centered around
- me.
Someone asked about my boyfriends in
France.
Another brought up my global art exhibition.
A friend half–jokingly lamented, “Willow,
you’re so amazing! Your art show is
constantly sold out, you have galleries all over
the world. My dad constantly nags me to be
more like you, instead of just chasing
celebrities, shopping, and buying cars.”
I chuckled, “It’s just a hobby.”
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Jackson, who’d been quiet, spoke. “You’ve
learned humility.
“”
His tone…it was natural, friendly, like we
hadn’t had a falling out, like he hadn’t used
those cold, cruel words and actions towards
me because of Lily.
I didn’t know how to respond. I wondered if it
was my imagination, his tone seemed….
Before I could answer, he added, “I saw your
‘Ephemeral Dream‘ exhibition. It was
fantastic.”
This time, everyone noticed something was
off.
They fell silent, their eyes darting between
Jackson and me.
I remained composed. “Oh, thank you.
I added playfully, “Did you go with Lily? She’s
not here, it’s been ages since I’ve seen her.”
His demeanor cooled. “Oh, she had
something to do at home.”
His tone was dismissive, as if he were talking
about a stranger.
I didn’t understand his detached attitude
towards the woman he’d once loved so
L
fiercely, but I didn’t want to delve into it.
I laughed and changed the subject.
As the party ended, at the club entrance, we
saw Lily sitting in the lobby.
Her eyes were fixed on the private elevator,
her expression anxious and uneasy. As the
elevator doors opened, she jumped up.
She seemed to have been waiting for us.
Everyone was surprised.
She forced a smile, looking around, before
her eyes landed on me, next to Jackson. Her
face went pale.
She stared at me, lost and vulnerable, like she
was facing a mortal enemy.
I was completely baffled.
