Chapter 34 Facade
Victoria collapsed into the chair, visibly flustered, her hair in complete disarray.
A few guests took notice and snickered quietly among
themselves.
Their mocking stares dragged her back to the mortifying memories of school when she, too, had been the object of ridicule and whispered contempt.
Her eyes locked onto Marianne with simmering fury. If she weren’t so clearly outmatched, she might have lunged at her without a second thought.
But Marianne didn’t so much as flinch. Instead, she calmly pushed the envelope back across the table. “I think it’s best if you leave.”
With that, she turned, ready to return to her work.
“This is your idea of customer service?” Eleanor clearly wasn’t going to let it slide. “Sir, what kind of staff are you hiring? She’s completely out of control!”
The owner cast them a weary look, his eyelids drooping as if he’d already heard enough. “Weren’t you the ones who started this?”
Chapter 34 Facade
“Maybe you should take the time to look into what your employee’s been doing outside of work.” Eleanor rose abruptly, her voice rising to draw attention. “You really think Kenneth’s going to stay fooled forever?”
“Fooled?” Marianne turned, her gaze sharpening.
She studied Eleanor with careful scrutiny, noting the absolute lack of hesitation or guilt on her face.
So this was what they genuinely believed?
For a brief moment, Marianne was seized by the ridiculous urge to crack open their skulls and examine what sort of logic could possibly reside within.
What kind of twisted reasoning did it take to shift all the blame
onto her?
“So all of this is my fault now?” she asked, a laugh catching in her throat, more incredulous than amused.
“If it weren’t for you, Kenneth wouldn’t be like this!” Victoria exploded, springing to her feet with righteous indignation.
Eleanor gave a measured nod, evidently in full agreement.
“As far as I know, your relationship with him was already falling
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apart, long before I ever entered the picture.
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“Or are you trying to say he was still hanging onto you two right up until the day he left the country?”
Eleanor faltered. There was no clever rebuttal to that.
But Victoria wasn’t concerned with facts. She was too eager to offload her anger on someone. “You saw us fighting and took the chance to squeeze your way in, didn’t you?”
Marianne gave a short, bitter laugh, both amused and exasperated.
She cast a slow glance over the two of them before speaking, “Nothing you’ve said so far even remotely suggests you’re worried about him.
“To be honest, it doesn’t sound like concern for Kenneth at all. You’re just mad that you lost someone useful to manipulate.”
A flicker of panic flashed through Victoria’s eyes.
She couldn’t quite explain the reaction. It was as if something had struck a little too close to the truth.
No… that’s not it. Why would I even think that?
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Chapter 34 Facade
Sure, having a friend like Kenneth made life easier. He opened doors, gave me face, but that’s not the only reason …
But then she met Marianne’s steady, knowing gaze, and all
at once, the pressure became unbearable. “You’ve been trash–talking us to him behind our backs, haven’t you? You really are disgusting!”
Marianne’s expression cooled. “If we’re talking about disgusting, I’d say I’m still a long way from catching up to you two.
“And frankly, I’m not sure either of you knows whether you care about him for real, or just because he was convenient. From where I stand, your so–called friendship looks no different. It’s just another performance.”
“You’re out of line!” Eleanor snapped, unable to stay quiet any
longer.
“Oh? Did I hit a nerve?” Marianne’s voice sharpened further, every word honed like a blade. “I always wondered. Why is it that you only speak up once things are already falling apart?
“Every single time your dear friend here ends up humiliated or in trouble, you’re never the first one to step in.”
Victoria flinched, her gaze instinctively shifting to Eleanor.
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She wasn’t wrong. This wasn’t the first time Marianne had left her in a mess like this.
And just like before, Eleanor had stood off to the side, unmoved,
untouched, silent.
“You’re not really enjoying watching your best friend embarrass herself, are you?” Marianne noticed the shift in Victoria and immediately seized the opportunity, stoking the flames further.
She didn’t consider herself to be speaking out of line. She was simply pointing out the small details that everyone else had overlooked.
“Victoria, don’t let her get inside your head,” Eleanor said, trying to steady the situation, her tone defensive. “You sure know how to use that sharp tongue of yours.”
“No wonder Kenneth is wrapped around your finger!” Victoria practically shouted, her voice growing louder with every word.
Though she was seething, she recognized that this wasn’t the right moment to escalate things with Eleanor.
“You may know exactly what Eleanor’s thinking, but “here’s no way you’d dare to cut ties with her, is there?” Marianne continued, her words cutting through the tension.
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With calculated precision, she tore the veil off their carefully constructed façade. “After all, once you fell out with Kenneth, your source of support dried up. What choice do you have but to cling to her?”
As she spoke, Marianne fixed Victoria with a cold gaze, mirroring the way Victoria had once looked at her–deliberate, slow, and ruthless. “Look at what you’re wearing. Sure, it’s all top brands, but does it really fit your lifestyle? Don’t tell me Eleanor’s the one footing the bill.”
Victoria stiffened. There was no denying it. The clothes, the accessories… everything had come from Eleanor’s closet.
“That’s because I treat Victoria like a friend!” Eleanor shot back, standing tall, her eyes blazing.
“Exactly! I am her friend!” Victoria repeated, clinging to the words as if they were her last defense. “Not everything’s as filthy as you like to imagine.”
“Friend?” Marianne scoffed, her voice dripping with disdain. “What kind of friend stands by, watching while the other gets humiliated? Between you two, you’re more like a pet she keeps around to blow off steam.”
“That’s enough!” Victoria shrieked, her body trembling with rage.
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Her face twisted with fury, veins bulging at her temple.
Marianne met her glare with unshaken calm. “Seems like you’re well aware of the truth deep down.”
Victoria froze, her mind swirling. She’d never dared to look
at things from that angle before, but now, Marianne’s direct, unapologetic words were imprinted in her thoughts. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t escape them.
Eleanor, sensing the situation slipping, instinctively reached out to
comfort Victoria.
But her hand was quickly swatted away.
For a moment, something cold flashed in Eleanor’s eyes, but she quickly softened her tone. “Victoria, you really can’t let her get to you like this.
“How is this any different from Kenneth?
“I’ve always treated you like a true friend. What’s mine is yours. Don’t forget that.”
Victoria shut her eyes for a moment, swallowing ba‘ the surge of frustration and helplessness that threatened to spill over.
When she finally spoke, her voice was hoarse, edged with a
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bitterness that felt almost foreign. “You’re right. She’s quite skilled at stirring things up.”
Marianne smiled faintly, her gaze a mixture of amusement and exasperation.
These two were incredibly good at convincing themselves of their
own delusions.
She had underestimated them, but now that they’d dared to confront her here, at her workplace, she wasn’t going to let them
off the hook.
“Don’t kid yourselves,” Marianne said, her voice unwavering. “You might have what she has, but always one step down.”
Eleanor’s fingers clenched into a fist, her nails digging into her palm. “You!”
But Marianne didn’t allow her to finish. “Vietoria, you’re not blind. Take a good, hard look at yourself.
“You may be draped in designer labels, but you can’t deny that everything you’re wearing is just a step below what Eleanor has.
“You strut around like you’ve won some prize, but the truth is, it’s just a hand–me–down version of luxury.
“Who knows? She might be laughing at you behind your back.”
