Chapter 27

***Alicent***

Despite Vi speaking to me, my attention is completely captivated by a stunning woman who gracefully passes by us without even glancing our way, as though we were the inanimate furniture of the lavish mansion.
She strolls by as if she had her own personal glam squad following her around. But nope, it's all her. She just looks that good.
I force myself not to stare, but it's hard when I realize that the impeccably groomed woman is approaching where Ethan and a man that Vi hasn't introduced me to are.
From the perfectly coiffed wave hair to the flawless makeup and stunning outfit that seems to be meticulously chosen, she swings her hips, making the two men sitting next to each other look at her. And how would she not get their attention when every detail of her appearance reflects careful attention, as if she's stepped out of a fashion magazine cover?
Bells start ringing in my head like a warning the closer she gets to them. I mentally repeat a prayer. *Please, be the other man's girl! Not Ethan!*
But then, against all my prayers, she stops in front of Ethan. For a brief moment, I think she's going to sit on his lap, but he quickly gets up to greet her.
I breathe a sigh of relief for less than a second because the woman then kisses Ethan's lips.
For an instant, my knees go weak with an overwhelming sense of dread as I stand frozen, unable to tear my gaze away from the two of them. I can't believe it in my own eyes. Are they... together?
Judging by the bold way she approached him in front of his sister and the other man, it leaves no doubt that the jerk is taken.
Oh, shit!
I avert my gaze from both of them to avoid appearing creepier than I already do, and try to focus on what Vi's saying. Luckily for me, she's excitedly talking about something with Az.
I can't believe Ethan cheated on her. With. Me.
Oh God! That's why he didn't want to tell Vi that we had already met each other. That's why he's been so upset to see me here. Ethan must be afraid that this woman will find out that he cheated on her.
He's a cheater!
He's nothing but a cheater!
Just like Logan!
I tightly press my teeth together to suppress my urge to scream out of rage.
That's just another reason for me to get out of here as soon as I can!
Have I really thought that coming here would be a good idea?
I'm so stupid! Even though I had no idea he would be here, a part of me, like deep down—maybe the dumbest part of me—thought that the moment we crossed paths once more, he would pull me into his big arms and kiss me again.
But now I know the truth, and I'm literally seeing it.
He has someone else.
For all I know, he just regrets having sex with me. Worse, now that I'm here in his house, he must see me like a pain in his ass.
This is so humiliating.
Oh, God. He's been dating the other woman this whole time!
Can my life get any worse? Not only am I humiliated, but now I have to worry that I'd been a part of his cheating.
Sensing my distress, Vi asks, "Are you okay, Allie?"
"Yes," I lie with a tight smile.
"I must be boring you, right?"
"No! Of course not, Vi! You could never," I say, feeling like a horrible friend.
She places her arm around Az's shoulder and looks down at him. "Enough talking. Let's go get something to eat. I'm sure you're hungry by now, right, Az?"
Az smiles at her, then gives me a look of concern, but I smile at him to let him know that everything is okay, even though it's not.
Vi continues walking ahead of me with my son by her side while I try not to look back.
Come to think of it, Ethan has every reason in the world to deny any commitment involving me.
How can I ever compete with that? Evidently, this beautiful woman is younger than me, and judging by her perfectly sculpted body, she probably doesn't have any children.
Not that Az is a problem in any shape or form for me, but I noticed the look on Ethan's face when he found out I have a child. Logan was right. No man will take me seriously with a child.
The dark-haired woman is the epitome of polished perfection and put-together. Totally contrary to me.
I wish I was tall and elegant like her. Not short and clumsy with too much emotional baggage.
She's so tall that they certainly shouldn't have any issues switching positions when they're having sex or kissing each other like we did. Not to mention that Ethan's cock was so big that night that it took us a while to fit—
Ugh!
Why am I thinking about this right now?
Foolishly, I cast one final glance backward before venturing into a hallway where they would no longer be visible.
They're talking. The other tall man who's been sitting next to Ethan is no longer there.
A razor blade stabs inside my gut. Standing next to each other, she and Ethan look like the perfect match. No one would ever wonder why they are together.
Ethan's gaze meets mine, and the woman follows his gaze to me. Her beautiful features contort into a frown as she shoots me a look before positioning herself in front of Ethan to block his view of me. She leans into Ethan as if she's about to kiss him, and that's my signal to refocus my attention on what lies ahead and pick up my pace to keep up with Vi.
Shit. I'm so stupid. I feel so stupid.
Trying to forget about them, I ask Vi, "Where are your parents?"
She turns back to me and answers, continuing to walk, "Oh, they're not here. They live here, but they're always traveling. They both travel almost every month of the year," her voice sounds happy and loving as she mentions her parents.
"That sounds like a dream! I wish I could travel the world this way, too," I say. "Maybe someday."
"They were, uh, the leaders of our pa—I mean, village," she says a little warily. "They served everyone, and now they're just enjoying life."
Though she's not looking at me, I frown a little. Leaders?
"But they always come back here to check on everyone. They don't like phones, so it's kind of hard to talk to them," Vi continues.
As we walk, she points to a blue bike propped against a tree outside, visible through the closed big glass window, and asks Az if he knows how to ride it. The glass subtly reflects our movement as we pass by, and as I see my reflection, I move my braid from the back to the side, draping it over my shoulder.
My hair is all messed up from dying black on my own, and my roots are already peeking through. I braided my hair earlier to make myself look better, but it clearly doesn't seem to fulfill its purpose. This braid can't hide my ugliness.
I touch the ends of my braid. I wonder if Ethan calls her *mine*, too?
Stop it! I need to stop thinking about him. It's just making me feel bad.
Why can't she be averagely beautiful? Just why?
She is all tall and stunning, something that I literally can't be!
When Vi starts opening the cabinets, I realize we've reached the kitchen, and I feel like a shitty friend for not giving her the attention she deserves. Instead, I'm here thinking about her jerk brother. Az is already settled on one of the spacious stools at the kitchen island with a glass of water grasped in his hand.
I take a deep breath before saying, "Uh, hey, Vi, I'm going to go to the bathroom next door real quick, okay?" She nods kindly with a warm smile that only makes me feel even more like shit. I don't deserve her friendship.
I need to go to the bathroom to get myself together. I need a moment to calm my nerves.
But before I leave the kitchen, a beautiful little girl walks in. She is a near-identical copy of Vi, with sun-kissed skin and chestnut eyes.
Even though I am closer to her, she directs her gaze straight towards Az, who almost breaks his neck as he turns around to look at her. I stand there, shifting my gaze back and forth between the two children, who appear equally astonished and mesmerized by each other, their mouths slightly agape in sheer surprise and awe.
Vi quickly rushes over to the little girl.