Chapter 4

• As Vilma and Frederic stepped out of the car, they immediately felt the heavy, oppressive atmosphere in the room.
• Despite it being billed as a welcome-home party, the gathering was almost entirely male, most of them Frederic's close friends. They stood in silence, their eyes fixed on Frederic as though they had something to say, but no one dared speak up.
• Before they could dwell on it, Barbra's voice rang out across the room. "You're here!"
• She made her way over with a smile, but her gaze lingered on Vilma. For a moment, her expression faltered before she quickly plastered on another smile. "So, this is your little girlfriend? She looks so young. By the way, thanks for donating blood for me the other day. You really saved my life. If you ever need anything, just say the word. I'll be there for you."
• Vilma forced a smile. "You're too kind."
• Barbra waved her off and moved on to greet the other guests. But even with her distracted, Vilma couldn't help but keep her eyes on her, watching her interact with the other men—laughing, chatting, and enjoying herself.
• Frederic's face darkened as he watched her.
• When Barbra picked up a macaron and ate a few, Frederic immediately signaled to the waiter to bring an entire plate of macarons to Vilma's table.
• Then, as a champagne tower tipped and nearly toppled onto her, Frederic rushed to her side and pulled her into his arms, shielding her from the falling glass.
• "Careful!" he shouted, just as shards of glass sliced across his left hand. Blood dripped down his fingers, but he seemed unfazed.
• The others urged him to go to the hospital, but he simply wrapped a silk scarf around his hand and waved them off. "It's just a small wound. Nothing to worry about."
• The sight of his bloodied hand wrapped in the white scarf made Vilma hesitate. She'd already reached for her car keys, but instead, she put them back in her bag.
• The room fell into an awkward silence for a few moments before the noise and chaos of the party slowly resumed.
• At 8 p.m., with everyone having a good time, Barbra grabbed the microphone and raised it high.
• "Now that everyone's here," she said loudly, "I've got something important to announce!"
• She paused for effect before continuing, "As most of you probably know, I broke up with my boyfriend before I came back. So I've called everyone here tonight to do something—find a new boyfriend!"
• The room went deathly quiet, the weight of her words sinking in. Everyone's eyes shifted to Frederic, who stood frozen, staring at Barbra.
• He didn't say a word, but his grip on the glass in his hand tightened, and in a sudden, violent motion, he crushed it, his blood staining his hand.
• Barbra, completely oblivious to the tension, laughed and raised her glass to Frederic.
• "Frederic, the reason I invited you wasn't just to say thanks for helping me. I want you to help me pick someone from your group. Who do you think would be a good match for me?"
• The room grew even quieter, the air thick with unease. Vilma finally understood why the atmosphere had felt so stifling when they first walked in. Everyone was clearly afraid of Frederic's reaction.
• In that tense silence, a young man sitting in the middle stood up. "I... I just need to go to the bathroom..."
• Before he could even finish his sentence, Frederic slammed the table in front of him, his eyes blazing with rage. "Do you fucking dare agree to that?"
• The young man froze, unable to move or speak.
• Frederic's fury only grew. His bloodied hands clenched into fists as he stormed over to Barbra, his voice trembling with emotion. His eyes were red, bloodshot with rage.
• "Barbra, sometimes I really wonder... do you even have a heart?" Without waiting for a reply, he spun on his heel and stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind him.
• He forgot me again.
• The room was left in stunned silence, the air even thicker now, more suffocating than before.
• With a bitter, self-deprecating smile, Vilma stood up and made her way to the bathroom, hoping to escape the turmoil and chaos swirling inside her.
• As Vilma stepped into the hallway, she couldn't help but overhear the rising argument between Frederic's brothers and Barbra. The voices were sharp, full of frustration and anger.
• "Barbra, what the hell are you doing? Why are you purposely pushing Frederic like this? You know better than anyone that he's been wanting to get back to you, right? He's been obsessed with you. Hell, none of us would ever make a move on you," one of the brothers shouted, his voice thick with rage.
• Barbra's voice shot back, defiant and cold. "Just because he wants me back doesn't mean I'm gonna drop everything and go running back to him. What, should I just forget everything and fall back into his arms?"
• "What the hell do you mean by forget everything? Don't you see it? This guy has done everything for you. After you broke up with him, he almost drank himself to death. He's been obsessed with every little thing you liked—buying anything you posted about on social media.
• "He even arranged fireworks just because you mentioned you hadn't seen them in a while! These aren't small gestures, Barbra. Do you not see what he's done for you?
• Vilma's hands clenched, trembling slightly as she listened. She'd always wondered about Frederic's strange behavior—his sudden disappearances, the mood swings. Now, the truth was laid bare, it was all because of Barbra.
• The argument spiraled further, and Barbra just laughed it off. "Oh, he does all that willingly, doesn't he? What's the big deal? What do I care if he does those little things for me? He knows his place. Let him sacrifice everything for me—see if I care."
• "Barbra, you've got some nerve!" Frederic shouted. "You keep using Frederic's love for you. But wait until he finally loses his patience. Then you'll regret it!"
• Barbra scoffed. "Lose his patience? Ridiculous. He can't even find another girl without using me as a replacement. He'll never stop loving me."
• Her words dripped with arrogance, and as she turned to leave, she found herself face-to-face with Vilma.