Top Note

Chapter 13

Eriantha

As the car rolled around the corner to the open parking space, I checked my appearance in the rear view mirror for a final time. The face that gaped at me wasn't me, or rather a version of me whom I didn't recognise at all. 

It was Vivian's twentieth birthday, and it might sound strange but this was the first time that I was attending her birthday party. Although, I received an invitation every year, but Vivian knowing fully well how uncomfortable I got around the high society events, insisted that it was better that I don't force myself to be at her party just for the sake of it.
"You won't like it Eri, I hate it myself, it's so pretentious.My parents throw a party on my birthday just to show off their wealth. As much as I would have loved to have you by my side, I didn't want to make you walk on egg shells just because of my selfish interest, and any way I will have to stick with that scum of a fiance." She would always be disgusted every year right after her birthday, and we would have a small party later to lift up her mood,with fried chicken and beer something which she was never allowed to eat when she is at home. The party would be at our secret meeting place, a small studio which we shared as a workspace, half of it was filled up with my perfumery stuffs, and the other half was set up as her painting workstation.

The first thing I did after leaving Darcel's apartment that evening, was to reach out to Vivian. I had assumed that she would be furious, after how she had reacted to Darcel's visit  that morning. However, she handled it better than I had expected, especially when I told her about the whole mess with the Davytans, I found her flinching right away, confirming yet again that they were the worse.

"I am sorry Viv...I...had no choice..." I spoke in between sobs I couldn't pretend to be alright in front of her.
Vivian shook her head, "With the Davytans in the scene. This is the best deal you could manage Eri. I mean I could look for some sources but this sum is huge."

"Do you think Anders will understand? He might think that I did it for my own benefit, more so because I couldn't tell him the truth..."I blurted my agony which was eating me up from inside.

"He will come around gradually, anyone who knows you, would never doubt your intentions Eri. If he stays mad, I will beat him up. Okay?" We both giggled at the idea of Vivian in action.

Suddenly she turned somber,  "Now isn't the time to think about him. This is the best you could do for him, unless he wanted to bite the dust."
She rubbed my back and hugged me, "What worries me is that the Karwitz aren't any better, I don't care if they usurp your company anymore, the debt is probably more than Reux Perfumes' asset value." Her comment did hurt a bit, but it is what it is, emotions set aside, even if I sold our entire company to the highest bidder Father didn't much to it. 

Vivian continued unbothered, "But Marriage? Will you be able to pull it off?"

"A marriage of convenience" I repeated Darcel's  words.

"Convenience, my ass" She cursed, I had never heard Vivian curse so loudly. "Every marriage is a matter if convenience in our world Eri. But, it's always about men's convenience."
I wondered if she was talking about herself. 

"What's more Darcel doesn't want a contractual marriage, no terms and conditions, nowritten agreement. Which means for the next two years you will be like a real couple. Do you think an emotional person like you can pull that off and then walk away like nothing happened? I give it that, he isn't an ass hole like Leonel, but even then,living together, sleeping on the same bed... Will you be able to manage it?" I could feel that her concerns were legit.