The spark // Art Donaldson

013. Necklace

Cadell, 2019

"Tennis star Cadell Hwang passed out after victorious match in the new Rochell Challengers. News states that–"

Alex turned the television off.

It was silent, the two of them not saying a thing. 

After a minute, he finally spoke.

"Baby, I'm sorry."

Cadell didn't say anything. She just stared at the floor. The clock on the wall ticked slowly during the silence.

Tick. Tick. Tick.

"Baby, I got you a gift." his voice broke the silence. A wrapped box was pushed onto Cadell's lap. It had dark red wrapping and a white ribbon sitting on top. With shaky hands, she unwrapped it slowly.

It was a necklace, encrusted with a large diamond that looked like it cost a fortune. But not to Alex. He had too much to spare, with his parents both being CEOs of large corporations.

"Thanks." Her voice was hoarse.

Cadell's heart felt heavy as Alex placed the necklace around her neck, the weight of the diamond pressing against her skin. She didn't say anything, couldn't find the words to express the turmoil raging inside her.

As the clasp clicked shut, sealing the necklace in place, Cadell's gaze remained fixed on the floor. She couldn't bring herself to meet Alex's eyes, afraid of what she might see reflected back at her.

But as his fingers brushed against her skin, a shiver ran down her spine. It wasn't a shiver of pleasure or excitement, but rather one of discomfort and uncertainty.

The touch felt foreign, almost intrusive, as if he was trying to buy her forgiveness with mater. She remained silent, her jaw clenched tight as she fought to hold back the torrent of emotions threatening to overwhelm her.

She didn't want to cause a scene, didn't want to give him the satisfaction of knowing just how much he had hurt her. So she forced herself to take a deep breath, to steel herself against the storm raging inside her.

She knew that confronting him now would only lead to more pain, more arguments, more tears. But as she sat there, staring at the floor, Cadell couldn't shake the sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach. Despite Alex's words and gestures, she couldn't shake the feeling that things would never be the same between them.

"Cadell, you know I love you. You know I never meant to harm you."

A vivid image of Alex, standing there with his arms crossed as she watched her struggle to breathe on the floor of the court flashed through her mind.

But at the same time, she remembered Art's lips on hers, his fingers lacing hers, the two of their wedding rings touching.

She swallowed a lump in her throat.

"I forgive you."

He breathed a sigh of relief, clambering onto the bed and claiming her mouth in a kiss.

Cadell's lips met Alex's in a hesitant embrace, but as they kissed, she couldn't shake the emptiness gnawing at her from within. His touch, once comforting, now felt suffocating, a reminder of everything that had gone wrong between them.

His mouth explored her neck and paused near her lips.

"I love you."

"I love you too."

Liar.

They were living proof of the consequences when two deceivers formed a relationship.

...

"Are you okay, Cady?" Cadell glanced up, seeing Patrick. She gave him a weak smile as she sipped on her water, "yeah... yeah, of course."

Patrick didn't look convinced. He slid into the chair next to her, propping up and elbow to stare at her.

"You're not okay."

She didn't say anything.

"What happened? I wasn't there but I heard about it..."

She shook her head, "I was just tired and passed out. Didn't sleep enough."

Half truths were always her go tos. He narrowed his eyes.

"Why is my gut telling me not to believe you?"

"Because you have salmonella," she said flatly, not looking at him.

He scowled, "I do not."

"Mhm..."

"Whatever!" He said indignantly, "I was just trying to ask if you wanted to talk."

Her eyes softened as she watched him, "I'm sorry." She looked away.

He sighed, giving her a pat on the back, "yeah well. If you need anything, Cady, you always know where to find me. I'll... I'll give you some time on your own for now."

She smiled thankfully at him and watched him leave. Of course, the moment he left, someone else took his place.

"Tashi." Cadell acknowledged. Tashi smiled hesitantly, "hey. I just wanted to–"

"See if I'm okay? Yup," she said, popping the p, "I'm fine."

Tashi shook her head, "you don't have to lie, Cadell. We may not be the best of friends, but I know how it feels."

Cadell raised an eyebrow, "you do."

A small part of her hoped that Tashi could see through Cadell, could give her advice on a topic Cadell could never share to anyone.

"I do. I got so burnt out in tennis that I also felt like fainting. You have to give yourself a break."

It made Cadell slightly angry. Tashi thought that she knew what Cadell was going through, but in reality, she didn't. No one did. No one could understand the extent of what she was feeling, her conflicted emotions or her suffering. And her pretending she did kind of pissed Cadell off.

Cadell slid off her seat, giving Tashi a tight smile.

"Thanks. I'll make sure to keep that in mind."

She picked up her purse and walked away briskly. Only when she got back to her hotel did she find a piece of paper that was stuffed into her bag. Unfolding it and smoothing it out, she saw a line scrawled hastily in black ink.

Call me if you ever need help: ##########

Art.