I couldn’t reach Sophia all day today. In fact, I found it difficult to talk to her all week. She only had 5-10 minutes of quick phone calls for me every other day. Quite possibly, the new investors demanded all her time and attention. I logged on to view our shared calendar, and my suspicion was correct. Poor Sophia’s schedule was full; her first meeting started at 7 AM, and some work was scheduled until midnight. Sophia scheduled everything down, even her 15 minutes nap. All I could do was texting her words of encouragement and send her gifts. 

         I kept my phone in my black purse as I reckon my ride had arrived. Kyle came to pick me up again, and we were going to Cynthia’s house party. The dress code is business casual, so I left with the clothes I wore to work—a teal woman-tailored trouser suit and white cotton shirt. 

         Kyle complimented my business attire. He was always vocal about his sweet words, at least to me anyway. 

         “Do you flatter every girl like that?” I jested. 

         “Only to the ones I deem to be justified.”

         “And you deemed me to be worthy of your compliment?” 

Kyle laughed. His eyes were on the road, but he extended one to quickly tap my shoulder.

“Oh, Sienna. I wish you know the effect you have on men when you walk past them…You just don’t realize, don’t you?”

I didn’t give it much thought, so I changed the topic.

         “You haven’t told me the story of how you convinced your father to give you his Bentley,” I asked about his new classy ride. Kyle smiled. He looked mischievous under his aviator sunglasses.

         “I step up. I stop getting into my usual shenanigans, and I step up to take care of my family’s finances. I believe the youth called it adulting.”

         “But I thought your family already has an asset manager?” That was true. Kyle’s family was old and honorable. They had land and large manors and, if I remembered correctly, a castle somewhere in Scotland. He was a result of generational wealth, and with all the upstarts and spoils in life, I was glad he was still a decent man.

         “A lot of drama happened in the past few years. I haven’t told you. Basically, the chap invested a lot in several failed ventures, but he did so to get commissions from whoever he invested our wealth into. Not in our best interest, you see. It was a mess.”

         “It sounds like a mess.”

         “At least it’s all sorted now. And the car is my father’s gift for helping him sort things out.” Kyle smiled wider as he took a turn to the street where Cynthia’s penthouse was located.

         I could see a well-dressed group of people queueing up in front of a large mahogany door. A man in a black vest held a clipboard and ticked off guest names one by one before welcoming them through the door. Rows of champagne flutes were the first thing I saw as I entered the foyer. I took one for Kyle and one for me. Cynthia was a gracious host, and she never spared any expense on alcohol. 

         As I admired a magnificent bouquet of white roses and lilies in a blue porcelain vase, I was reminded of the letterbox flowers I ordered for Sophia’s office earlier today. That disease to please had never left me.

         “I’m sure I see worries written all over all face. What’s wrong?” Awoken from my thought, it was Kyle again. He could read right through me. I stammered as I answered.

         “Err…it’s nothing. Well, it’s Sophia. I’m worried about her work schedule. And we barely have time to talk.”

         The man in front of me shook his head. Kyle ran fingers through his hair. Disapproval became him.

         “Look. I like Sophia. But there is nothing you can do. Just enjoy the party, shall we?” He offered me his arm to hold, and Kyle walked me around the party and introduced me to his friends. 

         From what I learned in the car while driving here. My Greek God of a friend was now an Angel Investor. It sounded like a job that suited him right. Since he had a hold on much of his family's massive wealth, he had a say in where to invest it, and his focus was on tech startups. He did offer to look into ZazzPay if another investment round has opened up. He was new to the job, but Kyle knew people. He knew other powerful people—investors, regulators, entrepreneurs, politicians, lords and ladies, and sons and daughters of lords and ladies. The man was the star. 

         He walked with me around the room, and I smiled and introduced myself again and again. It was often the same well-rehearsed conversation. My plastered smile almost cracked until I met…

         “OMG, Nora!” 

         Nora Dean, the sassiest woman in academia I knew, turned around and cried out in delight. 

         “Sienna!” Nora beamed. Her full lips curved up in a bright smile. Nora wore a sparkling backless red dress that highlighted the beauty of her tanned skin. Her hair was tied up in a messy bun. She was a dream.

         Kyle left us to catch up while he walked to get more drinks. 

         Nora told me she still lived in Cambridge to do her fellowship. She came to London every other week or more to meet other researchers and attend conferences and friends’ parties just like this one. 

         It wasn’t long until a man approached Nora and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. Nora giggled before introducing him to me.

“Sienna, this is Antoine. He is my date. We met at a vineyard in Bordeaux that he owns. Antoine, this is Sienna, my best friend since undergrad.” Nora introduced me to a charismatic man in a navy-blue three-piece suit. 

Puzzled by the introduction, I kept my face straight and extended my hand. How about Peter? They hadn’t broken up as far as I was aware. I still saw posts on social media that they went on a trip together recently.

We carried on a pleasant conversation. Antoine was in his late forties, and everything Peter was not. An avid conversationalist, charming to a tee, worldly—basically a posh gentleman. 

For well over ten minutes before I excused Antoine and asked permission to talk to Nora in private. Just two girl friends who hadn’t seen each other in a long time, I said. 

         As soon as I got Nora in another room, I pressed the question.

         “Who is that? And you are not with Peter anymore? You guys have been together for almost a decade! How come I don’t know about this” Nora rolled her eyes and grinned. With a sense of mischief, she replied.

“A long-term romantic relationship is hardly romantic, my dear. I thought it would be like one of those fairytales filled with love where we are happy forever after, too. But that is hardly the case.” 

         I urged her to explain more. We used to tell each other everything. But with the distance and workload, we hadn’t had one of those conversations in a long time.

“After three or four years together, I don’t want to sleep with him anymore. I’m just not feeling it. We argue all the time. And I want to work things out. All those sexy underwear didn’t work. Couple therapies didn’t work. So, long story short, we came into the agreement that we should date other people.”

The answer brought in more questions and the creases between my brows only increased.

“You lost me here. So, you and Peter are no longer together?”

Nora smirked. I must seem sheltered to the world in her eyes.

“No, dear, we are. He is at our home right now on his laptop.” 

“I believe I’m not evolved enough to understand, Nora. Educate me.” Until she put it in plain words that I understood. She said it without a care in the world.

“Peter and I are in an open relationship. And it works wonders.”

****

         I was certainly not an innocent little girl when it came to relationships. But I had never had someone close to me declaring of being in an open relationship before. 

         I walked around the place to find the host, and I found Cynthia—sitting as if she sat for a painting on a soft leather sofa, her back straight as an arrow, her long shiny raven black hair spread across her back in neat curls. She was talking to another guest before turning to greet me as she saw me approaching. 

         “When Kyle told me you agreed to come to my little party, I was all over the moon. We’ve missed you.” Her silky voice was of tranquility. Cynthia was the essence of calm and collected. I was relaxed just by being in her presence. She and Kyle was a perfect couple—they fit right into the polite society’s expectation. And from what I heard, they thrived in secret parties and debauchery with equal ferocity…

         A phone call interrupted my conversation with Cynthia. The number on the screen informed me it was Kevin, our company’s accountant in Palo Alto. Urgency in his voice, he asked me to review uncategorized expenses as he couldn’t reach Sophia; she was always engaged in meetings and didn’t answer his emails.

         Out of a sense of duty, I found a chair in one relatively quiet corner. Some party guests are moving to another as someone initiated to play charade. Not interested, my eyes scanned through files and receipts per Kevin’s email—a few pricey restaurant bills…tickets for a few events…and…what?

         My heart sank, my breathing caught midair…

         I changed the app to the shared calendar. My instinct was on high alert. I checked the date and time of the receipts and compared them to the calendar. I clutched tightly to the phone in my hand, shaking wildly.

         The bills for restaurants and hotel rooms overlapped with the schedule of ‘meetings.’ No detailed explanation of place and agenda, just meetings.

         We were together for five years. I knew my girlfriend well. She put details in everything. Everything. 

         I called Sophia immediately and found that her phone was off.

         My whole body was numb and foreign, as if it was not mine. Horrified by the inevitable truth I just found. Although she had not confessed it, nor did I see her with anyone with my own eyes. I sensed it. I knew.

         Blood rushed through my face. Half-sick, half-mad, I stood up and marched towards the door. I needed to get away from this place before people saw me break down in sobs or my anger exploded, or I could have tear down the whole place.

         The door was near, and I quickened my pace, my face downcast to hide the surely repulsive expression. But as faith would have it, I unexpectedly ran into a man at full force. 

“Sorry!” I didn’t look up and still reached for the door handle until the man called my name. 

         “Sienna?” A familiar voice…

         It was then I glanced up to see the familiar dark brown hair and serious brown eyes of none other than Cameron Vandriel.