Diamonds Are Not Forever

CHAPTER FOURTY-NINE

CHAPTER FOURTY-NINE
Juliette

Ashley took her lunch break in the back of the store with me, chewing loudly on her chicken sandwich and peering over my shoulder at my computer screen.
We were looking up the dress designer Millie had booked us an appointment with to find our gowns for the Gala. The La Vechas brand had designed dresses from socialites to royals and everything in-between. My search engine had brought up various red carpets and fancy events where the rich and famous had adorned the stunningly beautiful designs of Rosalie Vechas, the brands powerhouse and founder.
"That one is stunning." Ashley garbled, mid chew. She pointed to the delicate tulle ballgown on the screen, a subtle shade of pink.
I nodded, scrolling further down the page. "These look expensive."
I clocked a European princess I'd seen in the news before, wearing a La Vechas' dress at some fancy function surrounded by men in sharp black tuxes.
This was far beyond my world, it was ridiculous.  
"When is our appointment again?"
Ashley raised her brow in thought, counting down the days in her mind. "Next Saturday, I'm working but I'm going to meet you both on an extended lunch break. Millie says it's not that far, so I offered to drive."
Pulling up the calendar in my phone, I checked the schedule Elliot's assistant Rebecca had shared with me earlier that day. He seemed to be organised within an inch of his life, every minute of Elliot's time accounted for in one way or another – and that was just his social engagements.
Elliot Truman, cutting ribbons and kissing babies. The thought made me chuckle.
I penciled in the dress appointment, checking out some of the other events I was required to attend as part of our agreement. There was one coming up that weekend, a cocktail party with some of the people Elliot worked with. It would be our first social event that wasn't with our friends and family, the prospect was daunting.
"How's Milo getting on in New York?" Ashley asked suddenly, bringing me back into the room.
I offered her a lop-sided look, "As well as you can be, going though treatment for cancer. My mum called me with an update, she sounds hopeful."
Mention of my family made my heart swell, in the chaos of moving in with Elliot I'd not had a second to process them being away from me for the first time in my life. It was a blessing and a curse, having Elliot as a distraction from reality.
Ashley looked at me sympathetically, placing the remainder of her sandwich back in her lunch box and resting her hand on my shoulder. "How are you doing with all this?"
Tears threatened in my eyes as I contemplated her question.
I don't think anyone had asked me how I was feeling since Milo's diagnosis, not that I had expected them to. Everyone's sole focus was on Milo's health, including my own, how I felt seemed insignificant compared to that.
"Fine." I lied, looking away from her and back to the monitor screen so she couldn't see my undoubtably un-fine expression.
In truth, I felt frightened.
I felt alone in my worries and apprehension for the future. My mum was hell bent on being an optimist, my best friend was busy trying to run a business, my boyfriend was fake and using me to win a promotion.
Where did that leave me?
Sad little Juliette, who was so wrapped up in everyone else's life that she barely had one of her own. I struggled to recall what it was like before all this, before I had responsibilities and had taken it upon myself to be what everyone else needed of me.
If things had been different, I'd probably be living in Ireland, baking with my grandma on the weekends and walking the coastline every morning. Or traveling the world, venturing on one great adventure after the next.
But I couldn't let myself think about what life could be like, away from the city and the reality of my situation. Because I was still me, and those were just pipe dreams.
Silence stretched between us as Ashley removed her hand from my shoulder and dropped it to her side. "You're strong Jewel, but you don't have to be. Not all the time."
I gave her a sad smile and let out a sigh. "Lets go back to looking at pretty dresses, shall we?"
She seemed hesitant at first, her stern looking eyes searching mine for the truth, but eventually she nodded and grabbed the mouse from my hand. "Let's see if we can find one you like!"
Moving the curser, Ashley scrolled down the page further until it landed on a picture of a stunningly beautiful model wearing a silk gown on a red carpet.
I stared at the picture for a few seconds, wracking my brain as to why it looked so familiar.
The woman staring back at me was brooding for the camera, with icy blue eyes and raven black hair.
Suddenly, the realisation hit me.
"Holy fuck, that's Maya." I breathed, my heartrate rising a fraction just at the mere sight of her.
"Maya, as in Elliot's ex-girlfriend Maya? The one that was a bitch to you at the Gallery?" Ashley quizzed, looking between me and the computer screen.
I nodded, still in a daze.
I found myself comparing myself to her, her slim figure to my full one, her perfect complexion to my freckles. My self-loathing was something that sat underneath like a second skin, I managed it well most times, but it was never too far away.
Me and Maya, we were as different as night and day.
If she was Elliot's type, I was far from it.
The thought saddened me, his own words from the weekend at his parents coming back to haunt me once more.
'Maybe people like me can't be with people like you.'
"The picture is attached to an article." Ashley clicked it open before I could protest, the image disappearing as the webpage for a local news column loaded up. Ashley read the title aloud. "Model Socialite Maya Austen-Smith Cheats on Billionaire Boyfriend Elliot Truman"
We both instinctively moved closer to the screen.