Bound To The Seduction

Chapter 10: A Break up Gift

Emily scanned Sarah's wardrobe for a while and then asked suddenly, "Girl, why can't I see any of Brandon's hoodies?"

"Hehe... umm... I don't like them anymore. Yes, m-my tastes changed." She made up a random excuse that even she could not believe, let alone Emily. "Besides, it is warm and I don't need a hoodie."

"Oh, really?" she glanced around and noticed Sarah's neck looked different. "Sarah, where is your pendant?"

Sarah shrunk her neck, "I-I lost it."

"That's odd." She looked at Sarah like a stranger. "You never took it off ever since Brandon gave it to you."

Sarah was the most careful person and would always keep whatever gift you gave her no matter how small it is. She was a neat person and rarely lost anything. Emily was a mess and would always get bored with things and give them away. "I'm the one who loses things and you can't snatch that from me. Now I'm curious how you lost it without losing your neck."

"Okay, okay, I did not lose it. A dog kept begging for it so I gave it to her." Sarah said, her voice laced with sarcasm.

Emily leaned in and gazed at Sarah's face with sparkly eyes, eager for gossip. Sarah averted her eyes, patted Emily on the head, and laughed. "There's nothing to tell, you gossip queen. How about you tell me more about Miami? I've never been there."

Emily's face fell with Sarah's dismissal but she knew more than to press her. Since she refused to talk about it, it must be an unpleasant experience. Knowing Sarah, she wouldn't talk about any unpleasant experiences until she felt ready to talk about them. Emily complied and she recounted all her experiences for the past month. They had a happy chat for almost half an hour, most of it, catching up.

"Girl, you are acting weird today," Emily suddenly said, "it's been half an hour and you haven't mentioned Brandon anywhere. Normally, you wouldn't miss a chance to brag about him. What? Did you two fight?"

"Emily, did you bring any food? I'm starving," She said, trying her best to sound normal but Emily still felt tremors in her voice.

Emily's smile faded and all her childishness disappeared without a trace. A cold glint flashed in her eyes as she asked, "Sarah, what did he do?" Emily gripped Sarah's shoulders and gave her a gentle shake. "Don't cover for him. Tell me, I'll make sure he lives to regret—"

"We broke up."

"See, I told you he's such a... wait, what?"

"Yep, you heard me."

"Like break up, break up, or break up till we think things through and it goes away like a bad dream?" Emily asked, releasing the grip on her shoulders.

"More like a terrible nightmare that never goes away." Sarah stared at her fingers as she played with the cuticles of her nails. She touched her ring with her thumb out of habit and sighed. "I found him making out with Clara on the couch when I came back."

"Gosh, I'm so sorry." Emily wrapped her arms around Sarah and pulled her into a comforting hug. "Are you okay?"

"Why wouldn't I be?" she chuckled, "it's just a man. It wouldn't be the first time someone left." She gripped the hem of her t-shirt and said, her voice hoarse, "My dad left too, remember?"

"Yeah, you are right girl. If I were sad every time someone left, I would have died of sorrow." Emily smoothened out Sarah's tangled hair. "But, girl, it is okay to feel a little sad. Don't force yourself to be strong. You can cry a little bit, it helps make things feel lighter."

Sarah gritted her teeth and said, "That idiot doesn't deserve a single bit of my tear." Sarah pulled out of Emily's crushing hug and punched the pillow before picking up her stuffed bunny and hugging it close to her heart. "I'm okay, I just need more food."

"So, did you slap that cheating couple?"

Sarah raised her eyebrows and sneered, "My hands would hurt if I slapped them. Anyway, breaking up now is better than getting a divorce after the marriage."

"Okay, as you wish." Emily raised her hand. Sarah petted her plush bunny and Emily's eyes widened when she saw the sparkling ring on Sarah's finger. "Why are you still wearing that ring? I thought people always slam it on the table before walking away when they break up."

Sarah stayed silent. She gazed at the ring for a long time and rubbed her index finger over the ring. She slowly took off the ring for the first time in six months and fiddled with it. Finally, she took a deep breath and placed it carefully on the small table beside the bed. "How much do you think this cost?"

Emily inspected the ring. "I'm no specialist but since the diamond is real, it should be about $5000. He wasn't stingy at all."

"Then, I'll consider it a breakup gift." She lay on the bed and stared at the ceiling. "At least, I don't have to worry about food for a few months. I won't starve before I find another job."

"Girl, why didn't I think of that?" Emily said, slapping her thighs, "It really is a waste to give back the ring."

Sarah rolled her eyes. "Little empress, can I get something to eat now? I'm starving."

"I already ordered a takeout. The delivery will be here any minute."