At that exact moment, a hauntingly familiar voice spiraled through the din of the café.
"Dagny!"
Both Betty and I spun around in unison.
It was Charles, striding toward us with a steadfast determination that was only marred by the flicker of confusion that sparked in his eyes as he spotted Betty.
He fixed me with a questioning look and asked,
"What brings you unexpectedly to the company?"
The subtext behind his words unraveled itself quickly enough.
He believed I was there to confront Betty.
Betty snatched the reins of the situation gracefully,
"Charles, I apologize for the sudden intrusion. Several non-profit educational projects are underway, including the one I spoke to you about. I had some unexpected free time today and thought to use it to further our discussion."
"Alright, my secretary will guide you upstairs."
At his behest, his secretary flamboyantly whisked Betty away, leaving Charles and me locked in unexpected solitude.
His blatant favoritism was bewildering.
Was this his twisted way of staging a feud between Betty and me and making himself the hero?
As surreptitious glances and hushed whispers began to puncture our isolated bubble, I finally realized the true nature of Charles' actions.
He preemptively diffused rumors that could taint Betty's reputation by displacing her from the scene.
This display of seemingly selfless heroism appeared misplaced, given a divorce was hovering over the horizon.
However, the implications of these theatrics were recovered on me.
The smoother I could navigate this situation, the better for the impending divorce talks.
I put on my best diplomatic smile and consoled him,
"I'm fine, Charles. You and Betty must discuss important matters, so please go ahead. I'll excuse myself first."