Reclaiming the Sweetheart, The Broken Vow

My preppy, picture-perfect childhood sweetheart, Ethan, fell for Lily, a girl from the wrong side of the tracks. He went against his entire family, broke off our engagement, and married her. Heartbroken, I left for Paris to pursue my art.

Years later, I returned. At my welcome-back party, Ethan, the guy who once defied the world for Lily, stood there, a cold, almost disgusted look on his face as he watched her fumble with a conversation. "I told you to stay home," he said, his voice laced with ice. "Why are you embarrassing yourself?"

.........

I wasn't expecting Ethan at the party. Seven years ago, hed told our families that hed rather marry a dog than me if he couldn't have Lily. It was a brutal insult, a complete disregard for years of friendship between our families. Exhausted and humiliated, I begged my parents to let me out of the engagement. They finally agreed, making it clear to everyone that it was the Millers, not Ethan, who were backing out.

After that, I left for Paris.

Now, here he was. Taller, more mature, with a handsome, almost aloof demeanor. His dark eyes met mine. I turned to Chloe, my best friend whod organized the party.

"I didn't invite him, Viv," she rushed to explain. "He somehow heard you were back and insisted on taking over the party planning." She added weakly, "It wasn't me, I swear."

Ethan chuckled, his voice suddenly warm, like it used to be when hed pick me up for school. "Viv, it's been years. I was young and foolish. I hurt you, and I wanted to apologize." He paused, looking directly into my eyes. "Do you still hold a grudge?"

The question was loaded. I offered a bright, dismissive smile. "Like you said, it's ancient history." We were still in the same social circles, and it really was over. "Chloe tells me you and Lily got married a while back. Congratulations." I raised my glass. "To you."

He took a sip, his expression unreadable. It didn't look like a celebratory drink. More like a shot of whiskey to numb the pain.

I didn't care. My friends were thrilled to see me, and the conversation revolved around my life in Paris, my art exhibitions, and my newly opened galleries. Someone jokingly complained about how successful I was, making their parents expect the same of them.

Ethan, silent until now, spoke. "You've learned to be modest, I see." His tone it was almost flirtatious. I wasn't sure how to respond. Before I could, he added, "I saw 'Whispers of Dreams.' It was incredible."

That got everyone's attention. The air crackled with unspoken questions. I kept my expression neutral. "Oh, thanks." Then, with a touch of playful malice, I added, "Did you see it with Lily? Where is she tonight? I haven't seen her in ages."

His face closed off. "She's at home. Something came up." He said it like she was a stranger. I didn't know why he was so cold towards the woman he once fought so hard for.

I changed the subject.

Later, as we were leaving, we saw Lily sitting in the lobby, staring anxiously at the VIP elevator. When the doors opened, she jumped up. Shed clearly been waiting for us.

Everyone froze. She tried to smile, her eyes darting around until they landed on me. Her face went white. She looked at me, lost and almost afraid, as if I was her worst nightmare.

I was completely baffled.

Lily had changed. The first time I saw her, she was a skinny, awkward transfer student, her school uniform hanging off her small frame. Our homeroom teacher introduced her as a top student from public school. The class, full of privileged kids, was unimpressed. I felt a pang of sympathy and clapped, prompting the rest of the class to follow suit.

The teacher, grateful, pointed to me. "This is Vivian Miller, our class president. You can go to her if you need anything."

Lily never did. Ethan took her under his wing. She became his deskmate, the only available seat being next to him. I didnt realize then that this was the beginning of their betrayal.

There were signs. Lily had low blood sugar and anemia. Ethan would rush her to the nurses office when she fainted. My mom brought back Belgian chocolates for us. Ethan claimed a box, saying he wanted them. He'd never liked sweets before. He even asked for my familys pastry chefs recipes. I, oblivious, had the chef send him a batch of freshly baked goods.

I thought he was just being nice to a less fortunate classmate. Then I saw the chocolate wrappers and the pastry boxes on Lilys desk.

I convinced myself it was just Ethan being kind. Lily was so ordinary. I was Vivian Miller, the prettiest girl in school, smart, popular, and from a good family. How could Ethan possibly choose her over me?

Now, seven years later, Lily was decked out in designer clothes and bags, the logos screaming wealth but somehow looking tacky on her. She walked over, forcing a smile. "Viv, you're back." Her eyes flicked between Ethan and me, a strange mixture of curiosity and suspicion. I frowned.

Ethan spoke first, his voice flat. "What are you doing here?"

Lily glanced at him nervously, her smile almost pleading. "I was shopping, and the manager said you were here with friends, throwing a party for Viv. So I waited for you so we could go home together."

It was a flimsy excuse. She held up a shopping bag. "The manager also gave me these two bottles of wine. A little gift for Mr. and Mrs. Stone." She emphasized "Mrs. Stone" like she was staking a claim. Ethan's face tightened.

I heard someone behind me stifle a laugh. With Ethan's status, even the club owner needed an appointment to see him. Here was his wife, clutching two free bottles of wine like they were priceless treasures. It was painfully awkward.

Clearly, this wasn't the first time Lily had embarrassed him. Ethans voice was sharp, impatient. "I told you to stay home. Why are you embarrassing yourself?"

More muffled laughter. Lily's face turned a sickly white. She looked at Ethan, bewildered. She didn't understand his anger, or what she'd done wrong. No one offered an explanation. Everyone was laughing at her naivet, her lack of social grace.

I was surprised by Ethan's coldness. Hed always defended Lily. Back in high school, when she was ostracized, even by me, he always stood up for her. Now, he just stared down at her, his eyes filled with a barely concealed disdain. He was a completely different person.

How could he look at her with such contempt? Had he forgotten how he treated me, all to protect her?

The first time Ethan defended Lily was during English class. English was our easiest subject. We'd all had private tutors since we were toddlers. Our accents were impeccable, our grammar flawless.

One day, the teacher called on Lily to read. From the first word, the class erupted in giggles. Her pronunciation was atrocious, thick with a working-class accent. The laughter spread until Lily fell silent. The teacher, flustered, told her to sit down and quickly moved on.

After class, Chloe, always the mean girl, went up to Lily and loudly mimicked her accent. The others laughed. Lily sat with her head down, her shoulders shaking slightly.

I felt a sudden unease. I was about to tell Chloe to stop when Ethan, who'd been sleeping, sat up. He banged his copy of "Harry Potter" on his desk. The sound cut through the laughter. He looked at Chloe, his face expressionless. "Shut up. You're annoying."

Chloe froze, her smile dying on her face. The room went silent. I looked at Ethan, then at Chloe, offering a gentle smile. Chloe, class is about to start. Chloe nodded, taking the cue, and dragged her friends back to their seats.

I glanced at Lily. She was looking at Ethan, her eyes shining with gratitude, whispering something to him. Ethan didnt react.

Later, I saw them again in the library. Lily was practicing her pronunciation with a small recorder. Ethan walked over, his "Harry Potter" in hand. He sat next to her. "You're doing it wrong." He opened his book, pointed to a sentence. "Read this."

Lily, blushing, stumbled through the sentence.

"Mr. Dursley might have been drifting into an uneasy sleep, but the cat on the wall outside was showing no sign of sleepiness."

Ethan tapped the word "drifting." I could hear him patiently correcting her pronunciation, guiding her towards a more polished accent. The library was silent, sunlight streaming through the windows, illuminating the two of them like a painting.

It still wouldnt have bothered me if it werent for what happened next. Lily, staring at Ethans face, whispered, "I'm so envious of Vivian."

The envy was clear. From that moment on, I started to dislike her.

No one knew, of course. I was always friendly, approachable. During tennis practice, when Lily was left without a partner, I smiled and offered to play with her. She looked surprised, grateful. I thought about her and Ethan in the library, and as I turned away, my smile vanished. I hoped shed enjoy this.

Lily didn't manage to return a single one of my serves. I played like I was toying with her, sending the ball to impossible corners, forcing her to chase it endlessly.