— Well, it’s done, — said Emma, finishing her friend’s makeup. Claire looked in the mirror.
Golden eyeshadow on her lids, a subtle eyeliner, and bold red lipstick on her lips.
— Em, wipe it off. It’s too much.
— You sound like an old granny. Red is the color of passion.
— Passion for who? If I had someone to go with, maybe, but I’m all alone…
— Sorry, you know I’ve got family stuff. Otherwise, I’d love to join you at the theater. So, keeping it?
Claire nodded, and Emma beamed at her friend’s choice. Claire slipped into a long red dress, fixed her hair, and called a cab. Emma left, leaving Claire alone with her thoughts.
The thing was, Claire had earned two theater tickets to A Midsummer Night’s Dream as a reward from her boss for her stellar work. But she had no one to go with. All her friends were busy, and her luck with men was nonexistent.
Her relationships never lasted. Men came and went as quickly as seasons. Her last one had ended in disaster.
She’d met a guy through a dating app. He suggested they meet, and she agreed. Tom invited her to a restaurant. They ordered their meals, had a great time chatting, but when the bill arrived, Tom stunned her by saying he’d only pay for himself.
— But I don’t have any money with me.
— Not my problem, sweetheart. You’re great to talk to, but did you really think I’d cover you? — Tom laughed. — So, what’s the plan?
Claire’s heart sank. She wanted to disappear, to erase the entire day. She called Emma, asking her to transfer money to Tom’s account so he could cover Claire’s share. After that, Claire spent hours crying at Emma’s place, recounting her worst date ever.
At the theater, Claire checked her coat and headed to the buffet. She bought a glass of champagne and leaned against a wall.
— Why not sit at a table? I’m sure your date would love to see you there. Claire turned, surprised, and said:
— You’re mistaken. I came alone. No point taking up a table. Let a couple have it.
— Then let’s grab a table, because I’m alone too.
Claire agreed. They sat by a window and introduced themselves. The man was William, a businessman running a thriving company expanding across the country.
His wife had left him two years ago for one of his former employees. They had no children, both consumed by work. William had built his business from scratch, while his ex-wife worked as his secretary, handling documents and finances early on.
Later, William took full control and, as a reward for her hard work, gifted her a trip to Italy’s Fashion Week. He booked her into the finest hotel and gave her an unlimited credit card to indulge. But gifts couldn’t stop her from cheating, leaving, and eventually divorcing him.
— That’s my sad story. What about you, Claire?
She shared her string of failed relationships. William shook his head and said some men were just “jerks, not real men.”
— You’re a gem, Claire. Don’t let it get to you.
The bell rang, signaling the start of the show. William gallantly offered his arm, and they walked to the auditorium.
Then Claire had an idea. To avoid parting ways, she suggested he sit next to her—she had two tickets, after all. William agreed, and they watched the play together.
At the end, William asked for her number, promising to call. But knowing her luck, Claire didn’t hold her breath, especially with a man like him.
The next day, Claire told her friends about meeting William and their evening. They praised her, saying she’d struck gold and was on the right path. But Claire wasn’t convinced. She should’ve been.
Near the end of her workday, William called, inviting her to dinner. He explained he’d had urgent business after the play, which was why he couldn’t ask her out sooner. Claire was so thrilled that her friends let her leave early to get ready. Thus began her new relationship.
William took her to upscale restaurants, showed her beautiful places, but never invited her to his place, explaining he was renovating his apartment and staying with a friend. Claire didn’t mind; she happily welcomed him to her modest one-bedroom apartment with a small kitchen and bathroom—cozy enough for one.
— Don’t worry, Claire, — William said. — Once the renovations are done, we’ll move into something much bigger.
One day at work, her friends said:
— Look, we see your glowing face every day. When are you introducing us to your man?
— Why do you need to meet him?
— Because we’re your friends! Plus, it feels like you two are headed for a wedding soon.
Claire blushed but asked William if he’d mind meeting them. He was delighted and asked when to show up.
The women picked a Wednesday, when their boss, Mr. George Thompson, was usually out visiting his kids.
William arrived on time, carrying a huge bag with fruits and three cakes: chocolate, sponge, and fruit.
— Oh, William, why so many sweets? We’ll never finish them, — said Sarah.
— Ladies, I didn’t know which you’d like best, so I played it safe.
William was charming and attentive, serving tea and sharing stories about himself and meeting Claire. Her friends adored him, thrilled she’d finally found someone.
But after that meeting, William changed. Work suddenly consumed him. Their dates grew rare.
— Hey, — Emma asked one day, — why so glum lately? Trouble with William?
— No, it’s just… he’s swamped with work. Business stuff. He’s always at the office, and I miss him so much.
— Typical businessman. Get used to it—it’ll be like this after the wedding. Hey, why are you so happy? — she asked another coworker, Lily.
— Oh, girls, I met someone. And he’s amazing!
— What? You kept quiet? Introduce us! — Emma demanded.
— Sorry, I can’t. He’s super shy. Oh, my sweetie texted. Girls, cover for me? — Her friends nodded, letting Lily leave early.
One day, Lily left work early but forgot her phone. Claire, noticing, decided to drop it off at Lily’s place. As she parked near Lily’s house, her body froze. She saw William, arm in arm with Lily. Her heart ached with betrayal. Claire tossed the phone aside, started the car, and drove off.
The next morning, Lily strolled in, cheerful as ever.
— Claire, you’re the last one in today. Usually, you’re the first, — Sarah remarked.
Claire silently approached Lily’s desk and hurled her phone at her.
— Hey, what’s wrong with you? That costs money. Are you nuts?
— And you’re not nuts, stealing other people’s men? Everyone gasped as Claire recounted seeing Lily with William.
— Well, he’s way better off with me. He told me so. He was going to dump you anyway. Guess you saved him the trouble.
Claire slapped Lily hard and ran out, tears streaming. She took a few days off, unable to face work. Emma and Sarah visited, consoling her. They cut Lily off completely. But the break ended, and Claire had to return.
It was a big day. A new boss was arriving, as Mr. Thompson was retiring.
— Hey! Did you turn everyone against me? — Lily yelled.
— The girls are grown and choose who they want to talk to.
— Really? I don’t think so, you witch, — Lily sneered, splashing coffee on Claire’s white blouse.
— Are you insane? We have a meeting any minute!
— The only idiot here is you, — Lily smirked, returning to her desk.
— Girls, cover me! I’ll run to the store!
Luckily, a mall was nearby. Claire picked a blouse but realized she’d forgotten her wallet at the office.
— Let me cover it. Claire turned to see a sharply dressed man.
— Thank you so much! I work nearby, so don’t worry, I’ll pay you back.
They walked back together, and the man turned out to be the new boss, Daniel Spencer. Claire was mortified, but Daniel didn’t mind. In fact, he asked her out, charmed by her. This time, Claire found herself in a lasting, solid relationship.
Lily wasn’t so lucky. One day, Claire found her crying at work. Her soft heart couldn’t ignore it, and she asked what was wrong.
It turned out William was a con artist. He’d claimed he was building a new house.
— Look, this is what your house will look like, — he’d said, showing her photos.
— Wow, amazing, honey!
But there was a catch. Lily had to sell her apartment. He convinced her to transfer the deed to him to “speed things up.”
— Where will we live? The house isn’t built yet.
— Darling, I’ll send you on a European tour. Italy? Done. Germany, France…
Lily’s head spun with visions of luxury travel and her friends’ envy. But there was nothing to envy.
While Lily was at work, William sold her apartment and vanished with the money. When she returned home, she was told the place was sold, with all the paperwork in order.
Lily went to the police, but they couldn’t help—she’d willingly signed the apartment over to William. That was the cruel twist of fate Lily received.
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