Let Me Go, Mr. Howard Chapter 18

The lip gloss fell to the floor, its case cracking on impact. Dark red liquid seeped through the fissure, staining the pristine white carpet.

Edith gasped, her face displaying perfectly calibrated distress. "Scarlett, why didn't you catch it? This was a limited edition that Seb specially imported for me."

She looked at Scarlett, a flash of triumph in her eyes despite her increasingly fragile tone. "Are you unhappy about being at our engagement photoshoot? Do you find it too troublesome? I'm sorry, I shouldn't have forced you."

"You deliberately dropped it," Scarlett replied coldly, her voice devoid of emotion. Looking at Edith's performance, she felt anger was too much effort to muster.

"I did not!" Edith's eyes immediately welled with tears as she turned to Sebastian, clinging to his arm. "Seb, I really didn't! I just couldn't hold it properly. How can she accuse me like this?"

Sebastian's gaze fell on Scarlett, emotionless except for the unmistakable command, "Pick it up."

Scarlett's heart clenched painfully. She looked at him, the light in her eyes gradually dimming. 

He had been standing right there. He had seen everything clearly, knew Edith was deliberately causing trouble. But what did that matter? His heart had always been biased. 

In his eyes, her pain, her explanations—none of it compared to one of Edith's fake tears.

"Pick it up," Sebastian repeated, his tone colder, more oppressive.

The crew members around them paused their work, glancing over with curiosity and the anticipation of drama. 

Scarlett's nails dug into her palms as she crouched down.

As she bent to retrieve the lip gloss, she heard the photographer say to Sebastian with a smile, "Mr. Howard, you're so attentive to Ms. Edith Seymour. The way you adjusted her veil earlier—it's clear how much you care for her."

Scarlett looked up just in time to see Sebastian gently brush away a strand of hair that the wind had blown across Edith's temple. His touch was light, natural—a tenderness she had never experienced. 

In that moment, her chest felt constricted, making it hard to breathe.

She lowered her head, picked up the lip gloss, and forcefully threw it into a nearby trash can.

"You!" Edith's face paled with anger. "That was limited edition!"

"It's fine, I'll buy you another one," Sebastian said, giving Scarlett a cold glance before turning to the photographer, "Let's continue."

It was as if the incident had been nothing more than brushing away an insignificant speck of dust.

During the break, Edith approached Scarlett with a glass of champagne, moving with deliberate casualness.

"Scarlett, don't take what happened earlier to heart," she said with a smile that didn't reach her calculating eyes.

Scarlett leaned against the wall, eyes closed, pretending to rest and ignoring her.

"Seb is just overly concerned about me, afraid I'll be upset. That's why he was a bit harsh with you. He didn't mean it." She offered the champagne to Scarlett. "Let me toast you as an apology, alright?"

Scarlett opened her eyes, looked at the champagne, but didn't take it.

Edith's smile faltered before she suddenly tilted her head back and drained the glass. Perhaps drinking too quickly, she began to cough violently, her face flushing red, tears springing to her eyes. 

"Scarlett, are you still angry with me? I... I'm punishing myself with this drink. Please forgive me and don't be upset anymore."

Her performance drew the attention of people nearby, their gazes falling on Scarlett with accusation.

Scarlett frowned deeply and was about to speak when Sebastian's voice cut through. 

"What's going on?" He strode over, immediately pulling Edith into his arms, his tone harsh. "Why did you drink so much?"

"I... I was trying to apologize to Scarlett," Edith leaned against him, her voice choked. "But she doesn't seem to forgive me."

Sebastian's gaze immediately shot toward Scarlett, cold as a poisoned blade. "Scarlett, must you be like this?"

"I didn't—" Scarlett began.

"Enough," Sebastian interrupted, his voice glacial. 

"There's no need to engage with someone like this." He looked down, gently patting Edith's back. "Let's go. You don't need to suffer this."

Edith nestled obediently in his arms, but as they passed Scarlett, she secretly looked up and flashed a triumphant smile.

Their footsteps gradually receded, leaving Scarlett standing alone, surrounded by subtle, judging glances. She watched their retreating figures, her eyes growing colder by the second.

As they finished for the day, darkness had fallen. Edith, arm-in-arm with Sebastian, passed by Scarlett and suddenly pulled a photo from her bag, pressing it into Scarlett's hand.

"Scarlett, don't be upset. Here's a memento for you." Her voice dripped with false sweetness. "Don't we look perfect together?"

In the photo, Edith beamed radiantly, nestled in Sebastian's arms. Though Sebastian's expression remained neutral, he wasn't pushing her away. The background of roses framed them like a perfect couple, painfully bright.

"We're leaving now, Scarlett. The assistant will take you home later," she added, as if she were truly the gracious, kind-hearted older sister accommodating her younger sibling.

The lights switched off one by one, gradually darkening the studio. 

Scarlett stood motionless, watching the embracing couple until they completely disappeared from sight. 

She gripped the photo tightly, her fingers pressing hard until the edges wrinkled and even cracked, before finally letting go. She walked to the trash can and threw the photo in without hesitation.

The next day at the office, after a busy morning, Scarlett took her cup to the water dispenser during break time. Just as she entered the break room, she heard hushed conversations behind her.

"Did you see the intranet? Ms. Edith Seymour and Mr. Howard's engagement photos are on the homepage."

"Yes! Ms. Edith Seymour looked gorgeous in that mermaid wedding dress. The way Mr. Howard looked at her was so tender."

"Absolutely. I heard Ms. Scarlett Seymour was there the whole time doing menial tasks—holding reflectors, fetching water. The difference in status is so stark."

"Well, Ms. Edith Seymour is Mr. Howard's fiancée. How could Ms. Scarlett Seymour compare?"

The voices became muffled in Scarlett's ears, like water-soaked cotton, suffocating her from within. 

Her hand trembled, spilling scalding water onto her skin, causing a sharp, burning pain. She gasped, quickly setting down the cup and rinsing her hand under cold water.

The angry red burn stood out vividly against her smooth skin, like an ugly flower. 

The gossip continued, filled with undisguised mockery and schadenfreude. 

Scarlett turned off the faucet, picked up her cup, and walked out of the break room. She couldn't bear to stay at the office any longer and decided to go directly to the Starlight Show venue instead.