104 Vivienne’s Doorway Arrival
The subtle mockery wasn’t lost on Elara. “Actually, I’ll be there,” she said, the decision made in that instant. “What time?”
“I’ll implement these changes tomorrow,” she told her team, wrapping up the meeting. “Let’s reconvene at the same time tomorrow night.”
She was stunning as always–her blonde hair falling in perfect waves around her shoulders, wearing a silk pajama set that hugged her curves in all the right places. Her red–painted lips curved into a smile that never quite reached her eyes when they
landed on Elara.
“Let’s not celebrate yet,” she cautioned, though she couldn’t help but feel a flush of professional pride. “We still have inconsistencies in complex emotional scenarios.”
After Cora left, Elara gathered her toiletries and headed for the shower. As the hot water cascaded over her shoulders, she finally allowed herself to feel the full weight of what had just happened–the casual way Damien had walked out with Vivienne, the natural way they moved together, the unmistakable intimacy between them.
Just as she was about to end the call, her hotel room door opened again. This time, Cora burst in, her expression animated and excited.
“Daddy! Can I have a sleepover with Vivi tonight? Please? She already said it’s okay!”
Cora barely glanced at her, focused entirely on Damien. “So can I, Daddy? Please?”
The words dripped with false sweetness. Elara merely nodded, refusing to engage in whatever game Vivienne was playing.
The emphasis on “family” was deliberate, a reminder that while Ela… might be Damien’s wife on paper, Vivienne considered herself the true female figure in his life.
Cora burst back in moments later, a small backpack in hand. “I’m all packed!”
Elara felt the familiar sting. Better than mom, was what Cora had almost said. She kept her expression neutral, shutting down her laptop with a deliberate click.
Julian nodded on screen, his expression thoughtful. “The breakthrough was your recalibration of the empathy metrics. That was brilliant, Elara.”
15
104 Vivienne’s Doorway Arrival
“Goodnight, sweetheart. Have fun with…” Elara couldn’t bring herself to say Vivienne’s name. “Have a good sleepover.”
Elara sat motionless, staring at the closed door. The room suddenly felt too large, too empty, despite being filled with her belongings.
Damien had emerged from the bathroom wearing a t–shirt and lounge pants, his dark hair still damp from the shower. He looked down at Cora with a slight smile.
“Did you finish your reading assignment?”
Elara forced a smile. “I’m fine, just tired from work.”
Elara’s fingers flew across the keyboard as she led the video conference from her hotel room. Tonight’s meeting was critical–the first comprehensive review of YodaVision’s new emotional intelligence algorithm since she’d rejoined the company.
“Of course,” he replied, moving toward the door.
Elara quickly adjusted her laptop angle, her cheeks burning. “Sorry about that. Let’s continue with the developmental timeline.”
She pressed her forehead against the cool tile wall, letting the water mix with the tears she refused to acknowledge. Seven years of marriage, and she was still the outsider, the inconvenient wife who could be dismissed with a glance.
“Don’t let us disturb you,” Vivienne continued, her hand coming to rest possessively on Damien’s forearm. “We have plans to discuss for tomorrow’s activities. The resort manager has arranged something special.”
“I didn’t say anything,” Elara replied, her tone carefully measured as she organized her work materials.
Elara froze, acutely aware that her daughter’s voice was audible to everyone on the
call.
Elara focused on closing her laptop. “My face is my own business.”
Before Damien could respond, another knock sounded at the door. Elara looked up, expecting Cora to have returned. Instead, the door opened slowly, revealing Vivienne standing in the doorway.
“You didn’t have to. Your face said it all.”
104 Vivienne’s Doorway Arrival
Damien stood in the doorway, next to Vivienne, neither inside the room with Elara nor fully committed to following Vivienne. For a brief moment, his eyes met Elara’s, something unreadable flickering in their depths.
Julian caught her eye through the screen and nodded subtly. “We’ll talk tomorrow, Elara. Great progress today.”
He disappeared into the bathroom, leaving Elara to deal with her colleagues‘ curious expressions.
But tonight, alone in the shower where no one could see, she allowed herself to wonder how much longer she could endure this elaborate charade they called a marriage.
Maia, one of the junior developers, abruptly stopped mid–sentence, her eyes widening. Unfortunately, he walked directly into the camera’s view, wearing only pajama bottoms that hung low on his hips. His bare chest and sculpted abs were clearly visible to everyone on the call.
“Did you remember your toothbrush?” Elara asked automatically.
Elara watched as Damien’s entire demeanor shifted. His posture straightened, his eyes softened, and a smile played at the corners of his mouth–a smile Elara hadn’t seen directed at her in years.
She darted out of the room without acknowledging Elara further. The silence left in her wake felt heavy, loaded with unspoken tensions.
“The adaptive response patterns are showing remarkable improvement,” she explained, pointing to the graph on her screen. “We’re seeing a 27% increase in contextual accuracy.”
“Will you join us for breakfast tomorrow?” he asked, the question seeming oddly important.
Cora accepted this with a shrug. “Okay. Goodnight, Mom.”
A flash of irritation crossed Vivienne’s perfect features before she smoothed it away. “Eight o’clock. Though you might find it dreadfully boring–just family conversation.” Damien nodded, then turned to leave. Side by side, he and Vivienne walked out, their shoulders nearly touching. Vivienne glanced back once, her smile victorious as she
104 Vivienne’s Doorway Arrival
pulled the door closed behind them.
“Sorry to interrupt,” Vivienne said, her tone suggesting she wasn’t sorry at all. “Damien, do you have a moment?”
Tomorrow at breakfast, she would sit across from them, smile politely, and pretend it didn’t tear her apart inside. She would do it for Cora, for appearances, for her own dignity.
“Eight works for me,” Elara confirmed, her voice steady despite the familiar ache in her
chest.
She ended the call quickly, grateful for Julian’s professional courtesy.
The meeting continued for another forty minutes. Elara heard the shower running, then stopping. She kept her eyes deliberately fixed on her screen, refusing to be distracted by Damien’s presence in the room.
“She didn’t mean anything by it,” Damien said, toweling his hair dry. “Cora’s just
excited.”
“Yes, Mom,” Cora replied with the exaggerated patience of a child who feels they’re being unnecessarily monitored. She paused, looking at Elara more carefully. “Are you okay? You look weird.”
“Cora,” she said, turning to her daughter. “You should knock before entering a room.”
“Can we please focus on the project?” Elara asked firmly, redirecting the conversation. “The emotional recognition patterns still need refinement before next week’s demonstration.”
“So that’s your husband,” Maia said, clearly impressed. “You’ve been holding out on us,
Elara.”
Julian’s expression shifted from professional to amused. “I think we just met the famous Mr. Thorne.”
As the team discussed technical solutions, Elara heard the hotel room door open behind her. She tensed, knowing exactly who it was. Without turning, she continued her explanation, hoping Damien would simply pass through to the bathroom as he sometimes did during her calls.
Vivienne’s gaze drifted over to Elara, a hint of triumph evident in her expression.
<
104 Vivienne’s Doorway Arrival
“Working late again, Elara? Such dedication.”
“Fine,” Damien conceded. “But lights out by ten.”
When the bathroom door opened again, she angled the camera further away, determined to maintain her privacy. The last thing she needed was more of her colleagues seeing Damien in various states of undress.
Cora squealed with delight. “Thank you! I’ll go pack my pajamas!”
Before Elara could respond, Vivienne laughed lightly. “Darling, you know Elara never has time for leisurely breakfasts. She’s far too important and busy”
“Yes! And Vivi helped me with my math. She explained fractions way better than-‘ Cora stopped abruptly, casting a quick glance at Elara before continuing. “She explained it really well.”
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“Don’t mind me,” Damien said, his voice carrying just enough to be picked up by the microphone. “I need a shower.”
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