Chapter 66
Brimey hadn’t thought about it that way. Only after Serena framed it like that did she realize she hadn’t lost anything at all. If someone had the nerve to curse at her, she’d make them apologize until they were hoarse from yelling, “I was wrong!” Anything out of hand? She’d call the cops and have them arrested. Simple as that. With that thought, Brimey felt completely at ease.
Yet, something still didn’t sit right. Britney turned and shot Serena a cold glare. Stepping forward suddenly, her eyes narrowed as she studied her. “You like Autumn, don’t you?”
Britney had countless non-negotiables, but paramount among them was her absolute prohibition against anyone uttering a kind word about Autumn. Serena had learned that the hard way. The last time she casually suggested that Autumn might be a hacker, Britney had scoffed at her with open disdain. So, Serena knew exactly where the line was. And she knew not to cross it.
“It’s not that I like her,” Serena explained carefully, “I just think she’s a little different from how you described her. I was curious, that’s all. And even if I did like her, I’m still your friend. I’ll always be on your side.”
That was Serena’s non-negotiable—a friend was a friend. Having a favorable impression of Autumn? That was a separate issue altogether.
Brimey offered, “Now that’s more like it! But let me warn you, if you genuinely think that Autumn is amazing, then we’re done. No more sisterhood. I mean it.”
No matter what. Autumn had crossed the line this time. Britney was nothing if not decisive; when she liked someone, she liked them. When she didn’t, that was the end of it.
Autumn wanted to patch things up, but a couple of apologies wouldn’t be nearly enough. She’d have to work hard to win Britney back, which would take time—a lot of time. But knowing how much Autumn cared about Damien, she would definitely come crawling back, trying to smooth things over. And once this little stunt of hers blew over, Brimey would make sure she paid for every bit of it.
Though Brimey had had her, Serena knew she’d managed to calm her down, at least for now. Britney let out a huff, signaling that the matter was settled for the moment. She turned and resumed her search for Autumn in the lavishly decorated banquet hall.
To her disbelief, the very woman who had nearly driven her to a meltdown was now leisurely eating and drinking, completely unfazed and blissfully unaware of Britney’s seething anger. In an instant, Britney’s fury reignited.
Seeing this, Serena quickly pulled her aside. “Don’t look at her! You’re just going to—”
Even more upset, Britney’s anger clenched. “But I heard her say she dated your brother. That’s why she’s treating you so badly. Could they really be getting a divorce?”
Everyone loved a bit of gossip, and Britney’s animation matched the commentary. She scoffed, “Divorce? Please, she’ll never leave Damien.”
This tantrum played serious this time. She’d been threatening divorce for years. Every single time, the threat sounded serious. But did she ever leave Damien? Britney clenched her teeth as she spoke. Illa was supposed to show up later as Denton’s plus-one, and Britney had planned to use that to humiliate Autumn. Dat Asturias’s outburst had gotten the owner’s attention, and she hadn’t even gotten the chance. Fuming at the thought, Britney stewed for a moment, then, unable to swallow the indignity, she turned on her heel and stormed straight back toward Autumn.