My CEO Ex: Let Me Go.-Chapter 26

I followed Alexander to the front row.

In one of the seats, Isabella turned and waved at Alexander. "Alexander, over here."

"Go ahead," Alexander glanced at me before walking toward her.

I froze, my smile fading away.

I had expected Alexander to sit with me, just the two of us. I had hoped, for once, that I would win over Isabella. But in reality, this was just a token gesture from Alexander.

"What are you standing there for?" Alexander turned and asked me.

I lowered my gaze, took a deep breath, and walked toward him, sitting beside him. "I didn’t expect Miss Blackwood to be here."

Isabella’s face paled as she bit her lip, speaking softly, "Vivienne, I’m sorry. My Talent Agent sent me here. I didn’t know you’d be here. If you don’t mind, I can sit at the back."

Isabella stood up, ready to move.

But Alexander grabbed her wrist. "No need, you can sit here."

Isabella looked at me uncertainly. "But..."

"It’s fine, she won’t mind."

My hands clenched the fabric of my skirt tightly, my chest aching so badly that it felt hard to breathe.

Alexander, how do you know I won’t mind?

Alexander, do you think I have no feelings?

I closed my eyes, trying to calm myself, but it seemed pointless. 𝒻𝑟𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝑛𝘰𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝘤𝘰𝘮

Watching Alexander gently reassure Isabella, the jealousy inside me grew, almost consuming me.

I picked up the booklet beside me, which contained descriptions of all the auction items for the evening—each with a name, photo, and materials.

I desperately needed to focus on something else, or I would truly lose control.

I flipped through the pages, but my mind wouldn’t settle.

"Do you like this one?" Alexander suddenly whispered in my ear.

I snapped back to attention and looked at the page I had opened to—an emerald bracelet with a glassy, sky-blue background, named Heart of the Ocean, which perfectly matched my dress.

I nodded.

"I’ll bid on it and give it to you," Alexander said.

"Thank you."

At first, I had been so curious and excited about the charity gala, but now I felt completely drained, my energy completely sapped.

Meanwhile, Isabella kept discussing the auction items with Alexander in a soft voice.

"This one’s beautiful," Isabella said, pointing at a piece of jewelry in the booklet.

"Do you want it? Alright."

"No, I don’t need these things," Isabella said, tugging at Alexander’s sleeve and glancing at me.

Alexander understood. Isabella was kind-hearted, and in front of me, she was careful, not daring to spend his money.

My heart tightened, and my expression froze.

I noticed the watch Isabella was wearing—it was identical to the one Alexander had given me when he returned from his business trip.

Silver band, small square face—it hurt my eyes to look at it.

So that’s how it is.

I knew it. How could Alexander have thought of getting me a gift?

This was for Isabella, and I was just an afterthought.

He couldn’t even be bothered to choose a different one; he just picked the same.

So dismissive.

I forced a bitter laugh.

It wasn’t until Heart of the Ocean was finally showcased that I managed to regain a bit of my attention.

The starting bid for Heart of the Ocean was $500,000.

After several rounds of bidding, Alexander successfully won the bracelet, the final price reaching $3 million.

I leaned toward Alexander and whispered, "I’m feeling a bit suffocated. I’m going outside for some air."

"Go ahead. I’ll call you when I’m ready to leave."

I stood up and left the auction hall.

I walked to the back door of the banquet hall, which led to the garden and a large swimming pool.

The cool breeze touched my face, and my mood cleared just a little.

I sat down on a chair by the pool, closed my eyes, and tried to empty my mind.

"Did they kick you out?"

Charlotte had appeared next to me without me noticing.

I opened my eyes and glanced at her before closing them again, not responding.

Charlotte snorted. "All of you are the same. Don’t pretend to be pure. Didn’t you see Miss Blackwood next to Alexander? That’s his real girlfriend. We’re all just the ones they hide away. You’d better recognize your place and stop hoping for things that don’t belong to you."

"Could you be quiet?" I said impatiently.

I thought I had made my feelings clear enough; anyone with a little sense should know I didn’t want to talk to her.

"Oh? Are you embarrassed now? Don’t think just because you’ve managed to get Alexander’s attention, you’re any different from the rest of us. Aren’t we all just out here selling ourselves? Who’s more noble than whom?"

"Shut up! I don’t want to hear you talk, please leave."

"I’m not leaving. Is this your family’s place?"

"If you don’t leave, I will."

I stood up from my chair and walked out briskly.

Charlotte glared at my retreating figure, her frustration growing.

Why was it that I got to be with Alexander—young, handsome, and wealthy—while she had to settle for an old man with a large belly?

We were both mistresses, so why did I get to act so arrogantly, like I was better than everyone else?

The more Charlotte thought about it, the angrier she became. She suddenly rushed forward and pushed me.

I wasn’t expecting it, lost my balance, and with a loud splash, I fell into the swimming pool.

Charlotte was startled, panicked, and quickly ran away.

"Glub... glub... glub..."

The cold water enveloped me completely as I flailed around, swallowing several gulps of water.

The sensation of suffocating slowly took over, and the familiar terror spread through my body. I shivered uncontrollably, my limbs twitching.

I couldn’t breathe, and my consciousness began to fade.

Images of broken memories suddenly flashed through my mind.

I remembered those people who once called me a bastard without parents.

They’d cut my backpack, torn my books and homework, trapped me in the restroom, slapped me, and even pushed my head into a water basin until I nearly drowned...

"Vivienne!"

Julian spotted me in the pool and, panicking, jumped in without a second thought. He swam over quickly, grabbing me and lifting my head above the water, then dragged me to the edge of the pool and pulled me out.

"Vivienne! Vivienne! Wake up!"

Julian pressed his fingers to my pulse, his face etched with worry.

The commotion had caught the attention of the staff in the banquet hall, who immediately called for an ambulance and brought over a blanket to cover me. "I know first aid," one of them said.

Julian stepped aside quickly.

The staff positioned me for CPR and gave several firm chest compressions.

I coughed up water and slowly started to regain consciousness.

At first, my vision was blurry, but after a moment, it cleared and I could see what was happening around me.

"My first words were, ’Don’t forget to call the police. Someone pushed me in.’"

"Alright."

The staff immediately called 911 and helped me sit up. "Let me help you to the rest area. Once the ambulance arrives, we’ll take you to the hospital for a check-up. I’ll go inform the manager."

"Okay, thank you."

Julian and the staff helped me walk to the rest area. As we passed the auction hall, Julian commented, "By the way, I think Miss Blackwood wasn’t feeling well, and CEO Hawthorne left with her earlier."

My chest tightened, as if I had been struck by a heavy blow, and I replied quietly, "I know."

I waited in the rest area for a while, and when the ambulance arrived, I was taken to the hospital.

Julian insisted on accompanying me, despite my reluctance, not wanting to leave until he was sure I was completely safe.

The doctors and nurses in the ambulance recognized Julian, and seeing his obvious concern for me, they couldn’t help but take a closer look at me.