Chapter 6 - Panic in the Restroom
While Marcus and I were enjoying the harbor breeze, drama was brewing inside the marble vanity room near the lobby.
Corinne Finch stood before the massive gilded mirror, aggressively applying red lipstick with hands that wouldn't stop shaking.
My cousin Rachel, who had stepped in to fix her hair, leaned against the adjacent basin and watched the spectacle with quiet amusement.
"I can't believe this," Corinne hissed under her breath, unaware that Rachel was my closest confidante.
"Trent told me Sienna was a broke freelancer living in a rented studio apartment in Hattiesburg!"
"He told me she spent five years crying over him and never found another man!"
Rachel cleared her throat, slowly smoothing her bridesmaid gown with deliberate care.
"Sienna hasn't lived in Hattiesburg since 2021," Rachel said casually, catching Corinne’s eyes in the mirror.
"She runs her own historical preservation consultancy. She just restored the Old State Capitol building in Jackson."
Corinne spun around, her tube of lipstick slipping from her fingers and rolling across the marble floorboards.
"Who are you?" Corinne demanded, her voice shrill with defensive panic.
"I'm Rachel. Sienna’s cousin," Rachel smiled sweetly, not moving an inch.
"And for your information, Marcus Vance didn't just marry Sienna for her beauty."
"He pursued her for nearly eighteen months before she agreed to go to dinner with him."
"He bought that five-acre estate on the bluffs because Sienna mentioned she loved the view of the live oak trees."
Corinne’s face morphed into an ugly mask of envy and humiliation.
"Trent is going to be the regional director," Corinne snapped, clinging to her last scrap of pride.
"He’s in line for a massive promotion next month! We’re buying a custom home in the gated community at Gulf Hills!"
Rachel let out a soft, pitying sigh, shaking her head as she picked up her evening bag.
"Honey, Marcus Vance doesn't promote men who disrespect his wife in public," Rachel noted dryly.
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"If I were you, I’d hold off on putting a down payment on that custom home."
Rachel walked out into the lobby, leaving Corinne standing alone beneath the harsh fluorescent vanity lights, clutching the marble counter in absolute dread.
