Chapter 2
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The unexpected question struck Winifred like a physical blow. She found herself staring into her daughter’s clear, expectant eyes, momentarily speechless.
Rosalind, Winifred’s six–year–old daughter, appeared noticeably smaller than other children her age-a lingering effect of the heart condition she’d battled for
years.
The absence of a father had marked Rosalind deeply. The child had long outgrown the comforting tale of “Daddy going far away“-the kind deception had worn too thin with time.
In Winifred’s dresser drawer lay a photograph of her with Humbert. Her young daughter had discovered it years before, yet somehow the child still remembered it vividly.
The faded picture showed them standing together in high school, honored as top students. Winifred had carefully trimmed away the third classmate long ago.
She never expected that one day, she would run into Humbert in this city while holding her daughter’s hand.
When their taxi suddenly screeched to a halt, Winifred instinctively pulled her daughter close as she was thrown forward. After a moment’s hesitation, she murmured, “That’s not him.”
“But he looked exactly like Dad,” the little girl protested.
Winifred swallowed hard before replying, “Just… someone who resembles him.”
*****
Back at their apartment building, Winifred knocked on the door downstairs. Soon, the door opened, revealing Ruby Chapman.
Ruby was an eccentric widow who had lived alone here for years, her peculiar habits the talk of the neighborhood.
Two years ago, just as Winifred hit a roadblock with her daughter’s kindergarten enrollment paperwork, fate brought Andrew Chapman into her life.
Andrew’s father was dying, and time was running out–both for his father’s last wish to see him married, and for Andrew himself, who was about to be transferred overseas. He needed a wife, just long enough to grant his father this last comfort before his departure.
Winifred realized this marriage of convenience solved everything–Andrew would fulfill his father’s dying wish, while she’d resolve her daughter’s enrollment issues.
They visited Andrew’s father together that evening. The old man held his new daughter–in-
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law’s hand, closed his eyes with a smile, and never woke up.
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Though Ruby initially raged about the sham marriage, she couldn’t stay angry–not when she’d seen the peace it brought her husband in his final moments.
After the swift divorce, Andrew left for his new assignment. Ruby found herself alone in the house, until she offered the attic apartment to Winifred and her daughter at a reasonable rent, with no special favors.
Everything changed when Winifred saved Ruby from choking on nuts. After that, their relationship warmed considerably.
The duplex was old and cramped–no elevator, low maintenance fees–with Ruby occupying the ground floor unit.
Upstairs held two modest bedrooms and a tiny balcony where Winifred and her daughter lived, accessible through their own private door.
Winifred was reheating frozen pancakes when Ruby shuffled into the kitchen.
“That girl is growing up fast,” Ruby said. “Don’t wait on the surgery. Take whatever you need from me–consider it an interest–free loan.”
Winifred knew this offer came from Ruby’s entire retirement fund.
A grateful smile touched her lips as she declined. She couldn’t possibly take Ruby’s life savings, not when the elderly woman might suddenly need medical care herself.
*****
That afternoon, Winifred took the elevator up to the fifteenth floor of Summit Tower, home to Lumina Studio.
She’d just stepped through the glass doors when Linda Moore from marketing hurried over. “Winifred,” she said, “Ms. Linton wants to see you in her office right away.”
Sylvia Linton was the design director and Winifred’s direct superior.
When Winifred knocked and entered, Sylvia was on a call. She flicked a glance at Winifred, silently telling her to wait.
Winifred quietly took a seat, glancing at her watch as the minutes dragged on. A full thirteen minutes passed before Sylvia finally ended her call.
“Winifred, the client rejected our last submission. I need your team to rework everything by next week. The designs are too bland to stand out. Try something edgier: polka dots, dark embroidery, anything with more bite.”
Chapter 2
“Ms. Linton, the Timeless Elegance brand is built on sophistication for the 30–plus demographic. That’s what Marketing and Sales‘ data supports—”
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“Need me to remind you who the director is here?” Sylvia said, cutting Winifred off with a sharp glance.
Winifred returned to her desk and explained the new design direction to her team. A collective groan immediately erupted from her coworkers.
Lucy Baker, sitting across from Winifred, frowned. “Seriously? Polka dots with dark embroidery? That completely goes against the brand’s ‘elegant and natural‘ aesthetic. Her taste is just… wrong.”
“And we’re the ones who always have to clean up her mess,” another designer muttered.
“Oh, and get this–Sonisburg Fashion is interviewing her this Saturday,” someone added. “They’re doing a whole ‘rising star designer‘ feature on her.”
“Her father’s a retired general. She’s third–generation aristocracy. This director job is just a pastime for her. Even Lumina’s partner moves in her circles,” someone else remarked.
“Keep your voices down,” a timid coworker whispered urgently.
Winifred was working late when Rosalind video called through Ruby’s WhatsApp to tell her they’d already had dinner.
As Linda passed by, she waved at Rosalind on the video call. Even after working together for three years, Winifred’s coworkers still found it astonishing that she had a six–year–old daughter.
With her flawless complexion and delicate features, Winifred looked more like a recent college graduate than a mother of a six–year–old.
Linda gave Winifred’s shoulder a gentle pat. “You should head home to your daughter. We’ll just be another half hour here.”
Winifred’s phone buzzed again as she rode the subway home,
She expected a message from Rosalind, but it was from Nina Watson.
Nina was the only high school classmate from her past that Winifred had kept in touch with after cutting ties with everything else.
Nina sent a lengthy voice message, which Winifred converted to text with a tap.
[There’s a high school reunion coming up. Patrick, our old class president, couldn’t reach you, so he messaged me instead. I told him I had no idea where you were.
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[But you know what everyone’s saying now? They think you’re dead–ugh, scratch that. Even if you showed up, they’d never recognize you. You’re practically a different person now–slim and gorgeous.]
It was as if Claire had vanished from the face of the earth seven years ago, leaving no trace behind.
Winifred hesitated for a moment before replying. [Then let them think Claire is dead.]
No one had liked Claire–not even Winifred herself. That was why she’d changed her name, determined to leave that version of herself in the past.
Nina followed up with another message. [Heard Humbert might be there too. He’s back in town. Are you going or not? Though honestly, with how different you look now, he’d never recognize you.]
Nina had been her friend since high school, when they were in neighboring classes. They’d kept in touch over the years, and Winifred had even attended Nina’s wedding.
Nina had to look twice when she saw Winifred again after so many years. The overweight girl Nina remembered had transformed into a woman who carried herself with quiet confidence and effortless grace.
Winifred’s finger hovered over the name, hesitating. She wanted to tell Nina the truth–that she’d already met him–but thought better of it.
After a pause, she replied with just two words. [Not going.]
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Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.
