Page 36 of Surrendering to the Obsession

Christie sighed heavily and slammed her hand on the table. “I knew it! Some people are just jealous when someone else does well.” Her tone softened as she patted Janet’s shoulder with sympathy. “Don’t worry. It’s a loss, but you’ll find something better soon. It’s okay—things happen.”

Janet forced a faint smile. “Yeah… things happen.”

Christie’s mood brightened again, her usual energy returning. “Alright, that’s enough moping.” She looped her arm around Janet’s and gave her a quick tug toward the door. “Let’s go. I’ll take you somewhere nice. You need to cheer up.”

“Wait—Christie, I just got home—” Janet tried to protest, but Christie was already dragging her outside.

A short while later, they were sitting in the backseat of a cab, the evening lights of the city blurring past. After a while, the cab stopped near a harbor. The salty breeze brushed against their faces as they stepped out. Janet looked around, puzzled.

“Why are we here?” she asked, glancing at Christie.

Christie grinned and linked her arm through Janet’s. “Just come with me! You’ll love it.”

She practically dragged Janet toward a large yacht docked at the pier. It gleamed under the soft glow of the setting sun—white, massive, and beautifully lit. The sunset cast a warm golden glow over the water, and the place looked breathtaking. A few people were boarding as music played faintly from the deck above.

It wasn’t a private yacht, but it looked luxurious—white lights twinkling along the railings, soft music playing in the background. Christie’s eyes lit up like a child’s.

“This place is amazing!” Christie said, her eyes sparkling as they climbed the steps. The air smelled of sea salt and champagne. “Didn’t you always say you wanted to go on a yacht like this? See, I remembered! Let’s enjoy it today.”

Janet followed quietly, her expression growing more tense with every step. The view was stunning—the ocean stretched endlessly, the evening sky blushing with orange and pink hues—but she couldn’t bring herself to care.

Christie, completely unaware, kept talking excitedly. “It’s not even crowded today. It almost feels like we rented it all for ourselves! Isn’t that lucky? Like our own private yacht!” She giggled, bumping Janet playfully with her shoulder.

But Janet’s patience was thinning with every word. Her brows furrowed, and her lips pressed tightly together. Christie kept chattering, her hand gripping Janet’s arm as she laughed. “We’re so lucky! It feels like—”

“Can youshut upalready?” Janet burst out suddenly, her voice sharp as she roughly pulled her arm free from Christie’s grip.

Christie froze, eyes wide in shock. She stared at her arm where Janet had shaken her off, then looked back at Janet’s face—confused, hurt.

“What’s wrong with you?” she asked, stunned. “Why did you do that?”

Janet rolled her eyes, her face tight with frustration as she glared at Christie. “You brought me to this shabby yacht,” she snapped sharply, her voice dripping with annoyance. “And you just keepblabbering about how nice it is! This isn’t a luxury yacht, Christie — it’s a small, cheap boat where people pay for a buffet and ride around pretending they’re rich. Only people like you would think this is luxury.”

Her words cut through the air like a slap. Christie froze, her smile faltering.

Janet crossed her arms, her expression filled with disdain. Inside her mind, irritation burned deeper. ‘I’ve been to places thousands of times more luxurious than this with Alexander. Every meeting, every event — he’d take me somewhere exclusive, where even the air smelled expensive. Private areas just for me, servants waiting at every corner… everything at my fingertips. And here—’ she glanced around the deck at the laughing crowd and buffet tables, ‘I’m sitting here on a public yacht?’

Her lips twisted in disgust as her eyes landed on Christie again. ‘Only poor people like her would think this is something to fawn over.

Christie’s face flushed red, her eyes narrowing as anger replaced the shock. “You know what, Janet?” she snapped, her voice trembling with hurt. “If you’re so starved for luxury and think you’re above me, then don’t be here! I don’t need your attitude. Yes, maybe this place isn’t good enough for you, but for me it’s special. You’re the one who said you love yachts — that’s why I brought you here! What else were you expecting?”

Janet crossed her arms and scoffed loudly, her nose wrinkling in annoyance. “Whatever.” She turned around with a sharp huff and began to storm off, heels clicking against the deck.

She turned sharply, ready to storm off, her heels clicking against the deck — but before she could take another step, a strong hand caught her wrist from behind.

Startled, Janet turned around, ready to lash out but the anger froze on her lips when she saw who it was.

“Victor?” she breathed out, eyes widening in shock.

“Hey, baby,” Victor smiled, his expression soft and warm as he stepped closer, his hand still holding hers. He looked every bit the gentle boyfriend — tall, neatly dressed, with that familiar easy smile that used to calm her down.

But not today.

Janet’s surprise didn’t melt into happiness. It lingered in confusion. “Weren’t you supposed to be in California? On a business trip?”

Christie let out a dramatic sigh and folded her arms, glaring at Janet. “Why are you questioning him?” she grumbled. “You didn’t respond to his messages for weeks! He thought you were angry because he couldn’t make it to your birthday. So he worked overtime, rushed back, and came early to surprise you with an evening on this yacht. But clearly, that was a mistake.”

Victor gave a small, awkward chuckle, scratching the back of his neck, trying to ease the tension. “Yeah… I wanted to make it up to you. It’s alright if you don’t like it. I will make better arrangements next time, I promise.” His tone was light, but his eyes searched hers carefully.