#aff1uent

parents   and   sister   at   the   library   -   how   pretentious   of   his   fucking   family   to   even   own   a   private   athenaeum   at   home   -   while   he's   stuck   at   the   dinner   table   with   his   former   fiancé,   talk   about   awkward.   "   so   ...   do   we   ignore   what   happened   during   halloween,   hen   ?   "   swirls   his   glass   of   wine   -   dégoût   for   reds,   as   brown   hues   take   in   the   porcelain   features   of   the   only   other   person   at   the   dinner   table.   in   every   life,   henrietta   will   haunt   him.

cranium   moves   sideway,   ensuring   old   money   strolling   buy   cannot   recognize   the   attorney.   awkwardly,   he   smiles   at   former   fiancée,   "   it's   not   you,   it's   me   ⸺   as   in,   i'm   quite   sure   you   don't   want   to   the   whole   world   to   see   us   together   after   i   was   such   a   prick   to   you,   henri.   "   unexpected   tenderness   in   his   words.

𖥻 𝗹𝗼𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻:  somewhere on the upper west side

soft   grasp   on   henri's   hand   as   he   pulls   her   closer   to   him   ⸻   dragging   former   future   wife   away   to   somewhere   quieter,   less   curious   eyes.   "   if   feels   strange   to   be   at   this   kind   of   event   without   you   as   my   date,   "   he   starts,   hoping   -   desperately   praying   nicholas   will   piss   her   off   enough.   he   never   cheated   on   her   with   a   close   friend   of   hers   and   here   she   is   hooking   up   with   one   of   his,   betrayal   runs   deep.   dirty   hypocrite   mind   screams   at   himself   but   homme   shrugs   it   off.

𖥻 𝗹𝗼𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻:  from somewhere public to somewhere quiet