Unveiled: The Survivor's Triumph

Mark shot Ethan a look, then glanced at me and chuckled. "Wait, is Lacey Ethan's woman? If so, man, Ethan's one lucky dude."

That comment made my skin crawl.

I was dying to see how Ethan would handle this.

If Ethan confirmed it, I'd be mortified. If he denied it, Mark, the creep, wouldn't leave Lacey alone.

I nervously fiddled with the tablecloth, staring at my plate, feeling super tense.

"She's my girlfriend!" A different voice cut through the awkward silence.

I snapped my head up. Jason was already on his feet, shrugging off his suit jacket and draping it over Lacey, covering her wine-soaked, nearly see-through dress. Mark slowly set his wine glass down, a sly smile playing on his lips.

"Lacey looks pretty young, but she's already got a boyfriend, huh?"

I bet Lacey was totally grossed out by Mark, but she still managed to keep a smile on her face.

"Excuse me, I need to hit the restroom."

To sell the act, Jason walked Lacey out.

Jason's move not only saved Lacey but also got Ethan and me out of that cringe-worthy moment.

After they left, the vibe had totally shifted. It was buzzing earlier, but now it felt like a freezer.

I figured the whole event was a bust.

When Lacey came back, she seemed to have pulled herself together.

Ignoring the water stains on her dress, still wrapped in Jason's jacket, she smiled and raised her wine glass. "Sorry about that, I wasn't feeling too hot earlier."

With that, she poured herself another drink and knocked it back.

Mark leaned back in his chair, watching her with a lazy grin.

After setting down her glass, Lacey wiped her lips with the back of her hand and brought up Richard's case.

Mark stood up, leaning on the table, his face red from the booze, but trying to act all serious.

"We're just here to chill with Ethan, not talk shop. Whatever the case is, we're fair and square, all about the evidence." With that vague statement, they bounced.

The gathering ended just like that, and we still had no answers about Richard's case.

Lacey had already had a few drinks earlier, and she kept going, so it was no surprise she got pretty tipsy.

When we left, Jason had to help Lacey walk.

Jason couldn't just drop her off in that state, so he had to bring her back to the villa.

She wasn't totally out of it, though. When he helped her onto the guest room bed, she still managed a "thank you."

Ethan and Jason took off first. I stayed to help her get her shoes off and tucked her in with a blanket.

She rubbed her head, mumbling about a headache.

I tucked her hand under the blanket and tried to soothe her. "Just get some rest. I'll grab you some water in a sec." When I stepped out of the guest room, the whole villa was dead quiet.

Ethan and Jason had knocked back quite a few drinks tonight, so they were probably out cold too.

I headed downstairs to get some water.

Standing by the kettle, I replayed everything that went down tonight.

Did we just make things worse?

But Ethan had done all he could.

Richard, stuck in prison, had no clue how many people were busting their butts for him.

When I got back to the guest room door, I heard voices inside and instinctively tiptoed.

"Mom, I've always known I'm not as important to you as Richard. But could you be less obvious about it? I have feelings too, you know."

Lacey's words were slurred from the booze, and she sounded like she was about to break down.

"Yeah, my virginity is nothing compared to Richard's future. Do you think I should've slept with that judge today?"

"Mom, you ignored me for years, and now you bring me back just to use me? Just to make me sleep with someone when you need it? Richard messed up, and I've tried my best. We're both your kids. Why do you treat me like this?" Lacey's voice got more emotional, her crying louder and louder.

I stood at the door for a long time, until she hung up and her sobs started to fade. Then I turned the doorknob and walked in.

The moonlight streaming through the window was enough to see everything in the room.

I didn't turn on the light, figuring she wouldn't want me to see her tear-streaked, puffy eyes.

I acted like I hadn't heard a thing and said, "I brought you some water. Here are some hangover pills. Take 'em and get some sleep."

Lacey struggled to sit up and lean against the headboard, taking the glass and muttering a thank you.

I watched her take the pills and said, "Lacey, I actually envy you a lot."

She set the glass down and looked at me, giving a bitter smile. "What do you envy about me?"

"I envy that you still have family, that you're a boss at your job, capable, and can work a room like nobody's business," I replied.

Lacey gave a self-deprecating smile. "I wish I knew nothing. The more you know, the more you stress. I also wish I could stay a kid forever. Growing up just means seeing more crap, and my once innocent eyes can't stay naive anymore."

I nodded. "Totally. When you're young, even the smallest stuff feels like the end of the world. But as you get older, you learn to keep a poker face. Our toughness comes from swallowing a lot of crap."

Lacey looked at me for a bit, then smiled gently. "Actually, you're tougher than you look."

I smiled back. "Fragile isn't my thing. If I were, I wouldn't have made it this far. Strength is something you pick up because you have to."

After a moment, I added, "Calluses form from friction. It's painful, but once you have them, it doesn't hurt as much, and you're less likely to get hurt."

Lacey nodded thoughtfully, her flushed cheeks resting on her hands, her smile now carrying a hint of youthful innocence.

"Yeah, I've got my calluses, so I won't get hurt easily."

I thought so too. Everyone's success comes with a price; only they know the pain of breaking out of their shell.

After chatting for a while, as I was about to leave the room, I stopped and turned back to her. "By the way, Richard has a kid who was just born not long ago."

Lacey stared at me for a moment, then slid under the covers, clutching the blanket and cursing, "Bastard."

I originally wanted to give Jason and Ethan some hangover pills. But since they were both out cold, I didn't bother them.

The next morning, considering they had all drunk the night before, I made some oatmeal.

After a night of sleep, Lacey came downstairs with her hair tied up in a high ponytail, back to her efficient self.

She seemed like a wounded little beast, fully recovered after a night's rest.

In fact, everyone wore different masks to live better and avoid getting hurt.

Jason grabbed some milk from the fridge and went to the balcony to pour it into Scruffy's food bowl.

Lacey followed him to the balcony and thanked Jason for what he did last night.

During breakfast, Lacey suddenly said, "I want to see that child."

Ethan and I exchanged a glance, and Ethan understood that I had already told Lacey about Sophie's existence.

I told her this because I believed Lacey was different from Linda, so Lacey's attitude towards Sophie and the baby should be different too.

Later, Ethan drove us over, and I called Sophie on the way to make sure she was home.

Ethan waited in the car. He looked beat, so I told him to catch some Z's while we went up.

Lacey grabbed some fruit from a store downstairs, and we headed up together.

When the door opened, Sophie was momentarily stunned to see Lacey.

"Hey, I'm Richard's sister, Lacey," she introduced herself.

Sophie, a shy girl, looked more anxious than surprised when she heard who Lacey was.

Lacey probably picked up on Sophie's nerves and reassured her. "Don't worry. I'm not here to cause trouble. I just want to see you and your baby." Once inside, Lacey took a look around the place. I figured she felt the same way I did when I first came here.

Lacey awkwardly held Abby. She was still young and had no experience with kids, just a more mature mindset.

I quietly told her that Sophie was only eighteen, and she looked a bit shocked, then muttered under her breath. "Richard is such a jerk!"

After that, Lacey pulled all the cash from her wallet and handed it to Sophie. She didn't count it, but I guessed it was a few thousand dollars.

Sophie tried to refuse, but Lacey insisted, saying it was what Richard owed her, so she took it.

Holding the money, Sophie nervously whispered, "Lacey, can you not tell Aunt Linda? I'm scared she might hurt us."

Knowing Linda's nature, Lacey promised Sophie she wouldn't say a word.

When we left, Lacey took a cab herself, saying she needed to buy something.

As I got into the car, Ethan, who was leaning back in the seat, woke up from the sound of the door opening.

As we drove down the road, I said with a mix of emotion and excitement, "I'm really happy for Sophie. She now has someone else who genuinely cares about her."

Ethan didn't respond, so I added, "If Richard can get out sooner this time, I hope he treats Sophie better and steps up. Isn't it said that people grow when faced with problems?" Still no response from Ethan, so I turned my head and was immediately alarmed.

"What's going on with you?"

Ethan's face was tight with pain, and sweat was pouring down his forehead.

He hit the steering wheel twice and pulled the car over to the side of the road, his back slowly hunching as he rested his head on the wheel.