Kelsey's POV
The hand looked fair, but the palm was anything but pretty, showing signs of wear and tear that were hard to miss.
People said that a woman's hands were like her second face.
From this hand, I could tell that Derek didn't care that much about her. Those calluses indicated that she must've done her fair share of hard work.
I extended my hand to her. Being pampered since childhood, I treated myself to full-body care every week. So my hands looked stunning.
My fingers were long and slender, with perfectly manicured nails that had no flaws whatsoever. And my palms were fair and soft without any calluses.
The glitter on my nails sparkled, just like the treasures displayed in luxury store windows.
The comparison aroused a strong sense of superiority in my heart.
Derek would definitely fall for me.
"Thanks." I didn't turn down Tabitha's gesture, placing my hand in her palm just so I could show her the difference between us.
I was born into a prestigious aristocratic family. How could she, a penniless nobody, be compared to me?
But the moment our skin touched, I felt something hard.
That was when I noticed Tabitha was wearing a diamond ring.
It wasn't some flashy design but had a strong sense of style that made it stand out as special.
As my gaze traveled up, I finally got a good look at her face.
No one had really caught her profile before. Plus, a few months ago, Derek blocked all information about her so that not even a single picture of her could be found online.
Ivonne had mentioned her a few times when she came home, but what she said was mostly derogatory remarks about Tabitha, like how ugly she was and how she couldn't hold a candle to me.
Today was the first time I had met Tabitha.
Her facial features were exquisite, making her look eye-catching even if she didn't wear makeup.
With makeup on, she looked ethereal.
She appeared calm and non-aggressive. And the silver sparkles under her eyes made her seem like some kind of fairy.
Even though I was always confident in my appearance, at this moment, I couldn't help but feel overshadowed.
"Are you okay?" Her voice wasn't pretentious, sounding casual and melodic.
I stood there dumbfounded for a few seconds before snapping back to reality. 'She's my rival in love, seriously?' I complained to myself.
In terms of appearance, I was completely defeated.
"I-I'm fine."
Derek reached out and pulled Tabitha into his arms. "Tabitha, this is Kelsey Arnold."
That was when I noticed the ring on his finger, which obviously matched Tabitha's.
In our circle, it was rare to see married men flaunting their wedding rings. Normally, they would have more than one lover.
Yet here he was, holding hands with Tabitha without giving two cents about who saw them together.
I could feel an unusual vibe in the air as if there was a powerful werewolf nearby.
Even though Tabitha didn't say anything, I already felt defeated beyond repair.
"Hello, Miss Arnold," she greeted calmly.
I was stunned for a while before finally replying, "Hello."
Seeing her snuggle up against Derek, I was filled with jealousy.
"Who is she?" I feigned ignorance about their relationship on purpose.
After all, Ivonne said that Derek had kept his marriage a secret. No one knew that he had tied the knot with Tabitha in the past few years.
If he truly loved her, why did he keep the news hidden? Shouldn't he let the whole world know about it instead?
Evidently, he didn't love Tabitha that much. In this case, I still had a shot.
Derek held Tabitha's hand and answered straightforwardly, "She's my wife."
His reply was simple and clear, hitting me like a ton of bricks. My smile froze on my lips.