Catherine was everything I wasn't—elegant, poised and radiating the confidence of someone who had always lived a life of privilege. Her dress, an expensive designer piece, swayed gracefully in the breeze as she walked. Cayden stayed close to her, his gaze soft and attentive, the way it used to be when he looked at me.
I kept my distance, watching them from the shadows like an outsider. But then, out of nowhere, Catherine let out a startled cry and stumbled. Her arms flailed as she tumbled into the lake, the pristine water rippling violently around her.
"Help! Somebody, help me!" she shrieked, her voice laced with panic.
Instinct overrode my hesitation and I dove in without a second thought. The icy water soaked through my thin clothes instantly, chilling me to the bone. Fighting against the resistance of the water, I reached her in a few powerful strokes and pulled her to the surface.
Catherine clung to me, coughing and gasping, but the moment we reached the shore, her demeanor shifted. She pulled away from me and collapsed dramatically onto the grass, her sobs exaggerated as if she were performing for an audience.