"Jackson, where's my bag? My lipstick is in there, and they've been laughing at me for ages."
Rebecca pointed at a group of people nearby, then pulled out her lipstick and handed it to him.
"Jackson, help me fix this, please! I don't want to be the center of their jokes."
Jackson stood there awkwardly, glancing at me with an uneasy look.
"Go on," I said coldly, walking past them without a second glance.
Jackson, clearly flustered, hurried after me, smudging lipstick on my clothes in the process.
I looked at the red stain with distaste.
"Aurora, Rebecca's just kidding. Don't take it the wrong way."
Rebecca came over, too. "Aurora, don't be upset. With so many people here, if I had any real intentions, I wouldn't be so obvious about it. It's just friendly teasing. Don't take it seriously."
"I'm not upset, but please let go. You've stained my dress."
I went to the restroom to clean up, taking my time as I preferred not to see them.
When I returned, Jackson was clearly drunk.
He had a glass of wine in one hand and was holding Rebecca's hand with the other.
He hiccupped and buried his face in Rebecca's hand, his voice breaking with rare emotion.
"If I hadn't been late that day, you'd be my wife now."