You Looked Down on Me Once, Now You Look Up. novel Chapter 185

Back when they were teenagers, Jason’s business was taking off, and Patricia’s birthday landed right in the middle of it all. Jason, who never missed a chance to spoil his daughter, decided to go all out and threw her a birthday party everyone would remember.

Patricia made her entrance in a black tulle dress that practically sparkled under the lights. Word around the room was that Jason had the dress custom-made for her, just to prove to the world that if his daughter wanted the stars, he’d find a way to pull them down for her.

She remembered hiding in the corner that night, watching Patricia float from guest to guest, smiling like she owned the place. Patricia looked every inch the princess, wearing a dress so expensive it could have paid for her family’s house. She was beautiful, graceful, and completely out of reach. The envy that bubbled up inside was sharp and ugly, twisting into jealousy she couldn’t hide.

She found herself alone for a moment, running her fingers over Patricia’s glittering dress, wishing she could rip every jewel off and toss them away.

Years later, that same dress hung in her own office. The style was different now—no more tulle, just a sleek mermaid silhouette. The girl who’d once felt invisible was now a woman.

Patricia stared at the dress, her eyes turning cold. The smile on her lips was brittle, edged with sarcasm and something like pity.

“Proud of yourself?” she asked quietly. “Everything I had when I was sixteen, you finally got at twenty. Ruby, you’re just copying someone else’s life, trying to fill up all those empty spots from your own childhood. You think that if you can have what I had, it’ll make you feel better about the past. But honestly? The more you try to prove yourself, the more I just feel sorry for you.”

She took a step closer, her voice soft but sharp. “I’ve forgotten all about that night, but you still remember every little thing. Isn’t that just another kind of insecurity?”

The door closed behind Patricia, and only then did Ruby realize where all that mockery came from. She’d been desperate to prove she could have everything Patricia had, but Patricia didn’t even care anymore.

Patricia headed back to her office and called Aurora in. She set her bag down, reached under her chair, and yanked the wire from a hidden recorder.

“I need Ruby to wear that dress to the event. You know what to do, right?” Patricia said.

Aurora paused, thinking it over. Ruby was always chasing after Patricia, always trying to come out on top, like some rebellious teen who couldn’t help but start trouble. But there were ways to handle girls like her.

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