After My Wife Embraced Her Hero, the President Cleared My Name

"Alan, get over here!"

Sophia shot me an impatient look.

I pushed the cake toward the center of the party like a servant. It was Kane's birthday.

At the Warren family estate Sophia had put on a lavish party for him, and everyone of standing in the city had come to celebrate.

Yet I, her actual husband, could only wait on the two of them like a servant, while Kane watched me with a smug smile.

"Thank you, Alan. You're a good man."

Kane pretended to be polite in front of Sophia, but he had framed me more times than I could count in an effort to force us to divorce.

In the bedroom Sophia and I shared, with only the two of us there, Kane broke a bottle over his own head.

Sophia would not listen to a word of explanation. She told me to get out of the house.

Sophia glared at me.

"Alan! Are you mute? Didn't you hear Kane thank you?"

I forced out a reply. "You're welcome, Kane."

"All right. Let's ignore a certain coward."

Sophia's father Horne came over with a bottle of champagne from his cellar, ignored me, and turned to Kane.

"It's Kane's birthday. We should have a drink."

"Of course, Mr. Horne," Kane said eagerly, wrapping an arm around Sophia's waist.

Horne turned on me savagely. "I gave you my daughter because you had been a soldier. And this is how you repay me, coward?!"

I drew a breath.

"Horne, I've explained. I had an important assignment that day."

"Did you? More important than your wife? You turned your phone off while I was being held. When I needed help most, Kane came in with a SWAT team and got me out. And where were you?!"

"That's enough, Sophia. Saving every citizen is my job. Alan was simply frightened. It only looks like cowardice," Kane said gently, standing at her side.

"Thank you, Kane. If you hadn't killed those terrorists I would be dead."

Sophia held on to Kane and ignored me, and introduced him to her friends and her business partners.

Everyone gave him expensive gifts, and Sophia produced a box of her own.

"Darling, this is your birthday present."

It was a Patek Philippe worth five million dollars, and Kane was delighted.

"Kiss her! Kiss her! Kiss her!"

Everyone around them was egging them on. Sophia looked at Kane shyly, and the two of them kissed deeply.

As heir to the group, my wife had faced more assassination attempts than I could count. I had pulled her out of danger every time, and now Kane was her hero.

I gave up on my wife completely, turned, and walked away without hesitation.

"Alan, you're downright rude. It's Kane's birthday, and you're the only one who didn't bring a gift."

Seth, the Warren family butler, blocked my way. A servant stopping the master of the house!

I looked at Sophia and understood that she had arranged this to humiliate me.

Everyone was watching me, and their eyes were full of mockery, pity and contempt.

"What do you want me to do?"

Kane put on a generous air.

"It's all right, Alan. The dancing is about to start. I hear you play the piano. Why don't you accompany us?"

Sophia looked at me coldly.

"No! That isn't punishment enough! I'm going to the President's dinner with Kane later. Go and buy Kane a new bow tie right now."

I looked at her. "Sophia, today is my birthday too."

"So what? You don't deserve a birthday!"

That told me everything. I sat down at the piano and played the Waltz of the Flowers.

It was not for Kane. It was the last gift I would give my wife. We had loved each other so much, from our school days into marriage.

When I was wounded, Sophia gave me her blood without hesitation. Her blood still flowed in my veins. I loved her, and for that love I could compromise and endure.

But Sophia's heart had changed.

In the middle of the party Sophia and Kane danced in each other's arms. They held each other, they kissed, he lifted her up, and with her arms around his neck she looked toward where I had been. I was gone.

For some reason, a sudden ache tightened Sophia's chest.

When the piece ended, I left the place that had broken my heart.

After leaving the estate, I walked into a bar alone, my mind full of what the two of us used to be. She was another man's wife now.

Then someone in a black suit sat down beside me and spoke urgently, "Alan, we're at the highest alert level! There's an emergency. The President wants to see you. He's waiting at the venue."