Charmed By A Rival

“Bella, what are you still doing here?”

I turned around and found Alice staring at me, her brows furrowed in confusion.

“I ran out of a few spices.”

I lifted my grocery basket slightly, offering her a small smile.

“Are you not attending the party?” she asked, looking me up and down. “Everyone is already at the venue.”

I glanced down at myself.

Khaki trousers. A simple white blouse. Nothing remotely suitable for a formal celebration.

“What party?” I asked, genuinely confused.

“The party Ralph and his parents arranged to celebrate the upcoming collaboration between your husband's company and one of the biggest conglomerates in the world.”

Alice's confusion deepened.

“My husband told me about it last week. Didn't Ralph tell you?”

“Last week?” The words barely left my lips.

“Leo already knew about the party last week?”

“Yes.” Alice nodded. “We even had his suit prepared days ago. There are going to be some very distinguished guests tonight. They want everyone to make a good impression.”

I stared at her. Something felt wrong.

Ralph had been unusually busy over the past week. He rarely came home, and whenever he did, he was either exhausted or distracted.

But not once had he mentioned a party.

“Where is the party?” I asked.

“At the Lax City Hotel.”

Alice had barely finished speaking when I turned around. I abandoned my grocery cart and hurried out of the store.

My mind was already racing. Why hadn't Ralph told me? What was so important about this collaboration that everyone seemed to know about except me?

The entire journey to Lax City Hotel passed in a blur. By the time I reached the function hall, my heart was pounding.

The grand doors were already open. Music and laughter spilled into the hallway.

I stepped inside.

Hundreds of elegantly dressed guests filled the lavish ballroom. Crystal chandeliers illuminated the room, while waiters moved between tables carrying champagne and trays of expensive hors d'oeuvres.

Then I heard a familiar voice.

“Tonight, I have wonderful news to share with all of you.”

I froze.

Ralph.

He stood on the stage, a microphone in hand. But I barely registered his presence. My gaze immediately shifted to the woman standing beside him.

Elegant. Beautiful. Radiant.

And far too close to my husband.

I ignore the whispers around me as I slowly pushed through the crowd. All I could see was Ralph and the woman beside him.

Then his voice rang through the hall again.

“Dawn and I are going to be parents.”

The world seemed to stop.

Ralph's arm slipped around Dawn's waist, pulling her closer.

“I am incredibly happy to announce that she is three months pregnant with my child.”

For a heartbeat, there was complete silence. Then the ballroom erupted. Applause thundered through the hall. Congratulations echoed from every direction.

Dawn smiled brightly, leaning into Ralph as he proudly held her against his side.

And Ralph… He was smiling. A smile I hadn't seen on his face in weeks. A smile filled with pride and happiness. As though announcing another woman's pregnancy was the greatest moment of his life.

Across the room, Ralph's parents, Roman and Matilda, were practically glowing.

They exchanged delighted looks before turning their attention back to their son and Dawn. The pride on their faces was unmistakable.

They looked like a family celebrating the arrival of something precious.

I stood rooted to the floor, my entire body turning cold. My mind struggled to process what I had just heard.

Three months pregnant. That woman was carrying my husband's child.

Three months.

The number kept repeating in my head until it became almost unbearable.

What had I been doing all this time? What was I doing during those three months while Ralph was secretly having an affair?

How many times had he left our home to meet her? How many nights had I waited for him, believing he was working late? How many lies had he told me while I remained completely unaware?

I thought back to every moment of the past three months, desperately searching for something I had missed.

I had trusted him so completely that I never once thought to question him.

While I was busy being his wife—preparing his meals, taking care of our home, supporting his career, and waiting for him to come back to me—he had been building another life with someone else.

And I had been the only fool who didn't know.

“Bella!”

A familiar voice called my name.

I barely heard it.

“Bella!”

Leo's voice came again, louder this time. I finally turned slightly toward him.

He was staring at me, his expression filled with shock, for the news Ralph said or for seeing me there, I have no way of knowing. But before I could respond, his voice had already carried across the ballroom.

The applause gradually faded. Conversations died one by one.

Heads turned. The entire room seemed to follow his gaze.

And then…

Ralph looked at me. His smile vanished. Dawn's expression changed as well.

Roman and Matilda immediately stiffened. The atmosphere on the stage shifted completely.

“Bella…”

Leo hurried toward me, guilt written all over his face. Two other figures followed closely behind him.

Before I could say anything, Matilda reached me.

“What are you doing here?” Her voice was sharp enough to cut through the haze clouding my mind.

She grabbed my arm and pulled me closer, her fingers tightening around my skin.

“Couldn't you just stay at home?” she hissed near my ear.

Then her eyes traveled over me, from my disheveled hair to my simple blouse and worn trousers.

“Look at yourself. Don't embarrass Ralph and our family.” Her voice dropped to an angry whisper.

“Go back home.”

Embarrass them? I glanced down at myself.

Compared to the elegant gowns and perfectly tailored suits surrounding me, I looked painfully out of place.

My clothes were simple. My hair was hastily tied back. I had even left the grocery store with my hands smelling faintly of spices.

The waiters and service staff looked more presentable than I did. But was that really what mattered?

Was I supposed to be ashamed because I had come straight from preparing a meal for my husband?

“You don't belong here, Bella.”

Roman stepped closer. He lowered himself slightly until our eyes met, his expression hard and unforgiving.

“Behave yourself and go home.”

The way he looked at me left no room for argument. It wasn't advice. It was a warning.

Their words struck me one after another. My chest tightened. Even breathing became difficult as I struggled to make sense of what I was seeing.

My husband of two years stood on that stage with another woman. A woman who was carrying his child.

They were celebrating the life they had created together while I…

I had been at home scrubbing pots and pans, preparing dinner for him—dinner he sometimes didn't even bother to eat.

I had ironed his shirts. Prepared his suits. Arranged his ties.

Made sure he always looked polished and dignified whenever he stepped into a boardroom. And now I realized who he had been dressing up to impress.

Not me.

Her.

My gaze slowly returned to the stage. Dawn was clinging to Ralph's arm.

Ralph's arm was wrapped securely around her waist, holding her close. Protecting her.

From me.

The sight made something inside my chest crack. I had spent two years believing I was his wife.

Yet at this moment, I felt like the outsider. Like the intruder who had walked into someone else's celebration.

I swallowed the lump in my throat. Then I lifted my chin.

“I am here to celebrate my husband's success.”

My voice rang through the ballroom. Every conversation stopped. Every head turned.

“Why would I leave?”

The silence that followed was suffocating. I looked directly at Ralph.

“I asked you earlier if you were going to have dinner at home.”

My voice trembled, but I forced myself to continue.

“And you said yes, Ralph.” A painful smile touched my lips.

“So I cooked dinner for you.” I paused.

“I came here because I thought my husband would want to celebrate his success with me.”

My eyes remained fixed on him.

“I believed this was a surprise for me. But apparently…”

My smile faded.

“…I was meant to not know.”

A wave of hushed murmurs swept through the ballroom. Confusion spread among the guests as they exchanged uneasy glances.

“A family drama. Interesting”

The deep, unhurried voice shattered the suffocating silence.

Everyone in the ballroom turned toward the entrance.

A collective gasp swept through the room as recognition spread from face to face.

“Vice President Zachary Simon…”

Someone whispered the name, and suddenly, the entire atmosphere changed. Ralph's face drained of color.

“Vice President Simon!”

He immediately hurried toward the newcomer, his previous confidence replaced by unmistakable panic.

“There was just a small misunderstanding, Vice President Simon,” Ralph said quickly, forcing a nervous smile.

“But I assure you, it won't affect the upcoming collaboration between K-Line Shipping and the Wright Group of Companies.”

Zachary stopped several feet away. He didn't respond immediately. His cold gaze swept across the ballroom.

From Ralph…To Dawn standing beside him…Then to Ralph's parents…And finally, to me.

For a brief second, his eyes lingered on mine. I couldn't read the emotion behind them.

Then his gaze returned to Ralph.

“I don't see a small misunderstanding, CEO Vergara.”

His voice was calm. The kind of calm that made the entire room hold its breath.

“I see deception.”

Ralph's forced smile disappeared.

Zachary took another measured step forward.

“And that is a huge problem.” He paused, allowing his words to settle over the room.

****tbc****