Chapter 2: A Gift of Humiliation

(Aliana's POV)

I stood at the far corner of the hall, looking around and noticing how everyone was happily celebrating with their families, friends, and well-wishers.

Some even had their husbands and children with them, congratulating them and giving them gifts.

But me?

My chest tightened as I held the card Delvin had tossed to me earlier.

That was all I got. Just a card. No congratulatory words, no care, no emotional support… only coldness and pain.

I was completely alone, with no family or friends, like a lost sheep. My father couldn’t make it. And Delvin… he had clearly chosen a business meeting over me.

Today was supposed to be the happiest day of my life. Instead, it felt like the loneliest. The day I was reminded how little I truly mattered.

Still, I couldn’t stop my eyes from drifting toward the entrance. Hoping. Begging. That maybe, somehow, Delvin would walk through that door. Even though I knew he wouldn’t. He had never shown up for me when I needed him. Why would he start today?

I took a deep breath and turned to get a glass of wine, but before I could take a step, the door suddenly swung open. And he walked in.

“Delvin…” I whispered in shock.

For a moment, I thought my eyes were playing tricks on me. But they weren’t. He was really here.

My heart pounded hard against my ribs, and a wide smile spread across my face. He came… He actually came to support me.

Before I could stop myself, my legs started moving on their own, ready to run to him. But the excitement didn’t last long when I noticed who was standing beside him. Delvin hadn’t come alone. He came with her.

“Belicia.”

The woman the world, the media, and even Delvin’s mother kept pairing him with.. even though he was already married.

To the media, Delvin and Belicia looked perfect together. To Christine, my mother-in-law, Belicia came from a “proper” family, and she believed Belicia fit the Barrington image far better than I ever could.

And to the business world, Delvin and Belicia were a power couple, destined to build an unbreakable empire together.

They all hated that fate separated them and wished they could somehow find their way back to each other.

No one ever cared about me. No one cared how it felt to watch my husband constantly linked to his first love. And worse, not even my own husband seemed to care.

He never spoke up to stop the rumors that he and Belicia still had something. He never reminded people that he was married or that it was wrong to pair him romantically with his ex.

My legs froze on the spot, and my smile disappeared like smoke in the air. That familiar ache returned to my chest... the same pain I felt every time I saw them together.

“Oh my God!!! It’s Mr. Barrington!!!” people whispered, their eyes lighting up with excitement.

“He’s with Belicia!!” others murmured, watching them with admiration.

Some people looked at me with pity. Others looked at me with disgust, as if I were the villain in a perfect love story. And maybe I was.

Belicia held onto Delvin’s arm as if it belonged to her. As if it had always been hers. Her smile grew wider as she waved confidently at everyone.

“It seems Mr. Barrington truly doesn’t care about his wife after all. He actually brought miss Morris to his wife’s graduation ceremony,” someone whispered behind me.

“Wife? Oh please,” another person scoffed. “We all know Miss Morris would have had that title if she hadn’t been kidnapped four years ago.”

“I don’t get why that gold-digger is forcing herself on a man who doesn’t love her,” someone else added. “She should grant Mr. Barrington the freedom to be with the one he truly loves.”

Freedom?

The word echoed in my ears. By freedom, did they mean divorce? Is that what Delvin truly wants? I muttered to myself, even though deep down, I already knew the answer.

The gossip grew louder around me. Yet not a single person spoke in my defense. They were all focused on admiring the two of them.

My eyes remained fixed on Delvin as they walked closer. I could barely handle the pain spreading inside my chest.

“My heartfelt congratulations on your graduation, Aliana,” Belicia said gently, her voice soft and sweet. “It’s truly a big milestone.”

To everyone else, she sounded like the kindest person alive. But behind that gentle tone and those perfect smiles, I could see the truth. She was mocking me.

“We would have come earlier, but I was also launching my new project today and was busy celebrating,” she continued. “Thank God Delvin came to support me.”

I froze the moment I heard that last part. Delvin had been with her? So this was the “busy” he had mentioned this morning?

I should have known from the moment he compared me to her that he would choose to go to her.

I already knew Delvin never truly cared about me, but I never imagined he would choose to neglect my happiness just to be with her… especially today of all days.

My eyes slowly moved to Delvin. He looked back at me with his usual calm expression, as if none of this meant anything to him.

“When I remembered it was also your graduation day, I told Delvin we should come,” Belicia added.

She told Delvin? So he wouldn’t have come if she hadn’t suggested it? That hurt deeply, but I also understood what Belicia was doing.

She was indirectly letting me know that Delvin had been with her and wouldn’t have attended my graduation if she hadn’t asked him to.

“And yes, before I forget, I got you a present,” she said, reaching into her handbag and bringing out a gift box, holding it out to me.

“Isn’t Miss Morris kind-hearted?” someone in the crowd said. “She left her own party to attend Aliana’s graduation and even brought her a gift.”

“Even kind enough to bring Mr. Barrington here. We don’t meet people with such sweet souls everywhere,” another person added.

I stared at the gift. Then my eyes moved from the gift to Delvin, and back to Belicia, catching the faint, cruel smile on her face. She was so good at this game of hers... pretending to be kind just to win people’s approval.

People looked at me in surprise, wondering why I hadn’t taken the gift yet.

“Can you just hurry up and take the gift?” Delvin said impatiently. “You don’t have to be slow all the time.”

Some people giggled, and even Belicia laughed softly. But Delvin kept a straight face, as if humiliating me in public and speaking coldly to me was completely normal.

If I accept the gift, it will be a bigger humiliation… taking a present from the woman everyone believes is my husband’s mistress. And if I refuse, I will be labeled the rude wife.

But I was too sad to stand there any longer, especially with everyone staring at me.

Without waiting a second, I spun around and started walking out.

"Aliana!!" Delvin called, his voice full of surprise.

He tried to follow, but Belicia held him back.

"It's okay, Delvin… I’ll go make sure she’s alright," she said.

I almost laughed. Make sure I was alright? Since when had she ever really cared?

"Please excuse me," I whispered, weaving through the crowd and heading toward the exit.