The choice

ANIYA’S POV

The applause was deafening, but all I could hear was my husband’s voice.

“Kenzie has been one of the most important people in my life.”

I stopped breathing.

For a moment, I thought I had misunderstood him.

I sat frozen at our table, my fingers tightening around the edge of my clutch as hundreds of people applauded the man standing on stage.

Corbin Vale.

My husband.

The man who had barely looked at me all evening had just looked directly at another woman and told an entire room how important she was to him.

And the worst part?

He looked proud when he said it.

Kenzie stood beside him with tears shining in her eyes, one hand covering her mouth as cameras flashed from every direction.

The host laughed.

“What a beautiful tribute. It sounds like Kenzie means quite a lot to you, Mr. Vale.”

The crowd laughed along.

Corbin smiled.

“More than people realize.”

My heart dropped.

Someone sitting behind me whispered something.

I couldn’t make out the words, but I didn’t need to.

I could feel the eyes.

Dozens of them.

Maybe hundreds.

Everyone knew I was Corbin’s wife.

Everyone had just heard him speak about another woman like she was someone special.

I forced myself to clap.

Once.

Twice.

Then I stopped.

My hands were shaking.

Corbin continued his speech, thanking the production team and celebrating the success of his entertainment company, but I barely heard any of it.

My mind was stuck on one sentence.

One of the most important people in my life.

I looked down at my wedding ring.

Four years.

Four years of marriage.

Four years of supporting his career.

Four years of putting my own dreams aside because I believed we were building something together.

And somehow, another woman had become important enough for my husband to announce it publicly.

The applause grew louder as Corbin handed the microphone back.

Kenzie reached for his hand.

It was supposed to be an innocent gesture.

Maybe it was.

But Corbin didn’t pull away.

He squeezed her fingers.

My stomach twisted.

Then the cameras started moving toward them.

“Mr. Vale!”

“Corbin, over here!”

“Are you two celebrating together?”

“Is Kenzie the reason for tonight’s success?”

The questions came rapidly.

Corbin smiled politely.

Kenzie laughed.

Then one reporter shouted the question everyone else was thinking.

“Corbin, are the rumors about you and Kenzie true?”

The room seemed to go silent.

My heart slammed against my ribs.

This was it.

Surely now he would deny it.

Surely he would laugh and say there was nothing between them.

Surely he would remember that his wife was sitting less than ten feet away.

I stared at him.

Waiting.

Corbin looked toward the reporter.

Then his eyes moved toward me.

For one brief second, our gazes met.

I waited for him to say something.

Instead, his jaw tightened.

“That’s a personal question.”

The reporter pushed again.

“But your wife is right there. Are you saying there’s nothing between you and Kenzie?”

Another wave of whispers spread through the ballroom.

My chest tightened.

Corbin looked at me again.

This time, he didn’t look guilty.

He looked annoyed.

As though I had somehow become an inconvenience in a conversation I hadn’t started.

Kenzie touched his arm.

“Corbin, we should go.”

He nodded.

Then he walked away with her.

He didn’t come to me.

He didn’t explain.

He didn’t even look back.

I remained in my seat, surrounded by people pretending not to stare.

Something inside me cracked.

Not because of the rumors.

Not even because of Kenzie.

It was because, when given the chance to choose between protecting my feelings and protecting whatever existed between him and Kenzie, Corbin had chosen silence.

Again.

A waiter approached my table.

“Mrs. Vale, would you like anything?”

I looked at him.

“No, thank you.”

My voice sounded strangely calm.

I picked up my clutch and stood.

I didn’t care about the award anymore.

I didn’t care about the cameras.

I didn’t care about the people whispering behind their hands.

I only wanted to find Corbin.

I found him backstage.

Kenzie was standing beside him, still holding her award.

She was smiling.

Corbin was saying something to her when he noticed me.

His expression immediately changed.

“Aniya.”

I stopped several feet away.

Kenzie glanced between us.

“I’ll give you two some privacy.”

She walked away.

I watched her leave before looking back at my husband.

“Why didn’t you deny it?”

Corbin frowned.

“Deny what?”

“The rumors.”

He sighed.

“Aniya, not tonight.”

“Not tonight?”

My voice cracked.

“You stood on a stage and told everyone that another woman is one of the most important people in your life, and when someone asked if there was something between you two, you refused to deny it.”

“There is nothing going on between us.”

“Then why couldn’t you say that?”

His expression hardened.

“Because I don’t owe the press an explanation about my personal life.”

I stared at him.

“You didn’t owe the press one.”

I stepped closer.

“You owed your wife one.”

Silence.

Corbin looked away.

That small movement hurt more than any confession could have.

I swallowed the lump in my throat.

“How long?”

He looked back at me.

“What?”

“How long have I been the only person fighting for this marriage?”

His face tightened.

“Aniya, you’re being emotional.”

I almost laughed.

“Of course.”

“You’re upset because of what happened tonight.”

“No.”

I shook my head.

“I’m upset because tonight finally made me see what I’ve been refusing to see.”

“What are you talking about?”

“I’ve spent months making excuses for you.”

His expression changed slightly.

“I told myself you were busy. I told myself your company needed you. I told myself Kenzie was only your colleague. Every time you cancelled dinner, I understood. Every time you came home late, I waited. Every time you forgot something important to me, I forgave you.”

My voice trembled, but I didn’t stop.

“And tonight, you stood in front of hundreds of people and chose her.”

“I didn’t choose anyone.”

“You did.”

I looked directly into his eyes.

“You just don’t realize it yet.”

Corbin stepped toward me.

“Aniya, you’re my wife.”

“Then act like it.”

He went silent.

For four years, I had wanted him to say those words.

You’re my wife.

Tonight, they sounded empty.

I looked down at my wedding ring.

Then I slowly pulled it from my finger.

Corbin’s eyes widened.

“Aniya.”

I placed the ring in his palm.

His fingers closed around it instinctively.

“What are you doing?”

I stared at him, my heart breaking even as my voice became steadier.

“I’m done competing for my husband’s attention.”

His face went pale.

“You’re being ridiculous.”

“Maybe.”

I took a step backward.

“But tomorrow, I’m filing for divorce.”

Corbin stared at me as though he had never seen me before.

“Aniya, don’t do this.”

For the first time that night, I saw fear in his eyes.

But it was too late.

I had spent too long begging to be chosen.

Tonight, I had finally chosen myself.

I turned around and walked away.

And for the first time in four years, I didn’t look back.