Chapter 2

The crowd erupted in thunderous applause.

My heart, however, felt like it had been plunged into ice water. I stood frozen, staring at the two figures embracing on stage.

Maeve was a beautiful woman, but after years as the CEO, her brows carried the stern authority of a leader. Yet now, her face was soft with tenderness.

Maeve and I had loved each other for ten years and been married for five. After all that time together, I knew her too well. The love in her eyes for Johnny was real.

She had fallen for someone else.

Bitter and aching, I retreated to the backstage room and drafted the divorce papers.

The black print on the white pages cut deep into my eyes. Five years of marriage, and now it was ending in such a humiliating way.

I thought about trying to win her back—but every time I saw the way she interacted with Johnny, the words died in my throat. I knew that no matter what I did, she would never look back.

While I was drowning in my sorrow, the gala came to an end.

Maeve and Johnny walked in hand in hand, making their way to the backstage lounge.

When Johnny spotted me, he looked a little sheepish.

Maeve, on the other hand, barely glanced at me before turning her gaze away.

That cold, dismissive look cut through my heart like a knife, the pain so sharp it left me breathless.

She didn't say a word. She simply took Johnny's hand and started to leave.

I couldn't hold back. "Maeve. Wait."

She turned around, irritation plain on her face. But when she saw the bitter anguish in my eyes, she paused for a moment.

I handed her the divorce papers.

Her expression darkened the moment she read the name on the documents.

Johnny noticed her face turn sour and quickly spoke up. "I'm so sorry, Mr. Gabehart. Please, let me explain. I just wanted to know what it felt like to propose. Please don't be upset."

Watching Johnny put on that nervous, apologetic act, I let out a cold laugh. "Maeve takes you everywhere. Don't tell me you didn't know she was already married. What exactly were you thinking, proposing to a married woman? You wanted to be the other man, didn't you?"

At my words, Johnny's face crumpled, and he began to cry, sniffling pitifully.

Maeve's expression turned even darker. She gently wiped the tears from Johnny's face, murmuring soft, soothing words to calm him down. The sound of her tenderness toward him made my heart grow even colder.

After a long moment, she finally turned to look at me.

I stared back into her indifferent eyes, my whole body trembling. Still, a tiny spark of hope flickered inside me—because the Maeve I used to know was a reasonable person.

But under my hopeful gaze, she rubbed her temples and let out a weary sigh. "Ed, just apologize to Johnny. Let's put this behind us."

Her words crushed whatever was left of my heart. I could almost hear something inside me shatter.

Seeing the disbelief written all over my face, Maeve grew impatient.

She pressed her lips together and said, "Johnny's parents were both national war heroes. I have a responsibility to look after him. Besides, he just wanted to experience what it felt like to propose—it's not like he did anything wrong. Can you stop being so petty and jealous over every little thing?"