I'm the Side Chick in My Own Romance

The bustle in the private room came to a grinding halt. All eyes fell on the phone Natalie Adams was holding. As if only just realizing what had happened, she fumbled with the screen, missing the button several times with her trembling fingers.

On the other end of the line, the child continued to urge, "Daddy, when are you going to pick up Mommy? My teacher said that the whole family should eat together."

The color drained from Natalie's face. Finally, she managed to end the call.

I looked at her, my voice so calm it hardly sounded like my own. "When did you and Simon get married?"

Natalie's tears started rolling down her cheeks. She bit her lip. It took her a while to choke out the words, "Seven years ago."

It felt like my ears were ringing.

Seven years ago, Simon Horne proposed to me on my birthday. He'd knelt on one knee beside the lake at our old campus. Holding the ring box in his palm, he'd been so nervous he could barely get the words out.

He said, "Tara, once I complete this overseas project, we'll get married."

At the time, Natalie had stood in the crowd, crying even harder than I did. She'd hugged me and said, "I wish you all the happiness in the world, Tara!"

I'd worn that engagement ring ever since. And yet, just when I thought Simon and I would soon be married at last, I ended up discovering that he was already Natalie's husband.

Just then, Natalie's phone rang again. She glanced at the caller ID. Looking stricken, she tried to reject the call. However, I grabbed her hand before she could. Then I snatched the phone away and answered the call.

Simon's voice rang out again.

"Babe, Andy and I are waiting for you outside the restaurant. Say your goodbyes to everyone, and let's head home together."

My throat was tight as I said quietly, "Simon."

There was no reply, and a few seconds later, the call cut off.

The color slowly drained from Natalie's face. "Tara, listen to me. Let me explain—"

I handed her phone back to her and rushed out of the private room. The elevator was taking forever, so I ran down the emergency stairs in my high heels.

As soon as I opened the front door, a blast of cold wind hit me in the face. A familiar black car was parked by the roadside, and Simon was standing right beside it. There was a child in the back seat, with a little schoolbag and a dinosaur toy beside him.

Simon seemed to have predicted that I would come storming down. He didn't seem at all shocked to see me. He simply rolled up the window next to the little boy.

Natalie came running down after me without even putting on a coat. The moment Simon saw her, his brows knitted together. He took off his suit jacket and draped it over her shoulders.

"Didn't I tell you not to dress so lightly? You just had a fever a few days ago."

Natalie's eyes were red as she called his name softly. "Simon…"

He didn't push her away. Instead, he drew her protectively to his side before finally turning to look at me.

I was abruptly taken back to the time I went wedding gown shopping by myself last month. I'd tripped over the hem of my gown and had fallen down the steps. My ankle was so swollen that I couldn't even put my shoe back on.

I'd called Simon to ask him to pick me up. He'd told me he'd just finished an international conference and was so exhausted he could barely keep his eyes open.

"I'm exhausted, Tara. Don't act like a spoiled princess over such a small matter. Just get a cab home by yourself."

Clutching the garment bag containing my wedding gown, I had to use whatever wall and support I could find to make my way to the roadside. I'd waited 20 minutes before finally managing to get a cab.

But now, I'd just found out that he hadn't been busy with any sort of international conference that day. He'd been busy accompanying Natalie while they picked their son, Andy, up from school.

My eyes slowly reddened as I stared at Simon. "Didn't you say you were on a business trip abroad?"

After a long silence, Simon said quietly, "I'll explain things to you later, Tara."

"Explain what to me?" I glanced at my engagement ring with a bitter smile that made my tears spill over. "Are you going to explain to me that every time you leave on your so-called business trips abroad, you're actually heading home to be with your wife and kid?"

Simon paled, but he didn't deny it.