Chapter 5

I couldn't take it anymore. The dress was a torture device, digging into my ribs, and the fake smiles around me were suffocating.

"I need to use the powder room. I'm going to step out for some fresh air."

Alexander was busy schmoozing with investors. He waved a hand dismissively. "Go ahead. If you're tired, tell the driver to take you home. I'll bring the kids back later."

I nodded and walked out of the ballroom.

The moment I stepped out of the hotel entrance, the cold wind hit me. I patted my side and realized I had left my clutch in the VIP lounge. My house keys and iPhone were in there.

I had no choice. I had to go back.

However, when I pushed open the side doors to the ballroom, the atmosphere had shifted.

On the small stage, Chloe was holding a microphone. She had just finished singing a jazz number. Like a happy little bird, she hopped off the stage and threw herself directly into Alexander's arms in the front row.

Alexander didn't push her away. Instead, he practicedly wrapped his arm around her waist, whispering something in her ear that made her giggle and playfully punch his chest.

The employees around them didn't seem weirded out. They acted like this was normal—or they chose to ignore it. Some even whistled.

"Mr. Sterling and his sister have such a strong bond."

"Total power siblings. If I didn't know better, I'd say they were a couple."

Even Leo and Mia were clapping enthusiastically. Mia stared at Chloe with stars in her eyes:

"Auntie looks like a Disney Princess, but cool like Wonder Woman! She's beautiful and powerful! That’s the kind of woman I want to be!"

I stood in the shadows, listening to my own children praise the mistress while dragging me through the mud. It felt like a physical blow to the chest.

Just then, the MC announced it was time for a party game to liven things up. "Truth or Dare."

The spotlight spun and landed on Chloe.

"Dare!" Chloe shouted, choosing the bolder option without hesitation.

The MC looked at the card and grinned mischievously. "Alright! Your dare is to kiss the most important man in the room!"

The room went silent. Everyone's eyes darted between Alexander and another high-ranking executive.

Chloe didn't flinch. She walked straight up to Alexander, stood on her tiptoes, and planted a heavy, lingering kiss on his cheek.

"My big brother, obviously! I wouldn't be who I am without him."

Alexander didn't dodge. He smiled indulgently, raising a finger to gently wipe a smudge of lipstick off his face.

"You're such a brat. Look at you, making a scene."

The crowd erupted in cheers and laughter.

Emboldened by the open bar, a slightly tipsy Vice President called out, half-joking:

"Mr. Sterling, if Chloe is your beloved sister, then what is Mrs. Sterling to you?"

My hand tightened around the door handle. I stopped breathing.

The smile on Alexander's face faded slightly. He swirled the amber liquid in his glass, his tone so calm it bordered on cold.

"She is my wife," he said simply, as if that explained everything. "We have history. Evelyn isn't... exciting, or brilliant like Chloe. But she is the mother of my children. "

Not exciting.

Not brilliant.

Just the mother of his children.

In his definition, I was a breeding vessel. A free, high-end housekeeper.

But never a lover.

I didn't storm in to confront him. I didn't scream.

I silently released the door handle and turned back into the dark night.

The rain outside had turned into a downpour. The icy water lashed against my face, indistinguishable from my tears.

This time, I was truly awake.

I was more awake than I had been eighteen years ago, on that snowy night outside my sorority house, when Alexander had proposed to me.

Some love is like rotten fruit. No matter how much you try to cut around the bad parts, you can't mask the stench of decay.