Chapter 3

Ellie's POV

I didnt stay for the applause.

The moment people started gathering around Asher and Olivia- I quietly stepped away from the crowd.

I needed to leave,.

I needed to get home before I did something embarrassing- like cry in front of people who didn't even know who I was-.

I had almost reached the entrance when I heard someone call my name-.

"Eleanor?"

I stopped.

I turned around and saw Helen walking toward me.

She smiled warmly-.

"You're leaving already?" she asked-.

"Yes. I was just going to head home." I forced a smile.

"But you haven't had dinner." Helen said 

"I am not really hungry-"

She frowned-.

"Don't be silly. Come and have dinner with us." She replied and pulled my hand softly 

I shook my head.

"Really, Mrs. Thorne, it's quite late. I should—"

"Nonsense." She replied

"You've barely spoken to us all evening. Come." she continued

I glanced toward the ballroom.

I didn't want to.

Not anymore.

Especially not after what I had just seen-.

"I actually have something I need to do at home-," I said.

"Can it wait?" Helen asked

I hesitated-.

She smiled as if she already knew the answer-.

"Just one dinner, Eleanor-." She continued

I couldn't bring myself to refuse her again.

"Okay." I replied

"Good." Her smile widened.

She started walking with me.

Then she stopped suddenly.

"Oh, and Asher will want to see you."

My stomach dropped.

"I don't think that's necessary." I replied in a low tone

"He will be surprised you're here." Helen replied in excitment 

I almost laughed.

He already knew.

He had already seen me there.

For one brief second, when our eyes had met across the room, I'd watched his face change.

Shock.

Then it disappeared.

Asher had always been good at controlling himself.

Apparently, he'd gotten even better at it.

Helen continued walking.

"He hasn't seen you in such a long time. You two were practically inseparable growing up." she continued saying

"Yes." I swallowed.

"I'm sure he'll be happy." She smiled.

I wasn't so sure.

When I entered the private dining room, Asher was already there.

Olivia was seated beside him.

Richard was at the head of the table.

Asher looked up.

For one second, neither of us moved.

His expression changed.

Just slightly.

His eyes widened.

His shoulders stiffened.

It lasted barely a second.

Then it was gone.

His face became calm again.

Almost indifferent.

"Eleanor."

He said my name like we were old friends who had unexpectedly crossed paths after years apart-.

I stared at him-.

"Hi."

He stood.

He even smiled.

"It's been a long time."

I couldn't believe him.

"Yes." I replied

"Please, sit." He gestured toward the empty chair.

I sat down.

Across from him.

Olivia was beside him.

The woman he'd just announced his engagement to.

The woman everyone in that ballroom believed was going to become his wife.

She looked at me curiously.

Asher didn't introduce us.

For some reason, that hurt more than I expected. Although my inner voice screamed to tell everyone the truth here as it was just the family here, I dont know why I stayed quiet, I didnt know how would Asher react here.

Eventually, Olivia smiled politely.

"I'm Olivia."

I looked at her.

"Ellie."

"Nice to meet you." She nodded.

"You too." I replied

Asher picked up his glass.

"Ellie and I grew up together." His voice was casual.

Almost painfully casual.

"We were best friends." he continued

"Really?" Olivia smiled.

"Yes," he said.

"Best friends is putting it mildly." His mother laughed.

"Those two were practically attached at the hip." She continued as she looked between us.

"I remember." Richard chuckled.

Asher looked at me.

"Whenever Asher was around, Ellie wasn't far behind." Richard continued

"That was a long time ago," I replied with an awkward smile

"You say that like you're strangers now." Helen waved her hand dismissively.

Asher said nothing.

He simply took a sip of his drink.

Dinner arrived.

I barely touched mine.

I couldn't.

Every time I looked at him, I remembered the stage.

His hand around Olivia's.

His voice announcing their engagement.

I kept my eyes on my plate.

But his parents continued talking.

Richard smiled at Asher.

"You know, when you were younger, I was convinced you two would end up together." Richard spoke

I nearly choked on my water.

Helen laughed.

"Me too." Helen agreed

"Really?" Olivia looked at them.

"Oh, absolutely." Helen nodded.

She looked at me fondly-.

"I used to tease them about it all the time-." Richard smiled,.

"I would've loved having Ellie as my daughter-in-law-," he continued

My fingers tightened around my napkin.

Olivia's expression changed.

She glanced at Asher.

I did too.

For the first time that evening, I wanted him to say something.

Anything.

Maybe a joke.

Maybe something that acknowledged what we were.

Something only I would understand.

Instead, he smiled.

A small, polite smile.

"I don't think I ever thought about marrying Ellie." Asher said

The words landed quietly.

Almost casually.

But they hurt more than anything he'd said that night.

I looked at him.

He didn't look back.

He continued,

"We were just friends. Very close friends, obviously, but marriage was never something I considered." Asher added

"You never know what you're thinking when you're young." Helen laughed.

Richard nodded.

"Still, you would have made a good couple."

Asher smiled.

"Maybe."

He finally looked at me.

Just for a second.

There was something in his eyes.

Something I couldn't understand.

Then it disappeared.

"But things worked out differently," Asher said as he turned towards Olivia

Olivia smiled.

Her hand moved toward his.

Asher took it.

I looked away.

Under the table, my hand instinctively moved toward my stomach.

Our baby.

Our marriage.

Our years together.

All of it sitting inside me while my husband sat across from me and told his family that marrying me had never even crossed his mind.

Helen continued talking, completely unaware.

"I still remember how Asher used to follow you everywhere." She laughed.

"You couldn't get rid of him." she added 

I smiled faintly.

Asher gave a small laugh.

"She was always the one dragging me into trouble." Asher said

"That's not what I remember." Richard said as he pointed at him.

Everyone laughed.

Everyone except me.

I looked at Asher.

He was smiling.

Perfectly comfortable.

Perfectly composed.

Like our marriage had never happened.

Like he had never stood in front of me at a registry office and promised forever.

Like there wasn't a ring hidden beneath the sleeve of his expensive watch.

Like I wasn't sitting three seats away from him, carrying his child.

And suddenly, I understood something.

He hadn't just chosen Olivia.

He had chosen to erase me.

And he was very good at it.