LOGINShare
The Anniversary Dinner
publish date:
2026-09-01 22:13:57Chapter 5: The Anniversary Dinner
The picture that was sent to her kept popping up in her mind…
She had stared at it until her eyes became blurry with tears.
She finally locked her phone and placed it facedown on the bed.
Maybe there was an explanation…..
there had to be.
But the message from the unknown number kept coming to her head.
“You deserve to know what your husband has been hiding from you”.
Amelia looked toward the bathroom door,Ethan was still inside.
For three years, she had trusted him.
Maybe she had been foolish.
The bathroom door opened.
Ethan stepped out, his expression unchanged.
He stopped when he noticed her sitting on the bed.
"You should sleep."
Amelia looked at him.
"Who sent me this?"
Ethan's eyes narrowed slightly.
“Sent what”???
She picked up her phone and handed it over to him..
He didn't take it.
"What are you talking about?" He asked.
This! Ethan!!!
Amelia shoved the picture to his face…
For the first time that night, something shifted in Ethan's expression.
His jaw tightened.
"Where did you get that?"
"Someone sent it to me."
"Who?"
"I don't know."
Ethan stared at the screen for several seconds.
Then he looked away.
"Delete it."
Amelia's heart sank.
"That's all you have to say?”
"Is it true?"
He remained silent.
She stood.
"Were you with Sophia tonight?"
"I was dealing with work."
"That's not what I asked."
His eyes met hers.
"Not everything is what you think."
A bitter laugh escaped her.
"Then tell me what it is."
Ethan said nothing…..again…….That silence, that was very familiar.
Amelia felt something inside her crack.
"You know what hurts the most?"
He watched her quietly.
"I've spent three years making excuses for you."
Her voice trembled.
"When you didn't come home, I told myself you were busy. When you forgot important dates, I told myself you had too much on your mind. When people talked about Sophia, I convinced myself they were lying."
She wiped a tear from her cheek.
"But tonight, I saw the way she looked at you."
Ethan's expression hardened.
"Amelia."
" No!!!!!, don't Amelia me Ethan!!!!
She shook her head.
"Just tell me the truth."
The room fell silent.
Ethan looked away.
That was answer enough.
Amelia's chest tightened.
She walked toward the window.
Outside, the city lights shimmered against the darkness.
Three years ago, she had believed patience could make him love her.
Tonight, she wasn't sure she wanted to keep waiting.
The following morning, Amelia woke up before Ethan.
For the first time in years, she didn't wait for him to wake beside her.
She dressed quietly and went downstairs.
The dining room still carried traces of the previous night's dinner.
The untouched plates.
The half-empty wine bottle.
The flowers she'd arranged so carefully the previous day,She stared at the table.
Then she began clearing everything away.
One plate,then another,she removed the roses, pain filled in her chest.,..
She blew out the last candle.
There was no reason to keep pretending.
A few minutes later, Ethan appeared at the entrance.
He watched her silently.
"You're awake early."
Amelia didn't turn, she didn't move, neither did she say anything….
He stepped closer.
"About last night…."
"Don't." she said bluntly
She finally looked at him.
Her eyes were tired, but there was something different in them.
Something Ethan couldn't quite recognize.
"I don't want another explanation from you Ethan.., I just want the truth”
He stared at her. He was about saying something then his phone rang….
Ethan glanced at the screen.
Caller ID “ Sophia”
Amelia noticed.
He declined the call.
Seconds later, the phone rang again.
This time, Ethan walked away to answer it.
Amelia stood frozen.
She didn't follow him,she didn't argue,She simply watched him disappear into the hallway.
Then her own phone vibrated.
Another message from the same Unknown number that sent the picture the previous night.
Her fingers trembled as she opened it.
“If you really want to know what Ethan has been hiding, meet me today”.
A location appeared beneath the message.
Amelia stared at it.
Then another message popped in.
“Come alone”.
Her heart began pounding.
She looked toward the hallway where Ethan had disappeared.
For three years, she had been afraid of discovering the truth.
Now...
She was more afraid of what would happen if she didn't.
Amelia grabbed her bag.
She quietly walked toward the front door.
And just before she stepped outside, her phone buzzed one final time.
“You have no idea who your husband really is”.
Amelia stopped.
Her hand tightened around the phone.
Then she walked out.
Without telling Ethan where she was going.
Without knowing that the person waiting for her already knew far more about her marriage than she did.
Latest chapter
The Billionaire's Regret Chapter 44:The Forgotten Birthday
Ethan was reviewing the following week's schedule when the date on his desk calendar caught his attention.November sixth.His pen stopped above the page.Amelia's birthday.He had known her birthday for years, but remembering the date had never meant remembering to make her feel special.He reached for his phone and opened their old messages. He scrolled past business updates, brief replies, and the polite exchanges that had gradually replaced conversations. Then he found a message from two years earlier.You don't have to come home early. I know you're busy. Happy meeting.It had been sent on her birthday.He remembered that evening. He had been at a dinner with investors and had read the message while someone was speaking. He had replied with a simple Thank you. We'll celebrate another time.They never did.A knock interrupted him.“Come in.”Daniel entered with a folder. “The revised figures for the hotel development. Finance wants your approval before noon.”Ethan accepted it, bu
The Billionaire's Regret Chapter 43: Actions not Words
Ethan kept his promise.For the next several days, he did not call Amelia, send flowers, or look for excuses to cross her path. He went to work, attended his meetings, and kept his distance whenever Carter Interiors was mentioned.It was harder than he expected.Not because he wanted to ignore her wishes, but because doing nothing felt dangerously similar to the man he had been before. The difference was that this time, he was learning that respecting her boundaries did not mean pretending she no longer existed.On Thursday morning, Daniel entered his office with a tablet in his hand.“We have a problem with the hotel development.”Ethan looked up from a contract. “What kind of problem?”“The imported lighting fixtures for the next installation phase. The supplier has delayed delivery again.”How long?“Two weeks, possibly three. They're blaming customs clearance and a documentation issue.”Ethan frowned. “Didn't procurement confirm the delivery schedule last week?”“They did. The sup
The Billionaire's Regret Chapter 42:She Says No
Three days passed before Ethan saw Amelia again.He had kept his promise. He had not sent another message, called her, or asked Daniel to find out how she was doing. Every time he reached for his phone, he reminded himself that giving her space was not a favor. It was the least he could do.Still, when Daniel told him Carter Interiors would be attending the Blackwood Group's project review that afternoon, Ethan felt his attention sharpen.“You're not going to use the meeting as an excuse to corner her, are you?” Daniel asked.“No,” Ethan replied. “She's there to discuss her work. I know that.”The review took place in the conference room on the twenty-second floor. Amelia arrived with Emma and two members of her design team. She wore a tailored charcoal jacket over a cream blouse, her hair falling neatly over one shoulder. She greeted the committee with a professional smile, then took her seat without looking toward Ethan.He noticed. Of course he noticed.But he kept his eyes on the
The Billionaire's Regret Chapter 41:I Want Her Back
Ethan had spent the better part of the night staring at his phone.Amelia’s name sat at the top of the screen, beneath the message he had sent her. He had asked if they could talk not about the Blackwood Group project, not about business, but about something he should have said years ago.The small typing indicator had appeared, vanished, then appeared again.Now there was nothing.He set the phone face down, walked to the windows of his office, and looked over the city. The lights below blurred against the glass. Usually, the view settled him. This morning, it only reminded him how much of his life he had built around things that could be measured: buildings, contracts, profits, influence.He had never learned how to measure the damage he caused at home.A knock sounded.“Come in.”Daniel entered carrying two coffees. He placed one on Ethan’s desk and took in his friend’s expression.“You look terrible.”“Good morning to you too.”“I’m serious. Did you sleep?”“Not much.”Let me gues
The Billionaire's Regret Chapter 40:Regret
Ethan had always believed regret was something that arrived after a bad decision and eventually faded.He was beginning to understand that some regrets stayed.The folder Daniel had left on his desk remained open. Three small incidents, three moments when Amelia had helped someone without asking for recognition. They were ordinary acts to anyone who did not know her. To Ethan, they were reminders of how little he had understood the woman who had shared his home.His phone rang.“Are you still at the office?” Margaret asked.Yes, he answered. “Come to dinner.”“I have work.”“You always have work. That excuse has already cost you enough.”Ethan exhaled...Alright I'll be there.……Margaret was in the sitting room when he arrived at Blackwood Manor. A cup of tea rested beside her, untouched.“You look tired,” she said.“I am.”“Good. Perhaps you're finally thinking.”He gave her a faint, weary smile. “You don't make it easy to visit.”“I didn't invite you for entertainment.” She gesture
The Billionaire's Regret Chapter 39:What else did She Do?
Ethan had read the confidential request from Amelia three times, but the words refused to settle into meaning.It was not a new financial report or another problem with the company. It was a note attached to an old internal file, asking Daniel to help resolve an issue before it reached Ethan’s desk. The request itself was brief. What unsettled him was the date: almost two years into their marriage.He looked up as Daniel entered.“You said you found something else,” Ethan said.“I did.” Daniel placed a thin folder on the desk. “But before you start, I want you to understand something. Amelia wasn’t secretly running your company. She wasn’t trying to involve herself in decisions that weren’t hers. She noticed people struggling and quietly tried to help.”Ethan opened the folder. “What is this?”“Three things I remember clearly. There may have been more.”The first document concerned a company event. A visiting investor’s luggage and presentation materials had been sent to the wrong hot
You May Also Like
My Dad's Bestfriend
Liz Barnet791.5K viewsEx-Husband's Regret
Evelyn M.M4.9M viewsWild Epic Stories
F. Prince 600.9K viewsMaster Odell’s Secret Ex-wife
Eggsoup1.2M viewsTrail Leads Back
Shadow Ren101 viewsToo Late, Mr. Hale
Favor V April185 viewsToo Late, Mr Billionaire
Starr141 viewsA Secret Baby with My Unattainable Love
A.Sinquill66 views
