Public Humiliation

Ashley stared at her friend, who was visibly breaking down as she answered the call. What she had witnessed the previous day was still etched in her mind, robbing her of sleep. She didn’t know whether to tell Lucy the truth or keep it a secret.

Her heart broke the moment a tear slid down Lucy’s cheek. She rushed to her side and helped her sit on the nearest bench. Ashley winced at how hot Lucy’s skin felt. Was she running a fever? That definitely wasn’t good for the baby.

“Lucy, why are you crying? What did he say?”

Lucy recounted everything that had happened since the previous day. Ashley’s mouth hung open in shock as she listened.

“That bastard. How could he?” Ashley fumed. "Lucy, please tell me you didn’t believe that IVF story. That man is clearly cheating on you.”

“Why do you say that? He might actually be telling the truth. Marcus has never lied to me before.”

Ashley then narrated everything she had witnessed at the hospital — seeing Marcus, Jaycee, and Clara together with the baby, and how affectionately Jaycee had called Clara “Mom.”

“You see? It’s clear they’ve been in contact far longer than he claimed,” Ashley said.

“I don’t know, Ashley. Everything feels too overwhelming right now.”

“Everything is going to be alright,” Ashley assured her, placing a comforting hand on Lucy’s shoulder. “Your body is burning up. I think you have a fever.”

“Well, that’s what happens when you get locked in a cold bathroom all night.”

“I can’t believe Jaycee did that to you. You basically raised him from when he was a baby.”

“I know. What I don’t understand is why they are all suddenly turning against me,” Lucy said, wiping her tears.

“Let’s get you to the hospital first.”

“I don’t want to.”

“You have to,” Ashley insisted, gently pulling her up. “For the baby.”

Lucy reluctantly followed her friend. At the hospital, they requested a bed while the doctor prescribed medication. As they were leaving the room, a group of nurses gathered nearby, staring excitedly at something on their phones.

“Oh my God, they look so good together,” one nurse beamed.

“I can’t believe Hayes finally opened a social media account.”

“Right? Even their son did. He’s so cute.”

“I didn’t know they had another baby. His wife looks like a model.”

Lucy and Ashley stood there in confusion, listening to the nurses. When the nurses noticed them, they quickly apologized and made way.

Once outside, Lucy opened her I*******m app and searched for “The Hayes.” What she saw left her frozen in place. Ashley took the phone and scrolled through the page.

Marcus, Stella, Jaycee, Clara, and the baby were out together, posting as a happy family. Marcus, a well-known billionaire in the city, had gained over a million followers in just a few hours. The comments were filled with praise for their looks and Clara’s beauty.

Since Lucy had always stayed home as a housewife and rarely accompanied Marcus to public events, no one knew who she was. Everyone assumed Clara was Marcus’s wife. And they made no effort to correct them in the comment sections.

They had visited an elite restaurant, an aquarium, and were currently at an amusement park. Ashley’s grip tightened on the phone in anger.

“How could he?” she blurted. “Lucy, let’s go there right now and expose their charades.”

Lucy sat silently for a long moment, still trying to process everything. “Ashley, drop it. There’s no need to cause drama.”

“But—”

“Just let it go, please. I’m famished. I want some of your homemade chicken broth.”

Ashley reluctantly gave in. “Alright. Let’s go to my house. Mira has missed you. You didn’t even say goodbye to her the other day.”

“Oh dear, I totally forgot.”

---

After spending the afternoon at Ashley’s house, Lucy returned home around seven-thirty in the evening. When she entered, everyone was already seated at the dining table. She noticed Clara had taken her usual spot.

“You’re finally back,” Marcus sneered.

Lucy sat down quietly and served herself without saying a word.

“Didn’t you hear me?” Marcus’s annoyed voice boomed. “And who allowed you to eat that?”

Lucy continued spooning food into her mouth, unbothered. “Well, since you all left me alone in the house, I figured I could go out and enjoy myself too.”

“Did you just talk to your husband like that?” Stella’s sharp voice rang out.