Chapter 2: The Dinner Table

(Patricia's POV)

My heart pounded, my stomach twisted. Tonight wasn’t the first time we were having dinner with Mason’s family. No... it had happened a thousand times. And every single time, they found something to complain about... my cooking, my manners, even the way I breathed.

But tonight was worse. Mason had brought someone else. His old friend. I couldn’t bear the thought of being scolded in front of a stranger.

From the dining room came laughter, loud and cheerful. Glasses clinked as they toasted, their joy filling the air.

I exhaled deeply, tightening my grip on the bowl of salad I had just finished. My arms ached, my hands weak, but I forced myself to carry it forward.

“How long has it been now, Mason?” the stranger’s voice boomed.

“Ten good years, Raymond,” Mason replied proudly. “I can’t believe you missed my wedding.”

Raymond. So that was his name. Mason had said an old friend was coming, but I had never seen him before. It didn’t matter. I was too tired after hours in the kitchen. All I wanted was to lie down. But I couldn’t dare skip the family dinner... not with the consequences I knew would follow.

I gathered my strength, stepping into the dining room.

“I’m sorry I missed it, but believe me, that was so…” the man was saying, but the moment his eyes found me, his voice trailed off. His gaze stayed fixed on me, as though the words had slipped away. For a long second, silence filled the room.

Then, almost reluctantly, he finished, “…so unplanned.”

Everyone else turned their heads. They looked perfect, dressed in elegant clothes. Even Rose. My former maid. She sat proudly in my favorite chair, right beside Mason, dressed as though tonight was some grand event.

And me? I looked like a stranger in my own house. My dress was plain, my hair messy. My hands smelled of oil and spice from the kitchen. Hours of cooking had left me no time to shower, no time to change. Shame burned inside me, but what choice did I have?

“Finally, the salad is here,” Lucy sneered. “I thought it would take you a thousand years to bring it out.”

I ignored her, like I always did. Quietly, I set the bowl on the table and sank into an empty chair opposite the guest.

"Honey" Rose leaned into Mason, her voice soft and delicate. “I don’t see any chicken curry here.”

I blinked quickly, my eyes darting around the table. My heart thudded in fear. There was no dish left in the kitchen. If it wasn’t here, then I must have completely missed it.

Mason turned to me, his voice calm but firm. “Pat, I think you forgot the chicken curry in the kitchen.”

I swallowed hard. I hadn’t forgotten to bring it... I had forgotten to make it.

“Why are you still sitting there? Go and get it quickly,” Elizabeth snapped.

My hands trembled under the table, but I clenched my fist, forcing myself to stay calm.

“It’s not in the kitchen,” I admitted, my throat dry. “I… I forgot to make it.”

“How could you forget? That’s Liam’s favorite!” Elizabeth snapped, her voice sharp enough to cut through me.

The guest shifted uncomfortably in his chair.

Mason cleared his throat, forcing out an awkward laugh. “It’s fine, Mum. He can eat something else...”

“Something else?” Lucy snapped. “Did you forget he’s picky? That was the only thing he enjoys eating.”

“Look... he’s already eating,” Mason tried, pointing at Liam, who was happily spooning soup into his mouth. “And he seems to be enjoying it.”

The tension eased for a moment. Then Mason cleared his throat, remembering what he’d forgotten.

“Raymond, this is Liam. My son.” he introduced.

Liam looked up, grinning wide, as though he understood.

“Wow,” the man said warmly. “He’s such a lovely kid.”

Then he turned back to Mason. “My heartiest congratulations to you and your wife.” His hand gestured toward Rose.

Everywhere went silent. Mason froze, his eyes flicked to me. I prayed... prayed he would correct the mistake, tell the guest that I was his wife... not Rose.

But instead, he smiled faintly and nodded.

“Thanks a lot, Ray,” he said, his hand resting on Rose’s shoulder as if it belonged there.

The last piece of my heart shattered. It wasn’t enough that Rose was his mistress. Now, in front of me, he claimed her as his wife.

“They have such a happy home,” Gilbert added with a laugh. “Reminds me of how much Elizabeth and I love each other.”

The table erupted in laughter. Except me. No one seemed to notice the way my soul was breaking.

I sniffed, forcing back tears, and reached for my spoon with trembling hands. But before I could lift it, the man’s voice cut through again.

“And her? Who is she?”

The laughter died instantly. Silence fell again. My heart pounded so hard I could hear it in my ears. Slowly, I raised my head and met his gaze... his eyes burning straight into me.

It was hard, but a part of me wanted to know what Mason would say. He had already introduced Rose as his wife. Now what would he call me in front of his old friend? My heart waited, holding on to a tiny hope.

But Mason said nothing. His lips parted, then closed again. Not a single word came out.

“Enough of the chat, everyone. Let’s just eat before the food gets cold,” Elizabeth said suddenly, breaking the tension.

I looked at Mason one last time, hoping he would redeem us. But instead, he laughed weakly and nodded like the coward he had become.

“I agree. No one likes cold food anyway. Let’s just eat and be happy,” he said.

And just like that, the conversation moved on. They laughed, they talked, as if nothing had happened.

But the guest? He never looked away from me. His eyes stayed on me the entire time, burning into me, like he could see the truth I was trying to hide. Like he could see the trembling of my hands, the storm in my chest, the woman breaking apart inside.

By the time dinner ended, my body was weak. As we all rose to walk him to the door, a sudden dizziness swept over me. I tried to steady myself, but my legs betrayed me. My head spun, my vision blurred, and the room tilted. I couldn’t tell if I was falling until strong arms caught me.

His arms held me firmly, his scent unfamiliar. The laughter, the voices... all faded, as if something terrible had just happened. When I opened my eyes, it was his face I saw.

It wasn’t Mason's arms. It wasn’t his family. It was a stranger... the same man who had been watching me all night.

“Are you okay?” His voice was calm, steady.

I blinked fast, pulling myself out of his arms and fixing my dress, ashamed of my weakness.

“Yes,” I croaked. “I’m fine.”

“You don’t look fine,” he said softly. “You look… tired. Stressed.” Then he turned to Mason. “You should take care of her too.”

Too. That single word shook me. Did he know? Could he tell I was Mason’s wife?

“What are you saying, Ray?” Lucy jumped in, her voice dripping charm. “Patricia is well taken care of.”

“Exactly,” Elizabeth added with a sharp laugh. “We’re not horrible people.”

They all laughed. Except him. His eyes stayed on me, piercing through me until Mason spoke again, trying to change the subject.

“Thanks a lot for coming, Ray. It meant so much to me,” Mason said quickly.

“It’s nothing. Just like old times,” he replied with a small smile. “We’ll see each other more often.”

He walked to his car, and the moment his car disappeared, the family turned on me like hungry lions.

“So you fainted in front of our guest? For what, Patricia? To embarrass us? To make it look like we don’t take care of you?” Elizabeth struck first.

Her words cut deeper than knives.

“And that dress,” she sneered. “Couldn’t you wear something decent? You came out looking like a maid. You’ve disgraced us again!”

My chest ached as I struggled to breathe. They always came at me. No matter what I did, it was never enough.

Lucy folded her arms, her voice sharp with anger. “You always want attention, don’t you? Always looking for pity” She let out a bitter laugh. “Poor Patricia, weak Patricia. Is that all you want? Do you think making a scene will make people see us as monsters?”

My lips trembled, but I stayed quiet.

Gilbert shook his head, his voice like a hammer. “Ever since Mason married you, you’ve done nothing but bring shame to this family.”

“Exactly,” Lucy added quickly. “You couldn’t even give us a child, and now you’re bitter because someone else could.”

That last statement cut deeper than I could have ever imagined.

I froze, staring at their faces full of anger, disgust, mockery. Then I looked at Rose. She was smiling faintly, like this was some kind of entertainment.

And finally, my eyes found Mason. My husband. My supposed protector. He just stood there, silent. Not one word. Not one defense.

That was when something inside me broke

The anger, the humiliation, the betrayal... all of it boiled inside me until I could hardly breathe. I had given them everything. Given him everything. Yet they saw me as nothing.

I wiped my tears quickly, forcing my voice to be steady even though my heart was shaking.

“Mason,” I whispered, my eyes locked on his. “Let’s get a divorce.”