DITCHED BY HIM

Vanya's POV

The weight of my diamond necklace felt like a noose as I moved through the banquet hall, forced to smile at guests who looked at me with pitying eyes. 

It was our third wedding anniversary and Dario had thrown a large party in celebration for it but suddenly disappeared five minutes after the guests had started arriving.

"Where is Mr Blackwood?" That was Mrs Moore, the wife of the CEO of Showspeed automaticals and one of the most distinguished guests of today's celebration. This was not my first time having to answer this question having been asked by almost every guest that I had welcomed.

"Something urgent came up, he sincerely apologises for his absence at the moment. He will be here anytime soon." I tried to come up with the best excuse I could think of. It worked.

Lady Moore turned to the woman on her right and continued their discussion. I heaved a sigh of relief. It was like a groom missing on his wedding day. Where on earth could he have gone all of a sudden?

"Maggie." I called out to one of the girls that had been helping receive guests.

"Ma'am." The young lady courtesied. 

"Please, oversee everything here. I will be right back." I left after she had promised to make sure that everything continues smoothly.

Being away from the crowd would be much easier to deal with. It could create a kind of temporary suspense where they would think that we both want to make a special entry.

I took out my phone immediately I was out of the hall and dialled Dario's number for the fiftieth time today. It went straight to voicemail without ringing. 

He had been with us before he suddenly got a call and left. "Is he okay?" I asked nobody in particular. I truly hoped that he was okay. 

I called his best friend Rowan. He picked up at the third ring. "I can't find Dario." I blurted out in a cracking voice immediately he answered. I heard a slight sigh on the other side before Rowan's voice came.

"Where did he say he was going to?"

"He didn't say. He just left." He didn't say anything. "I am very worried Rowan, what if..."

"Calm down Vanya. Dario is not a child, he will come back." Rowan cut me off not letting me finish.

"But, today...."

"Today is a big day and that's more reason for you to calm down." He said this time more reassuringly. "Maybe he is out to get a surprise for you. Or something came up. Don't get overworked Vanny." 

I didn't know what to say in reply. Today was such a big day for us and I never expected this in the slightest. 

"Thank you Rowan." I managed to mutter while fighting back the tears that had clouded up my vision. 

"It's okay Vanny, I will be there in five minutes. I will also try locating him." He hung up. 

My hand slipped down from my cheek slowly. Dario had come back a few weeks ago and suddenly surprised me with news of his plan to celebrate our third anniversary in a grand style. It had been his first time talking to me in weeks.

I couldn't stop the sobs that had already started escaping from my throat. I ran to my bathroom to avoid anybody seeing me in tears.

In all my three years of being married to Dario, he had never thrown a party for me, not on my birthdays or valentine. He has always been busy with work and he never had time for me. He never smiled at me or joked until that day that he announced the anniversary plans.

I heard a knock on the bedroom door. I quickly splashed water on my teary face then dried it before coming out to open the door.

It was Maggie.

"The guests are asking for you and Mr Blackwood. They are getting impatient." She said in a low tone.

"I understand. I will be there soon." I almost fell as I stepped out of the door but she quickly held me. "Thank you Maggie." 

I stepped into the hall once again and all eyes turned to me.

"Where is Mr Blackwood?" One of the guests asked.

"Why isn't he here?"

I doubt that they wanted to even hear my answers.

"Vanya! Look at this mess. You can't even keep track of your own husband for one night? Truly, Dario made a mistake marrying a woman of your... background." Dario’s mother, Evelyn, didn't bother lowering her voice. 

I was suddenly mute. Everyone was talking at the same time and I honestly didn't know what to answer.

"Something urgent..."

"Oh please. We have had enough of that excuse for the past one hour. We want to hear something else." Her voice was sharp and authoritative.

"Why don't you just say that you don't know where he is?" A mocking voice said.

I opened my mouth to say something but nothing came out.

"Exactly. But what kind of a wife would she be if she doesn't even know where her husband is?"

"And at such an important day and time?"

"Did you guys have a fight?" 

The room was spinning about me. My head felt like it had concrete on it.

"Vanya!"

"Rowan.." I almost cried out in relief. Somebody that could help.

"Is he here yet?"

I shook my head letting the tears finally flow. He strode swiftly and engulfed me in a tight hug covering my face from the crowd.

"Hush. I'm here. You don't need to deal with it alone." 

"Who is that?"

"Why is she hugging him all of a sudden?"

"Is she having an affair?"

"Wasn't he her husband's best man at their wedding? Are they now together?"

The talks and whispers didn't stop, but luckily I couldn't see their faces to know how they looked.

"Please, I beg of you to be quiet. Dario will be here in no time." Rowan tried to calm the crowd down. And although he succeeded for a moment, there were still murmurs around.

"He is back. He just drove in." Maggie rushed in panting. That was my relief. Everybody stood up immediately as if on cue.

I raised my face from Rowan's chest and he nodded reassuringly before holding my hand and walking towards the door that led outside the banquet hall, and just before we could open the door, the door opened from inside.

And he was standing there looking at us.

Dario Blackwood. My husband. He was still in the white suit he had worn earlier but he was not alone. A woman clung to his side, smiling widely.

Who is she?