Chapter 3

Susanna was there beside Frank, her smile beaming as she held onto his hand. They were wrapped up in each other like vines, impossible to untangle.

Out of the blue, someone questioned, "Frank, are you really going to keep hiding this? Doesn't it feel wrong?"

Frank froze, his gaze turning stormy.

"I'm warning you. Don't spill this to her, or you'll see what I'm capable of.

"This is a strategic marriage. Even if Teresa gets wind of it, she won't hold it against me. I'll make it clear to her, just not right now."

Susanna just smiled, keeping mum.

Someone else chimed in with a forced laugh.

"Frank, we get it's a business merger, but marriage is still marriage. Your girlfriend's invested a lot. It's kind of sad that she's going from being a wife to the other woman overnight. Doesn't she deserve to be in the know?"

I recognized the guy sticking up for me—Bruce Harlow.

Back when Frank's company was on the brink, running on fumes, he was so swamped he would forget to eat.

I bumped into Bruce once when I was dropping off food for Frank.

With a grimace, Bruce mentioned how tough it had been for Frank lately. I gave him a card to pass on, a small favor for a friend in need.

A contestant from a design competition shoved a card at me, begging me not to compete. It felt like a slap in the face, a rejection of everything I stood for. However, for Frank, I swallowed my pride and accepted it.

I stepped out of the race, but Frank would not take the card from me. So, I turned to Bruce for help.

Bruce took his sweet time before finally taking the card as he promised, "Don't worry, I'll make sure he gets it. Man, Frank's lucky to have you."

Frank was all knotted up, a storm brewing in his eyes, as he knocked back his drink in one go.

Susanna caught a glimpse of me outside, her grin widening. She reached out and caressed Frank's cheek.

"Honey, are you flaunting your love for your little girlfriend in front of me? I'm getting a little jealous here."

"Jealous? How about a kiss to smooth things over?"

Frank forgot all about me and dove in to kiss Susanna, right there for all to see, like fireworks in the night.

I stood there, frozen, as the air I had been holding in my lungs finally escaped.

We used to be each other's rock, and we had become worlds apart.

The man who promised me forever was wrapped up in someone else's arms, and I was just a ghost in the scene.

The irony was not lost on me.

Susanna was putting on a show for my benefit, but I was not just going to stand there. I caught the whole act on my phone.

Just as I was about to slip away, Frank seemed to snap out of it, staggering to his feet, mumbling to himself.

"Time to head back. I need to pick up a cake for Teresa. You guys keep the party going."

I stopped for a split second and walked away without a backward glance.

I knew Frank was not heading home, and that cake for me was never going to happen.

My phone kept buzzing with Susanna's updates, flaunting her joy like it was meant to sharpen the sting of my own sorrow.

However, what was the point?

In just two days, I would be gone.

The day before my last, the alarm cut through the silence.

Slipping on a mask, I entered the hotel unnoticed.

There they were, Susanna and Frank, in the midst of their rehearsal. She wore a gown that kissed the floor, and he was in a suit sharp enough to cut glass.

I watched them move across the stage, guided by the emcee's cues, each step measured and deliberate.

Their eyes locked, they shared stories that moved them, moments that had bonded them.

Tears fell, and they kissed, a spontaneous burst of emotion.

I could not hold back. Off came my glasses for a moment's respite.

A staff member, eager for a listening ear, leaned in close to me.

"Hits you right in the feels, doesn't it? Who knew the high and mighty could fall so hard? They're the real deal. You can't fake that kind of look."

I put on a smile and replied, "Yeah, they're the real deal, alright."

Frank turned around as if he felt my gaze, and our eyes nearly met.

With my glasses back on and head down, I dodged the moment.