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Chapter 3

Alyssa’s POV

My fingers trembled as I held onto the edge of the wall, trying to keep myself standing.

The tears that filled my eyes made everything in front of me blurry, but I forced myself to keep looking because some part of me still believed I had misunderstood what I was seeing.

I had stepped back into the shadows of the restaurant lobby without anyone noticing me. I’d moved farther away, hiding behind a large decorative wall near the entrance, in a desperate need for a moment to understand what was happening.

My hand covered my mouth.

I was afraid that if I removed it, a sound would escape. That I would cry. And if I did, everyone in that room would get to know that I was there. That I had walked in carrying gifts for a man who was celebrating with another woman.

I pressed my lips together tightly as tears slipped down my cheeks.

My mind struggled to accept what my eyes were showing me.

Nathaniel stood at the front of the room, surrounded by people who had been part of our lives for years. And there I was, standing hidden in the corner, as though I never belonged.

My eyes stayed fixed on him. Nathaniel looked different. He looked happy, relaxed, and his smile was genuine, and that was what hurt the most. Because he wasn’t smiling because of me.

His hand held a glass of champagne as he stood beside Priya, my best friend. The woman who had listened to every conversation I had about my marriage, who knew every struggle I had faced, and how much he meant to me.

Priya looked beautiful. She wore an elegant dress that perfectly suited the occasion. Priya did not look uncomfortable nor did she look guilty. She looked like she belonged there.

My breathing became uneven. I looked around the room again, hoping to find something that explained this. Maybe I had walked into the wrong event, or this was some misunderstanding, or perhaps my husband was planning something else entirely.

My heart tightened as Nathaniel stepped closer to the guests. The moment he did, the room got quiet, and everyone turned their attention towards him. I held my breath as I watched him smile.

"Thank you all for being here tonight," he said. His voice reached me clearly. It was the very same voice that had comforted me, and told me he loved me.

"Today is a special day," he continued. "Not because of the past, but because it represents the future I actually want."

My chest stopped. For a moment, I wondered if I had heard him incorrectly. The future he actually wanted?

I tightened my fingers against the wall as I stared at him. What did that mean?

I searched my mind desperately for another explanation. There had to be one.

Then Corinne stepped forward.

Nathaniel’s mother. The woman who had always treated me politely in public but had never truly accepted me privately. I remembered every family dinner where she made bad comments about my choices. And during conversations where she reminded me that the Edelman name carried expectations.

I had believed that if I was patient enough, things would eventually change. And that, she would someday get to see that I loved Nathaniel.

But now she stood there smiling.

I watched as she placed her hand gently on Priya’s arm. "I cannot tell you how happy I am today," Corinne announced. "After everything, our family will finally have the future it deserves."

My stomach tightened at the thought of that, and my breathing grew shallow as she turned to look at Priya. "The woman who will finally give the Edelman family a real heir."

At that very moment, the world around me seemed to stop as my eyes moved toward Priya.

A real heir. The words kept on repeating in my mind.

No. No, that could not mean what I thought it meant. I lowered my gaze slowly, to Priya's stomach. That was when I took it in. To the way Nathaniel stayed close to her, and down to how everyone looked at her.

My hand dropped from my mouth in shock. "She is pregnant," I whispered, the words barely leaving my lips.

I felt the strength leave my legs and stepped backward, but my body could no longer support me. Slowly, I lowered myself to the floor behind the wall, still hidden from everyone inside the room, and covered my face as the tears finally fell freely.

My best friend was carrying my husband's baby.

My breathing became difficult as numerous questions filled my mind. How long had this been happening? When did it start?

Shakingly, I grabbed my arms tightly, trying to stop myself from falling apart.

I wanted to scream. I wanted to walk into that room and demand for answers. I craved for Nathaniel to look at me and explain why he had done this to me. Why had he allowed me to spend all these years believing that we were building a life together?

But I could not move. I could not make a sound. My body felt weak, and my mind felt lost. Every memory I had cherished started appearing in my thoughts.

The years I spent beside him. The opportunities I turned down because I wanted to support his dreams.

Dinners where I carefully chose my words because I wanted his parents to accept me.

The nights I stayed awake helping him prepare presentations. And in the mornings, I encouraged him when he doubted himself. The moments where I celebrated his achievements as if they were my own.

I had never asked for anything. I didn’t demand for recognition. All I wanted was to be loved. I only wanted the person I loved to choose me.

A strange feeling moved through me, and slowly, I lifted my head.

My vision was blurred from tears but I didn’t mind as I turned toward the direction where I felt the attention.

And then I saw her.

Priya. She was no longer looking at Nathaniel. She was looking directly at me.

Her eyes met mine through the distance between us. For a few seconds, neither of us moved. I waited to see her surprise, fear or guilt. For anything that would prove she had not known I was there.

But instead, Priya’s lips slowly curved upward. And then, she smiled.