Chapter 1 #2
He was standing in a corner by one of the large, curtained alcoves, partially hidden behind a marble pillar near a set of glass doors that led to an outdoor terrace.
His tall, commanding frame was unmistakable even from across the room.
Relief washed over me for a brief second until I realized he wasn’t alone.
There was a woman next to him, her hand resting on his arm in a possessive way that made my blood run cold.
Her blonde hair shimmered under the soft lighting of the alcove, catching the light in a way that felt intentional, almost like a spotlight.
Jessica.
Chris’s business partner and one of Seattle’s most formidable board directors.
My mind reeled, my thoughts scattering like leaves in a storm.
Why was she here? And why was she touching him like that?
Her manicured hand lingered on Chris’s arm as they seemed to speak with an intimacy that felt wrong, too familiar for just business partners.
Her lips moved with a coy smile, her gaze never leaving Chris’s face as she tilted her head to one side, laughing at something he had said.
My fingers tightened on the award, my knuckles whitening as I fought to stay calm, to keep my expression neutral even though my chest was tightening with an emotion I didn’t want to name.
Jessica’s red lipstick glistened as she whispered something into Chris’s ear, and his posture shifted, his head leaning toward hers, as if they were in their own private world, completely unaware that all eyes in the room had been on me just moments ago.
The murmurs from the crowd were growing louder, and I could feel the weight of their curiosity pressing down on me, but all I could see was Jessica, her perfect, polished smile, the way she angled her body closer to Chris’s.
I felt nauseous, the champagne I had sipped earlier now turning sour in my stomach.
How long had they been standing there? How long had they been having this secret conversation while I stood up here, accepting an award for a charity that was his legacy, not mine?
My heart pounded in my ears as the spotlight shifted away from me, the emcee stepping forward to take the microphone and thank the audience.
The applause was polite, but I barely heard it, my mind consumed by the scene unfolding before me.
The woman who had once been a close confidante, someone I trusted as much as I trusted Chris himself, was now standing far too close to my husband, her fingers still resting possessively on his arm.
I took a deep breath, forcing myself to move, to leave the stage.
Each step was deliberate as I made my way down the stairs, my eyes fixed on the two figures in the corner.
I wanted to confront them, to demand to know what was going on, but my feet felt rooted to the floor, the fear and uncertainty paralyzing me.
What was happening between them? The questions circled my mind relentlessly as I tried to compose myself.
By the time I reached the bottom of the stairs, the spotlight was gone, and the room’s attention had shifted, the guests already turning to their conversations and drinks.
But I was still trapped, standing in the shadows, watching the only man who ever truly mattered to me, the one who was now sharing a private, intimate conversation with someone else, leaving me isolated in a world that suddenly felt colder and more unfamiliar than ever before.
I gripped the award in my hands tightly as I felt the hot tears threaten to fall.
This night, which I had dreaded from the start, was spiraling into something far worse than I could have imagined, and all I could do was stand there, powerless, as the woman who held his arm began to lean into him even more.
I wanted to run, to escape the suffocating atmosphere of this room, but my feet refused to move.
I stood rooted to the spot, my chest tight as I watched them from across the ballroom.
The laughter in Jessica’s eyes, the way she leaned in just a little too close, the possessiveness of her touch all felt like a punch to the gut.
My hands trembled, and I could feel the heat rising in my cheeks as my emotions teetered dangerously on the edge of control.
I didn’t want to make a scene, but the longer I stood there, the harder it became to contain the storm swirling inside me.
Before I could take another step toward them, Chris’s head suddenly turned in my direction, as if sensing my presence even from across the room.
His expression shifted, a flicker of guilt crossing his face before he quickly composed himself.
He gently detached Jessica’s hand from his arm and gave her a small, unreadable nod before turning away from her completely.
My heart skipped, uncertainty swirling in my chest as I tried to decipher the silent exchange between them.
Jessica stayed where she was for a moment, watching him with a satisfied, almost triumphant smile as he walked toward me. Her gaze briefly flicked to me, the smugness in her eyes undeniable as she took a slow sip from her champagne flute before turning on her heel and disappearing into the crowd.
I swallowed hard, forcing myself to look at Chris as he approached.
His familiar presence was both a comfort and a source of unease, my heart caught in a confusing web of emotions.
I wanted to ask what had just happened, to demand answers, but when he stood before me, all the words died in my throat.
He reached out and took my hand, the warmth of his touch pushing back against the cold dread that had settled inside me.
“Beth,” he said softly, his voice tinged with something I couldn’t quite place. Was it guilt? Regret? Or something else? “Great job up there.” Or was he just going to ignore what had happened? “It was a great speech.”
I wanted to scream, but I knew better. Such a scene would only worsen the humiliation of it all.
Chris wasn’t going to address the obvious elephant in the room, and it made my stomach churn.
The fact that he had been standing in the dark corner of the ballroom with Jessica while I was on stage was like a raw wound I couldn’t ignore, but I knew I couldn’t push him on it here, not now, not with so many people watching.
Forcing a tight smile, I nodded, though my throat felt dry and the words felt stuck somewhere deep inside me.
“Thank you,” I said. My eyes searched his face for any sign of understanding, any hint of the man I thought I knew, but he simply gave my hand a small squeeze and turned us toward the exit.
My mind was racing, but the silence between us was deafening.
I couldn’t wait to get answers, but wait I would.