CHAPTER 002
OLIVIA’S POV
My body felt heavy as I woke up the next day, the events of last night came flooding back. Adrian’s cruel words echoed in my head like a noise I just couldn’t get rid of. Even after I confronted him about who Dora was he just snatched his phone and left the room without giving me any explanation, leaving me with a broken heart.
But I couldn’t conclude yet, Adrian might not really be cheating on me, the text message wasn’t enough evidence.
But one thing was certain, I was determined to find out who Dora was.
I sat up slowly, the ache in my chest sharper than ever. I reached for my phone and checked the time. It was 9:30 am.
My heart sank.
I was never one to wake up late, but I guess the emotional hurt I experienced the previous night had clearly drained me.
I gripped the edge of the bed to steady myself. “You’re his wife,” I reminded myself.” You made vows. You can’t give up yet.”
+ decided to make breakfast for Adrian. I deceived my brain into thinking that if I kept on trying Adrian would one day notice my efforts.
When I stepped into the kitchen, Martha, our housekeeper, was already there, humming softly as she whisked eggs in a bowl.
She looked up when she heard me enter. “Good morning, Mrs. Westwood,” she greeted politely, though concern flickered in her eyes. “You’re up late today. Should I prepare breakfast for you and Mr. Westwood?”
I shook my head. “No, Martha. I’ll handle it.”
Her brows furrowed. “Are you sure? I…”
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“I just… I want to do this myself today.” I said softly, cutting her short with a faint smile.
She hesitated but eventually nodded. “All right, ma’am. I’ll be in the garden if you need me.”
I turned to the stove, cooked an omelet, toasted bread, and poured coffee. Maybe Adrian would appreciate the effort, maybe he would see I was trying.
When Adrian appeared, he was already dressed up for work, he didn’t even glance at me. He sat at the table, scrolling–through his phone as if I weren’t there.
I
small smile spread across my face. “I made breakfast.”
approached cautiously, setting the plate in front of him. “Good mo said, a
He didn’t look up, but his hand reached for the fork. I stood there, watching anxiously
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as he took a bite.
The moment the food touched his tongue, his expression twisted in disgust. He spat it out into a napkin, glaring at me.
“What is this?” he yelled, pushing the plate away.
“It’s…” My voice trembled. “I thought I’d make you breakfast.”
He stood, grabbing a glass of water and rinsing his mouth. “Don’t bother next time,” he said coldly. “If I wanted to die of food poisoning, I’d let you know.”
I bit my lower lips so hard in a bid to suppress the pain his words caused me.
After speaking, he grabbed his briefcase and strode toward the door without another
word.
And I broke down in tears. My tears were the only thing that has been consistent in my
marriage.
I heard a footstep approaching and I knew it was Martha. I quickly used the back of my hands to wipe off my tears.
I knew Martha was aware of the situation in my marriage but I still couldn’t let her see me cry. I didn’t want to receive pity from her, because that would hurt even more.
Martha wore a sympathetic look as she approached. “Mr. Westwood told me to inform you that you should be ready by 7 pm. He’ll pick you up for the gala.”
I nodded, numb. The gala. Of course. That must have been why he came home last night so that we could deceive the world into believing that we were a perfect couple.
It wasn’t about me. It was never about me.
The thought crushed me, but I forced myself to remain calm.
By 6:45 pm, I was ready. Staring at myself in the mirror I noticed a slight change in my body but I shrugged it off.
I wore a white gown that hugged my figure. It was Adrian’s favorite color then when – we were dating, though I doubted he’d notice it this evening.
When he arrived, he barely glanced at me. “Let’s go,” he said plainly, heading toward the car.
My heart dropped to my stomach, stupid of me to be expecting a compliment.
The ride to the gala was silent, the tension in the air was so thick that I felt suffocated. I was uncomfortable and feeling a bit nauseous.
I needed fresh air so I wound down the car window and stared out, clutching my bag tightly as I tried to calm the storm inside me.
When we arrived, cameras flashed, capturing the image of us as the world’s perfect couple.
Adrian stepped out first, extending a hand to help me, acting like a perfect husband
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for the camera.
What a hypocrite he is!
Everyone never missed a chance to remind me of how lucky I was to marry Adrian.
Lol, only if they knew what I faced in my marriage every day. This is one of the reasons you shouldn’t always envy couples who seem sweet on the internet.
Inside, the ballroom glittered with chandeliers and laughter, but I felt invisible. Adrian was the center of attention, charming the guests with his charisma while I trailed behind him like a shadow.
No one acknowledged me. No one asked how I was doing.
It was as if I didn’t exist.
I was about to excuse myself to the ladies‘ room when a voice cut through the hum of conversation.
“Adrian!”
I turned toward the source of the voice. She was stunning, her red gown hugged her curves in all the right places. Her radiant smile lit the room and I must admit she looked like she had just stepped out of a magazine.
I won’t lie, I felt slightly intimidated.
Adrian’s face lit up in a way I hadn’t seen in three years. “Dora,” he said, his tone warm, almost affectionate.
My breath ceased.
Dora? Could it be the Dora from the text message last night? The one he went on a vacation with?
My heart raced in my chest, I stared at them, my stomach churning.
Adrian didn’t even bother introducing me.
“Adrian,” I said softly, hoping to remind him of my existence.
But he ignored me completely and pretended as if he didn’t hear me call out his name.
He leaned closer to Dora and whispered something in her ears, and she laughed, the sound caused a sharp pain in my chest.
She rested her hand on Adrian’s arm in a way that made my blood boil.
“You haven’t changed at all,” she teased. “Still so charming.”
“And you’re as beautiful as ever,” Adrian replied, his smile genuine – a smile I hadn’t seen or had even been directed at me in years.
It was as if a knife had been driven into my chest and was continuously being twisted as I watched them chat.
They chatted like lovers, her hand lingered on his arm, her gaze filled with something
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possessive.
I stood there, a ghost, as they flirted openly and I couldn’t do anything about it. And it hurts.
Dora glanced at me, her lips curling into a sly smirk. “Oh, Adrian, I didn’t realize you had company.”
Huh… She didn’t notice? Even a toddler would know I was his company.
I turned towards Adrian hoping to hear his response but his response was like a punch to my face.
“She’s just here for the gala, nothing more,” he said dismissively.
Just here for the gala?
Dora’s smirk deepened. “Oh… well, Adrian. Since you don’t have any company, why don‘
t we find somewhere quiet to continue our discussion? It’s so noisy here.”
Adrian didn’t hesitate. “That sounds like a good idea.”
I couldn’t believe my ears, was he going to leave me here alone?
No, he can’t! He knows I don’t know anyone here so he might ask me to join them.
Adrian turned to me briefly. “Book a ride home,” he said coldly.
1 felt my heart shatter into a million pieces right at that spot.
And with that, he walked away, Dora’s hand on his arm, leaving me standing there in
the middle of the crowded room where I knew no one.
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