001: The Humiliation

 

A lot people filled the grand hall of the Meridian Hotel. There were cameras near the stage, men in suits holding glasses of champagne, women in expensive dresses laughing at things that were not funny. Everything looked perfect in her eyes.

Evelyn stood near the back and smiled, rubbing her stomach, though the bump was not visible yet.

Today was a special day, for her husband; Aidan, the man she spent her whole life loving. She had done her hair up the way he liked, with a few strands loose at the sides. and even worn the small diamond earrings he had given her on their first anniversary, back when they had nothing but each other.

Tonight was his night, His IPO announcement. The moment everything they had worked for would finally mean something.

Her eyes finally landed on him and she smiled.

She was still smiling until she saw her. The woman was standing near the stage, close to where Aidan was. She was tall, with long black hair and a silver dress. Her name was Jane Winters.

Evelyn had seen her many times. Her father was one of the kind, generous people that helped Aidan's start up.

It still didn't make sense why she was up there.

People talked about them at Aidan's office. She had asked Aidan about her once, months ago.

He had said, "She's just someone from work, Honey. Plus her father is supporting the company, remember?"

Now Jane was standing there, laughing at something his business partner and assistant, Marcus and touching Aidan's arm like she had every right to.

That was supposed to be her spot. Evelyn thought.

She started walking toward them. She actually needed to talk to her husband before things started. She needed him to see her.

As she proceeded, Marcus immediately walked up to her and stopped her.

"Evelyn," he said. His voice was too smooth.

"Marcus, not now." She rolled her eyes and tried to step around him. "I need to talk to Aidan."

"I dont think he wants to talk to you either. He already found what he needed to know, Evelyn." he said as if her name was derogatory.

She stopped, confused. "What do you mean?"

Marcus reached into his jacket and held out a phone. On the screen was a photograph. The first photo he showed , it was Evelyn at a restaurant with Damien Holt; a man connected to her father and Aidan's business rival. In the next photo, they were entering a hotel room together, Damien's hand at her back. They were leaning close and she was laughing.

If she wasnt the one in the picture, she'd think it was real. But everything in the photo was not true.

Yes, she had met Damien Holt, but they never went to a hotel room, just the restaurant. It was fake.

"Where did you get this? This is not true, i-its fake and you know it." She tried to grab it, but Marcus pulled back. "Where did you get this, Marcus?" she said. Her voice was low.

"The question," Marcus said, "is why you were there at all."

Evelyn scoffed. "Marcus, he reached out about my father's case. He said he had evidence to prove that my dad is innocent. You know my dad was accused wrongly. I was just trying to- We never went to the hotel."

"You should have thought about that before you sat down with the man who's been trying to sabotage Aidan's deal."

He came closer to her "Aidan's seen these, he's seen all of them."

The room suddenly felt very hot for her.

She immediately moved passed Marcus and when Evelyn walked up to Aidan, he turned around. And she knew immediately from his eyes — that flat, cold look she had never seen directed at her before — that whatever was going to happen was already decided.

"Aidan." She touched his arm, gently. "Baby, we need to talk, somewhere private too."

He stepped back, away from her touch. "There's nothing to talk about in private that can't be said here."

One of the investors shifted uncomfortably.

"Aidan, please," she whispered. "Whatever Marcus showed you, it isn't what it looks like. It's not true. I can explain everything if you just give me five minutes..."

"Five minutes?" He smiled, but it wasn't warm. "You want five minutes to explain why you've been meeting with Damien Holt behind my back? While I've been building something that affects both of us?"

"It was about my father's case. That's all it was.You know that."

"And the hotel? Was that about your father's case too?"

People around gasped and it made Evelyn immediately feel sick.

"That photo is staged." Her voice cracked now. "Baby, someone set this up. Please just listen to me —"

Jane laughed.

It was a small sound, but it was mocking. Jane looked at her with a smile and said, "Oh, Evelyn, you really thought you could cheat on Aidan and get away with it?"

"Jane please-"

Jane immediately spilled her glass of wine on Evelyn. This drew everyone's attention.

Evelyn was in shock.

"Oops", Jane smirked.

Evelyn looked at her, fighting back tears now. Then she looked at Aidan.

He said nothing. He just looked at her with that cold face. He reached for Marcus and Marcus handed him a file and Aidan held it out to Evelyn. This made everybody's attention divert to them.

"These are divorce papers, Sign them," he said. "My lawyer will contact yours."

Evelyn was taken aback. She did not take the envelope. "Aidan-"

"I refuse to continue any relationship with an unfaithful woman." He raised his voice then he threw the file at her.

Right there, in front of everyone, he threw the divorce papers at her fce. They landed on the floor of the ballroom with a soft sound that nobody missed.

Jane took a slow sip of her drink and said, loud enough for the farthest tables to hear, "I always knew she was trash. I don't know why it took you this long to realize. Let it be known that Evelyn tried to leech off on two men. She IS A CHEAT!!"

Evelyn couldn't hold the tears back in now. "Aidan, those photos are fake," her voice trembled. "Are you really," she sniffed, "going to believe them over me?"

"Yes, Evelyn. I no longer want anything to do with you. Sign these papers and leave!"

At this moment, she confirmed it. Her heart broke. The love of her life had already made his decision, so quickly, you'd think they'd never shared anything together.

Evelyn looked down at the envelope on the floor.

She felt pairs of eyes staring at her, judging her. She felt the heat of the cameras. She felt her own heartbeat, loud in her ears.

She bent down and picked up the file.

She thought about telling him. The words were right there: Aidan, I'm pregnant. I found out last week. I've been trying to find the right moment and this is the worst possible one but you need to know.

She looked at his face, then at Jane standing beside him, smiling.

And she thought: no.

If she said it now, it would be used against her. People would say she was desperate, they would say she was making it up. He would say it wasnt his.

Her baby deserved better than to be announced into this moment.

So she held the file and lifted her chin. She walked out of the ballroom with slow, steady steps, past the tables and the cameras and the people staring.

She did not run.

She would not give them that.

Outside, in the cold air of the parking lot, she finally stopped walking. She stood between two parked cars where nobody could see her, and she pressed her hand over her stomach and breathed.

"It's okay," she whispered. She did not know if she was talking to herself or to the small life she was carrying.

"It's okay. We don't need him."

She stayed there, sobbing badly for a while, her hands on her stomach.

"Aidan Smith, I'm never going to forgive you!" she swore under her breath. "One day," she whispered.

"You'll regret choosing everyone else over us."