Before I could even react, he tossed it straight into the trash. The sound echoed louder than it should have.
The whole hall went quiet for a second, then suddenly everyone started agreeing.
“Mr. Hayes is right, handmade things actually mean something.”
“Yeah, expensive stuff is nothing if there’s no heart behind it.”
“This is way more special, you can tell she put effort into it.”
I just stood there.
It felt like all the blood in my body turned cold. I spent three months on that gift. Flying around, checking stores, comparing designs, choosing something I thought… he’d actually like.
And now?
Thrown away like it was nothing.
Just to make her look good.
But wasn’t this always how it went?
He could drop everything for her, cancel meetings like they didn’t matter. But my birthday? He couldn’t even remember the date. She got sick and he stayed up all night taking care of her. I had a fever once, burning for hours… and he didn’t even call. She said one word and he’d fly across the world. I asked him to have dinner once… and he said he was busy.
Every time… he chose her.
Every single time.
Just like tonight.
I pressed a hand lightly to my chest. It used to hurt so much here. So much I thought I couldn’t breathe.
But now…
It was quiet.
Empty.
So this was what it felt like when you finally stopped loving someone?
All that pain, all that waiting… it just disappeared like it never mattered.
Then everyone gathered around Amber. The same people who mocked her earlier were now smiling, praising her, trying to get close.
I stood in the corner and smiled a little.
That’s how it works here.
One look from him… and everyone follows.
It didn’t matter.
After the divorce, he’d probably bring her into the family properly anyway. This was just the beginning.
The banquet ended slowly. Guests left one by one. I stood at the door, smiling, saying goodbye like I always did.
Perfect.
Polite.
Like I was still Mrs. Hayes. Only when the last guest left did I finally breathe out a little.
When I turned around, they were still there.
Hudson and Amber.
It was raining hard outside. Cold wind rushed in, damp and sharp. Amber shivered suddenly and sneezed.
Hudson frowned right away. “You’re cold?”
“I’m fine… just a little,” she said softly, but her voice sounded weak.
“Fine my ass,” he muttered, already taking off his suit jacket and placing it over her shoulders. “You’re shaking. Don’t act tough.”