"Oh, so that's who she is. Just an ex-girlfriend who couldn't make the cut."

"The way she was acting, I half expected her to claim she was the great Carter Delgado's wife."

"Please. Has she looked in a mirror? As if she could ever be good enough for him."

I lowered my gaze to the wedding ring on my left hand, tracing it with my thumb.

What a joke I am.

Mia must have noticed how pale I'd gone. She shot me a look dripping with triumph, then picked up her glass and sauntered over.

"Serena, I know what happened back then must still sting."

"But love is like that, isn't it? When it's real, not even the gods can stand in the way."

"Carter just admitted it himself. He dated you."

"But you two weren't right for each other. Otherwise, why would you have broken up? Don't you think?"

She clinked her glass lightly against mine, her smile radiant.

"Bottoms up for me. You drink as much or as little as you'd like."

Then she tipped her head back and drained every drop.

I sat there. Motionless.

The only time Carter came near me was when he made the rounds toasting everyone. When he reached my table, he paused.

He looked at me for a long, quiet moment. Then, under the pretense of clinking glasses, he leaned in close and dropped his voice.

"Serena, be smart about this."

"Don't make things awkward for Mia."

I stared back at him, my gaze ice-cold. But Carter had already looked away, drifting back to Mia's side.

The two of them talked and laughed together. I couldn't remember the last time I'd seen Carter's eyes crinkle like that, his smile so easy and unguarded.

It didn't take long.

Their classmates started egging them on to share a lovers' toast.

Everyone at the table who had no idea Carter and I were married was cheering them on like it was the event of the century.

"Come on, drink! This toast is long overdue for you two."

"You're both single anyway. What's the holdup?"

"And hey, if you get a little too drunk later, Carter can always take Mia home. You're all adults here. Even if you end up getting a hotel room, who's going to judge?"

Their comments grew cruder and cruder, each one more unbearable than the last.

I shut my eyes, unable to take it anymore.

Only Samuel, drunk and swaying, kept his gaze fixed on me.

"Serena, don't take it to heart. The two of them are just old classmates catching up."