Public Announcement

Chapter Three

I sat at the kitchen table, my hands gripping the edge as I watched Adrian prepare for work. His movements were brisk and deliberate, as though the cracks in our marriage didn’t exist, as if last night’s conversation had never happened.

I had called his sister after our talk yesterday , hoping she would talk to him and remind him of the family we used to dream of building together.

I could hardly look at him, but I knew I had to try. "Adrian," I started off lamely, my voice shaking despite my best effort to steady it. "Your sister called yesterday. She….she wants to see us. She said it's been too long since we visited.

Adrian paused, his hand mid-air as he adjusted his tie. His expression darkened immediately, his eyes narrowing as they flicked toward me. “What did you tell her?”

The accusatory tone in his voice was like a slap to the face. I blinked, trying to push down the surge of hurt that rose in my chest. “Nothing, Adrian. I didn’t tell her anything about… us. She just wanted to see her brother. Is that so wrong?”

He turned to face me fully, his jaw tightening. “Don’t involve my family in this, Lily. Whatever is going on between us stays between us. The last thing I need is you running to them with your emotions.”

My breath hitched, his words cutting deeper than I’d expected. “I wasn’t—Adrian, I wouldn’t do that. I just thought—”

“Enough,” he snapped, cutting me off. His tone softened a fraction after a moment, though it still held an edge. “Fine. We’ll stop by her place later. But I don’t have time to linger over family drama. If you’re coming, be ready when I leave.”

I nodded silently, swallowing down the lump in my throat. This was the man I married? The man who used to hold me when I cried and assure me that we were a team? Now he couldn’t even spare me a kind word.

****

Adrian didn’t say much during the drive. The silence between us was thick, suffocating. I clutched my hands in my lap, staring out the window and trying to keep my thoughts from spiraling. When we finally pulled up to a grand venue, not his sister’s house, confusion tugged at my brow.

“Adrian… this isn’t your sister’s place,” I said, glancing at him as he unbuckled his seatbelt.

“We’ll stop by later,” he replied curtly, stepping out of the car without waiting for me to respond.

I scrambled to follow, my heels clicking against the pavement as I hurried after him. The building was buzzing with people, all dressed impeccably. It didn’t take long for me to realize we were at some kind of event. A gala, perhaps. But why hadn’t he told me?

As we entered the venue, Adrian barely acknowledged my presence. He exchanged pleasantries with other attendees, his charm on full display, but his eyes never once met mine. I trailed behind him, feeling like an afterthought.

And then I saw her.

Sophia.

She was standing near the center of the room, her elegant figure commanding attention as if she belonged there. She was beautiful in a way that made my stomach twist—poised, confident, and radiant. Her eyes lit up the moment they met Adrian’s, and without hesitation, he crossed the room to greet her.

I froze in place, my heart pounding in my chest as I watched him smile at her—a smile I hadn’t seen in months. The way they spoke, the easy familiarity between them, was like a dagger to my heart.

I forced myself to move, taking a seat at a nearby table and trying to ignore the whispers around me. My hands trembled as I gripped the edge of the chair, my mind racing. What was she doing here? And why was Adrian acting this way?

The murmur of the crowd faded to a dull hum as I sat there, fighting back the wave of nausea threatening to overwhelm me. Every glance, every smile exchanged between Adrian and Sophia tore at me, unraveling the fragile threads holding me together.

I couldn’t look away. The way he stood close to her, the way her hand brushed his arm, the way his expression softened—it was everything he’d stopped giving me.

Minutes passed like hours until the sound of a microphone being tapped silenced the room. Adrian stepped onto a small stage, holding a glass of champagne. Sophia stood by his side, her presence commanding the attention of everyone in the room.

“Thank you all for coming tonight,” Adrian began, his deep, confident voice carrying over the crowd. “It’s a privilege to share this evening with so many of you. Tonight is about celebrating the future—a future that means everything to me.”

My stomach dropped.

He turned to Sophia, his smile one I hadn’t seen in years. “Many of you already know Sophia. She’s been my partner in every sense of the word—someone who’s supported me, challenged me, and stood by me when it mattered most. Tonight, I’m honored to make our partnership official.”

No.

“I’m thrilled to announce that Sophia has agreed to be my fiancée.”

The room erupted in applause, cheers echoing around me like cruel laughter. Sophia beamed, the perfect picture of grace and happiness, while Adrian took her hand and kissed it in front of everyone.

I couldn’t breathe. My vision blurred as tears welled in my eyes. This wasn’t real—it couldn’t be. My husband, the man I had sacrificed everything for, was standing on that stage proclaiming his love for another woman.

The whispers around me grew louder.

“She’s stunning. What a perfect match.”

“They’ve been together for years, haven’t they? It’s about time.”

“He’s so lucky to have her.”

Lucky.

The word rang in my ears, twisting the knife already lodged in my heart. I pushed back my chair, the screech cutting through the applause. Heads turned toward me, but I didn’t care. I couldn’t stay there, couldn’t endure another second of this humiliation.

Tears spilled down my cheeks as I stumbled out of the room, the cold night air hitting me like a slap. I leaned against a nearby wall, gasping for breath, my body trembling uncontrollably.

How could he do this to me? How could he stand in front of all those people, with no regard for me, and announce his love for someone else?

My mind raced, images flashing through my head. The sacrifices, the nights I stayed up waiting for him, the endless love and support I gave him—it all meant nothing.

Adrian had chosen her. Publicly.

The sobs I had been holding back burst free, wracking my chest as I slid to the ground. I was broken, shattered into pieces too small to ever be put back together. And the man I thought I knew, the man I thought I loved, had been the one to destroy me.