Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Mona stood in the corner of the grand ballroom, her presence barely acknowledged by the people around her. It was Emily Caldwell’s birthday party, a celebration that should have felt full of warmth, but instead felt like a performance one in which Mona was the unwanted actress. Samuel’s family, his friends, all of them pretended she wasn’t there, or worse, treated her like an inconvenience.

The soft murmur of conversation filled the room, interrupted by the occasional laugh or clink of glasses. The night should have been filled with laughter, but every laugh, every comment that wasn’t directed at her, felt like a painful reminder of her place. The Caldwells didn’t even try to hide their disdain anymore. Mona wasn’t just the “lesser” daughter-in-law, she was the joke. A burden to their perfect, polished family.

She shifted uncomfortably, adjusting the glass of champagne in her hand. The cold liquid felt insignificant, yet she needed something to hold onto something to ground her as she stood there, trying to fade into the background. It was the only thing she could do now. Fade. Quietly, patiently, waiting for the evening to end.

“Can you believe she’s still here?”

The words reached her ears, the venom in them unmistakable. It was Laura, one of Samuel’s cousins, her voice thick with the kind of bitterness that always seemed to accompany Mona in these rooms.

“She should just leave. Everyone knows what’s going on with Samuel,” another voice added, one Mona didn’t recognize. She didn’t need to hear more. She already knew the subject Samuel’s affair with Lora, the beautiful, confident, everything Mona wasn’t mistress. They thought she didn’t know, but she’d known for months, maybe longer.

And yet, Samuel no longer cared to even hide it. The pain of that realization stabbed deep, sharper than she cared to admit. The whispers, the sideways glances, the way his family acted like they had all the answers it was all too much. But the worst part wasn’t just their cruelty. It was Samuel’s silence. His indifference.

Her heart twisted painfully in her chest. Mona took a slow, steadying breath, trying to push the ache away, but it refused to leave. It never did.

“Do you think she knows?” Laura’s voice drifted through the room, barely above a whisper. “I mean, with how obvious they’re being, she must.”

“I’m sure she does,” another voice responded, dripping with spite. “I don’t know how she stands it. He’s probably just waiting for the right moment to get rid of her. Honestly, I’m surprised she hasn’t left already. But I guess she has nowhere else to go, does she?”

Their words struck her like a slap, but Mona didn’t flinch. She couldn’t. There was nothing left inside her to flinch with. It didn’t matter anymore. Their opinions didn’t matter. Samuel didn’t matter.

The truth was, she had nowhere else to go. Nowhere but this house. No family. No friends. Just this empty, suffocating world that Samuel and his family had constructed around her.

Her fingers tightened around her champagne glass, the cold sensation doing little to ease the ache buried deep inside. She had endured years of humiliation from Samuel’s family. They had never given her the chance to prove herself always judging, always mocking. And Samuel, her husband, had stood by, silent. Silent and distant. Never once defending her.

Mona glanced over at him. He was talking to a group of people, laughing with them, completely at ease. A cold wave of nausea washed over her. He didn’t even look at her. She was nothing more than an object in the room seen, but never truly acknowledged.

She turned her gaze back to the floor, trying to block out the bitter sting of reality. But then, something made her look up.

The doors to the ballroom opened, and the atmosphere shifted. There they were, walking into the room like a power couple. Samuel. And Lora.

Mona’s heart seemed to stop for a moment as she watched them. Lora was everything Mona wasn’t beautiful, elegant, confident. She had that perfect smile, the kind that made everyone around her feel like they were the center of her world. It was the smile Samuel had once given Mona in the beginning the smile that made her believe she mattered.

But that was before everything changed.

Mona watched as Samuel smiled down at Lora, his hand resting on the small of her back. Lora laughed at something he had said, her head tilted back, her hair shining under the dim lights. They looked perfect together like the couple everyone had always hoped he would be with.

And Mona was… just the shadow in the corner, still clinging to the remnants of a love that had long since faded.

The room seemed to fall silent for a moment as they moved deeper into the crowd. Mona felt a lump form in her throat, but she swallowed it down. No. She wouldn’t let them see her falter. Not now. Not ever again.

Lora’s eyes scanned the room until they landed on Mona. Her smile widened, and she tugged Samuel’s arm, pulling him toward Mona. Lora was enjoying this enjoying watching Mona squirm, watching her suffer.

As they drew closer, Lora’s voice reached Mona before they even spoke.

“Mona,” she said, her tone dripping with false sweetness, eyes glinting with a mocking light. “I didn’t think you’d still be here. Shouldn’t you be somewhere crying by now?”

Mona forced herself to meet Lora’s gaze, refusing to let the hurt show. Samuel stood beside her, his face unreadable, but his eyes flicked briefly in Mona’s direction. For a split second, she thought she saw a flicker of guilt. But it vanished almost immediately, replaced by indifference.

Mona opened her mouth to speak, but Lora beat her to it. “You know, it’s really pathetic. To stay married to someone who doesn’t even care enough to hide his affair.”

The words sliced through Mona, sharp and cruel, but she didn’t let them see her pain. She stood tall, even though it felt like she was crumbling inside.

“What do you want, Lora?” Mona managed to ask, her voice steady despite the tremor in her chest. “You’ve already taken everything from me. Is this your idea of fun?”

Samuel said nothing. He simply stood there, hands in his pockets, watching us like an observer at a performance.

Lora laughed, a high, condescending sound. “Oh, Mona, sweetie. You’re still so naive. This isn’t about taking anything from you. It’s about you finally realizing that you were never enough for Samuel. And you never will be.”

She leaned in slightly, her lips curling into a smirk. “You can keep pretending, though. It’s cute, really.”

Mona stood there, heart pounding, the sting of Lora’s words cutting through her like acid in her veins.

Mona didn’t think the night could get worse, but it did.

Lora and Samuel stood together at the center of the room, glowing as if they were the stars of the night. Their smiles and laughter rang out, drawing people in like moths to a flame. The crowd around them cheered and clinked their glasses, fawning over them with admiration.

Mona stood at the edge of the room, invisible. She held a glass of champagne, her grip tight around the stem. The sounds of the party faded into a dull hum as she watched everything she once dreamed of slip away.

Her heart ached, not from jealousy but from anger. Anger at Samuel, who didn’t even glance in her direction. Anger at Lora, who had effortlessly claimed the place Mona had worked so hard to earn. Anger at herself, for still caring what any of them thought.

“Well, well, well,” a sharp voice pierced the air. It was Emily Caldwell, Samuel’s Mother and the self-appointed matriarch of the family. She walked toward Lora and Samuel with a syrupy smile, her eyes lighting up with approval as she looked at them.

“I must say,” Emily began, her voice loud enough to carry across the room, “you two make such a perfect match. Truly, you’re everything this family needs.”

Lora smiled, tilting her head as if the words were a crown placed on her head. “Thank you, Emily. That means so much.” She turned to Samuel, resting her hand on his arm. The gesture was small but deliberate, a quiet claim of ownership.

Mona’s stomach twisted. She wanted to look away, but she couldn’t. She felt trapped, forced to watch as Lora played her role perfectly.

"And Lora,” Emily continued, her voice dripping with admiration, “you’re everything we’ve hoped for. So poised, so elegant. You’ve brought out the best in Samuel. He’s never looked happier.”

The words cut deep, sharper than any knife. Mona’s chest tightened as she glanced at Samuel, silently begging him to notice her. To defend her. To show that he cared. But he didn’t. He stood there, smiling at Lora as if Mona didn’t exist.

The silence between them was deafening.

Emily’s eyes flicked to Mona, her smile turning cruel. “It’s about time Samuel made the right choice,” she said, her tone light but cutting. “Mona, dear, you’ve always been so… ordinary. So quiet. It must be exhausting, trying to keep up with everyone else.”

Mona’s cheeks burned, but she forced herself to stand tall. She had heard these insults before. They were nothing new.

“Oh, Emily,” Lora said with a soft laugh, turning her attention to Mona. “Don’t be too hard on her. She’s probably used to being in the background by now. It must be hard, being married to someone who doesn’t even notice you.”

The crowd chuckled, their laughter low and mocking. Mona felt the weight of their stares, their judgment pressing down on her.

Lora took a step closer, her eyes gleaming with amusement. “You know,” she said, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial tone, “I almost feel sorry for you, Mona. Almost.”

Emily joined in, her smile widening. “It’s a shame, really. You had so much potential, but you’ve always been such a disappointment. Always falling short.”

Mona’s grip on her champagne glass tightened. She wanted to say something, anything, to defend herself. But the words wouldn’t come.

“Don’t worry, Mona,” Lora said, her voice sweet but laced with malice. “We’ll take good care of Samuel. You don’t have to worry about him anymore.”

The room erupted in laughter, the sound echoing in Mona’s ears. Her vision blurred as tears threatened to spill, but she blinked them back. She wouldn’t let them see her break.

Emily leaned closer, her voice low but cutting. “You’ve always been nothing more than a shadow, Mona. A nobody trying to fit into a world that’s too big for you.”

Mona’s chest heaved as she fought to keep her composure. The room felt smaller, the walls closing in around her. She couldn’t breathe.