Chapter 1: Betrayal Unveiled

Sophie's Point of View

The sound of laughter and clinking glasses echoed faintly through the closed doors of the master bedroom. It was Ethan’s 35th birthday, and I’d poured every ounce of my energy into making it perfect. A garden night party illuminated with warm golden lights, a live string quartet, and the finest catering money could buy, all meticulously planned for the man I had loved unconditionally for the past four years. Tonight was supposed to be a celebration, a moment where we could finally reconnect amid our drifting lives.

“Ethan, hold still,” I murmured as I fastened the buttons on his crisp white shirt. My hands trembled slightly, though I tried to steady them.

He sighed, exasperated, pulling back. “Jesus, Sophie, how hard can it be to button a shirt? I can do it myself.”

I flinched at his tone, but forced a smile, swallowing the lump forming in my throat. “Sorry, I was just trying to help,” I said softly.

He didn’t respond, only glanced at his reflection in the mirror, adjusting his cufflinks. “You clipped these wrong,” he snapped, ripping them off and tossing them onto the dresser.

“I didn’t mean to... ”

“Stop apologizing,” he cut me off, his sharp words like a slap. “Just stay out of the way tonight, okay? Let me handle the important stuff.”

Stay out of the way? I blinked, stunned by his coldness. Wasn’t I the one who had spent weeks planning this entire event? Wasn’t I the one who had been there for him, every damn day, through his successes and failures? But as always, my voice faltered in the face of confrontation.

Ethan adjusted his blazer, shooting me a glance as if daring me to say anything. “I need to go mingle with the guests. Make sure you don’t embarrass me tonight.” With that, he walked out, leaving me standing there, the door closing with a thud that seemed to echo in my chest.

I took a shaky breath, blinking back tears. “Don’t let him ruin this for you,” I whispered to myself. “It’s his birthday. Just… focus on that.”

But deep down, I knew this wasn’t about a birthday. It was about the widening chasm between us, one I couldn’t seem to bridge no matter how hard I tried.

The garden sparkled under the canopy of lights as I made my way through the crowd. Guests were dressed to the nines, champagne glasses in hand, laughter spilling freely. Ethan thrived in this environment, charming everyone with his smooth words and perfect smile. He was magnetic, everyone adored him.

I spotted him at the center of a group, his arm draped casually around someone’s shoulders. My stomach twisted when I realized it was Veronica, my best friend. Her laughter rang out, high and flirtatious, as she leaned into him. Something about the way her fingers trailed along his sleeve sent a chill down my spine.

“Hey, Sophie!” A colleague from Ethan’s company greeted me, pulling my attention away. “This is such a wonderful party. You’ve really outdone yourself.”

“Thank you,” I replied, forcing a polite smile. But I couldn’t shake the unease gnawing at me.

As the night went on, I moved from conversation to conversation, plastering on a smile that felt increasingly heavy. But every time I glanced at Ethan, he was either ignoring me or glued to Veronica’s side.

When the MC finally announced that it was time for Ethan’s speech, I let out a small sigh of relief. This was my moment to step back, to revel in the culmination of everything I’d worked so hard for.

Ethan stepped onto the small stage, his grin charming as ever. The crowd cheered, and I felt a flicker of pride despite everything. “Good evening, everyone,” he began, his voice smooth and commanding. “Thank you for being here to celebrate with me tonight. It means the world to have you all here.”

The audience quieted as he continued, his tone shifting slightly. “I’ve been reflecting on this past year and how it’s been a journey of growth and self-discovery for me. And tonight, I want to share something deeply personal, something that’s going to change my life moving forward.”

My stomach dropped. His words felt heavy, ominous.

He gestured toward the screen behind him, and a video began to play. My chest tightened as images of medical reports filled the screen, each one bearing my name.

“These are my wife Sophie’s medical records,” Ethan said, his voice loud and clear. Gasps rippled through the crowd. “For years, we’ve tried to have a child, but as you can see, that’s simply not possible. Sophie is… infertile and has successfully hidden it from me, hence leading me on emotionally and psychologically.”

The word rang in my ears like a gunshot. My legs felt like they might give out beneath me. How could he...

“But that’s not the only news I have,” Ethan continued, his voice taking on a cruel edge. “You see, when one door closes, another opens.” He turned, smiling as Veronica stepped onto the stage. “This is Veronica, my fiancée. And she’s expecting our child.”

The crowd erupted in murmurs. I stood frozen, my mind unable to process what I was hearing. Fiancée? Child?

Ethan looked at me then, his eyes devoid of any warmth. “Sophie, you’ve been a loyal wife no doubt but I cannot forgive these lies and deceits anymore, it’s time for me to move on. I deserve happiness, and you… you just couldn’t give me that.”

Each word was a knife to my heart. The humiliation was suffocating. I could feel the eyes of the guests on me, their whispers piercing through the fog of my shock.

Veronica smiled smugly, resting a hand on her stomach. “Ethan and I couldn’t be happier in this journey to parenthood,” she said, her voice dripping with false sweetness.

Tears blurred my vision as I stumbled backward, the weight of their betrayal crashing down on me. Four years of devotion, of sacrificing my own dreams to support Ethan, and this was how he repaid me?

The murmurs grew louder, the judgment in their eyes unbearable. I couldn’t stay here. I couldn’t face them.

Without thinking, I turned and fled, my heels clicking loudly against the stone pathway as I ran toward the driveway. The cool night air hit my face, but it did little to calm the storm inside me.

I gripped the steering wheel tightly, my knuckles white as I sped down the empty road. Ethan’s words replayed in my mind, each one more painful than the last.

“You just couldn’t give me that.”

“I deserve happiness.”

Happiness. The irony was almost laughable. I had spent four years trying to make him happy, bending over backward to be the perfect wife. I fucking quit my job to nurse his career and in the end, it wasn’t enough. I wasn’t enough.

Hot tears streamed down my face, blurring my vision. “How could he do this to me?” I choked out, my voice trembling. “How could he betray and humiliate me like that?”

And Veronica… my best friend since high school. The woman I had trusted with everything. How long had they been sneaking around behind my back? How many lies had they told to cover their tracks?

The pain was unbearable, but underneath it, a flicker of anger began to grow. I had given Ethan everything, my love, my loyalty, my life. And he had thrown it all away as if it meant nothing.

But even as the anger simmered, guilt crept in. Maybe this was my fault. Maybe I hadn’t tried hard enough, cared deeply enough. Maybe if I’d been a better wife…

“No,” I whispered fiercely, shaking my head. “This isn’t my fault.”

But the doubt lingered, clawing at the edges of my mind.

I needed to escape, to find solace somewhere far from the wreckage of my life. Pressing down on the accelerator, I wiped at my tears, determined to outrun the pain, even if just for a little while.