Chapter 1
Adrienne Norton arrived at her husband’s birthday banquet, panting, only to be told that it was over.
“Ms. Norton, what are you doing here? The birthday party is already over.”
The person at the door clearly hadn’t expected her to show up, their tone full of surprise.
It was her husband’s birthday dinner, yet he had forgotten to bring his wife in name. Nobody had informed her.
She smiled politely at the guard and was just about to push open the villa door when she heard voices from inside.
“Beth, what gift did you bring? Garry’s been staring at your gift bag for ages. He’s been looking forward to it.”
“Did I?”
“Oh, come on, you’ve been eyeing that bag like it holds your whole world, Garry. Now that Beth is finally back, time to think about divorcing Adrienne. No point in keeping everyone unhappy.”
“Exactly. Back then, she drugged you and forced her way into your bed. If you hadn’t gone soft and considered her reputation, giving her the title of wife, she would’ve been doomed.”
The man seated in the center wore a sharply tailored dark suit. He looked chic with two buttons of his shirt undone. He had deep-set eyes, a high-bridged nose, and thin lips. He was handsome yet distant and arrogant.
“No rush.”
“Seriously, Garry? It’s been three years. She turned Beth’s sister into a vegetable. If your grandmother hadn’t protected her, we would’ve gotten rid of her long ago.”
Garrett Melendez toyed with a lighter between his slender fingers. From the corner of his eye, he noticed a shadow at the doorway.
Only then did the others realize Adrienne was already standing there.
Someone whispered, “Who told her about this?”
No one responded. Clearly, she had come uninvited.
Adrienne lowered her eyes. Her palm-sized face, framed by bangs tucked neatly behind one ear, gave her an air of in- nocence. No one would think she could do shameless things, but she had.
She was holding a gift, eyes fixed on Garrett at the center of the room. A tight ache pressed against her chest, and she gripped the gift even tighter.
She walked toward him, but before she could offer the gift she had prepared with care, he frowned slightly and gave a casual sneer. “Who told you to come?”
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Laughter rippled around them, breaking her pride piece by piece.
Bethany Pierce rolled her eyes at Garrett and tugged Adrienne to sit down. “She’s your wife, after all. It’s only right she brings you a gift. Come, Adrienne, sit down. Garrett just has a bad temper.
Adrienne pressed her lips together, saying nothing. She was his wife, yet it was his ex-fiancee who had to smooth things over. No one here wanted her around, but she still came. She did simply because when he was eighteen, he had once said he wanted to spend his twenty-eighth birthday with her.
She sat down next to Garrett, squeezing Bethany aside.
Bethany froze a moment before her face turned grim. Then she asked, “So, what did you get for Garry?”
A curious guest opened the gift without asking. It was a scarf, with no tags, clearly handmade..
Bethany spoke up again, “Oh wow, we’re really on the same wavelength. Look! I got Garry a scarf, too!”
The two scarves were placed side by side, both hand-knit. It was hard to tell which one was better.
Suddenly, someone bumped the table by accident. An open bottle of wine tipped over, spilling across both scarves.
Garrett reached over and picked up one of them. The other was soaked, reeking of alcohol.
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Lucia Morh is a passionate storyteller who brings emotions to life through her words. When she’s not writing, she finds peace nurturing her garden.