Chapter 15 The Party
CAITLYN'S POV
I stood in front of the mirror looking at the dress Collin had picked out for me and barely recognized myself. It was a pale pink dress that was supposed to make me look sweet and innocent and perfect for a pregnancy announcement.
My hair was done in soft curls and my makeup was flawless thanks to the professional Collin had hired.
I looked like everything I was supposed to be, the happy wife and excited mother to be.
The perfect picture of domestic bliss but inside I felt empty and fake and like I was about to walk into my own funeral.
"You look beautiful," Collin said from the doorway. He was wearing an expensive suit and his hair was perfectly styled. We looked like the kind of couple that belonged on a magazine cover.
"Thank you," I said quietly.
He came over and put his hands on my shoulders. "Remember what I said. Smile and be charming and do not embarrass me."
"I remember," I said and tried not to let my voice sound as bitter as I felt.
"Good," he said and kissed my cheek. "Let us go meet our guests."
We went downstairs and I could hear the sounds of people already arriving. The house was full of flowers and lights, and everything looked perfect, just like Collin wanted.
Waiters in black uniforms were walking around with trays of champagne and appetizers. A string quartet was playing classical music in the corner.
It was beautiful and fancy and completely overwhelming. I felt like I could not breathe.
"Caitlyn," my mother rushed over and hugged me. "You look wonderful. How are you feeling?"
"I am fine, Mom," I lied. "Just a little nervous."
"That is completely normal," she said and smiled. "This is such exciting news. Your father and I are so happy for you."
My father came over and shook Collin's hand. "Congratulations son. You are going to make a great father."
I wanted to laugh at that. Collin was not going to be a great father because he did not actually care about the baby. He just cared about what having a baby could do for his reputation and his business but I kept my mouth shut and smiled like I was supposed to.
More guests started arriving and Collin introduced me to what felt like a million people. Judges and lawyers and politicians, everyone was very polite and said all the right things but I could tell they did not actually care about me. They were here for Collin and his connections.
I played my role perfectly. Smiled and made small talk and acted like the sweet wife everyone expected me to be but inside I was screaming. This was all so fake and wrong and I hated every second of it.
"Mrs Hayes," a waiter offered me a tray with champagne glasses.
"Would you like a drink?"
"Just water please," I said.
Collin was across the room talking to a group of men in expensive suits. I watched him laugh at something one of them said and noticed how different he looked around these people.
This was his world and I was just a prop in it. I excused myself from the conversation I was having with some lawyer's wife and walked toward the back of the house. I needed air and space and a break from pretending.
But as I walked past the hallway that led to Collin's study I heard voices.
I knew I should keep walking. Collin had told me to stay away from the study during the party, but curiosity got the better of me, and I stopped to listen.
"The shipment arrives Tuesday," a voice said. It sounded familiar but I could not place it. "Everything is arranged."
"Good," another voice said. This one I recognized as Collin. "And Dimitri is satisfied with the terms?"
"For now," the first voice said. "But you know how he gets when things do not go exactly as planned."
There was that name again. The important business associate that Collin wanted me to meet. The one who made Mrs Chen go pale when I mentioned him.
"I will handle Dimitri," Collin said.
"Just make sure the shipment is clean. I do not want any problems."
I heard footsteps and realized they were coming toward the door. I quickly walked away and tried to act casual even though my heart was racing. What kind of shipment were they talking about? And why did it need to be clean?
I went outside to the patio where more guests were gathered around the pool. The party was in full swing now, and everyone seemed to be having a good time, but something felt off.
There was a tension in the air that I could not quite explain.
A man I did not recognize approached me. He was older with gray hair and cold eyes. "Mrs Hayes," he said with a thick accent. "Congratulations on the baby."
"Thank you," I said, and wondered who he was.
"I am Dimitri Volkov," he said and I felt my stomach drop. "An old friend of your husband."
This was him. The man everyone seemed afraid of. Up close, he looked like a regular businessman, but there was something dangerous about him that made my skin crawl.
"It is nice to meet you," I lied.
"Your husband is a very lucky man," Dimitri said. "Beautiful wife and baby on the way, very good for business."
The way he said business made it sound like something dirty. Like the baby was not a child but a tool that could be used.
"Excuse me," I said and walked away before he could say anything else.
I found a quiet corner and tried to catch my breath. Everything about this party felt wrong, the people were wrong.
The conversations were wrong, even the way Collin was acting was wrong.
I watched him move through the crowd, shaking hands and laughing and being charming, but every few minutes, he would disappear with different men toward his study. What were they doing in there? What kind of meetings are needed to happen at a party?
My mother found me and pulled me toward the center of the patio. "It is time for the announcement dear."
Collin appeared next to me and took my hand.
Everyone gathered around and someone handed him a microphone. This was it, this was the moment when the lie became official.
"Thank you all for coming tonight," Collin said and his voice carried across the patio. "Caitlyn and I wanted to share some wonderful news with our closest friends and family."
He paused and looked at me. I forced myself to smile even though I felt sick.
"We are expecting a baby," Collin announced and everyone clapped and cheered.
People came over to congratulate us and I just stood there nodding and smiling and dying inside. This was my life now, standing next to a man I did not love and lying about a baby that was not his and everyone believed it because why would they not?
The party continued, and I kept playing my role, but I could not stop thinking about what I had overheard in the hallway. About Dimitri and shipments and things that
needed to be clean and how Collin kept disappearing with different men.
Something was very wrong here.