Chapter 14 Humiliation
Kayla’s POV
The moment Vivian’s voice sliced through the air, the hall fell into chaos. Her words echoed so loudly that even the camera flashes stuttered to a stop.
“Stay away from my husband!” she screamed, her eyes blazing as she pushed through the crowd.
Security guards rushed forward before I could even react. They formed a tight circle around me, their bodies blocking her from reaching me. But Vivian wasn’t having it. She shoved one of them aside, her hand gripping Adrian’s arm.
“Let go of her, Adrian! Are you seriously standing there and letting her flaunt herself in front of everyone?”
Her voice carried, high-pitched and venomous. People gasped, whispers rippling through the room like wildfire.
“Vivian, stop,” Adrian said sharply, his tone low and warning. “Not here.”
“Not here?” she barked, yanking her arm free. “Why? Are you embarrassed now? Maybe you should’ve thought about that before sneaking around with her!”
I stood frozen, the cameras flashing again. I could feel everyone’s eyes on me… the guests, the governor, the journalists. The murmurs grew louder. I could almost hear my name bouncing from one person’s lips to another.
Maya moved closer, her hand brushing mine in quiet reassurance. But I couldn’t move. I refused to give Vivian the satisfaction of seeing me react.
Adrian tried to hold her back, but she kept shouting, each word sharper than the last. “You think I don’t know what’s going on? You think I didn’t see the way she looked at you during that interview? Or how you couldn’t take your eyes off her tonight?”
Her voice cracked at the end, trembling with something that almost sounded like pain.
“Enough!” Adrian’s tone deepened, his patience finally snapping. “You’re making a scene.”
Vivian glared at him, her chest rising and falling rapidly. “You brought me here. You should’ve known this would happen!”
The mayor, who had been standing near the stage, finally stepped forward. His voice cut through the tension like a knife.
“This is highly inappropriate,” he said sternly. “Mr. and Mrs. Ward, please get control of yourselves. This is an official event.”
He turned to Adrian, his brows furrowed. “Mr. Ward, perhaps you should remind your wife that this isn’t your living room. We expect our members to conduct themselves with dignity.”
A few people chuckled under their breath. I saw the flash of embarrassment cross Adrian’s face. His jaw tightened.
“Apologies, Mayor,” he said through clenched teeth. “It won’t happen again.”
“See that it doesn’t,” the mayor replied curtly, before motioning for the guards to escort Vivian away.
Vivian jerked her arm out of their hold. “Don’t touch me! I’m leaving with my husband!”
“No,” Adrian said firmly. “You’re going to the car. Now.”
For a moment, I thought she might refuse. Her eyes darted from me to him, then back again, full of disbelief and rage. But finally, she turned and stormed off, her heels striking the marble floor like gunshots. Adrian followed after her, murmuring something I couldn’t hear.
The room was silent for a long beat.
Then, the mayor cleared his throat. “Miss Brookes, I believe we can continue?”
I nodded once, forcing a calm smile. My heart was still pounding, but my voice didn’t waver.
“Of course,” I said, stepping toward the podium.
Every pair of eyes followed me as I climbed the small platform. The lights from the cameras returned, but I blocked them out, focusing on the paper in my hand… the speech I had prepared, now trembling slightly between my fingers.
I took a deep breath. “Good evening, everyone. First, I want to thank the governor, the mayor, and every member of this association for believing in the vision we share…”
As I spoke, the room slowly regained its composure. The tension softened, replaced by quiet applause at certain moments. I let the rhythm of my own words ground me about unity, transparency, and growth in our industry. About rebuilding trust. About moving forward.
When I finished, the governor stood up and clapped, the rest of the hall following. His warm smile made the chaos of a few minutes ago fade just a little.
“Well said, Miss Brookes,” he said as I stepped down. “I’ve followed your work for years, and I must say, your designs have set a new standard. I look forward to seeing how you lead this association.”
“Thank you, sir,” I said, genuinely touched.
He nodded before turning to speak with one of his aides, and Maya swooped in the moment I was free.
“Wow,” she whispered, linking her arm with mine. “You handled that like a queen.”
I laughed faintly, the sound tight. “A queen with a headache, maybe.”
Her eyes softened. “You okay?”
“Fine,” I lied.
She glanced toward the door where Vivian had disappeared minutes ago. “Who was she?”
“Vivian,” I said quietly. “Adrian’s wife.”
Her brows shot up. “That was his wife? The one he—”
“Yes,” I interrupted before she could finish. “That one.”
Maya exhaled sharply. “No wonder she looked ready to start a fight. You still plan on being civil after this?”
I stared ahead, watching the photographers swarm around the governor. “I don’t know yet,” I admitted. “But I do know one thing… I’m not going to let her ruin what I’ve built.”
Maya tilted her head. “So… what now?”
I turned to her, my voice quiet but firm. “Now, you’re going to find something for me.”
“Find what?”
“Any recent interactions between Adrian and his family,” I said. “Public, private, anything you can trace.”
She blinked. “Do you think of anything?”
“I don’t know,” I said honestly. “I just want to know what’s going on.”
Maya nodded slowly, understanding dawning in her eyes. “I’ll get on it first thing tomorrow.”
“Good.” I squeezed her hand. “Let’s wrap up here.”
—
By the time I got home that evening, exhaustion had settled deep in my bones. The event had ended smoothly enough after the incident, but the memory of Vivian’s outburst still echoed in my head.
I dropped my purse on the counter and sank into the couch. The house was quiet… just how I liked it. I turned on the TV, flipping through channels until I found a replay of the ceremony.
There I was on-screen, smiling and confident, as if nothing had gone wrong.
I bit into a sandwich I’d made earlier and watched the speech replay, the camera flashing on my face, on the governor’s approving nod, on Adrian’s expression in the background — unreadable, distant.
My phone rang, cutting through the hum of the TV.
Mom.
I smiled faintly and answered. “Hey, Mom.”
“Kayla! Finally,” her cheerful voice came through. “I saw your name on the news just now. You looked stunning!”
I chuckled softly. “Thanks, Mom. How’s England?”
“Oh, you know me,” she said. “Too many museums, too little rest. Your aunt keeps dragging me everywhere. I need to enjoy this vacation to the fullest.”
I laughed, sinking deeper into the couch. “Sounds like her.”
Then came the familiar pause… the one that always preceded the questions she really wanted to ask.
“So… are you seeing anyone new?”
I hesitated. “No, Mom. Still single.”
She sighed dramatically. “You’re not getting any younger, sweetheart. You’re so busy building your empire, you’re forgetting to live.”
I smiled faintly. “Maybe living looks different for me right now.”
She hummed. “Just don’t wait too long. I’d like to meet my grandchild before I turn seventy.”
The warmth in her tone made my chest ache. “I know, Mom.”
After we hung up, I sat there for a long while, the quiet of the house pressing in again.
I thought about what she said… about family, about life, about the years I’d lost trying to rebuild what someone else broke.
Then my phone buzzed again.
A message this time.
Adrian: I just wanted to say I’m sorry for what happened today. Vivian had no right to speak to you that way. Can we talk?
I stared at the screen, my pulse quickening.
For a second, I considered ignoring it.
Then, almost against my better judgment, I typed back slowly:
Kayla: There’s a restaurant on Maple Street. Tomorrow. Noon.
I hit send before I could change my mind.
And then I sat back, exhaling softly, as the screen dimmed, leaving only the sound of my own heartbeat in the quiet room.