My husband, Adrian, is on stage, belting out Whitney Houston with a whiskey soaked voice and an unbuttoned shirt. His secretary clings to his side like she's auditioning for wife number two.
"And I… will always love you…" he howls into the mic, swaying dangerously. His tie is long gone, his cheeks are flushed, and his voice is a crime against music.
Next to him, Chloe is practically glued to his side. Her arm wraps around his waist, fingers sliding up and down his back like she owns the license to touch him. She's younger than me by at least five years, wide-eyed, smooth-skinned, and dressed in a tight, low-cut dress that screams ambition wrapped in cleavage. She leans in to whisper something in his ear, and he throws his head back laughing like he won a jackpot.
I haven't seen him laugh like that in years.The last time was on our wedding day, seven years ago. His eyes used to sparkle when he looked at me.
Now, they shine for someone else.
Around me, laughter bubbles up, loose, drunk, unfiltered. It's Blake & Co. Luxury Holdings' quarterly review party, and everyone's too tipsy to care about appearances. But I know what they're really laughing at. Me. The CEO's wife, watching her husband behaving in a manner that looks like he's almost about to make out with his assistant in front of the entire company.
"Do you think they're going to kiss?" someone whispers behind me.
"Definitely. Bet they'll be doing more than kissing after this."
"Oh they should get a room already" they both let out a loud laughter.
I turn slowly to catch the offenders. Two interns…young, high on weed or alcohol, maybe both. The girl has wild blonde short hair and glossy red cheeks, the boy drapes his arm lazily over her shoulder like he owns her.
She notices me staring. "Hi!" she says, way too loud. "Do you work here?" My eyes narrow. She's pretty. The kind of pretty that comes with youth, arrogance, and zero self-awareness.
I don't answer. I just let the silence thicken between us like wet cement. The boy chuckles, nervous now. "She's just messing around"
"Maybe I'll mess around too," I say, still staring. "With your internship." The girl's smile falters. The boy shifts uncomfortably. "Let's go," he mutters, and they vanish into the crowd.
I turn back to the stage, just in time to see Chloe rest her head on Adrian's shoulder. His hand settles on her hip. Shameless.
"Naomi!" someone calls. I don't have to turn to know who it is. Vanessa, Vice President of Marketing and Blake & Co. resident queen of passive-aggressive networking. Her stilettos click up beside me.
"I didn't know you were here," she chirps. "I was just telling the team we have to get you more involved!"
"Oh?" I say, forcing a polite smile. "Why's that?"
"Well, you're the head of marketing, and people are dying to meet you! You're always so… busy these days." She winks, overplaying it like a bad actress.
Her eyes drift back to the stage. "So, Mrs. Blake," she says sweetly, "enjoying the show?"
I smile so wide it hurts. "Oh, it's fantastic. I'm thrilled to see my husband's hard work is being rewarded with such… dedication from his staff." I could tell the witch is mocking me in her mind.
She chokes on a laugh but quickly hides it behind her wine glass. On stage, the performance ends to thunderous applause. I start to breathe again. But then Adrian speaks into the mic. "Before we get down, we've got one more song for you!"
More cheers. More laughter.
I've never been more embarrassed in my entire life, I want the floor to swallow me whole.
Vanessa mumbles an awkward goodbye and disappears. Behind me, whispers rise again. I catch snatches.
"That's Mrs. Blake?"
"She looks like she's about to snap…"
They're right.
Adrian starts crooning Everything I Do. Chloe presses closer to him, her hand sliding up his arm. And something inside me breaks. I push back my chair and stand. My heels click against the floor like gunshots. I can feel the weight of everyone's eyes on me. Conversations hush around me as I make my way toward the stage. They've been waiting for this moment wondering when I'd crack.
They're about to find out.
I climb the steps without hesitation. Chloe sees me first. Her smile freezes. Good.
"Adrian," I say flatly. "We're leaving. Now."
He blinks, surprised. "Why?" he slurs, still holding the mic. "The party's just getting started."
I grit my teeth. "Let's go."
"Naomi, come on," he says, annoyed now, like I'm the one ruining his night. I don't reply. I walk to the tech booth in the back corner. The operators look up, startled. One is holding a plate of half eaten food, surprised to see me.
"Who's in charge here?" I ask.
They point.
The man with the plate of food goes pale. "Mrs. Blake?"
"Shut it down. All of it. The party's over." He hesitates, then scrambles to obey. A second later, the mic screeches. The lights dim. The music dies.
Silence….I walk back to the stage, heels tapping in the quiet. Adrian stands frozen, mic useless in his hand.
"Naomi, what the heck?" he mumbles.
I meet his eyes, my voice steel. "You've had your fun. Now it's over."
I grab his arm and lead him down the stairs. His balance wavers. He tries to save face by glancing around the room, but no one's offering help. Just open mouths and hushed gasps.
Let them talk. Let them judge.
Adrian's too drunk to resist. For once, he follows.
Alex, our driver, sees us coming. The car door swings open.
Adrian mutters something that sounds like an excuse or apology, I don't care. I push him into the car. He falls in like dead weight…Then I climb in behind him and slam the door. Not just on the car, on whatever this marriage used to be.