"Congratulations to Miss Shanice Fontana on her successful return."
In a tailored, dark-patterned suit, Wesley escorted Shanice smoothly through the crowd like she was the queen of the night.
And around her neck? The exact same diamond necklace that had once been auctioned off at the Queen's Auction.
Even though my heart had gone numb a long time ago, I still felt it throb in my chest.
A dull, steady ache that refused to fade.
I once dared to try on that necklace.
And the moment I did, Wesley's eyes lit up with fury. He stormed over, grabbed my wrist as if I'd set something on fire, and barked at me to take it off.
"Take it off right now," he snapped, as if just wearing it for one more minute was some kind of personal offense.
Frightened, I hurriedly unclasped the necklace, put it back in the safe, and stammered an explanation.
"I was simply trying it on. I didn't mean anything by it."
His face twisted with rage.
"Have I not told you? Don't touch my things. Do it again, and don't blame me when I turn on you!" Wesley threatened, his voice lashing out like a whip.
After that, he changed the safe code. Even the lock on his study door got replaced.
Back then, I didn't understand. I mean, it was just a necklace, right?
As his wife, wasn't I wearing something from his collection normal?
Only now did it finally hit me.
It had never been mine to wear.
It was never meant for me.
That necklace had always been waiting for its rightful owner.
Wesley's loyalty had never once wavered. And it had always belonged to Shanice.
Right at the event hall, the music suddenly cut off.
Under the spotlight's glow, Wesley and Shanice stepped onto the stage together, arms intertwined.
"Today marks Miss Shanice's return after completing her studies abroad," Wesley confidently announced. "I hereby declare that she will take the position of Vice President of Stellar Corp, holding twenty percent of the shares."
He lifted his hand just as an usher walked up carrying a tray.
"As an additional reward," Wesley continued, "I gift her Moonview Manor in gratitude for joining Stellar Corp."
Then, he pulled the red silk cloth from the tray with a practiced, showman's flourish.
Underneath, a bright red property deed glowed under the lights.
The crowd gasped. This time, nobody even tried to play it cool.
"Wesley, that's insane! A VP title and an entire estate? I've never seen anything like this in Riverton."
"Do you even get what that's worth? We're talking tens of billions. Literally."
"Come on, open your eyes. Shanice and Wesley were crazy about each other. She's always been the one he really loved."
The whispers spread like wildfire, moving from one corner of the room to the other. It didn't take long before every eye in the place turned toward me. Some looked at me with pity, while others wore smug, self-satisfied smiles. But most were just waiting, eager to see what kind of scene I might cause.
Beside me, Callum was a storm brewing. His jaw was clenched so tightly, I could almost hear it grind.
Then he leaned in, his voice low and razor-sharp.
"Look at them. Just one move and it's billions. And you still have the nerve to talk about divorce? If you've got this much time to sulk," he muttered, "use it to figure out how to hold on to your husband's heart. Because if you get dumped, don't even think about crawling back to the Garnett family. I won't tolerate that kind of disgrace in our house."
I gave him a faint, polite smile, lifted my phone, and showed him the video I'd just saved.
"You're right, Callum," I said calmly. "Lesson learned."
...
Back on stage, the two of them locked eyes. This silent, drawn-out moment between them was full of syrupy sweetness. Wesley gently placed the deed in Shanice's hands, then leaned in and kissed her. Right there. In front of everyone.
Just like Shanice had once said: a man's love lies where his money lies.
And now here he was, handing her tens of billions the second she returned.
Give it a few more years, and Stellar Corp might eventually be hers. But none of that mattered to me. Six years of marriage had never been about love.
It was survival and a way to stay fed and to stay standing.
Once the ceremony concluded, Shanice approached me, holding a small gift box.
"Jean," she said, her tone sweet and airy, "thank you for attending my homecoming party."
Then, she held the box out with a smile that didn't reach her eyes. "This is my gift to you."
I blinked, caught off guard.
She'd actually walked away from Wesley just to hand me this?
What could possibly be inside?
Curious, I lifted the lid and froze.
My pupils narrowed, and my whole body tensed.
Inside the box was a used condom. The faint, sickly-sour smell clung to it, unmistakable.
Shanice leaned in, her breath brushing my ear, her voice like honey laced with venom.
"Jean, Wesley just couldn't keep his hands off me last night. I had no choice but to give him what he wanted."
She chuckled breathily, letting the words settle in before saying, "You have no idea how wild he was. It was as if he hadn't seen a woman in eight hundred years. He nearly devoured me, Jean."
Shanice then arched a brow, her gaze bold and taunting, like she wanted to carve her words into my skin.
Her smile widened, too sweet to be sincere.
And I got it clear as day.
"Jean, cry all you want, scream if you like, hit me again if you dare, I still slept with your man."
I shut the gift box with a quiet click, lifted my chin, and offered her a smile as cool as polished steel.
"Thanks for the gift. I love it."
Then I turned and walked directly onto the stage, my heels tapping sharply and steadily against the marble floor. When I reached the mic, I lifted it calmly and faced the room full of perfectly dressed snakes.
"Tonight, Miss Fontana was kind enough to give me a special gift," I said, my voice clear and steady. "In return, I've prepared something even grander for her. I hope she loves it."
The heavy velvet curtain behind me parted with a slow, dramatic sweep when those words left my mouth.
A massive screen flickered to life.
There, projected in high definition, was Shanice—naked and tangled in white hotel sheets, her body twisting with pleasure beneath a Black man.
