Adaline POV:
Bradly and Janell clung to each other, a tableau of tragic lovers against the backdrop of the glittering gala. Their embrace was so tight, so suffocatingly intimate, it felt like the world had indeed shrunk to just the two of them. I watched, a stranger in my own life.
At one point, their lips met. A long, passionate kiss that seemed to defy the public setting, a kiss meant to wound, to assert, to claim. My stomach churned.
His arm wrapped around her waist, possessive. Her hand rested on his forearm, delicate, claiming. They looked more like a couple than Bradly and I ever had. More in love than Bradly and I could ever dream of being.
A few guests glanced our way, their expressions a mixture of curiosity and thinly veiled amusement. I could feel the whispers starting, like a slow burn.
"If that were me, I' d just die of shame," someone murmured, their voice a little too loud.
"Seriously. How thick-skinned can she be? Still standing there like a statue."
They were waiting for a show. They wanted the old Adaline, the one who would scream, cry, make a scene. The one who would confirm their cruel assumptions.
Bradly finally pulled away from Janell, his eyes, still heavy with desire, flickered to me. He let out a low, satisfied hum. He expected me to be shattered. He expected my usual hysterical outburst.
But I gave him nothing. No tears. No scream.
Just a blank stare.
He opened his mouth, probably to deliver another crushing blow, but I didn' t give him the chance. I turned on my heel and walked toward the exit. Each step was a deliberate act of defiance.
Outside, the cool night air was a balm on my heated skin. I pulled out my phone, my fingers fumbling slightly.
"James," I said into the receiver, my voice raw. "Come pick me up. Now."
While I waited, a sleek black car pulled up beside the curb, its tinted window sliding down with a soft whir. Bradly' s smug face appeared.
"Get in, Adaline," he ordered, his tone flat, leaving no room for argument.
My eyes drifted to the passenger seat. Janell. Her face was still flushed, her hair slightly disheveled, a sly smirk playing on her lips.
Bradly noticed my gaze. His brow furrowed. "You shouldn' t be in the passenger seat, Janell."
Janell' s eyes immediately welled up. "Oh, Bradly, I' m so sorry! I didn' t think… I' ll get out. I wouldn' t want to cause any trouble."
She made a show of reaching for the door handle, but her body remained stubbornly in place. Bradly gently took her hand, his thumb stroking her knuckles.
"Don' t you dare hurt her, Adaline," he warned, his eyes flashing at me. "Now get in the back. Or get lost."
I didn' t say a word. I just walked around to the back door, my hand still gripping the phone.
Seeing my silence, Janell' s smirk widened. She reached up, her delicate fingers caressing Bradly' s jawline. "Do you like the scent of my new hand cream, darling?" she purred, her voice dripping with artificial sweetness.
I heard Bradly swallow hard from where I stood. Their breathing grew heavy, uneven. Their eyes locked, a silent, intimate promise passing between them. Their faces drew closer.
Just as their lips were about to meet, a loud thud echoed in the quiet night.
Bradly' s head snapped towards the back seat. Empty.
He finally registered the sound he' d heard. The car door slamming shut. My car door. The one I had just closed.
He scrambled out of the car, his face contorted in a furious grimace. "Adaline! Where are you going?"
I stared at him for a moment, then gestured with my chin towards the sedan that had just pulled up, James already opening the back door for me.
"I don' t need a ride," I said, my voice flat. "That' s my car."
He looked at me, a flicker of something new in his eyes-confusion? This wasn' t my usual reaction. But then, it hardened into anger. He saw this as a new game. A new way to rebel.
He grabbed my arm, his grip bruising, and pulled a small velvet box from his pocket. He shoved the box into my hand.
"Stop this childish act, Adaline," he hissed, his voice tight with barely suppressed rage. "You' re my fiancée. Even for show, this makes me look like a fool."
I met his gaze, my own eyes cold. "Who is your real fiancée, Bradly?" I asked, my voice barely a whisper. "Is it Janell?"
His expression wavered, a mixture of annoyance and… something like satisfaction. He let out a derisive snort.
"You' d better keep your mouth shut, Adaline. Janell is different from you. She' s kind. Docile. Pure. You could never compare." He spat the words, venom dripping from each syllable. "If you dare complain to the elders, or hurt her in any way, you' ll only humiliate yourself at the wedding."
I almost laughed. He didn' t want to be the bad guy. He just couldn' t give up Janell. So, it was easier to blame me. Always me.
I ignored him, yanked my arm free, and slid into my car. James pulled away smoothly, leaving Bradly standing fuming in the parking lot.
On the way home, my phone buzzed. A new social media update from Janell. Her hand, perfectly manicured, held up a sparkling pink diamond ring. It glowed in the dim light of the car. Ten carats, at least. I recognized it. The one auctioned off last month for a ridiculous sum. The anonymous buyer had been Bradly.
I looked at the small, insignificant diamond ring he had just shoved into my hand. Reaching into my pocket, I pulled it out. It was a cheap, mass-produced piece. A freebie, I realized with a jolt, likely given out with the purchase of the pink diamond.
My blood ran cold. The phone rang, startling me.
I checked the screen. Bradly.
I answered, putting it on speaker.
"Bradly, darling, what if Adaline tells everyone about us?" Janell' s voice, a little too loud, purred from the phone.
Bradly' s low chuckle filled the car. "She won' t. She can' t. And even if she did, who would believe her? You' re the only one for me, Janell. Adaline will never be my wife."
Then, a wet, smacking sound. A kiss. Disgust coiled in my stomach.
I hung up, my finger trembling.
Seconds later, a text message from Janell popped up.
The unloved one is always the third wheel, Adaline. You had your title for years. It' s my turn now.
