Unveiled: The Survivor's Triumph

"Hold up!" I yelled, my voice cracking with urgency.

Jason yanked the car to the other side of the street.

Lacey was rocking a totally different vibe tonight. She ditched her work clothes for a tight evening gown that hugged her curves just right. Her hair was down in loose waves, giving off this sultry, seductive aura.

But that wasn't the kicker. The real kicker was that the dress she was wearing was the same one I saw in Ethan's office. So, yeah, it was just my wishful thinking. That dress was never meant for me.

Lacey tucked her hair behind her ear, clutching a small purse, and walked in like she owned the place.

The dress looked like it was made for her. If it were me, I'd look like a total mess trying to pull off that kind of elegance.

I was so clueless, thinking Ethan got that dress for me. A sharp pain twisted in my chest.

Just then, a Maybach screeched to a halt at the hotel entrance. Out stepped Ethan.

Ethan was still rocking his white shirt and suit pants, no fancy stuff. But even so, he instantly grabbed everyone's attention.

He strode towards the hotel, one hand in his pocket, the other waving at people like he was in a great mood.

"Today's Skyline International Corporation's sixth anniversary. It's no small feat for Ethan to have grown Skyline to this size over the past few years. His success isn't just luck. Emily, you're lucky to have met the already successful Ethan," Jason's words slowly sank in.

He probably noticed how bummed I was.

I finally tore my eyes away and gave him a weak smile. "Really? I don't think so. If I could've seen him grow, it might've been better."

"Want to go in? Check out the big celebration for Skyline's anniversary. If you don't want Ethan to see you, we can sneak in," Jason said, like he could read my mind.

I was all set to leave quietly, but his suggestion got to me.

So, Jason found a parking spot and parked the car.

By now, all the guests were probably inside, and the outside was pretty much deserted.

As we walked in, I glanced down at my outfit. I hadn't planned on crashing their anniversary party, so I was still in my T-shirt and jeans, super casual. "Let's go," Jason said.

I looked at him nervously. "Let's just watch from a distance, don't let anyone notice us."

Jason gave me a knowing look and nodded. "Got it."

The Grand International Hotel is the swankiest five-star hotel in Starlight City, decked out like a palace.

Skyline International Corporation throwing their anniversary bash here? Yeah, that just screams they're rolling in dough.

Jason seemed to know the place like the back of his hand. Once we got inside, he suddenly grabbed my hand. "Stick with me."

I trailed behind him as we snuck up a hidden staircase to the second floor, landing in a private room.

Standing by the window, I got why Jason brought me here. It was the perfect spot to spy on the party downstairs without being seen.

The host called Ethan up to speak, and after some applause, the room went quiet.

Ethan strolled onto the stage, one hand in his pocket, the other holding a mic, looking all chill but totally in charge.

He gave a quick rundown of the company's wins over the past year, gave props to the employees, and talked about the future.

His speech was short and sweet. Then, other department heads took the stage, including Lacey, who ran the marketing show.

Lacey smiled on stage, looking cool and collected.

I felt a pang of envy and a bit of self-doubt. Back then, I couldn't imagine having a moment like this. And when that day finally came, it wasn't about gaining something but losing something. But that's a story for another time. The party officially kicked off with Ethan popping the champagne, and the room burst into applause.

Soon, the sound system started playing some smooth dance tunes, and everyone began pairing up.

I saw Lacey, wine glass in hand, making her way to Ethan, and my heart clenched.

They chatted for a bit, Lacey set her glass down, extended her hand, and Ethan took it, leading her to the dance floor.

They moved gracefully, swaying to the music. I couldn't stand watching, especially with Lacey's dress stealing the spotlight.

A lot of people cleared the dance floor, giving them space. After a while, they were the only ones left dancing.

Everyone gathered around, watching and chatting. From their faces, it was clear they thought Ethan and Lacey were a perfect match. "Let's go back," I suddenly said.

Jason looked at me and nodded. "Alright."

We retraced our steps and slipped out of the hotel without anyone noticing I was there.

Maybe I was just too plain to stand out. No one would ever guess that someone as ordinary as me could be Ethan's wife.

In the car, Jason tried to cheer me up. "Emily, don't sweat it. Dancing at these shindigs is totally normal."

Jason had no clue what was really bugging me. I forced a smile. "I'm not sweating it."

Jason gave me a long look and then sighed. "Maybe I messed up today. Shouldn't have taken you there."

I gave a faint smile. "Nah, it was good to see it, broaden my horizons."

Back home, I took a shower and got ready for bed, but the room felt too empty and quiet, keeping me wide awake.

'What are they doing now? Still dancing? One dance after another? Or are they drinking and chatting? Their dance moves were so close, with his hand on her curvy waist-how could he not feel anything? And me? I can't even dance. Compared to the stylish and savvy Lacey, I'm just a total bumpkin.' I didn't want to think about it, but my mind had a mind of its own.

Unable to sleep, I went downstairs to the kitchen and grabbed two cans of beer to take back to my room.

I lay on the lounge chair on the balcony, the one Ethan usually lounged on, and struggled to finish both cans of beer when the bedroom door creaked open.

Ethan found me on the balcony, his eyes landing on the two empty beer cans on the ground, frowning. "Why aren't you asleep yet?"

I looked at him and gave a faint smile. "Couldn't sleep. Didn't you have a party tonight? Why are you back?"

The sarcasm in my voice was pretty obvious, and I knew he caught it. He wasn't surprised I knew about the party. He suddenly straddled my legs, making them go numb instantly.

He lifted my chin and kissed me, his voice rough. "I came back to be with you."

We both reeked of alcohol-mine was beer, his was red wine, easy to tell apart. Besides the red wine, he also had a noticeable scent of women's perfume on him. My heart ached, and I turned my head away, dodging his kiss. Ethan didn't get why I was pissed. He grabbed my chin again, grinning like a rogue. "What's wrong? I came back to be with you, and you're still not happy?"

As he leaned in again, I shoved him away. He probably didn't expect me to use so much force. He stumbled backward, barely catching himself on the railing to avoid falling.

Actually, when he stumbled, my heart clenched, but I didn't show it on my face.

I just pushed him off my legs and stood up. He tried to pull me back, but I fought him off, my anger and hurt making me resist even harder.

When my hand brushed his face, he slowly let go of me, touching his cheek, his eyes darkening. "Emily, are you nuts?" Ethan's tone was furious.

My hand was trembling a bit. I had forgotten that my fingers were hooked around a pull tab from a beer can, so unfortunately, I had scratched his face.

But I didn't plan to apologize. Instead, I said something really cold. "Yeah, I'm crazy, so don't mess with me. Go back to your fun. Why did you even come back?" Seeing Ethan's face bleeding made my heart ache, but I wasn't about to back down.

He looked at me angrily, but then he gave a faint, ambiguous smile. "Fine, I'll go. I didn't have enough fun tonight anyway. But aren't you not alone either?"

I had no idea what he meant by that. He didn't explain and turned to leave, his strides long and angry.

After the sound of his footsteps going downstairs, there was a heavy door slam.

I collapsed onto the lounge chair, hearing him start the car and drive away, my heart shattering into pieces.

I thought, 'Ethan is really pissed. Where's he going? To meet Lacey? Am I too stupid, provoking him like this, pushing him into someone else's arms?'

For the next two days, he didn't come home, nor did he call. This time, he was really heartless.

Jason must have noticed our conflict. I could see he wanted to say something, but in the end, he kept quiet.

On the second night of Ethan's absence, a thunderstorm began. I remembered one night when Ethan said he wouldn't come back, but it started thundering, and he eventually came back, drenched. He said he knew I was afraid of thunder. But this time, during another thunderstorm, he didn't come back, not even a call or a text.

Lightning flashed outside, and I curled up under the covers, my fear overshadowed by my sadness.

Not long after, there was a knock on the door. I walked over to open it, and Jason stood there. He said, "If you're scared of the thunder, we can talk."

I nodded and sat with him in the living room.

Jason talked about some interesting things from abroad. I could tell he was trying to lift my spirits, but I could barely respond. One reason was that I knew too little about foreign matters, and the other was that I just couldn't focus on them. Suddenly, my phone buzzed with a text message. I almost grabbed it with excitement.

At that moment, I realized that no matter how much Ethan had hurt and disappointed me, I was still hoping for a message from him.

The message was from an unknown number. Even before opening it, a strong sense of unease surged.