ce even. I watched the smile on C

t party years ago. I forgot." She laughed, a lit

ile not quite reaching his eyes.

fly. It was firm and

s if this was perfectly normal, as if my fiancée bringing her lover home for dinner was a

, sharing inside jokes I couldn' t understand. I was an outsider at my own table. They made a perfect couple

gestured towards my plate. "You' re not eating you

It was a small act of dominance, a way of pointin

fense felt more like an apology for my behavior. She picked up a piece of asparagus wit

her fork clattering a

them sta

t," I sa

Chloe' s voice was laced with ir

ived together. For five years, I had politely decl

cutting through the tension in the room. "Severely

s on her plate and back again. She had no idea. After all this time

he stammered, a flicker of

w," I

that made my stomach churn, the spicy dishes that gave me heartburn for days. I had never complained, never

her guilt finally seeming real. "Let me make y

, pushing my chair back.

eaving them in a stunned silence. I we

low and dismissive. "Don' t worry a

e a final confirmation. He wasn't just a rival; he w