Chapter 5

JANICE

The reception was everything I’d dreamed of—grand, elegant, the kind of event people talked about for months. But the celebration felt hollow, like a dream I couldn’t touch. It was supposed to be the happiest day of my life, but instead, all I felt was the gnawing emptiness that comes from knowing something wasn’t right.

Diego had disappeared.

I scanned the crowd, searching for his familiar face amidst the sea of guests, but he was nowhere to be found. I tried to focus on the guests around me, making polite conversation, but the doubt in my mind was growing.

“Janice, darling! You look positively radiant,” Maddison’s voice broke through my thoughts, dripping with the kind of sweetness that felt more like vinegar than kindness.

She was standing beside Jason, both of them grinning at me in that way people do when they’re about to deliver something cutting.

“Where’s your charming husband?” Maddison asked, her eyes darting around the room.

I forced a smile, trying to hide the anxiety bubbling up inside me. “I’m sure he’s around here somewhere. He’s probably busy with some last-minute work things.”

Jason snorted, a sharp, mocking sound. “Work things? Yeah, right. Maybe he’s off having fun with other women,” he said, his words laced with sarcasm.

I froze, the words hitting me harder than I expected. The implication. The sting.

“Don’t be ridiculous,” I snapped, my voice trembling despite my best efforts to keep it steady. “Diego is probably busy right now. He’s…”

“Loyal?” Maddison cut me off, her grin widening. “Honey, he’s a man. And a man like Diego? There’s always someone else. You’re too naive if you think you’re the only one.”

Their laughter hung in the air, and despite myself, I felt my stomach twist with humiliation. Was this what everyone thought? That Diego could never be satisfied with just me?

Unable to stand their mocking, I excused myself, my mind racing. Where was Diego? Why wasn’t he with me entertaining these guests? I needed answers, needed to confront him before the pain inside me became too much to handle.

I moved quickly through the crowd, my steps urgent, my heart pounding. The further I walked, the more I felt the weight of my own doubt. Finally, after what felt like hours, I made my way toward the restroom, the one place I hadn’t checked yet.

The door was slightly ajar, and through the crack, I caught sight of Diego.

My heart dropped.

He was kissing a woman.

A kiss so full of hunger, so full of passion, that it made my blood run cold. I stood frozen in the doorway, unable to tear my eyes away as he pressed the woman against the wall, his hands tangling in her hair. She was responding just as fiercely, her fingers running down his chest as if they’d done this a thousand times before.

It wasn’t just a kiss. It was an affirmation of something deeper, something I wasn’t part of.

Unable to breathe, I forced myself to step forward, my body moving on its own as I approached them. “Diego!” I cried, my voice shaky with fury and betrayal.

They pulled apart, startled by my presence. The woman—beautiful, confident, with wavy dark hair—looked at me with a smirk that made my skin crawl.

“Who the hell is she?” I demanded, my voice louder now. “Why would you do this to me? We just got married!”

The woman laughed, a soft, mocking sound that made my blood boil. “Oh, sweetie, don’t be so dramatic,” she said, pushing past Diego to stand in front of me. “I’m Sophia. His girlfriend. Or should I say, his real girlfriend. But you already know that, don’t you?”

The words hit me like a slap to the face. My knees felt weak. Diego had a girlfriend. A girlfriend.

I opened my mouth to say something, but Sophia cut me off, her expression almost amused. “You know, Diego and I have been together for a long time. I never thought he’d go so far as to marry you, but…” She trailed off with a shrug, as if it didn’t matter at all.

I couldn’t breathe. I couldn’t think. All I could feel was the heat rising in my cheeks, the anger twisting in my gut. This couldn’t be real. He couldn’t be doing this to me, not now, on our own wedding day.

“What the hell is wrong with you?” I yelled, my voice shaking with fury. “How dare you cheat on me on our wedding day? What kind of man are you, Diego?!”

Sophia gave me a look of pure contempt. “What, did you think, you’d be the one to change him? Or he would be loyal to you, his trophy wife?” She laughed again, shaking her head. “He’s mine, honey. Always has been. You’re just the trophy wife he’s stuck with for business.”

I couldn’t hold back anymore. In a flash of rage, I slapped her across the face. The sound echoed in the small restroom.

The sharp crack of my palm against her cheek echoed in the room. But before I could react, Diego’s hand shot out, grabbing my wrist with surprising force.

“Don’t,” he growled, his voice filled with fury. “Don’t ever touch her again.”

I jerked my hand away, but it was too late. He was already moving toward me, his face twisted in anger. And then, with one swift motion, he slapped me back.

The sting of the slap hit me like a bolt of lightning. I stood there, frozen in shock, the taste of metal in my mouth, my cheek burning from his blow.

Sophia laughed, her voice dripping with triumph. “See? You’ll never win with him, Janice. You married him, but you’ll never be his. He’s mine. Always has been, always will be.”

With that, she leaned forward and kissed Diego on the cheek, a playful, almost smug gesture. And just as quickly as she had appeared, she turned and walked out of the restroom, her heels clicking against the floor like a victory march.

I stood there, my heart pounding in my chest, the humiliation crashing over me like a wave. I wanted to scream, to lash out, but my body was frozen, my hands trembling with rage and disbelief. How could this be happening?

But it wasn’t over yet.

Diego turned to leave, but I couldn’t let him go. Not like this. Not after everything.

“Diego!” I shouted, my voice shaking. “You just married me, and you’re out here cheating on me? How shameless can you be?!”

Diego didn’t even look at me. “I’m not interested in talking to you right now,” he said coldly, making his way to the door.

“No!” I stepped in front of him, blocking his path. “Why? Why would you marry me if you already had someone else? What was the point of this?”

“Why?” he echoed, the word dripping with disdain. “This marriage was never about you. It’s just a damn piece of paper. A contract.” He stepped closer, his voice rising. “The reason I married you, Janice, was to destroy you. To destroy your life and your family. You were always just a pawn in my game.”

My breath hitched, and I stumbled back, shock and disbelief written across my face.

He married me for some sort of revengeful play, and my family had willingly and foolishly sold me out to him.

“You’re insane. You’re a selfish bastard! What did we ever do to you?!”

His cold smile was chilling. “This is just the beginning, Janice, I’ll destroy you and your worthless family. Now get out!” he barked before shoving me off his path and walking out, leaving me standing there, broken.

I wanted to scream, to curse him, but I couldn’t. The words were caught in my throat. All I could do was stand there, tears streaming down my face, the weight of his betrayal crushing me.