As soon as Vani stiffened beside me, I followed her gaze to see what was wrong.
The second I saw Victoria, I knew this was my mother’s doing.
I felt my jaw tighten immediately, irritation mixing with resignation. There was no point pretending this was some unfortunate coincidence. My mother had clearly invited Victoria on purpose. She wanted a reaction from me, or maybe from Vani. She knew exactly what she was doing, and if she had her way, she would keep testing Vani until one of them snapped. I braced myself, wondering if she was hoping for a confrontation tonight, or had something even more humiliating in mind for us.
At this point, it would have been better if one of Vani’s exes had shown up, so I could feel a bit less guilty for causing her so much trouble.
Even as I thought that, I hoped that day would never come.
The idea hit me with immediate regret, the taste of jealousy bitter on my tongue. I couldn’t stomach any man from her past standing close, speaking to her like an old secret, looking at her as if she still belonged to him. Just the image made my jaw clench, and my mood curdle. It was irrational, given our complicated situation, but I didn’t care. Vani already had a talent for getting under my skin in ways I never expected. Her ex showing up would only deepen the ache.
Before I could lean down and ask if she wanted Victoria to leave, a few people across the room noticed me.
That was all it took.
The moment people realized I was in the room, they came to greet me. The same predictable rhythm: a nod, widened eyes, a whisper, then a line of people pretending they had just wandered my way.
I schooled my expression into a polite, neutral look and greeted them as they approached.
“Callahan, good to see you.”
“It’s been a while.”
Every time someone came over, I made sure to introduce Vani.
“This is my wife, Evania.”
I repeated it without hesitation, watching for their reactions—surprise, curiosity, polite smiles. They may have heard rumors, but hearing it from me made it real and undeniable.
Vani played her role perfectly—graceful smiles, firm handshakes, speaking only when necessary. If anyone noticed her cool reserve, they wisely kept quiet.
I kept introducing her, again and again. It became mechanical, yet I didn’t mind saying it. My wife. The words settled deep in my chest each time.
That was until one of the younger men walked over with a woman on his arm. I heard Vani curse under her breath. The sound was soft, nearly lost beneath the music and the low murmur of voices around us, but I caught it.
Before he even reached us, Vani leaned in slightly, her voice low but urgent as if she wanted to prepare me. "That's my ex." She didn't look at me, just kept her focus on the approaching man, making her intention—to warn me, maybe to ask for support—clear.
I turned to her so fast I was surprised I didn’t give myself whiplash. Then I stared at the man walking toward us, wide-eyed, wondering if this was karma coming to get me for even thinking about such a thing earlier.
The universe clearly had a twisted sense of humor.
He was younger than me, dressed in a suit that implied he wanted to seem more important than he was. His confidence seemed fragile, based on the assumption that he held the most power in the room. The woman on his arm was pretty in a polished, distant way, her forced smile saying she knew he’d embarrass himself and had accepted it.
The man’s gaze landed on Vani first.
He acted surprised to see her, though I wasn’t sure if he could be believed.
“Eva?” he said, slowing to a stop in front of us. “Wow. I didn’t expect to see you here.”
Vani’s fingers curled tighter around my arm, but her face remained composed. “I could say the same, Jeremy.”
His eyes finally shifted to me, taking me in with obvious curiosity before recognition dawned.
“And you are…?” he asked, though the look in his eyes said he already knew.
“Callahan Sterling,” I said evenly.
“Right,” he said, drawing the word out. “Of course.”
