I arrived carrying red tulips, two first class tickets to Paris, and a ridiculous smile I could not hide. Valentine’s Day had always meant something special to Daniel and me. Not flowers. Not chocolate. Paris. For years, Daniel had promised, one day, Olivia, I’ll take you there and make you forget every ugly boardroom we survived. That year, I decided I would be the one to make it happen.
But when the elevator opened on the forty second floor of Whitmore and Vale, thunderous applause filled the hallway. For one foolish second, I thought Daniel had somehow discovered my surprise and prepared one of his own. Then I noticed the champagne tower. The silver balloons. And the enormous banner stretched across the glass conference room wall. Congratulations, Daniel and Vivienne. My fingers tightened around the tulip stems.
Daniel stood near the conference room in the navy suit I had helped him choose. Beside him was Vivienne Shaw, the company’s recently appointed CEO, dressed in white silk with one hand resting possessively against his chest. Before I could move, my husband leaned forward and kissed her. It was not a friendly kiss. It was slow, intimate, and painfully familiar. The employees cheered. Then Daniel lifted Vivienne’s left hand, revealing a large diamond ring beneath the office lights. Vivienne laughed. I said yes. Someone in the crowd shouted, power couple. My husband smiled as though he had conquered the world. Meanwhile, I stood twelve feet away holding a trip to Paris in one hand and flowers in the other.
What happened next changed everything… FULL STORY on the next page.
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