Daniel laughed again.
"Well, this is certainly a story. Why didn't you tell me you knew my boss, Vanessa?""
I could barely look at him.
"I didn't think it mattered.""
"It matters a little," Daniel said.
"I've talked about Mr. Hayes a hundred times.""
Ethan's expression remained unreadable.
"Your wife and I haven't spoken for years," he said.
"There's no reason she should have connected the dots.""
That was generous of him.
Painfully generous.
My face burned.
Daniel gestured toward the head table.
"Come on, Mr. Hayes. At least let me get you a drink. You're the guest of honor now.""
"That's unnecessary.""
"Please. You've done enough for me. Let should have connected the dots.""
That was generous of him.
Painfully generous.
My face burned.
Daniel gestured toward the head table.
"Come on, Mr. Hayes. At least let me get you a drink. You're the guest of honor now.""
"That's unnecessary.""
"Please. You've done enough for me. Let me do one thing for you.""
Ethan considered him, then nodded.
"One drink.""
Daniel turned to me.
"Sweetheart, could you ask the staff to bring another glass? I want to introduce me do one thing for you.""
Ethan considered him, then nodded.
"One drink.""
Daniel turned to me.
"Sweetheart, could you ask the staff to bring another glass? I want to introduce him to my father.""
Sweetheart.
The word made my stomach twist.
"Of course," I said.
Daniel hurried away before noticing that I looked as though I might faint.
Ethan stayed.
For several seconds, neither of us spoke.
Then he slipped his hands into his pockets.
"That was quite a speech you gave me.""
I looked toward the nearest table.
"I was angry.""
"Because I came to your wedding?""
"Because you showed up without an invitation.""
"That's fair.""
His him to my father.""
Sweetheart.
The word made my stomach twist.
"Of course," I said.
Daniel hurried away before noticing that I looked as though I might faint.
Ethan stayed.
For several seconds, neither of us spoke.
Then he slipped his hands into his pockets.
"That was quite a speech you gave me.""
I looked toward the nearest table.
"I was angry.""
"Because I came to your wedding?""
"Because you showed up without an invitation.""
"That's fair.""
His agreement unsettled me.
I had prepared myself for anger. I could have handled anger.
I could have told him he had no right to judge me after everything that had happened between us.
Instead, he gave me nothing to fight against.
"You could have told me who you were," I whispered.
He raised an eyebrow.
"Would that have changed what you said?""
I agreement unsettled me.
I had prepared myself for anger. I could have handled anger.
I could have told him he had no right to judge me after everything that had happened between us.
Instead, he gave me nothing to fight against.
"You could have told me who you were," I whispered.
He raised an eyebrow.
"Would that have changed what you said?""
I opened my mouth.
Nothing came out.
"That's what I thought," he said.
"Ethan, I didn't know you were—"
"Wealthy?""
He said the word without a hint of pride.
I flinched.
"I didn't mean it like that.""
"Then how did you mean it?""
I glanced opened my mouth.
Nothing came out.
"That's what I thought," he said.
"Ethan, I didn't know you were—"
"Wealthy?""
He said the word without a hint of pride.
I flinched.
"I didn't mean it like that.""
"Then how did you mean it?""
I glanced around. People were beginning to notice us. A few guests were pretending to study their phones while listening to every word.
"Can we not do this here?""
"You're right. This is your wedding.""
He took a step back, giving me room.
For some reason, that courtesy felt like another accusation.
I folded my hands to stop them trembling around. People were beginning to notice us. A few guests were pretending to study their phones while listening to every word.
"Can we not do this here?""
"You're right. This is your wedding.""
He took a step back, giving me room.
For some reason, that courtesy felt like another accusation.
I folded my hands to stop them trembling.
"When we broke up, you had nothing. You were drowning in debt. You couldn't keep your company alive. I thought you'd disappeared because you'd failed.""
"I had failed," he replied.
The directness startled me.
"What?""
"My first company failed..
"When we broke up, you had nothing. You were drowning in debt. You couldn't keep your company alive. I thought you'd disappeared because you'd failed.""
"I had failed," he replied.
The directness startled me.
"What?""
"My first company failed. I made mistakes. I lost money.
People who trusted me lost money, too."" He paused.
"I wasn't the man I wanted to be when you left.""
For an instant, I saw the young man sitting at our kitchen table, rubbing his exhausted eyes while I asked him when our life would finally begin.
I swallowed.
"But you built something else.""
"Eventually.""
"Why didn't you ever tell me?""
His expression changed.
"Vanessa, you ended our relationship five years ago. Did you expect me to send you quarterly business updates?""
"No.""
"Then there's your answer.""
I hated how reasonable he sounded.
I hated that he wasn't rubbing his success I made mistakes. I lost money. People who trusted me lost money, too."" He paused.
"I wasn't the man I wanted to be when you left.""
For an instant, I saw the young man sitting at our kitchen table, rubbing his exhausted eyes while I asked him when our life would finally begin.
I swallowed.
"But you built something else.""
"Eventually.""
"Why didn't you ever tell me?""
His expression changed.
"Vanessa, you ended our relationship five years ago. Did you expect me to send you quarterly business updates?""
"No.""
"Then there's your answer.""
I hated how reasonable he sounded.
I hated that he wasn't rubbing his success in my face.
Most of all, I hated that the man I'd spent years remembering as a failure had managed to become someone I couldn't dismiss with a careless insult.
I looked at his suit again.
It was well tailored, but not flashy. His watch was understated. He didn't wear a gold chain or a giant ring. There was no obvious display of wealth, nothing to suggest that he needed strangers to know what he was worth.
He had nothing in my face.
Most of all, I hated that the man I'd spent years remembering as a failure had managed to become someone I couldn't dismiss with a careless insult.
I looked at his suit again.
It was well tailored, but not flashy. His watch was understated. He didn't wear a gold chain or a giant ring. There was no obvious display of wealth, nothing to suggest that he needed strangers to know what he was worth.
He had nothing to prove.
I suddenly understood how much that frightened me.
Because I had spent years proving myself.
Every promotion, every expensive dinner, every picture of our apartment with its carefully arranged furniture had become a silent answer to the same question.
Had I made the right choice?
I had believed I was successful because I had escaped the life I once shared with Ethan.
Now he was standing in front of me, looking as though my judgment to prove.
I suddenly understood how much that frightened me.
Because I had spent years proving myself.
Every promotion, every expensive dinner, every picture of our apartment with its carefully arranged furniture had become a silent answer to the same question.
Had I made the right choice?
I had believed I was successful because I had escaped the life I once shared with Ethan.
Now he was standing in front of me, looking as though my judgment meant less to him than the weather.
"Mr. Hayes!""
A man's voice interrupted us.
Daniel's father approached, meant less to him than the weather.
"Mr. Hayes!""
A man's voice interrupted us.
Daniel's father approached, holding a glass of champagne.
"Daniel tells me you're his employer. I hope he's been holding a glass of champagne.
"Daniel tells me you're his employer. I hope he's been behaving himself.""
Ethan smiled.
"He's been doing excellent work, actually.""
Mr. Reed beamed.
"That's wonderful. He's always been ambitious.""
behaving himself.""
Ethan smiled.
"He's been doing excellent work, actually.""
Mr. Reed beamed.
"That's wonderful. He's always been ambitious.""
"I can see where he gets it.""
The two men shook hands.
I stood beside them, silent, while Ethan became the center of attention.
Within minutes, three of Daniel's colleagues had gathered around him. They asked about a recent acquisition, a new office in London, and rumors about Aurelian's next expansion.
Ethan answered without looking at me.