Chapter 16 - The Gala on Fifth AvenueExactly one year after the day my fork had slipped onto the dining table and David had lied about his Tokyo assignment, Hayes Global Ventures hosted its inaugural annual charity gala at the grand ballroom of The Plaza Hotel—the very same hotel where David’s black card had bounced off the terminal while he stood with his mistress.
The ballroom was breathtaking, adorned with cascading white orchids, glittering crystal chandeliers, and hundreds of Manhattan’s elite, tech pioneers, and venture capitalists sipping champagne under the amber glow of chandeliers.
I stood near the grand staircase, wearing a custom-tailored midnight-blue velvet gown that shimmered under the lights. My hair was swept up in an elegant, modern twist, and my posture was absolute, unyielding grace.
As I raised a flute of vintage champagne to toast our milestone anniversary, a familiar face parted the crowd near the doorway.
It was Chloe, David’s former mistress. She looked thinner, her designer dress looking like a season out of style, her eyes darting nervously around the room as if she expected federal marshals to jump out from behind the pillars. When her eyes locked onto mine across the crowded ballroom, she froze like a deer caught in headlights.
May you like
I didn’t scowl. I didn’t look away with disgust. Instead, I raised my champagne glass toward her in a slow, polite, mocking salute.
Chloe swallowed hard, turned on her heel, and scurried out the heavy oak doors into the Manhattan night, vanishing into obscurity just like the men who had tried to build their lives on my foundation.
Related Stories
