Once the Forgotten Wife, Now His Biggest Regret

The words hit me like a bucket of ice water. Every muscle in my body locked, and I froze for a while.

Around us, the chatter gradually died down as hundreds of heads turned in my direction. The reporters who had been bombarding Jessica and Lucas with questions immediately shifted their attention toward me, almost as if they had sensed a new source of drama.

With my heart still pounding loudly against my chest, I slowly turned back toward the stage. My gaze fell on Jessica, who was standing on the stage with a microphone in her hand. A smile rested on her face, and suddenly, that knot in my stomach tightened once again.

I knew it, I knew there was more to it.

This was the reason they were so desperate to get Rhys and me to show up here tonight. This was the reason they had made absolutely certain I couldn’t avoid this gala.

My jaw clenched.

Beside me, Rhys’ grip on my wrist tightened almost imperceptibly, and a muscle twitched in his jaw.

Despite the anger that was pulsing through the veins beneath my skin right this second, I relaxed my posture and forced my lips into a polite smile. I couldn’t lose control and lash out in front of hundreds of guests here, especially not with cameras stuck at my face and reporters around. I was certain they couldn’t wait to spin this story and let it spiral out of control, all in the name of news.

"I would love to be up there with everyone, but there is something urgent at work, and I am afraid that Rhys and I have to take our leave now," I explained, giving the most PR answer I could come up with.

For a brief moment, silence hung over the ballroom, and the air crackled with unspoken tension.

The smile on Jessica’s face faltered as she shifted awkwardly on her feet. Clearly, that wasn’t the answer she had been expecting. She hadn’t expected me to turn her down in front of everyone present here.

A ripple of disappointment seemed to pass through some of the reporters as well. They had probably been hoping for a dramatic confrontation, tears, shouting, maybe even a public argument.

Unfortunately for them, I had no intention of giving them the spectacle they wanted. Instead, I slipped my hand around Rhys’ arm and offered the crowd another polite smile. "Congratulations again to the happy couple." I inclined my head toward Jessica and Lucas. "I wish you both all the best."

Jessica’s expression stiffened, and so did the rest of them standing on stage while the reporters exchanged confused glances. Murmurs erupted from the crowd once again.

"Actually—" Jessica’s voice rang out before I could take another step.

I stopped. Slowly, I looked back at the stage. Her smile had returned, though now it looked strained around the edges.

"Before you leave, Evelyn, there is something I would like to say," she started as she carefully descended the steps from the stage.

Her eyes remained on me, a knowing look glinting in them as she approached me. It didn’t take long for her to close the distance between us, and soon, she was already standing before us. She brought the microphone closer to her lips, her eyes shimmered suspiciously beneath the lights.

"I just want to thank you for trusting Lucas and me with the Hart Group. I am truly honoured to be taking over as the CFO. With Lucas by my side, I promise to take Hart Group to greater heights. You don’t have to worry at all."

I almost laughed out loud at the audacity of this woman. But I kept it to myself, bringing my lips into a smile.

She lowered her gaze, as if she had been ashamed of something. "I know things haven’t always been easy between us."

A collective murmur swept through the room.

I nearly rolled my eyes.

Here we go.

"But despite everything..." Her voice trembled. "You’re still my sister."

The crowd visibly softened. Several guests exchanged sympathetic looks.

"I know you don’t approve of my relationship with Lucas." The room became even quieter. I was certain you could hear a pin drop if you tried. "And I know you were hurt when we got together."

Every eye in the ballroom immediately snapped toward me, but my expression remained perfectly neutral.

Meanwhile, Jessica sniffled. "I never wanted things to happen this way. I admit that what we did was very wrong, and I am not asking for your forgiveness." A tear slid down her cheek, it was the perfect performance. "But love isn’t something we can control. And we truly love each other."

Jessica dabbed at her eyes. "I never meant to hurt you. I swear."

My lips twitched slightly, but the smile remained on my face the entire time. I kept my eyes on her, and my voice remained steady when I spoke. I was not planning on giving her what she wanted.

"I know," I finally said, and watched as her eyes widened, surprise flashed across her features for a brief second. She opened her mouth to speak, but I beat her to it. "I know you would never want to hurt me."

"What?" She muttered under her breath, disbelief written all over her face. Her little plan was going the way she wanted, obviously.

My eyes flickered over to the stage where my father and Lucas stood. Lucas had this look in his eyes, he was in on this too, just as I had expected.

I stepped forward, mustering a smile as sincere as I could for the cameras. "I forgive you and Lucas," the words spilled out of my lips as I lifted my head to look at Rhys, who had been by my side the whole time. "I also understand what love is, and I won’t be the one stopping you from finding your own true love as I found mine."

Warmth spread inside my chest as Rhys’ eyes locked onto mine, and I watched the way the smile slowly spread across his face, emotions running wild.

I turned back to face a flustered Jessica. "So, I truly am happy for you and Lucas. Congratulations on your engagement."

But as I turned to leave for the second time, her fingers latched onto me. And before I knew it, a yelp escaped her lips as she fell onto the ground.

"Ahh!"