Chapter 4: A Wife's Place
1223 Words
The headlines were everywhere.
BILLIONAIRE CEO ADRIAN KINGSLEY REUNITES WITH HIS FIRST LOVE.
THE WOMAN BESIDE HIM ISN'T HIS WIFE.
IS THE KINGSLEY MARRIAGE ON THE BRINK OF COLLAPSE?
Vivian stared at the front page of the newspaper lying on the breakfast table.
The photograph occupied nearly half the page.
Adrian and Sophia stood side by side on the stage, smiling politely as they presented a donation cheque. Under the bright lights, they looked every bit like the glamorous power couple the media had always wanted.
Vivian wasn't in a single picture.
Not one.
She folded the newspaper carefully and set it aside before pouring herself a cup of coffee.
"Mrs. Kingsley..."
Martha entered the dining room with an apologetic expression.
"I'm sorry."
Vivian looked up.
"For what?"
"The staff were reading the news this morning."
She smiled faintly.
"They have every right to."
"It's unfair."
"No," Vivian replied quietly. "It's believable."
That was what hurt the most.
The newspapers hadn't fabricated the photographs.
They had simply captured what everyone had seen.
Adrian standing beside Sophia.
His wife standing alone.
The sound of polished shoes echoed through the hallway.
A moment later, Adrian entered the dining room, dressed in a navy suit with his briefcase in one hand.
He looked tired.
His eyes met Vivian's for only a second before dropping to the newspaper on the table.
"I saw the headlines."
Vivian stirred her coffee without looking at him.
"They're hard to miss."
"The media enjoys creating stories."
She let out a quiet laugh.
"They didn't create the photographs."
Adrian sighed.
"I can't control what reporters write."
"No."
She finally looked at him.
"But you can control where you stand."
Silence settled between them.
Martha quietly dismissed the other staff before slipping out herself, leaving husband and wife alone.
Adrian walked to the table.
"I should have handled last night better."
"You've said that before."
"I'm saying it again."
Vivian smiled sadly.
"An apology only matters if something changes afterward."
Before Adrian could respond, his phone vibrated.
He glanced at the screen.
Sophia.
Vivian noticed the name immediately.
"You should answer it."
"It's not urgent."
As if proving her wrong, the phone rang again.
And again.
Adrian frowned before finally answering.
"Sophia?"
Vivian lowered her eyes, pretending to focus on her breakfast.
She could hear only fragments of the conversation.
"...Slow down."
"...What happened?"
"...I'll be there."
He ended the call and picked up his car keys.
"Sophia's car was surrounded by reporters outside her hotel."
Vivian looked up.
"So?"
"They won't leave her alone."
"And?"
He hesitated.
"I'm going to help."
Vivian stared at him.
"You just got home."
"I know."
"You promised we'd have breakfast together after the gala."
"I'll make it up to you."
The words slipped out so naturally that Adrian barely noticed them.
Vivian did.
"You always say that."
He stepped closer.
"I mean it."
"When?"
He fell silent.
She gave him a tired smile.
"Go."
"Vivian..."
"They're waiting."
For a long moment, Adrian didn't move.
Then he nodded once.
"I won't be long."
The front door closed behind him.
Vivian remained seated.
The untouched breakfast suddenly tasted like ash.
---
Forty minutes later...
Sophia Bennett sat inside the lobby of the Grand Crescent Hotel, wearing sunglasses and a baseball cap in a failed attempt to avoid attention.
The moment Adrian walked through the revolving doors, relief washed over her face.
"I didn't know who else to call."
He glanced toward the entrance where photographers continued waiting outside.
"They'll get bored eventually."
Sophia laughed softly.
"You've forgotten what it's like."
"What?"
"Being watched."
She removed her sunglasses.
"They're not following me because I'm interesting."
"They're following me because I'm standing too close to you."
Adrian didn't respond.
Sophia studied him carefully.
"You've changed."
"So have you."
She smiled.
"I suppose life does that."
A waitress approached their table.
"Would you like to order?"
Adrian requested black coffee.
Sophia ordered tea.
Before either drink arrived, another flash of light came through the hotel windows.
A photographer had spotted them.
Sophia sighed.
"There goes another headline."
---
By noon, the photographs were already online.
ADRIAN KINGSLEY LEAVES HIS WIFE TO COMFORT SOPHIA BENNETT.
Comments flooded social media.
"They look so good together."
"Poor Mrs. Kingsley."
"Why is his wife always alone?"
"Just get divorced already."
---
Vivian sat inside her small office at Hart Design Studio, a place she hadn't visited in weeks.
Before marriage, interior design had been her dream.
She had built the studio with Emma straight out of university.
Then, after marrying Adrian, she gradually stepped away to fulfill the responsibilities expected of a Kingsley wife.
Emma looked up from her desk the moment Vivian walked in.
"You actually came."
Vivian smiled.
"I needed somewhere quiet."
Emma immediately noticed the sadness in her eyes.
"You saw the news."
Vivian nodded.
"I saw everything."
Emma walked over and hugged her tightly.
"You don't deserve this."
Vivian rested her forehead against her friend's shoulder.
"I keep asking myself what I'm doing wrong."
Emma pulled back just enough to look into her eyes.
"Nothing."
"Then why does it always feel like I'm competing with someone who's already won?"
Emma didn't answer.
Because she didn't have one.
Just then, Vivian's phone buzzed.
A message from Adrian.
I'm sorry about this morning. I'll be home early tonight. Let's have dinner together.
Vivian stared at the words for a long time.
Then she typed a simple reply.
Okay.
For the first time in days, a tiny spark of hope returned.
Maybe...
Just maybe...
Tonight would be different.
---
That evening, Vivian arrived home earlier than usual.
She changed into a soft blue dress Adrian had once said suited her.
She asked Martha to prepare dinner for two.
By seven o'clock, everything was ready.
At seven-thirty, Adrian still hadn't arrived.
At eight, Vivian called him.
No answer.
At eight-fifteen, the television interrupted its regular programming with another entertainment bulletin.
She looked up absentmindedly.
Then her heart sank.
Live footage showed Adrian escorting Sophia into a private charity auction.
They weren't holding hands.
But he was once again standing beside her.
Smiling politely for the cameras.
The anchor spoke excitedly.
"Mr. Kingsley made a surprise appearance tonight after sources reported he canceled personal plans to accompany Miss Sophia Bennett following today's media harassment."
Vivian slowly lowered the remote.
She didn't cry.
She didn't scream.
She simply looked at the empty chair across the dining table.
Once again...
Dinner for two had become dinner for one.
She picked up her phone.
This time, instead of calling Adrian...
She searched for the number of her family doctor.
When the receptionist answered, Vivian spoke so softly she almost didn't recognize her own voice.
"I've been feeling dizzy lately."
There was a pause.
"Can I make an appointment for tomorrow morning?"
The receptionist checked the schedule.
"Of course, Mrs. Kingsley. Dr. Lewis can see you at ten."
Vivian thanked her and ended the call.
She rested one hand unconsciously against her stomach.
For weeks, she'd ignored the fatigue.
The nausea.
The missed cycle.
She'd convinced herself it was simply stress.
Now...
She wasn't so sure.
Far across the city, Adrian had no idea that while he stood under bright lights beside another woman...
His wife was about to discover a secret that would change both of their lives forever.
- Writer
