THE CEO'S SECRET AFFAIRS

Chapter 0002: The Myth of a Perfect Marriage

The pain of embarrassment burned like wildfire through Valeria's chest, making her knuckles whiten as her grasp on her champagne glass tightened. Physically and emotionally, the gap between them had widened, but tonight it seemed to have expanded into an insurmountable abyss.

Valeria's thoughts spiralled as Camila's light, flirtatious voice began to chuckle. "Is it always like this?" she asked herself. Has my life become this?

There was no denying the reality. She was no longer required to support Lorenzo. Not like he once did. He stopped pursuing her love, attention, or approval. Surrounded by adoring women who listened to everything he said, he was too preoccupied with establishing an empire. For a long time, Valeria was merely an accessory and a mute observer of his rule.

She stepped back a little, her heels scarcely making a sound on the marble floor. She struggled to maintain her cool as the room began to revolve around her. She didn't want to let them or anybody else see how terrible it was. She had made a commitment to sustain this life, which she had chosen and constructed.

However, Valeria was unable to resist the oppressive pain in her chest as she saw Lorenzo staring at Camila with devotion evident in his eyes. Pretending it didn't matter and that she didn't mind the void in her marriage, she had previously been here, observing from the sidelines. Tonight, however, things were different.

She began to think about herself, a silent rage boiling beneath the surface. She felt like screaming. She desired to shake him. Do you not see me? She desired to enquire. Do you think I'm invisible?

In actuality, though, he did see her. He simply stopped caring.

The words, which had been gradually accumulating for years, were whispered inside her by a tiny voice. Why do I remain?

Her glass threatened to fall out of her fingers as her hands shook. To quiet the tempest inside, she placed it on a neighbouring table and forced herself to breathe. However, the storm persisted. The noise only got louder. As he muttered something to Camila, Lorenzo's head c****d slightly, his eyes never leaving her face. Valeria felt a chill run down her spine from a slight, persistent touch on her arm. She had been pushed out of the picture for a long time, and this was the last straw.

Camila was the future, and she was but a ghost in this world, a reminder of the past, a void in his life.

Valeria's throat tightened each breath. She blinked, attempting to contain the tears that threatened to spill. However, she couldn't and wouldn't let them go. Not in this place. Not in their presence.

As she left the crowd, her eyes focused on the ground, her mind racing. She was unable to conceal the weakness in her eyes from Lorenzo. She had to hide the pain from everyone.

This is not how it was intended to be. She didn't think her life would end like this.

She glanced at her image in the mirror across the room. Of course, she looked flawless. Lovely. Just the right amount of poise. She sensed the fissures, though, inside. She was suffocated by the pressure of their weight against her ribcage.

And Valeria suddenly realised something she had been too scared to acknowledge for far too long as the audience laughed and danced around her.

She was becoming less of herself.

Later that evening, the luxurious furnishings were softly shadowed by the sparkling city lights that came in through the penthouse windows. Despite the grandeur that filled the room, it felt too big and empty. The city was not visible to Valeria as she stood at the window and gazed out at the expansive skyline. She only saw the pictures that had been ingrained in her memory, the way Lorenzo had caressed Valeria's arm, the way he had made her feel small and unimportant, and the way he had smiled at Camila.

She felt cold, although the gala's warmth was still on her flesh. The quiet in the flat seemed louder than any noise she could think of, even though her hands were shaking and her pulse was beating too quickly.

Lorenzo had been late, and as he walked into the living room, his footsteps reverberated along the hallway. Despite hearing him, she didn't look back. Even though she had met him numerous times before, he felt unfamiliar to her tonight.

"I assumed you had already gone to bed," he said in a nice, informal tone. However, she could hear the tension that had developed between them, the edge in it.

Valeria said softly, with her back to him, "I couldn't sleep."

After a prolonged period of silence, she sensed his approach, his shadowy form looming behind her. She avoided looking at him, even though she could feel his gaze on her. She was unable to. Not when it seemed like a betrayal to her each time she did it.

"I apologise for what I did earlier," he stated in a quiet but unwarm voice. This particular apology wasn't truly an apology at all. The sort of apology he only offered when it was necessary, not out of genuine concern.

At last, Valeria looked up at him, her lips pinched into a thin line, her gaze steadfast. "Are you?"

Lorenzo hurriedly covered his eyes with a smile as they flickered. "You are aware of how these things proceed. I'm collaborating with Camila on a project. Everything is a part of the company.

Valeria's heartbeat accelerated, the rage that had been building within her now erupting. Is that all there is to it? Everything is just business between you and her. Always, it's just business.

Lorenzo moved in closer, and for a split second, something that nearly looked like guilt flashed in his eyes. However, it vanished just as swiftly as it had appeared. "You're thinking too much about this. She is crucial to the business. I require her.

With her heart pounding in her chest, Valeria stepped back. "Lorenzo, where does it leave me? What role do I play in your "business"?

His eyes strayed to the ground and he took a moment to respond. His voice was colder than she had ever heard it before, and he finally looked her in the eyes. "This is for the greater good, Valeria. The fact that you are still my wife will not change.

She swallowed hard, attempting to control the growing rage as the words hurt more than they should have. That's it, then. Do you want me to simply accept her and this?

His face was unreadable as he gazed at her for a long time. "It's not intimate. It never was.

Valeria was left standing there by herself as he turned and left the room.

Her breath was shallow and her hands trembled. Something else, something colder, something deeper, blazed inside her along with the rage. She was no longer merely upset. She was unique. something that had not happened to her in years.

She was prepared to escape.