3 Years Married, I Dumped My Cheater

I flipped the living room light switch with a snap. Two half-undressed people sprawled on the sofa were instantly thrown into harsh, unforgiving light. Aria Clark shrieked. Ethan Wright shot to his feet immediately, shoving her behind his back to shield her. "Mia, I'm sorry, we... we just drank too much!" he babbled. "I messed up when I was drunk. Don't blame Aria, okay?" he rushed on. I stared at the bright red lipstick stain blotted across his white shirt. I didn't say a word. He took two steps toward me, already opening his mouth to dig himself deeper. But I just curled the corners of my mouth into a smile. "It's fine. I don't mind," I said. I dodged the hand he reached out for me and walked straight toward the bedroom. "We still have that banquet tonight, right? I'm going to go change. You should tidy yourself up too," I added. Behind me, Ethan hesitated for a split second before answering. "Okay," he said. The second I clicked the bedroom door shut behind me, my eyes burned bright with unshed tears. I bit down so hard on my lower lip that it stung, holding the tears back before they could fall. When Ethan was still chasing me, he made me a vow. If he ever betrayed me, he would be drawn and quartered and die a brutal, miserable death. I'd clamped my hand over his mouth back then, telling him not to spit out such a vicious curse. Looking at it now... the curse was actually coming true. Because Ethan was born with a weakened immune system. AIDS would be a death sentence for him. I pulled myself together, changed my clothes, and headed to the banquet with Ethan. When we arrived at the venue, he leaned in and murmured softly. "I'm going to go say hello to Mr. Smith. Wait here for me, okay?" he said. The second he walked off, a group of people walked toward me with ill intent. "Which family are you from?" one of them asked. "Haven't seen you around here before." I smiled lightly. "I'm Ethan's wife," I said. The group exchanged knowing glances, then burst out laughing. "Ethan's wife? That can't be right," someone chimed in. "Isn't Aria?" One girl raked me up and down with her gaze, disgust oozing from every line of her face. "Don't tell me... you're the other woman he keeps on the side?" she said. I froze solid where I stood. So that's what that split second of hesitation had been about, back when we left the house. Out here, Aria was his official "wife"? I refused to stand here and let my name get dragged through the mud, so I opened my mouth to clear things up. "You've got it wrong, I..." I started. Before I could even finish my sentence, that girl snatched a glass of red wine off the table beside her and with a splash, flung the whole thing straight in my face. "No wonder Aria's been so upset lately," she yelled. "It's all because of you, you homewrecking slut!" Wine trickled sticky and cold down my hair, leaving a gross, clingy residue all over me. Ethan came rushing over at the commotion. "Mia! Are you okay?" he asked. The girl spotted him and lay into him even harder. "Way to go, Arthur!" she snapped. "Keep your real wife locked up at home, then drag your mistress out to a fancy party? Ain't that embarrassing as hell?" I turned my gaze straight to Ethan. "Ethan," I demanded, "don't you have anything to say for yourself?" He opened his mouth, but not a single word came out. I swiped the wine off my face and silently mocked myself in my head. Three years of marriage, and I'd never once seen the true face of the man I'd shared my bed and my life with. When he caught sight of how messed up I looked, a flicker of pained concern crossed his face. He pulled off his suit jacket and stepped forward to drape it over my shoulders. I furrowed my brow and stepped back half a step. "Don't touch me," I said. "I think you're dirty." With that, I pulled my own coat tighter around me and walked out of the banquet hall without a single glance back.