The Men In Diana Russo's Life

Tonight was a big night, she was going to tell Jordan about her pregnancy. Jordan had simply asked her to meet him for dinner, saying there were things they needed to discuss. She figured he wanted to ask her to marry him, especially since his career was finally taking off. After years of auditions, rejection letters, and roles so insignificant that his name barely appeared in the credits, he had landed a part in a major production from Sovereign Pictures. His big break. Diana still couldn't believe it, and maybe it's time to start a family. Her hand drifted instinctively to her stomach. Whatever happened, they would figure it out together. They always did. She grabbed her keys and shut the door behind her. ………… By seven o'clock, Diana was standing at the entrance of an upscale restaurant, smoothing her gown while a uniformed host approached her. "Good evening, ma'am," the host greeted her. "Do you have a reservation?" "Yes. Jordan Clarkson." The host checked the tablet in his hand. His fingers moved across the screen. Then he checked again. "I'm sorry, ma'am. I'm not seeing that name." Diana blinked. "Really? That's strange. He told me to meet him here at seven." "Perhaps the reservation was made under a different name?" "No, it should be under Jordan Clarkson." She gave a small, apologetic laugh. "Unless he's finally become so famous that he's started using an alias." The host offered a polite smile, though he clearly didn't understand the joke. "Unfortunately, I can't find anything under that name. We do have some tables available, but there may be a short wait." "Oh, that's fine. I'll wait." She wasn't bothered. Jordan was probably running late. He had been busy all week, and the last thing she wanted was to become another person demanding his time. The host led her to a small waiting area near the windows. Diana settled into a chair, placed her purse beside her, and ordered a glass of sparkling water while she waited. At seven fifteen, she checked her phone. Nothing. At seven thirty, she sent him a message. Where are you? No response. She took a sip of water and looked toward the entrance whenever it opened. At seven forty-five, she began to feel a little foolish sitting alone in a restaurant where nearly every other table was occupied by couples. At eight, she ordered a glass of wine. She wasn't going to drink much. She had a secret to tell, and she wanted to remember every second of his reaction. Besides, she had barely eaten, and the last thing she needed was to feel light-headed. She took one small sip and put the glass down as she picked up her phone to call Jordan. At this point she was more worried than furious. She swallowed the unpleasant knot forming in her throat. "Just a little longer," she whispered. At eight forty-five, she picked up her phone and opened her social media feed, hoping to distract herself. The first headline made her stop scrolling. SPARK RUSSO ENGAGED! SOVEREIGN PICTURES HEIRESS SAYS YES TO HOLLYWOOD'S NEWEST HEARTTHROB. Diana's eyebrows lifted. "Well, look at that." She leaned closer to the screen. She didn't know what it was about these Hollywood stars always marrying themselves, she was happy for her though. A photograph showed Spark Russo standing beside a handsome man in a black suit. Spark was the only daughter of Isaac Russo, the powerful movie producer behind Sovereign Pictures. Her family's wealth was practically legendary in Hollywood, and people often described her as one of the industry's most eligible heiresses. Diana had seen pictures of her before. In most of them, Spark looked so pale and impossibly thin that Diana sometimes wondered whether she had ever spent a day in the sun. "Poor girl," she murmured, scrolling through the article. "She looks like a very expensive mannequin." A smile tugged at her lips. Then her eyes moved to the man's face, and the smile on her face fell. For one absurd second, Diana convinced herself that the photograph had been mislabeled. There were plenty of handsome men in Hollywood. Plenty of dark-haired actors with familiar smiles and sharp jawlines. It couldn't be him, not her Jordan. She opened the article. The page loaded slowly, each second stretching into something unbearable. A video appeared beneath the headline, accompanied by a caption announcing that the engagement celebration was happening that very evening. Her head was spinning, how long had he been with her? How many times had Jordan kissed her goodbye before leaving to meet Spark? How many times had he held Diana in his arms, told her he loved her, and then gone off to lie beside another woman? She had been waiting for nearly two hours. While she sat alone in a restaurant, worrying that something might have happened to him, he had been standing elsewhere celebrating his engagement to another woman. "No," she whispered. She had believed that once he succeeded, they would finally live their dreams, especially since she's been the one taking care of him for over two years since they got to Los Angeles. She had come here intending to tell him that he was going to be a father. A bitter, almost hysterical laugh rose in her throat. What would she have said if she had reached him before the announcement? Would he have smiled? Would he have pretended to be happy while secretly calculating how a child might complicate his new life? She grabbed her purse and stood so abruptly that her chair scraped against the floor. She pulled a few notes from her purse and placed them on the table, more than enough to cover her drink. Then she hurried toward the exit as she memorized the hotel where the engagement was taking place, and it was a thirty minutes drive from the restaurant Jordan picked. She needed to look him in the eye and know that the man she loved was capable of doing this to her. ………….. As she stepped inside the hall, Diana could feel her head spinning. Everyone in the room looked genuinely happy for the new couple and this was no surprise. Nobody knew she existed. She scanned the room, taking in every detail until her eyes fell on the couple of the moment. They looked so happy, her legs were shaking so bad she had to grab a table before she fell over. Jordan turned, and his eyes met hers. The smile vanished from his face. There it was. Not guilt, not remorse but pure shock. As if he couldn't believe she had dared to appear in the middle of the life he had chosen without her. Diana looked at him for another second, taking in the perfect suit, the expensive watch, and the hand he still had resting against Spark's back. Then she turned and walked away, she was almost halfway through the hall when she heard his voice. "Diana!" She didn't stop. "Diana, wait!" The sound of his shoes striking the marble floor followed her into the corridor. She kept walking, refusing to give him the satisfaction of seeing her break. His fingers closed around her wrist. "Please. Just stop for a second." She pulled free. "Don't touch me you son of a bitch." He glanced toward the ballroom, his expression tightening as he noticed a passing guest looking in their direction. "Can we talk somewhere private?" Diana stared at him. A laugh escaped her, cold and disbelieving. "Private? You mean somewhere the cameras can't see you explaining why you got engaged to another woman while your fiancée waited for you at a restaurant?" His jaw tightened. "Keep your voice down." For a moment, she simply looked at him, it was then she saw that look in his eyes. The one she's seen before but had excused. "Diana, please. It's not what you think." "Really?" She tilted her head. "Then tell me what I'm supposed to think, Jordan. Because from where I'm standing, it looks very much like you invited me to dinner, left me waiting for two hours, and got engaged to Spark Russo instead." He dragged a hand through his hair. "I was going to tell you." "When? Before or after the wedding?" "Don't do this." "Don't do what?" Her voice trembled despite her efforts to control it. "Ask you why you betrayed me? Ask you why you couldn't even send me one message? Ask you why I had to find out from a news notification that the man I've spent years loving is promising himself to someone else, ditching me?" He looked away. "Spark is the reason I got the role," he muttered. "You know that. Isaac Russo has connections everywhere. He can make my career. This opportunity is bigger than anything I've ever had." Diana stared at him. "And that makes this acceptable?" "You don't understand how this industry works." "No, Jordan. I understand perfectly well. You wanted something, and you decided I was an acceptable sacrifice." His eyes flashed with irritation. "That's not fair. I've worked for years to get here. Years, Diana! You know what I've been through. You know how many times I've been rejected. I can't throw away everything I've worked for because you expect me to choose love over my future." Diana felt as if someone had reached into her chest and twisted her heart. She had to work tirelessly since they got here to take care of him. Jordan used her. “But I sacrificed myself, my time, my money for you.” She wiped the tear that dropped from her eyes. For the first time, Jordan looked genuinely uncomfortable. "I never asked you to sacrifice everything for me. You chose to help me. I appreciated that, but you can't hold it over my head forever." She stared at him in disbelief. “You know what, I'll pay you double everything you've spent.” “Go f**k yourself Jordan,” she turned and walked towards her car. “I'm so sorry,” he called out. “You will be, when I'm done with you.” She muttered under her breath.