PART 3
She hugged me.
Actually hugged me.
The woman sleeping with my husband hugged me while my unborn daughter kicked inside me.
I hugged her back.
Long enough for Adrian to realize there was absolutely no misunderstanding.
I knew.
Everything.
When we pulled apart, I noticed the expensive perfume again.
It smelled vaguely familiar.
Then I remembered.
Adrian’s jackets had started smelling exactly like that six months earlier.
Interesting.
“So,” I said cheerfully, “let me introduce you to everyone.”
She smiled.
“I’d love that.”
“Oh, I insist.”
The room buzzed with conversations.
My cousins.
My college friends.
My parents.
Adrian’s coworkers.
Neighbors.
My aunts.
Nearly sixty people.
Exactly the audience I’d hoped for.
I led Rachel straight toward the front table.
“Rachel, this is my mother.”
My mom, Elena, shook her hand politely.
“So nice to meet one of Adrian’s coworkers.”
Rachel smiled.
“You too.”
“And this,” I continued, “is my mother-in-law.”
Teresa stood up immediately.
“My son’s always talking about work these days.”
Rachel laughed.
“He works very hard.”
“Oh, I know.”
Teresa patted Rachel’s arm affectionately.
“It’s nice that someone at the office appreciates him.”
Rachel looked slightly uncomfortable.
Probably because Teresa’s compliment sounded oddly personal.
Good.
I pulled out a chair.
“Rachel, why don’t you sit here?”
She glanced at the place card.
Right between Teresa…
…and Lauren.
Rachel didn’t know Lauren was coming.
She smiled.
“Perfect.”
She sat down.
Seconds later…
Lauren Menchaca walked through the door.
She wasn’t wearing a business suit.
Instead, she’d chosen a simple navy-blue dress.
Elegant.
Professional.
Completely unsuspecting.
Until Rachel looked up.
The color disappeared from Rachel’s face.
“Lauren?”
Lauren smiled pleasantly.
“Rachel.”
“You came?”
“I was invited.”
Rachel looked confused.
“You know Camila?”
Lauren’s smile never changed.
“We became acquainted recently.”
She sat down beside Rachel.
“I’m looking forward to today’s surprises.”
Rachel laughed nervously.
“So am I.”
No.
She wasn’t.
Not anymore.
Across the room, Adrian hurried toward me.
His voice was barely above a whisper.
“What is she doing here?”
I blinked innocently.
“Who?”
“Rachel.”
“Oh.”
I smiled sweetly.
“She’s your coworker.”
“I invited several people from your office.”
His eyes darted toward Rachel.
Then toward Lauren.
Then back to me.
“Camila…”
“Yes?”
“We need to talk.”
“We are talking.”
“Privately.”
I tilted my head.
“Why?”
He swallowed.
“I just…”
“What?”
“…don’t think it’s appropriate.”
I leaned closer.
“You didn’t think it was inappropriate to sleep with her.”
His entire body froze.
For a second…
I thought he might actually faint.
“What…”
“I know.”
Three words.
Quietly spoken.
They hit him harder than any scream ever could.
His lips parted.
“I can explain.”
I smiled.
“No.”
“You can listen.”
My cousin Mariana appeared beside us carrying two glasses of sparkling water.
“Oh, there you are.”
She looked between us dramatically.
“Am I interrupting?”
“No,” I said.
“Perfect timing.”
She handed Adrian a glass.
“You look dehydrated.”
He ignored it.
“Camila—”
I raised one finger.
“Not now.”
Guests were beginning to gather.
It was time for games.
Time for presents.
Time for cake.
Time…
For my speech.
The afternoon unfolded almost normally.
Almost.
Everyone played the ridiculous guessing games.
People measured pieces of string around my belly.
Someone guessed the baby’s birth date.
Children chased balloons across the room.
Rachel laughed politely.
Teresa bragged about becoming a grandmother.
Adrian barely spoke.
He kept checking his phone.
He kept glancing at Rachel.
He kept trying to catch my eye.
I ignored every attempt.
The longer he waited…
The worse his imagination became.
Good.
Let him wonder.
Finally, my mother clinked a spoon against a champagne flute.
“Everyone!”
The room quieted.
“It’s almost cake time.”
Applause filled the room.
Then my mom smiled at me.
“Before dessert, the mother-to-be wanted to say a few words.”
Exactly.
I slowly stood.
Mariana discreetly wheeled a small easel toward the front of the room.
Covered by a lavender cloth.
No one noticed.
Not yet.
I picked up the microphone.
“Thank you all for coming.”
Smiles.
Cheers.
Camera phones.
“So many of you traveled to celebrate our daughter.”
More applause.
“I’ve spent the last seven months learning something.”
I rested a hand on my belly.
“People always say pregnancy shows you who truly loves you.”
Several women nodded.
“They’re right.”
I smiled at Adrian.
He looked physically ill.
“Because during pregnancy…”
“…you discover who supports you.”
I looked toward my parents.
“My family has.”
My mother wiped away a tear.
“You discover who protects you.”
I looked toward Mariana.
She grinned.
“And unfortunately…”
My smile faded.
“…you also discover who betrays you.”
Silence.
Complete silence.
Adrian whispered,
“Camila…”
I ignored him.
“When I planned this baby shower…”
“…I wanted everyone important in my daughter’s future to be here.”
Rachel shifted uncomfortably.
“I wanted the people who truly care about family.”
Lauren folded her hands calmly.
“And…”
I looked directly at Rachel.
“…I wanted everyone to finally meet.”
Rachel frowned.
“I’m sorry?”
I reached for the lavender cloth covering the easel.
Adrian took one desperate step forward.
“Don’t.”
His voice cracked.
“Please.”
I looked at him.
“You had six months to stop this.”
Then I pulled the cloth away.
Mounted on the easel…
Was a large collage.
Printed screenshots.
Text messages.
Hotel reservations.
Heart emojis.
“I love you.”
“I can’t wait until she’s out of the picture.”
“We’ll finally be together.”
Every message.
Every lie.
Every promise.
Enlarged.
Readable.
Impossible to deny.
A collective gasp swept across the room.
Someone dropped a fork.
The sound echoed through the silent hall.
Rachel stared at the board.
Then at Adrian.
Then at me.
Finally, she whispered one trembling sentence.
“You… knew?”
Rachel’s voice barely rose above a whisper.
“You… knew?”
I looked at her steadily.
“For two weeks.”
The room was silent enough that I could hear the air conditioner humming.
Someone’s toddler laughed in another part of the venue, completely unaware that three adults’ lives were collapsing.
Rachel looked back at Adrian.
Her eyes searched his face.
“You told her?”
He couldn’t answer.
Because he hadn’t.
I had found out all on my own.
“No,” I said. “He didn’t.”
Rachel slowly stepped away from the table.
Her hands began shaking.
“You told me…”
She looked at Adrian.
“…you said your marriage was over.”
No response.
“You told me you were only staying because of the pregnancy.”
Still nothing.
“You said you slept in separate bedrooms.”
Adrian closed his eyes.
“Rachel…”
“No!”
Her voice echoed through the room.
“You promised me you were filing for divorce.”
Every guest was staring now.
Teresa looked from Rachel…
…to Adrian…
…to the giant board of screenshots.
Her face had gone completely pale.
“What is she talking about?”
Nobody answered.
Instead, I picked up another folder.
The same pink folder with teddy bear stickers.
“I think it’s time everyone heard the whole story.”
I opened the folder and removed several printed photographs.
“These were taken during Adrian’s ‘business trip’ to the Hamptons.”
I handed them to my father.
He looked.
His jaw tightened.
Then he silently passed them to Teresa.
Her hands trembled.
The photographs showed Adrian and Rachel walking hand in hand along a beach.
Another showed them kissing outside a hotel.
The date stamp was impossible to miss.
It was the same weekend Adrian had called me from his hotel room.
“I miss you,” he’d said over the phone.
“I wish you were here.”
I’d believed him.
Teresa covered her mouth.
“Oh… my God.”
Rachel was crying now.
Not dramatically.
Quietly.
Confused.
She looked at me.
“I didn’t know.”
I met her eyes.
“I know.”
She blinked.
“What?”
“I said… I know.”
She looked stunned.
“You knew I didn’t know?”
“I read every message.”
I reached into the folder again.
“There were hundreds.”
I held up another page.
“This one.”
I read aloud.
“‘Rachel, I’m practically divorced already. Camila only stays because she doesn’t want to be alone during the pregnancy.’”
I lowered the page.
“Interesting.”
I smiled sadly.
“Because I certainly don’t remember that conversation.”
Several people exchanged uncomfortable looks.
Rachel’s breathing became uneven.
“He told me…”
She looked at everyone in the room.
“…he said they hadn’t loved each other for years.”
I nodded.
“He also told me he was working late.”
I looked at Adrian.
“So apparently lying is one of your strongest skills.”
Lauren finally stood.
Her expression remained calm.
Professional.
But firm.
“As Regional Director,” she began, “I generally don’t involve myself in employees’ personal relationships.”
She paused.
“However…”
She looked toward Adrian.
“…this ceased being personal when company resources were repeatedly used to facilitate the affair.”
She turned toward the guests.
“For those wondering…”
She held up a thin file.
“Both employees submitted expense reports claiming business meetings that never occurred.”
She looked back at Rachel.
“The hotel in the Hamptons.”
Rachel frowned.
“I paid for that.”
Lauren nodded.
“You paid for your room.”
She turned another page.
“The company paid for his.”
A murmur spread through the room.
Lauren continued.
“Company vehicles.”
“Company travel.”
“Company time.”
She closed the folder.
“Our Human Resources department has completed its investigation.”
Adrian looked up sharply.