AFTERNOON - FUNDRAISING EVENT
Crystal light from the chandelier reflected gleams in the five-star hotel ballroom. Elara, or Davina to her socialite circle, stood in the middle of the crowd with a perfect smile trained over years. Her gold dress complemented the pearl necklace David gave her on their fifth wedding anniversary.
"Davina, your events are always successful," Sofia praised while leaning on Elara's shoulder.
"That's thanks to all of you," replied Elara, her eyes scanning the room. Suddenly, her breath caught. Across the room stood Kael in a simple suit contrasting with the surrounding luxury.
"What is he doing here?" murmured Elara.
Sofia followed her gaze. "Oh, I invited him. I thought his foundation could be a partner for the children's project in remote areas."
Before Elara could protest, Kael had approached. "Elara, sorry to surprise you. Sofia invited me."
"You should have told me," whispered Elara, keeping her smile in place.
"And you would have said no," Kael replied softly. "I just wanted to discuss this project. Nothing more."
But Elara could feel the glances starting to turn toward them. In the socialite world, every interaction was material for analysis.
GOSSIP AND DEFENSE
During lunch, Elara sat at the main table with Sofia and several prominent socialites. At the next table, a group of women in expensive dresses whispered, occasionally glancing toward Elara.
"...heard David Yang is really angry because his wife still meets her ex-boyfriend..."
"...they say they've been sleeping separately for a month..."
"...it's just money that keeps Davina staying..."
Sofia, who overheard the whispers, immediately stood up. "Ladies, if you want to know about my married life, I can tell you directly. But Davina's life isn't for your entertainment."
Elara took a deep breath. "Enough, Sof. Let it be."
But one woman at the next table, Diana who was known for her sharp tongue, confronted Elara directly. "Davina, what a coincidence your husband is working with your ex-boyfriend. Isn't that... dangerous?"
The ballroom suddenly fell silent. All eyes turned to Elara.
With a calmness that surprised even herself, Elara stood up. "Diana, if you're so interested in my married life, maybe you should evaluate your own empty life that you have to meddle in other people's affairs."
Spontaneous applause broke out from several guests. Diana turned red and left the room.
But that small victory tasted bitter. Because behind her courage, Elara knew there was truth in the gossip—her marriage was indeed in trouble.
MEETING WITH KAEL
After the event, Kael waited for her in the lobby. "I'm sorry. I didn't expect my presence to cause problems."
"It's not your fault," Elara replied tiredly. "This world is full of people who enjoy seeing others fall."
They sat in the hotel café. That's when, without them realizing it, someone took a photo from behind the ornamental plants. The angle was perfect—as if they were having a secret meeting, even though they were sitting in a public area with a polite distance.
"David still doesn't know about our meeting yesterday?" asked Kael.
Elara shook her head. "He'd misunderstand. Like everyone else."
"But lying makes it worse, Elara. You know that."
Tears welled in Elara's eyes. "I'm tired, Kael. I'm tired of having to choose between being the perfect Davina or the happy Elara. I'm tired of all this performance."
Kael wanted to hold her hand but reconsidered. "You have to talk to him. Before it's too late."
BACK TO TONIGHT - AFTER THE ARGUMENT
Back at the penthouse, Elara, locked in the room, heard David's phone call in the living room. His voice was low, unclear. But what made her sit up straight was when David mentioned the name "Natasha."
Who was Natasha?
With a pounding heart, Elara opened her phone. A quick internet search for "Natasha" and "David Yang" yielded no results. But her feminine instinct screamed that something was wrong.
Suddenly, a message came from Sofia: "Elara, did you see the news? There's a photo of you with Kael on all news portals. The caption... not good."
With trembling hands, Elara opened the link Sofia sent. The photo from the hotel café that afternoon adorned the main page of an entertainment portal. The caption: "Davina and Ex-Boyfriend: Secret Meeting Amid Charity Event?"
But what made her blood boil more was the second photo in the article—a photo of David having dinner with a beautiful long-haired woman. Caption: "David Yang and Natasha Lim: Business or Romance?"
Two photos side by side. Two stories. One narrative: their marriage was crumbling.
Elara stared at the photo of the woman next to David. Natasha. The woman who called David tonight. The woman now smiling sweetly in a photo with her husband.
From behind the door, Elara heard David answering the phone again. This time his voice was clear: "Yes, Natasha. I agree. Meet tomorrow at eight in the morning."
The phone in Elara's hand fell to the thick carpet. The tears she had been holding back now flowed freely. Outside, the rain still fell. And inside the luxurious penthouse, two people stood side by side but separated by more than just a door—separated by secrets, distrust, and shadows of a past that never truly left.
As dawn approached, Elara was still awake. She stood before the window, watching the city slowly wake up. On her desk were two plane tickets to Bali—David's surprise gift for their wedding anniversary next month.
But now, Elara wondered: would they still be together when those tickets were valid? Or were the photos in last night's news the beginning of the end of their marriage?
From behind the door, David was also awake. In his hand, his phone still displayed the photo of Elara and Kael. In his mind, Natasha's voice promising "important information" about Elara.
And between them, Alisha dreamed of her parents smiling together—a dream that was becoming less and less a reality.