My body went still in the next second, and my blood ran cold.

Proof? What kind of proof do they have?

A sick feeling twisted in my stomach as panic clawed its way up my throat. Had someone discovered the truth? Did this mean my fake relationship with Rhys was about to be exposed in front of a thousand people?

I couldn’t let that happen.

Silence and tension swirled in the air between us like water and oil, they did not go well together. I could feel that it was all about to blow up in my face, and I wasn’t ready for it.

I watched the devious smiles on my family’s faces and the smug look etched onto my ex-husband’s face, looking positively delighted.

Every second that passed felt like a countdown to an explosion. And before I knew it, everyone was murmuring among themselves, their fingers all pointing at something behind Rhys and me.

It was soft at first, then it grew louder, filling the entire ballroom.

Slowly, with dread pooling inside my chest, I whipped my head around. The moment my eyes landed on the screen, my breath caught, and an ache found its way into my chest. My hand immediately flew to my mouth, though it didn’t stop the small gasp from escaping between my parted lips.

Splashed across the large screen behind us was a picture of Rhys and another blonde-haired woman. They were standing in what looked like the lobby of a luxury hotel.

My heart dropped straight to the pit of my stomach at the realisation.

The woman standing across from him looked beautiful.

Tall. Elegant. Blonde hair cascading over her shoulders in soft waves. She was smiling up at him while he looked down at her. The angle made them appear far too comfortable with one another, far too intimate.

They looked like a real couple, not like Rhys and me. We were fake, and I knew it all too well.

The room broke into chaos, accusations spreading through the crowd like wildfire, and my family seemed to take delight in them, satisfaction evident on their faces.

"Who is that?"

"I’ve never seen her before."

"Wait... isn’t Rhys dating Evelyn?"

"Then why is he at a hotel with another woman?"

"Is he cheating on her? Poor Evelyn."

The photograph changed before I could even process the new reality.

Another image appeared. This time, Rhys and the woman were walking side by side toward the elevators.

The crowd gasped.

Then came a third photograph.

The two of them entering the elevator together.

And then—

A fourth.

The elevator doors closing.

Each picture broke my heart even more than before. He wasn’t my boyfriend, but it still hurt to see him with another woman. My mind began to run wild, imagining all the worst possibilities.

What were they doing at the hotel together? Why were they so close?

I tried to shut those thoughts, but they seem to plague me no matter how hard I try.

"If Rhys and Evelyn were really in a relationship, why would he be at a hotel with another woman?" Lucas’s voice sliced through the chaos in my head. "Let me tell you why. It’s because they aren’t actually together!"

Jessica still put on a pitiful look as she stepped forward to address the crowd before us. "We didn’t want to do it this way, we didn’t want to make it so ugly between us family, but as you can see...my sister is willing to lie to all of you here just to get what she wants. And I can’t just stand here and let it happen."

She turned to face me this time, fake tears lined her eyes as our gazes met. "I’m sorry, Evelyn. The people need to know the truth."

My stepmother and father remained by Jessica’s side, like they always do.

"Only Jessica is sensible enough, unlike you," my father sneered, but his words had no effect on me anymore. "Instead of embarrassing yourself and the family, why couldn’t you be more like your sister?"

A humourless laughter left my lips. "Do you want me to ruin someone’s marriage by sleeping with her husband too?"

"You!"

"Don’t change the subject, Evelyn Hart," my father’s voice boomed. "You are the one lying to everyone here."

"Well, maybe she isn’t lying. Maybe..." Lucas drawled, his eyes glistening with a knowing look, and then a triumphant smile found its way to his lips. "Rhys had been cheating on her this whole time."

"Evelyn..." I heard Rhys’ voice among the murmurs of the crowd. His hand reached towards mine, but I jerked away immediately. The movement was sharp enough that several people nearby noticed, and a collective gasp swept through the crowd. "Listen to me, it’s not what it looks like."

I caught a glimpse of his face, the way his brows were furrowed, the way his eyes were filled with wild emotions I couldn’t read or understand. But I quickly looked away before he could see the tears that were starting to well up in my eyes.

Then something in me snapped. Putting aside my emotions, I started to make sense of what I was looking at. This had to be fake, there had to be a reason why they were there. Although our relationship wasn’t real, Rhys wouldn’t do this, right?

My heart was still loudly thudding against my chest, like it was going to burst out at any moment now.

"Trust me," I heard him, his voice low and vulnerable. And I chose to trust him this time. Just this time.

"How could you!" I cried out loud, my voice piercing through the tension lingering in the air as I looked at a shocked Rhys.

His dark eyes widened just a little, his lips agape as he stared at me in disbelief, like my words had rendered him speechless.

"Evelyn... what are you..."

Before he had the chance to finish his sentence, I raised my arm and slapped him right across his face in front of everyone.