My Ex Humiliated Me, Then I Became the Heiress He Lost to His Dad

Maris's POV

My boyfriend, Kellan, had been strange for two weeks, and for some reason, I'd made myself believe that it was a good sign.

Sometimes I'd catch him staring at rings online or taking calls in a hushed tone, other times he'd keep his phone face down as if he were hiding a secret. I hadn't said anything because, delusional as I am, I really didn't want to get my hopes up.

I was failing at pretending though. Standing in the ballroom that night, watching him climb the steps to the stage in the tux I'd helped him pick out, my brain did the math without my permission. Two weeks of strange behavior, an event this big, maybe he was really going to do it.

"He's going to do it," the woman beside me whispered to her husband. I didn't know her but it seemed everybody had guessed the same thing. It wasn't a secret that I was dating the son of a wealthy business tycoon.

I thought about the night he told me he loved me, two years ago, in his car outside my apartment, the engine was still running because neither of us wanted to be the one to end the conversation. I thought about how, when his father once asked what my five-year plan was, Kellan answered before I could — she's part of my five-year plan — and squeezed my hand under the table.

At that moment, my heart swelled so much, I almost stopped breathing.

Kellan tapped the microphone, causing the room to go quiet and pay attention.

"For the past year," he said, "I've been keeping something from almost everyone in my life. Something I care about more than anything."

"I've fallen in love," he said, "with someone incredible. Someone I want all of you to know."

I didn't know why he was trying to re-introduce me when everyone already knew who I was. But then, Kellan always loved putting on a show. I set my champagne on a passing waiter's tray, because I didn't trust my hand, then I stepped forward, already bracing for when he'd call me.

"Saskia," Kellan said. "Come up here, sweetheart."

For a full second my brain simply refused to work. I actually turned my head, looking for some other Saskia.

Then Saskia Vale walked out in a dress the exact shade of the flowers on our table, and Kellan crossed the stage and kissed her in front of everyone I had ever met at one of his family's parties.

As if they were shocked as well, the entire room made a collective gasp.

My mind felt foggy and cramped up at that moment. I refused to believe that this was actually happening. Then dozens of phones were suddenly filming me. I stood there holding nothing, because I'd already given my glass away, and I understood distantly, that I was one of the only people in the room not currently filming.

Kellan came down off the stage, Saskia's hand loosely in his. "Maris. I should have told you before tonight."

"Told me what," I said. My voice came out steadier than I expected. "That you've been seeing her for a year? Or that you were planning to tell three hundred people before you told me?"

"I didn't know how to bring it up."

"You just did. On a microphone."

He winced, like I was the one being unreasonable. Saskia stepped forward on her own, chin up.

"I know this is a lot," she said, loud enough for the people nearby, which told me exactly who the line was for. "But you had to know eventually. Kellan's been mine for almost a year. I think everyone here knew before you did."

I looked past her at the faces closest to us, and that was the moment that stunned me more. My best friend Priya was studying the floor like it was a rare gem and Kellan's cousin, Theo, was suddenly very interested in his drink.

They had all known. And I'd spent weeks thinking Kellan was going to propose.

"You've been a little clingy lately, if I'm honest," Saskia added. "It's sad, watching someone hold on that hard to something that's already over."

A few people laughed.

"Kellan," I said, because I still hadn't given up on him defending me. "Say something."

He looked at the floor. "I didn't want to hurt you."

"No. I think you didn't want to be inconvenienced."

"You were never really part of my world, Maris," he said, like lowering his voice made it kinder. "You already knew that too."

"That's interesting," I said, "considering how much time your world spent eating dinner at my table."

Nobody laughed at that one. A few people glanced at each other, confusion written on their faces.

I didn't wait for him to think of an answer. I turned and walked toward the doors, and the crowd stepped aside, everyone suddenly fascinated by their drinks. Someone said my name behind me. Someone said, "God, imagine finding out like that."

I kept walking.

The valet already had my car waiting. After I got in and finally shut the door, my hands started shaking. I wanted to cry so badly because I had been a fool.

My phone buzzed continuously with notifications.

Instead of scrolling through social media to know what they were saying, I opened a chat that I rarely ever used.

I typed Dad, deleted it, and tried again.

Me: Dad, I need you.

I looked at those words longer than I want to admit before I sent them. The reply came almost instantly, like he'd been holding his phone already.

Dad: Coming.

I put the phone face-down on the seat and watched the city go by, and somewhere behind me, in a ballroom full of people still filming, Kellan was almost certainly congratulating himself on how well that had gone.

He had no idea yet what he'd actually just done.