PART 2: The Woman at the Head of the Table
Daniel stopped so abruptly that Victoria nearly walked into him.
“Emily?” he muttered.
I continued speaking with the restaurant’s general manager, barely acknowledging his presence.
Victoria followed his gaze. “You know her?”
“My ex-wife,” Daniel replied quickly. “She probably works here or knows someone.”
I heard him, but I didn’t react.
A moment later, the hotel director approached my table.
“Good evening, Ms. Bennett. Your private dining room is ready, and the investors have arrived.”
Daniel’s face changed.
“Ms. Bennett?” Victoria repeated, suddenly interested.
The director smiled. “Our guest is the founder of Everleigh Solutions. Her company recently secured three major international contracts.”
Victoria’s expression stiffened.
Everleigh Solutions was the technology company she had been trying to partner with for months.
Daniel stared at me as if I had become a stranger.
“Emily, what’s going on?”
I finally looked at him.
“I’m having dinner.”
He laughed nervously. “Stop playing games. You were never a businesswoman.”
“No,” I replied calmly. “I was your wife. You simply never cared enough to discover who I was.”
Victoria pulled Daniel aside.
“You told me she was unemployed.”
“She was,” he insisted. “She stayed home while I built my career.”
I nearly laughed.
I had spent years reviewing his proposals, correcting his financial forecasts, and introducing him to contacts who later became his clients.
But I had never demanded recognition.
Daniel had mistaken my silence for weakness.
Before I could return to my meeting, Victoria approached me with a polished smile.
“Emily, perhaps we could discuss a partnership. Everleigh would be an excellent fit for my company.”
I studied her for a moment.
“Business discussions require honesty and trust, Ms. Hayes. I don’t make decisions based on appearances.”
Her smile faltered.
Daniel stepped forward. “Come on, Emily. We can talk privately. Whatever happened between us doesn’t have to affect business.”
I stood.
“You made it personal when you told me I wasn’t good enough to stand beside you.”
Then I walked into the private dining room.
Behind me, Daniel remained frozen in the middle of the restaurant, watching the woman he had discarded enter a room he could never have afforded to enter on his own.
But the greatest shock of the evening was still waiting for him.
