Chapter One

 The vibrant light of the amusement park dazzled Alex as he stood near the entrance, a mixture of excitement and nervousness coursing through him.

He had meticulously saved every penny for months, planning the surprise for his wife on their anniversary. The entire amusement park was booked for this special occasion, a gesture of love he hoped would create lasting memories.

“What’s taking her so long?” he whispered to himself.

As minutes turned into an hour, Alex’s anticipation morphed into concern. His wife, Olivia, hadn’t arrived and his attempts to reach her went unanswered.

He dialed her number again, “Olivia, hon. Please pick the phone!” he yelled in his mind.

Anxiety gnawed at him as he dialed her number once more, the bright lights contrasting with the turmoil in his mind.

He kept pacing around. So many things were running through his mind. 

“Hey, dude! Calm down. Your wife would be here soon.” his friend, Isaac, said to him.

“Yeah, mate. Stop pacing around… looking at you makes me feel dizzy already.” Sam, his other friend joked.

Their other friends joined in, uplifting Alex’s spirits a bit.

He took his phone out of his pocket again, “Please answer this time, Olivia.” And finally, a connection, but not the one he hoped for.

Olivia’s voice came through, sharp and irritated, “Goddamnit, Alex! What is so important that you keep calling me!? I’m in a meeting!”

Alex was taken aback but he managed to stammer an apology, desperately trying to convey the significance of the moment, “Hey, hon. I’m sorry but… it’s… it’s our anniversary and I wanted to surprise you here at the amusement park.”

Olivia snorted. Her response was laced with sarcasm, “Anniversary!? If you had the time for that, maybe you should have found a part-time job! We can’t afford these ridiculous gestures, babe.”

“I…” before he could finish, the call ended abruptly, leaving Alex standing in disbelief.

Sam ran to him with excitement, “Lover boy! What did Olivia say!? Is she on her way already!? Can’t wait to see how surprised she would look.” 

Alex looked at him in disbelief, “She is not coming, mate. She said she was in an important meeting.”

“What!? Olivia said that? Impossible… it’s your anniversary and you’ve spent all your savings on this surprise!”

“Sam… I don’t even know what to think!” Alex said as he contemplated on how his well-intentioned surprise had turned out.

As he was deep in his thoughts, a voice interrupted him, “Alex! Mate! You need to see this!” Isaac, one of his friends exclaimed, waving his phone nervously.

Confused, Alex took the phone and saw a live-stream, his eyes widened as he saw the familiar faces on the screen.

“Olivia!?” he said in disbelief.

Olivia and another man were being interviewed by an internet celebrity. The shock sent tremor through his hands.

“Olivia and this man… seems… seems…. They look like a couple.” Isaac said in disbelief.

Alex’s warm hazel eyes that used to sparkle was at the brink of tears now. He looked at the screen again, “It’s impossible. She said she was in a meeting. Maybe her company asked her to do this.” he tried to defend her.

“Mate… listen to their conversation.” Sam uttered carefully.”

The celebrity’s voice filled the airwaves, “how long have you two being together?”

Olivia responded with a sickening sweet smile, “Oh, we have been together for over three years now.”

“What!?” Isaac said in disbelief.

“This must be some prank… it’s not real.” Alex muttered.

He looked at the screen again, tears streaming down his face.

This feeling was unbearable and he felt like cussing out.

Alex could feel a knot tightening in his stomach, his emotions swirling between betrayal and disbelief.

“Olivia would never do this to me. It must be some kind of prank or something.” Alex said with a hint of belief in his eyes.

Olivia loved him too much.

But he changed his mind after he saw the next scene unfold.

Olivia and the strange man kissed each other.

“This is ridiculous! No company will ask its employee to do something like this, Alex.” Sam said warily.

The reality of the situation sank in as he watched the kiss scene again.

“This isn’t an act.” he said to himself.

The park’s vibrant atmosphere transformed into a backdrop of heartbreak and deception.

His friends were equally shocked.

“Is that really Olivia with someone else!?” one of them asked again in disbelief.

The confirmation in Alex’s eyes was enough to convey the painful truth, “Guys, let’s pack up! The party is over. The surprise is over!” pain was evident in his voice.

Sam held his hand and said to him, “Do you want to confront her!? I really think you should. Legally, she is still your wife!”

“Yes! Yes! You should hear the truth from her mouth yourself.” Isaac agreed.

Alex looked at the screen again. 

The live-stream had not finished and the couple displayed a façade of happiness, oblivious to the devastation it caused Alex

“Just take a look at this! What other confirmation or explanation do I need!? It would really hurt for me to hear it from her instead.”

“Alex…” Sam wanted to say something but he stopped.

He took a deep breath, trying to steady his voice. “Sam, let’s pack up. I want to leave this place.”

He anniversary celebration he had envisioned was now a cruel mockery of his shattered hopes. His friends placed their hands on his shoulder, trying to offer him comfort and support.

“We’ve only been together for a year. How could she do this!?” he muttered to himself his eyes soaked with tears.

Alex possessed a strong, chiseled jawline with a warm natural hazel eyes that sparkled with a mix of determination and kindness but right now, he was like a shadow of himself.

“Sam! Come and listen to this.”

Sam turned his eyes and stared at the phone again in disbelief.

His entire body trembled with fury.