Exposed.

EXPOSED

“Honey, I can’t come to the launch party with you as I have to make an appearance at a work function. It is a book launch as well. Our company is hosting it. If I get a chance I might drop in for half an hour but don’t depend on it”

“No problems, Rob, I can go by myself. There will be people I know there. I probably won’t stay long. Annie, Sue and Jen are going so I will have company”.

Victoria had a shower and changed into a suitable dress for a book launch party. She looked elegant and she was looking forward to having a few drinks at the party after her hectic week at work. She did not know the author or the people from the publishing company. She was only going as her friends who worked at this particular company had asked her.

She caught a taxi as she intended on having more than one or two drinks over the evening.

When she arrived she was purposefully late as she did not want to be the first person there. As she walked through the crowd, she realized that she did not know anyone and it did not look like her friends had arrived at this point. She felt a little ill at ease as everyone seemed to be in groups chatting with each other. She decided to go to the bar and get a drink which was compliments of the publishing company. Rather than sit at the bar, she found a comfortable couch and sat down with her drink. She had a good vantage point to observe the crowd so she thought she would be able to see her friends arrive. She sat there alone for about half an hour before a woman who looked around her own age came and sat beside her with a drink. She looked friendly and introduced herself as Miranda. “Nice to meet you, I’m Victoria.”

“Are you here alone Victoria?” “Well, I am at present because my friends have not arrived yet and my husband had a work function that he had to attend but he said he would possibly drop in if he can get away.” “Hopefully your friends will turn up soon,” said Miranda. “Yes I hope so but I am actually enjoying just sitting here having a drink and watching the crowd. I love people watching as I dabble in writing so I can get ideas for characters by observing people,” said Victoria

“I know a few people here” commented Miranda. “My boyfriend is coming later.”

They drank a couple more glasses of wine and they chatted. Miranda was quite amusing as she made observations about different people. Victoria told her that her friends worked at this publishing company but Miranda did not know them. “Well it has lots of different departments” Miranda informed her.

Annie, Sue and Jen, Victoria’s friends headed off to the party but when they got there they could not find Victoria. “She must have got held up. I hope she got the address right,” said Annie.

Eventually, they saw the familiar face of Rob, Victoria’s husband. “Hi, Rob! Where is Victoria? “Isn’t she here? She left before me. She must have gone somewhere first. She did not mention it but I am sure she will turn up soon enough” replied Rob. He stayed for about thirty minutes and then said he had to get to his work function. “Ask Victoria to text me when she arrives so that I don’t worry about her all evening” “OK, Rob, we will,” the three women said in unison.

Jen commented when he left that she was a little concerned about Victoria as she was definitely coming to this party. “If she does not come soon, I will call her,” she said.

Rob left and headed off to his function. After he left, Jen decided to call Victoria. “Hello, Victoria speaking.” “Where are you Victoria? We are all here waiting for you and Rob just called in and was a little concerned.” “Well, I have been here for at least an hour looking for you guys. Luckily I found someone to talk to otherwise I would be feeling rather awkward on my own” replied Victoria. “ You are at The Grand Chancellor Hotel aren’t you?” asked Jen.” Of course I am” replied Victoria. “We are in the Albert Room which is the function room where it is being held.” “What? Oh no, I am in the Kingsley Room!"

“Are there two book launches at the same venue? How strange!” commented Victoria feeling very confused. “Well we are upstairs on the fifth floor,” Jen informed her.

Victoria turned to Miranda and confessed that she had got confused and was at the wrong launch party. “ No wonder you did not know my friends. There is another one upstairs on the fifth floor. I feel so stupid as my friends are all waiting for me up there and my husband called in but he had to leave and go back to his work function which is also a launch. So I won’t get to meet your boyfriend Miranda, but thanks for your company. It has been very entertaining.”

Miranda looked up and glanced across the room. “Oh here comes my boyfriend now you can still meet him after all. You will like him.”

He walked over and stopped in his tracks. He looked aghast. “ Hi Rob” Miranda greeted him. “Is something wrong, you look like you have seen a ghost! Victoria! What is wrong? You look terrible! Do you know each other?”

“Miranda, you can introduce me to your boyfriend but first let me introduce him as my husband. This is Rob, my husband!” Miranda sat down again, looking stunned. “Rob, what is going on?

Is this true that you are Victoria’s husband?” “Let’s go somewhere and talk about this rather than making a scene here” suggested Rob looking very uneasy. He was caught out and he knew this was not going to end well.

“How long have you been seeing Miranda?” “ About six months but I still love you Victoria. I did not mean this to happen. I’m sorry Miranda I have just been confused.” “You are only sorry because you got caught, Rob. You can’t love someone if you are capable of deceiving them to this degree” Victoria spat the words at him. “All the nights that you told me you were working or had business functions to attend were just a pack of lies that I was naive enough to believe!

“Well it is lucky that I ended up at the wrong party tonight Rob, otherwise I would still be the wife being made to look like a fool. Obviously, Miranda is in the same situation as me because she was unaware that she was dating a married man. Miranda, I do not blame you for any of this. You are the innocent party. You seem like a lovely person and I am glad I met you.” said Victoria. I would run a mile though if I was in your shoes."

“ I am leaving this party and I am leaving you Rob!” Victoria spat the words out angrily.

She walked out with her head held high, belying the tumultuous emotions she was feeling. She walked upstairs to find her friends who she needed so much at this moment. She walked in and when she saw her friends, she joked that she was being fashionably late. If she had not joked she knew she would break down and cry. But that was for later when she lay in her bed all alone with her thoughts and memories of the man who she had loved for so many years after they exchanged their wedding vows and who had now heartlessly betrayed her.