The Price Of His Public Betrayal

y to go public with my secret

er woman and announce their engag

k my heart; he publ

aid with a cold smile. "She's

gether, even packing my things from his apartment-our h

es, all a lie. He had used me, then tried to

k into line. Instead, I gave him an ultimatum: transfer $100,000 to my account, or his new f

pte

lott

, my secret boyfriend of an entire year

New Yea

ling Times Square ball drop on my TV screen, a si

b hovering over the send button. "Can't wait

ces glowing from the festive ligh

radiant tonight!" my mom e

his new year with? Someone we don't know about?" m

than the winter air out

ion, a cold, shar

I' d replied, trying to shak

ed, her voice a l

t that Alberto? And

ze, my breath cat

orld

eveal, it was a punch to

er the soft glow of the fi

ped around a woman

laugh escaping her lips, and

kiss that stole th

st, then a searing pa

burning away every ounce

the new inte

erto's across t

for a split secon

, of something dar

from her, a lit

ds me, a forced smile pa

livious, tugged at

y, his eyes still fixed

a practiced eas

py New Year!" he said, hi

aniella, pulli

ced, his voice booming over the festive music

, genuinely surpr

asped her ha

g, what wonderful ne

ured vaguely

quite reaching his eyes. "She's like a little

tle s

t me like a

process the casual cruel

tle s

uly looked at him,

man I' d shared a secret

red promises, the late nights working side-by-si

s not

ematically, completely

fiancée, the 'st

hing, oblivious to the ea

just wonderful?" my mom

enge in his eyes, daring me to react, to

e a little siste

ut I forced a smile, a

erto," I manage

en, thin and reedy,

tely wo