Skip to content
Novel Catalog
Chapter_98
Whitney stood frozen in the opulent ballroom of Joyful Manor, her heart sinking as she took in the sight before her. Ludwik, the man she had once thought would be by her side through thick and thin, stood at the entrance, surrounded by the glittering crowd of business elites. His presence was as commanding as ever, but it was the woman beside him that stole the air from her lungs.
Elaine. Dressed in a gown the color of a serene twilight lake, she seemed to fit perfectly beside Ludwik, a picture of elegance and grace. Their entrance was seamless, like two parts of a whole that had been destined to be together. Whitney couldn’t look away, though her chest ached with every passing second.
The murmurs of the crowd didn’t help. She could hear the whispers swirling around her, their words like sharp knives in the air.
“Who would’ve thought the perennial bachelor of United Realty would show up with such a stunning date! Are they an item? They look like a match made in heaven!”
The words stung, each syllable a reminder of everything she was losing. Ludwik and Elaine, standing together so naturally, so perfectly aligned—it was as if they had been this way all along, and Whitney had just failed to see it. The hurt lodged deep inside her, but she couldn’t tear her eyes away from them, no matter how much it twisted her heart.
Elaine’s smile was subtle, but Whitney could see it clearly—almost too clearly. It was the smile of someone who knew exactly what she was doing. She had been playing this game all along, weaving herself into Ludwik’s world, carefully and strategically. And now, as they entered the ballroom together, it was evident to everyone around them that they were a pair. A perfect match. A couple.
It was a moment that froze time for Whitney. The fluttering in her chest that had been there just moments ago quickly turned into a heavy, suffocating sensation. A cold shiver ran down her spine. Was this how it was all supposed to end? With her standing alone, watching as the man she loved walked away, seemingly effortlessly, into someone else’s arms?
Whitney wanted to look away, to pull herself from this painful scene, but her feet refused to move. She stood there, rooted in place, feeling the weight of the moment pressing down on her. She watched Ludwik and Elaine interact, their chemistry undeniable. His hand rested at her waist, and Elaine leaned in slightly, her voice soft, but their closeness was loud enough for everyone to hear. The connection between them was unmistakable. Whitney could feel the growing chasm between her and Ludwik widening with every step they took further into the ballroom.
The crowd continued to murmur, their eyes flitting from Ludwik and Elaine to each other, but it felt like Whitney was trapped in a bubble, isolated from everyone around her. “Is it really over?” she thought, her mind racing. “Has he already chosen her over me?”
A wave of helplessness washed over her. She had tried so hard to make things work, but here they were—Ludwik and Elaine—inseparable, like two pieces of a puzzle that fit together perfectly. Meanwhile, she stood on the outside, watching it all unravel, her heart in pieces at her feet.
Her breath caught in her throat as the last of the crowd parted, allowing Ludwik and Elaine to move deeper into the ballroom, the spotlight now fully on them. Whitney felt the tight grip of anxiety rise in her chest. She couldn’t stop watching them, even though every fiber of her being screamed at her to turn away.
She was desperate, not knowing what to do, where to go, or even how to feel. Was this all just a misunderstanding? Or had she missed something all along, some sign that Ludwik had already chosen Elaine, leaving her behind in his wake?
The night stretched on, but Whitney felt time slow down. Every passing second seemed to echo the growing distance between her and Ludwik, and no matter how hard she tried to fight it, a bitter truth began to settle in her mind: she was losing him. The man who had once filled her life with warmth and love now seemed so distant, a shadow of the person she had once known.
Elaine’s subtle but confident presence made Whitney’s insecurity burn even hotter. She had taken her place so effortlessly, weaving herself into Ludwik’s world with a grace that Whitney could never match. And in that moment, Whitney realized that maybe, just maybe, she was never meant to be the one by his side.
The man she had fought for, the man she had believed in, had already moved on. And there she stood, in the midst of the ballroom, invisible and alone.
