Ten Years of Old Love, March of New Love

By the time I arrived, there were only ten minutes left before the banquet began. I straightened my dress and entered the venue, using my sister's name to get in.

Mr. Reagan Whitely, an esteemed entrepreneur in Alabama, had countless assets under his belt, attracting numerous famous businesspeople to his golden wedding celebration.

Compared to the glamorous attendees, I stood out in my old black dress, appearing simple and out of place.

"Who is she? Wearing something so plain to Mr. Whitely's grand event, trying to cozy up to the rich, maybe?" A lady with a heavy gold bracelet wrinkled her nose in disdain.

"This is Mr. Whitely's wedding celebration! How dare a pauper sneak in! Hey, why are you still standing there? Call security and throw her out!" she ordered, sneering.

The nearby servers exchanged glances and moved toward me. Luckily, I dodged them just in time.

Staring into the sea of hostile faces, I considered leaving. But remembering my sister's instructions, I swallowed my pride.

I said, "Fine, throw me out if you want, but remember, who in this hall isn't here by Mr. Whitely's invitation? If you kick me out and it turns out I was invited, won't you face the consequences?"

The servers hesitated, their eyes darting around, unsure of what to do.

The gold-bangled lady scoffed, "Ha! Stop pretending. There's no way Mr. Whitely invited someone like you!"

She pulled her fur shawl tighter, sneering at my simple black dress and said, "If you were truly invited, show us the invitation. No invitation? Then you've definitely snuck in!"

I found myself cornered, knowing my sister had only given me an electronic invite. Showing it would only give them more ammunition.

Just then, a voice cut through the crowd, "Well, look who it is, Peter's little canary! What's this? Sneaking in to find your sugar daddy?" Heads turned to me.

"Aha, I knew it! Mr. Whitely would never invite someone like her. She's just here to cling to her wealthy benefactor!"

The commotion drew more attention and Peter, hearing his name, turned and walked over.

When he saw me, the smile that had been on his lips vanished. "Why are you here? Didn't I tell you not to come?" he snapped, his eyes blazing with anger.

The sudden confrontation drew even more curious stares. Gossip-loving socialites flocked over, eager to witness the drama.

"My, oh my, Peter never fails to impress. Business booming and a harem of women to boot," one of them remarked.

"But isn't it inappropriate to bring two women to Mr. Whitely's golden wedding celebration?" They giggled behind their hands, their laughter only darkening Peter's expression.

Beside him, Regina clung to his arm, pouting sweetly. "Peter, don't be angry. I borrowed a dress from Madeline, which is why she's here. I didn't mean to cause trouble or make her come all the way."

She smoothed down the brand-new cocktail dress she was wearing, beaming happily.

"But Madeline, which gown did you bring for me? If it's even nicer, I can wear it instead and make sure Peter looks his best." With that, she snatched the bag from my hand, revealing its contents to everyone.

"Isn't that the gown from Peter's wedding banquet?" A sharp-eyed guest exclaimed, drawing more attention. "And what's that inside? Documents?"

Peter took the bag and as he glimpsed the papers, his expression darkened, "You want a divorce?"