Page 112 of The Fake Dating War

The Patel family is dressed in our finest clothes, celebrating Esha’s last event. This night is going to be monumental and give us memories for life.

“I love you,” says my mother. “Seeing you makes me so happy.”

“You and dad should visit me. I’ll take you around the city.”

She beams. “You and Jake both?”

I—

Hopefullyis what flashes through my mind.

The door opens and my dad walks in. He’s flustered and rushes towards us.

My mother grips him by the shoulder. “What’s wrong?”

“We need to go to the other entrance. There’s been a mix up. The cards have the wrong place written on them for the reception.” He looks at me. “Don’t tell your sister. She panics.”

Understatement. My perfectionist sister will call the card-printing shop right now to express her furious disappointment.

Especially since my sister arranged this week very specifically. All her previous events have been held in the same hall, but there is a mega-hall in Bells Estate she’s reserved for the final party. To make sure we don’t have guests go to the wrong spot, my mother and I go to the old venue.

Good thing too, for some people have already gathered there. I’m about to guide them away, but the hotel staff flag me down. The mega-hall isn’t quite ready yet. It needs finishing touches. So in a quick rush, refreshments are brought to this foyer so early-bird partygoers at least have chai to sip on while we wait.

My hair and makeup no longer feel like silky perfection, but have a healthy dash of frazzle to them. At least this small crowd of people is entertaining themselves. Just as I finish arranging for additional seating to be brought over while we wait, Jake finds me. I’m crushed because I don’t know how long he’s been there for, and then I’m confused by the tightness around his eyes. So much so, I barely register how jaw-dropping he looks in his suit.

When he doesn’t say anything or get closer, I get concerned.

Going up to him, I poke him. “What’s wrong?”

His green eyes watch me as if he doesn’t know who he is looking at. My heart picks up speed.

“We can… talk afterwards,” he finally says.

“No, this is the only quiet moment we’ll get, and it’s slipping away from us.”

He seems to be struggling. There’s a purposeful blankness to his expression.

“Jake, come on.”

“I—Did you need a date for your sister’s wedding because you knew your ex was coming?”

That’s not at all what I expected him to say. “I…”Yes?

“You’ve been watching the doors at every event. Have you been waiting for him to show up?”

Someone calls my name. It’s Bebe. She’s wheeling towards us with fervor. Within moments, she chats to us like we are her favorite couple, launching compliments and questions at us. The whole time, I’m trying to meet Jake’s eyes. He’s playing the perfect boyfriend role, but I can’t get him to look at me. He needs to let me explain! Yes, that was the whole reason I invited him in the first place, but it’s not why I want him here now.

The actual reception hall must be ready for most of the crowd is moving away. Someone walking by says my father sent some sort of mass-text to everyone he can think of, giving the right place to go. Still, newcomers filter in and out. My mother and Serena are guiding them away. Dad is here now, too.

Bebe makes a conversation detour to the topic of babies. I’m wondering how to shut her down when a commotion erupts by the doors. My parents are greeting someone warmly, as if they’ve not seen them in a long time. Blood drains from my face when I see who it is. He’s being hugged and laughed with, although Serena is shooting him bloody daggers.

Harry.

He’s shown up.

He’s tall, dark-browed, and pretty with his debonair slicked hair. My parents hug him… because they don’t know the history. See, Harry was the kind of man who neglected our marriage, but shone in front of others. He remembered my parent’s birthdays and anniversaries every fucking year and had flowers delivered. It was a mind-fuck at the time, but it’s even worse now because it’s led to this.

They think we had an amicable separation.

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