Blinded by the bright lights, I shielded my eyes, but some faces in the crowd recognized me despite my condition.
"Isn’t that Mrs. Pierce? What’s she doing here?"
"And why does she look like a mess..."
As soon as the words were spoken, the room erupted into hushed whispers.
"How could she be Mr. Pierce’s wife? I just saw him following his wife, looking for someone."
"That’s Mr. Pierce’s secretary, not his wife!"
"But they were together, looking so close as if they were a couple..."
The man stopped talking mid-sentence.
He exchanged a look with the person across from him as if realizing the truth for the first time.
There was an unmistakable look of pity in his eyes as he stared at me.
I felt dizzy, my whole body aching from the effects of cancer and it numbed me further.
Just then, someone in the crowd suddenly shouted, "Mr. Pierce is here."
Instantly, the crowd parted, clearing a path for Simon Pierce.
He walked through in shiny leather shoes and finally stopped directly in front of me.
"Lily Caldwell, why did you do this to me?" Simon’s voice was tight with frustration as he looked at me with disdain.
Behind him, Serena appeared, seemingly fresh from the basement where she was supposed to be.