He won the best, but lost me

“Be careful with that, Emma," my boss at the high-end courier service warned, handing me the velvet-lined case. "That bottle is worth more than your life. It’s for the penthouse gala at the Sterling Heights. If it breaks, don't bother coming back.”

I clutched the case to my chest like it was a newborn child.

The soles of my shoes were so thin I could feel every jagged pebble on the pavement. My feet ached, a dull, throbbing reminder of the sixteen-hour shifts I’d been pulling for the last three months.

But every time I felt like collapsing, I thought of Liam. He met with an accident five years ago and could not work.

So, I became the bread-earner in our family.

Today was our wedding anniversary. And this last expensive delivery could earn me a decent gift for him.

"The host is on the terrace," a waiter whispered as I reached the penthouse, eyeing my worn-out sneakers with disdain. "Hurry up. He doesn't like to be kept waiting.”

I walked toward the terrace, my heart hammering. I just wanted to drop this off, get my signature, and run to Liam. I pushed through the crowd, dodging silk gowns and tailored tuxedos.

Then, I stopped.

The man standing at the edge of the terrace looked familiar.

He was wearing a bespoke midnight-blue tuxedo that cost more than our three years of rent. His hair was slicked back, his posture commanding and regal. He was way too rich to cross paths with me in my entire life.

But, my heart skipped a beat as he turned back to look at his friends.

It was Liam.

My Liam. The man who told me this morning that he’d spent his last five dollars on a subway pass to get home early.

He was holding a woman around the waist—a woman in a shimmering silver dress that looked like liquid moonlight. She was laughing, her hand resting possessively on his chest.

“You are really something, Liam!” A man stood up, “You ordered Emperor Smile, the most expensive wine over such a small gathering.”

"It's not about the gathering," Liam’s voice boomed."It’s about the woman who has been by my side through the 'stressful' transition of reclaiming my family’s empire."

The crowd cheered. I felt the velvet case in my hands grow heavy, like a lead weight pulling me into the floor.

"To Vanessa," Liam said, lifting a glass. "My muse, my future, and the only woman who truly belongs at the top of this city with me."

He leaned down and kissed her. It wasn't a quick peck; it was deep, passionate, and public.

A waiter nudged me. "Hey, courier. The bottle? He’s waiting.”

“Your muse? Your future?” I whispered, my lips trembled as my volume increased by a few decibels, just enough to make everyone look at me, “Then who am I to you, Liam?”

“Emma?” Liam blurted out, his eyes wide in shock. He quickly pushed Vanessa away from him and rushed to my side, “What are you doing here?”

“What am I doing?” My lips shivered as I continued, throwing my delivery costume away, “I’m working my ass off to support you and our family. Guess, it’s all waste because you clearly don't need it.”

I stared at the expensive suit and watch he was wearing.

“I-If you are so rich and healthy, why did you let me drain my youth working double shifts just to support you and our home? D-Do you have no compassion for your wife?” I yelled.

“You are Emma Baker who Liam bet to prove is not a gold-digger, right?” A man stepped forward. Scanning me from top to bottom, he turned to Liam, “You are still tagging her along for that bet? Didn't you take the game too seriously?”

So, that was what I had been for him. A bet he intended to win.

I stumbled on my legs as they trembled in shock, facing the harsh reality of my life.

“You let me work day and night for five years just to prove a point to your friend? Guess, you have won your bet now, Liam.”

“I still stuck to you for five years, getting just nothing. But, not anymore.” I said, taking the wedding ring off my finger as I threw it in his direction.

“Emma…” he frowned and quickly reached out his hands to hold me. “Let's get home and talk, okay? Just don't jump to any conclusions here.”

He picked the ring up from the floor and was walking up to me when Vanessa’s scream echoed through the air.

“Oouch! I just twisted my ankles, Liam.”

With two strides, he walked back to Vanessa, picked her up in his arms and said softly, “It's okay, Vanessa. I’ll take you to the hospital right now.”

And with that he walked past me, sparing me no glance.

While walking away, Vanessa’s leg that she claimed to be twisted hit my hands so hard that the Wine’s bottle slipped away.

The sound of the bottle breaking up, pulled me back to my senses. The expensive wine, that my boss claimed to worth more than my life was now spreading all ove

r the terrace’s cold floor.

What more, Liam had not made the payment yet!