ALESSA’S POV

The night felt colder than usual. Or maybe it just felt that way because I was standing next to a man who made ice seem warm by comparison.

Michael.

My husband.

What a cruel joke.

The wedding was over, the cheers, the cameras, the performance. All of it had vanished the moment we slipped out of public view. Now, it was just him, me, and the ugly truth we no longer bothered to hide.

His parents had beamed with pride, parading me around like some shiny new trophy. So many ...