Victor’s hand opened reflexively. Nadia’s handbag slipped and struck the floor with a sound louder than expected.
His mouth moved, but no sound came. The silence around him became solid—like glass ready to break.
Evelyn didn’t speak. Didn’t move. She simply stared—not at him, but through him.
Her expression wasn’t anger.
It was pity.
Flash.
The first camera clicked. Then another. And another.
The passengers who once envied Victor Monroe were now capturing his downfall, frame by frame.
“Victor?” Nadia’s voice trembled.
He didn’t hear her.
His feet stayed rooted. His mind replayed every excuse, every lie. None fit this moment.
One of the boys tugged on Evelyn’s sleeve. “Daddy?”
She flinched.
Victor’s stomach tightened.
The murmurs began. Phones rose for a better view. Whispers turned into questions:
“Is that his wife?”
“Are those his children?”
“Who’s that woman with him?”
Nadia stepped back, as if distance could erase her presence. Her lips trembled. She realised too late what everyone else already knew: she wasn’t the woman who belonged to him. She was the proof of the betrayal.
“Evelyn…” Victor finally murmured, his voice broken.
She took a step forward—slow, deliberate. Not to close the distance, but to deepen the wound.
The children followed, uncertain.
Victor’s heart pounded.
Evelyn stopped right in front of him. Her voice, barely a whisper, cut like glass:
“Is that why you carried it?”
She didn’t wait for an answer. She didn’t need one.
She bent down, lifted the smallest boy into her arms, and turned away.
Past Victor. Past Nadia. Toward the exit. Toward freedom.
Journalists swarmed. “Victor Monroe, can you explain this?”
He couldn’t. How could you explain carrying the wrong woman’s bag when your real life was walking away holding your legacy?
The flashes blinded him. But Victor didn’t move. Not when Evelyn passed him. Not when someone called his name over the loudspeaker. Not until a journalist shoved a microphone towards him.
“Victor Monroe, are those your children? Who is that woman? Is your marriage over?”
His throat tightened. He opened his mouth, but nothing came out.
He searched for Evelyn—but she was already several steps ahead, one boy in her arms, the others following.
“Evelyn, wait!” he cried.
She didn’t stop.
Instead, she turned—calm, determined—facing the sea of flashes.
“I’m Evelyn Monroe,” she said, steady and unshakable. “And these are Victor’s forgotten children.”
The terminal exploded: gasps, camera clicks, even the announcements seemed to hold their breath.
Victor stood frozen. Nadia was gone.
No cream dress. No trembling hands.
Just her handbag. Forgotten on the floor.
And at that moment, Victor understood what the world saw: a billionaire. Alone. Surrounded by questions. Holding only the bag of the wrong woman.