My ex-husband came to my anniversary to humiliate me in front of all the guests and show off his young fiancée, but the moment he saw my “special” guest, he immediately apologized and hurriedly fled the party 

— Cozy here, very retirement-style, — my ex-husband declared right from the doorway as he stepped into the hall where I was celebrating my anniversary with my friends. He didn’t even take off his coat. He walked straight toward me.

— Hello, former love, — he added with a crooked smile.

On his arm was a young woman in a tight beige dress. About twenty-five, no more. The same age as our eldest daughter.

The music stopped on its own. Just a minute earlier, the guests had been laughing, chatting, clinking glasses. Now a heavy silence hung in the room. I stood by the table, gripping the stem of my glass so tightly that my fingers turned white.

We hadn’t seen each other for three years. Not since the day he said he had “outgrown our relationship” and went off in search of inspiration. Apparently, he found it.

— Well then, happy anniversary. Fifty is a respectable age. May God grant everyone to reach it, — he handed me a gift bag.

Inside was anti-aging skincare.

— Let me introduce Anna, my fiancée. She’s a model. Beautiful, isn’t she?

Anna fluttered her extended lashes and looked at my friends as if she had stepped into a wax museum. Carefully, with a hint of unease.

— We decided to stop by and congratulate you. I see everything’s the same. The same friends, the same conversations. Too bad nothing has changed for you in three years. As for me, look what I’ve achieved. I go to the gym, stay in shape, have a young woman by my side. And you’re still the same… You get the point.

He spoke loudly, with exaggerated pity. He wanted everyone in the room to hear how perfectly his life had turned out.

I placed my glass on the table and smiled.

— Thank you for coming. And thank you for the gift. By the way, I’d like to introduce you to someone as well.

When my ex saw my “special” guest, he was stunned; he quickly apologized and quite literally ran out of the party 

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At that moment, a man approached us. Tall, confident, wearing a perfectly tailored suit. Everyone in the city knows him. A major businessman, an eligible bachelor often mentioned in the news. His car costs as much as a fine house.

He calmly wrapped his arm around my waist.

— Let me introduce my fiancé. I believe you’ve heard of him. If I’m not mistaken, you work at his company.

I watched my ex’s face turn pale, then red. The hand he extended for a handshake was visibly trembling.

My man gave a restrained smile and shook his hand.

— Nice to meet you, — he said calmly, without unnecessary emotion.

— N-nice to meet you… We should go. Sorry, — my ex muttered, avoiding my gaze.

Anna smiled awkwardly and hurried after him. A minute later, the door closed. The music started again, the guests came back to life, someone chuckled softly.

I raised my glass and thought that age isn’t about numbers. It’s about who stands beside you at the right moment.