you are my family

You are my home

Act I: The Corporate Party

Setting: The evening party at the corporate headquarters. The room is filled with guests, clinking glasses, and low chatter. Anna walks into the room, scanning the crowd, and freezes as she notices Emma and John holding hands in a quiet corner.

JOHN: (My heart stops for a fraction of a second as I see you walk in. I quickly pull my hand away from Emma's grip, clearing my throat and shifting my weight uncomfortably. Emma looks startled too, immediately stepping a full pace back and nervously smoothing down her dress.)

"Anna!" (I say, my voice a little higher than usual as I try to force a warm smile. I quickly walk over to you, placing a hand on the small of your back.)

"You made it. I didn't think you'd be here until later. Emma and I were just... celebrating the finalization of the quarterly merger paperwork. It was a stressful afternoon."

EMMA: (Emma nods quickly, looking down at her tablet.)

"Yes, Mrs. Smith. We just finally got the signature we needed. Good evening."

JOHN: (I look down at you, searching your face to see exactly how much you saw, feeling a heavy wave of guilt mix with the adrenaline in my chest.)

"You look absolutely stunning tonight, darling. Can I get you a drink?"

ANNA: (replies coldly)

"Isn't this a private party? Why is she here with you, and why were you even holding hands?"

JOHN: (I flinch slightly at the coldness in your voice, the guilt plain on my face. I shift on my feet, looking down at you while trying to maintain a calm exterior, though my heart is racing.)

"Anna, please, it's not what it looks like," (I say softly, lowering my voice so the other party guests nearby can't hear us.)

"Emma is here because she managed the entire guest list and the contracts for tonight. She’s the reason this event is even running smoothly."

EMMA: (Emma looks down at the floor, her cheeks flushing bright red with embarrassment.)

"I can leave if you'd prefer, Mrs. Smith," (she mutters quietly, stepping back.)

JOHN: (I quickly reach out a hand toward Emma to stop her, before remembering myself and pulling it back to look at you.)

"The hand-holding... she was just overwhelmed, Anna. The pressure today was immense, and she was tearing up. I was just comforting her as a boss and a friend. That's all. I swear."

ANNA:

"No, Emma, you don't have to leave. The one who is not supposed to be here is me. No, you are wrong, John. I am tired of this. You have been cheating on me, and it is clearly evident. Her being here is not the problem. But you two holding hands, showing everyone else clearly that she is Mrs. Smith... which is me, by the way!"

JOHN: (Your words hit me like a physical blow. The truth hangs in the air, raw and undeniable, stripping away all my corporate armour. My face goes completely pale. I look from your angry eyes to Emma, who lets out a small, horrified gasp and covers her mouth, tears finally spilling over her cheeks.)

"Anna... no, please..." (I whisper, the words catching in my throat. Hearing you say it out loud makes the reality of what I've done crash down on me. I love you, but the suffocating truth is that my feelings for Emma have made me careless, and I have publicly humiliated the woman I swore to protect. Before I can find any words to salvage the wreckage, Andrew steps directly into our circle, his eyes gleaming with malicious satisfaction as he takes a slow sip of his champagne.)

ANDREW: "Good evening, John. Mrs. Smith. Am I interrupting a... celebratory family meeting? You look like you've seen a ghost, John."

ANNA: (I force a sharp, calm look directly at Andrew, stopping him in his tracks before he can weaponize the silence.)

"No, you are not interrupting anything, Andrew. It is nothing at all. It is just a small family matter. Now, if you will please excuse us."

(Without waiting for his response, I reach out and grab John’s hand with a firm, unyielding grip. I put on a flawless public smile for the crowd as I pull him completely away from Andrew and Emma, guiding him through the guests until we reach a quiet, dimly lit corner near the terrace doors.)

ANDREW: (His smirk falters for a fraction of a second, surprised by your sudden composure. He lowers his glass slightly, his sharp eyes darting to our joined hands.)

"Of course, Mrs. Smith. Family always comes first. Enjoy your evening."

JOHN: (My heart pounds violently against my ribs as your fingers wrap around mine. I let you guide me, walking stiffly beside you away from the crowd. The moment we are out of earshot in the corner, I turn to you, my voice shaking with intense guilt.)

"Anna... thank you for saving face in front of him. But please, don't look at me like that. I know you're furious. I know I've messed up completely. But I swear to you, whatever you think is happening between Emma and me... I never wanted to hurt you. You are my wife."

ANNA: (I tear my hand away from yours with a sharp, disgusted jerk, stepping back into the shadows of the alcove. My voice is a lethal, razor-sharp whisper.)

"I want to know exactly what is happening between you two, John. No more lies, no more pathetic excuses. Look me in the eye and tell me the truth right now."

JOHN: (My guilt instantly hardens into a cold, defensive panic as I look past you at the crowded ballroom. The fortune, the legacy, the massive empire I built—it could all vanish if you walk out tonight. I step closer, crowding your space to try and force you to submit.)

"Lower your voice, Anna," (I command in a harsh, authoritative whisper, firmly gripping your wrist so you can't walk away). "You are going to stand right here and calm down. Half of our primary investors are out there. If you make a scene, our stock prices will plunge by tomorrow morning."

(I lean in closer to your ear, completely dropping the act because the pressure is making me reckless and arrogant.)

"You want the truth? Fine. Yes, I have feelings for Emma. She actually helps me carry the immense weight of this company every day while you just sit in our mansion. But you are still Mrs. Smith. You enjoy the wealth and the security. So, play your part tonight, smile for the cameras, and protect what we built."

ANNA: (My voice breaks, the raw pain tearing through my chest, but I force myself to stand tall as I yell the words loudly, completely shattering the quiet of the alcove)

"No! I am not going to play along anymore, John! You told me that you loved me, and now you stand here and tell me you have feelings for her?! I want my child to have a happy family, not a broken one! So, I am leaving you!"

(The moment the words leave my mouth, a heavy, dead silence drops over the entire corporate hall. The music seems to fade as dozens of guests, investors, and Emma turn around, staring at us in absolute shock. I wrap my arms protectively over my stomach, my eyes burning with tears as I look at your frozen face—knowing you had absolutely no idea I am pregnant.)

JOHN: (My arrogant smirk vanishes instantly, my face draining of all colour until I look completely ghost-white. My arms drop heavily to my sides. The whispers starting up around the room don't even register in my mind. My eyes drop down to your hands resting over your stomach, my brain struggling to process the words that just echoed across the entire hall.)

"You're... you're pregnant?" (I stammer, my voice suddenly stripped of all its harsh authority, sounding completely hollow and terrified). "Anna... we're having a baby?"

(The realization hits me like a physical blow to the chest. In my desperate, greedy attempt to control you and protect my stock prices, I didn't just push away my wife—I just publicly humiliated the mother of my unborn child. I look around the room at the prying eyes of the investors, then back at you, a sudden, suffocating wave of intense regret and panic wrapping around my throat.)

"Anna, please... I didn't know," (I whisper desperately, taking a frantic step toward you, my hands trembling as I reach out, completely forgetting about Emma, Andrew, and the entire empire). "Please, let's go somewhere private. Just talk to me."

ANNA: "No, not anymore. I don't have anything left to say to you, John. I am leaving."

(I step around you, entirely ignoring your trembling, outstretched hands. I keep my arms wrapped tightly over my stomach to protect our baby from the prying eyes of the staring crowd. I take a steady step toward the grand exit doors, completely done with you and this hollow life.)

JOHN: (For a fraction of a second, the shock keeps me soft. I take a frantic step after you, my voice cracking with absolute desperation.)

"Anna, wait! Please, think about the baby! We can fix this, I swear we can—"

(But as you keep walking, the heavy murmurs of the crowd finally break through my panic. I look around the room. I see the judgmental stares of our primary investors. I see Andrew whispering into his phone, likely already calling the financial press. Tomorrow morning, my stocks are going to bleed out. The terrifying reality of my crumbling empire flashes before my eyes, and my desperation violently twists into bitter, defensive fury.)

"Fine!" (I roar across the quiet hall, completely abandoning my soft tone as the anger takes over. I stop chasing you, standing tall as my face hardens into an ugly, resentful mask.) "Go! Walk out that door, Anna! If you think I am going to drop everything, tank my own company, and ruin the fortune I spent a decade building just to beg for your forgiveness, you are dead wrong!"

(I cross my arms, glaring at your retreating back, fully committing to the monster I have become.)

"I built this name from nothing, and I will never put anyone—not you, and not that child—ahead of my empire. My fortune is my first priority, and it always will be. You want a broken family? You got it. Leave, and don't you dare think about coming back when you realize how hard it is out there without my money!"

ANNA: (I turn toward the exit, the tears finally spilling over my eyes as the sheer weight of your cruelty crushes me. I take three shaky steps toward the door, my vision blurring completely as my chest heaves with heavy, agonizing sobs. Suddenly, my legs completely give out beneath me. The room spins, and I collapse heavily onto the hard marble floor, right in front of you, curling on my side to protect my stomach.)

JOHN: (My breath hitches violently in my throat as you drop to the floor. The furious, defensive rage that was just boiling inside me vanishes instantly, replaced by a sudden, paralyzing terror. I look at you collapsed at my feet, crying so hard you can barely breathe, and the realization of what I have done hits me with absolute, sickening force.)

"Anna!" (I scream, my voice cracking as I instantly drop to my knees beside you. My hands shake uncontrollably as I reach out, hovering over your shoulders, terrified to touch you but desperate to help you up). "Anna, look at me! I’m sorry—I’m so sorry! Please, breathe!"

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