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"I am his wife. My name is Coralie."

The two men standing at the entrance froze in their tracks. Their jaws went slack, and their eyes widened as they stared at her in utter disbelief. They looked her up and down, unable to formulate a coherent response.

"Is it against the rules to bring family members to a class reunion?" Coralie asked, keeping her tone cool, steady, and dripping with icy clarity.

"Oh, no, of course not," one of the men finally stammered out, awkwardly stepping aside to clear the path.

"Then excuse me." Coralie gripped the strap of her handbag and stepped past the speechless men, walking further into the dimly lit, bustling space of the Velvet Bar.

The venue was alive with pounding music, the clinking of glasses, and the chaotic roar of nostalgic conversations. The air was thick with the scent of expensive liquor and heavy perfumes. It did not take long for her eyes to find him. Desmond was the unquestionable center of attention, a towering figure surrounded by a lively, boisterous crowd of old classmates. Coralie felt a bitter wave of marital alienation wash over her. She decided against pushing her way through the chaotic fray to announce her presence or cause an immediate scene. Instead, she slipped into the shadows and found a quiet, secluded booth tucked away in a corner. She sat down against the plush leather, folding her hands in her lap to meticulously observe the unfolding dynamics.

The heat inside the crowded bar was stifling. Desmond reached for the lapels of his dark suit and shrugged off the tailored jacket. Before he could even turn to drape it over a nearby stool, Coraline materialized at his side. She moved with practiced ease, quickly intercepting the garment before it left his grip.

"I will hold it for you. Look at this crowd. They will not stop until they drink you under the table tonight. Give it to me. You focus on dealing with your friends, and let me be your protector." Coraline spoke in a soft, overly familiar tone that carried over the immediate chatter.

Desmond visibly hesitated. He cast a quick glance around the raucous group, his jaw tightening slightly, but he ultimately relented. He released the jacket into her waiting hands without another word of protest.

Coraline stepped uncomfortably close to him, invading his personal space with unshakable confidence. She gripped his sleeve, signaling him to lean down. Desmond obediently bowed his head to accommodate her height, and Coraline leaned in, whispering something intimately directly into his ear. A genuine, relaxed smile broke across Desmond's usually composed face, lighting up his features in a way Coralie rarely witnessed during their three years of marriage.

"Listen up, everyone! Desmond is under my strict protection tonight. Watch your words and do not force him to drink too much." Coraline turned to the room, raising her voice to cheerfully announce her authority to the entire crowd.

A few of the men immediately erupted into whistles and rowdy laughter, naturally seizing the opportunity to tease them about their undeniable closeness.

"Are you feeling sorry for him, Coraline?" a man shouted from the back, grinning widely.

"Oh, stop it, you big oaf." Coraline flushed, waving a hand dismissively while shooting a playful glare at the crowd.

Desmond's demeanor shifted in an instant. The relaxed smile vanished from his lips. A deep frown settled on his features as he swept a cold, commanding glare over the laughing group.

"Stop talking nonsense. Coraline is already married, and she is visibly pregnant." His stern tone sliced through the noise, demanding unwavering respect and shutting down the teasing immediately.

The classmates clamped their mouths shut, sensing the dangerous edge in his voice. They quickly reined themselves in.

"Alright, enough jokes from the peanut gallery. The friendship between Desmond and Coraline is an unbreakable bond. Let's drink!" One of the men hastily backpedaled, raising his glass high to mend the sudden tension.

From her quiet, unobserved vantage point, Coralie sat in silent disbelief. She watched the scene play out like a well-rehearsed stage play. Under the cover of the shifting conversation, Coraline picked up a crystal decanter from the table. Working with discreet precision, she systematically swapped the white wine in Desmond's glass for plain mineral water. Desmond did not even look down to check. He simply reached out, took the freshly filled glass from Coraline's hand, and raised it toward the eager crowd.

"To our student days," Desmond declared, his voice ringing clear and sober.

It was a well-practiced, tacit cooperation. They operated like a flawless unit, allowing Desmond to toast effortlessly with everyone through the night while keeping his mind perfectly clear. The deeply ingrained, couple-like synchronization struck Coralie right in the chest, a quiet devastation settling into her bones.

Suddenly, Desmond's fierce protective streak flared up again. He spotted a male classmate striking a lighter a few feet away from where Coraline stood. Desmond strode across the floor and delivered a firm, targeted kick to the man's shin.

"Put it out immediately. Coraline is pregnant." Desmond barked the order, his eyes narrowing in stern warning.

The classmate scrambled to extinguish the flame, tossing the unlit cigarette into a nearby bin with a panicked expression. "Sorry, Desmond! I forgot!"

"Remember it for next time." Desmond warned, offering no quarter.

"Have you ever seen Desmond like this before?"

The sudden voice snapped Coralie out of her concentration. She turned her head and found a man seated in the booth directly opposite her. She had no idea how long he had been sitting there. He possessed a scholarly aura, with slightly long hair framing a pair of black-rimmed glasses. He looked friendly and unassuming.

"Who are you?" Coralie asked, studying his face.

"My last name is Mercer. Tobias Mercer." He offered a polite nod of introduction.

Coralie felt her mind race as a jolt of recognition hit her. This was Desmond's legendary best buddy. According to the gossip she had just overheard in the hallway, this was the exact man Coraline had supposedly aggressively pursued during their high school years.

"I heard some of your classmates mention your name earlier. Why aren't you over there drinking with them?" Coralie questioned.

Tobias waved a hand dismissively. "Desmond is over there."

"And what is wrong with that?"

"Back when we were in school, Coraline pursued me." Tobias let out a low sigh, shaking his head.

"You are Desmond's wife, aren't you?" Tobias asked, shifting his gaze to her face.

"Yes, I am."

"Desmond is incredibly lucky to have found such a beautiful and elegant wife. He has changed so much since our school days. Back then, he was so outstanding that he drew the attention of the entire student body. Almost all the girls desperately liked him." Tobias paused, his gaze drifting toward the lively crowd where Desmond and Coraline stood side by side. "Except for Coraline."

Coralie decided to test the waters, needing to hear the truth from his own mouth. "Coraline likes you."

Tobias let out a low, self-deprecating chuckle. It was a cynical sound that carried a much heavier implication, shattering the tidy narrative Coralie had been fed. "She likes me? Not necessarily."

"What do you mean by that?" Coralie pressed, leaning slightly forward, her heart pounding against her ribs as her deepest suspicions demanded unsettling validation.

Tobias looked visibly intoxicated. His movements were deliberate and sluggish as he picked up his glass from the table. He raised the tumbler until it was level with his eyes, staring intensely at the transparent liquid sloshing against the rim. The dim lights of the bar refracted through the glass, casting shifting shadows over his expression. He did not look at Coralie as he finally opened his mouth, posing a profound, rhetorical question that hung heavily in the air.

"Mrs. Dalton, do you think there can be pure friendship between men and women?"