Marie’s Picnic

Avery's POV

When I awoke, James had already left. Usually he’d wake me up with kisses when he was about to leave but I guess he must have forgotten to do so today. I wonder why.

I tried not to let it get to me as I got ready for the day. I picked up my phone just to see a notification of almost 200 messages and about 50 missed calls.

I didn’t need to open them to know what they were about. I guess the news about my husband in bed with my sister had already spread around.

I sighed and put down my phone. I still couldn’t believe that this wasn’t just a horrible nightmare. Just yesterday morning, I was a happily married woman, but today?..... I don’t even know if the man who married me still really wants me.

I tried to drown out these negative thoughts in the bath, but just like yesterday, the water was overheated and I didn’t realize it until my shampoo bottle started contorting and crumbling under the heat.

I quickly shut the water off, mildly wondering how I hadn’t melted off the skin of my body yet. Was I so numb from my pain that I couldn’t feel when the water got too hot?

Out of curiosity, I turned the water to its hottest temperature which was practically boiling point and slowly put my fingers in. Nothing happened, I didn't feel the heat.

Feeling freaked out, i rushed out of the shower and put on a blue Jean, dark shirt and leather jacket. I wanted to look tough, unfazed like my heart wasn’t breaking into a million pieces on the inside.

I put on concealer to hide the dark circles around my eyes. No one needed to see that I stayed up for hours crying into my pillow.

On my vanity mirror I found a note from James.

“Good morning darling, you were up all night so I wanted to let you sleep in today. Don’t forget the meeting we have at 4pm, I think the elders of the Council might want to discuss what happened yesterday. But no matter what they say, I want you to remember my promise.

Till death do us part, I am totally and hopelessly yours forever.

please don't give up on me...”

I let out a dry laugh at his note. So the fate of our marriage would depend on the council?

But I had already anticipated this, so now I had to just wait and see which side the elders would choose.

With that, I headed out to my first task for the day. A picnic hosted by my best friend Marie.

I honestly would have preferred not to go, but I didn’t have much of a choice. If I missed the meeting, all the noble women who have always been jealous of my marriage would jubilate and say I was too ashamed or depressed to show my face.

I couldn’t let that happen! I couldn’t let them look down at me as weak or pitiful. I had spent sleepless days and nights for 3 years establishing a good reputation for myself and proving myself to be worthy of my position. I couldn’t lose it all now.

Besides, I really really needed to see my best friend Marie. She was actually more like family because her husband – Vince and mine are first cousins. She was the only one who could relate to what I was going through.

Her husband didn’t have a fated mate, but he had a mistress. He had wooed Marie, promising her the world, but after their marriage, he fell in love with another woman — she was Marie’s personal assistant and he started sleeping with her. It was a open secret that everyone knew about.

Vincent never hid his affair, and people often saw them kissing in the street or cuddling at parties even if Marie was present.

Marie refused to talk about it so everyone avoided the topic around her. But now I desperately needed her advice.

When I reached Marie’s house, she rushed out the door and hugged me very tightly.

“I’m so sorry Avery. You didn’t deserve this. Be strong, everything will be fine.” She whispered as she began to gently rub my back.

I buried my face in her hair and let the tightness in my chest burst open as I began sobbing into her neck.

“Shhh baby girl, everything will be fine. You’ll pull through this.” Marie continued to console me.

She finally released me after I managed to stop crying.

“You’ll pull through this Avery, I promise you that. Now wipe those tears away, you don’t want to let those stuck up, bony bitches see you sad do you?” She teased and I laughed, wiping my tears away.

“Thank you so much Mar, I feel a little better now even though you made me cry away my concealer.” I jokingly accused.

Marie rolled her eyes at me. “Oh shush! You know that you’ll still be the prettiest woman in the room, stop gloating.”

I laughed at that. Marie had always been a bright ray of sunshine on my darkest days. But now that I had a hint of what she had been going through, I couldn’t understand how she could be so bubbly and sunny all the time.

“How do you do it Mar? How do you still smile with all the pain in your heart?”

Her bright smile faltered for a second, and I saw a shadow of pain cloud her eyes.

“I don’t have an option Avery, it’s either be brave and smile or let the grief consume me. You have to accept that the pain might never ever go away, but you must be brave despite it.”

I felt my throat close up at her words. She hadn’t gotten rid of her pain, she just found a way to hide it well. Was this meant to be my life too?

“But isn’t there any hope that things will get better for you? After all, Vincent hasn’t divorced you yet. Doesn’t it mean he still loves you?” I asked her, searching for a thread of hope to cling on to.

Marie let out a bitter laugh. “He hasn’t divorced me yet because she told him not to. Divorcing me would mean he has to give me half of everything he owns. His lands, his wealth, his men. He is the cousin of the Alpha and a very proud man. Do you know how hurt their ego will be if I took half of everything he has?”

I couldn’t believe it. I never realized how messed up Marie’s marriage was. I asked her why she didn’t just leave him and tears filled her eyes.

“Because I’m a fool Avery. That’s why. I’m a fool in love that hopes that if I stay, and remain useful, things will change. If I throw all these stupid picnics and parties, please all these pompous, cold hearted noblemen, it would increase his influence and then maybe, just maybe he’ll forgive me and come back to me.”

I frowned. “Forgive you? For what?”

All the light in Marie’s eyes seemed to suddenly vanish when she responded.

“Forgive me for killing our children.”

My breath caught in my throat. “Marie what are you talking about? You didn’t kill your children, you had two miscarriages! It wasn’t your fault!” I protested.

Marie shook her head. “He blames me for it. He says a real woman should be able to have plenty of children without problems. He says I’m rotten, defective and unuseable.

He wanted to try for another baby immediately but the pain of the last miscarriage was too much and too soon for me, so I told him to wait. That’s when he started sleeping with her.

So it’s my fault. I pushed him into her arms. If I let him try again, maybe I would have kept him and saved our marriage. That’s why I’m trying to win him back. It’s all my fault Avery. But please don't be like me, don't cling to a man that doesn't want you.”

I felt so angry and so sad for my friend. How dare Vincent do this to her?! James and Vincent were very close. Did James know his cousin was treating my friend like this? Was this my near future if I held onto James?

Marie quickly pulled me into her garden where the picnic was taking place.

All the noblewomen immediately flocked around to comfort me when I entered.

I nodded at them like I believed them but I could easily overhear them giggling behind my back when I turned away.

“I can’t believe she still has the nerve to show up here. Doesn’t she know that she’s unwanted?” I heard a particular woman murmur behind me.

I refused to turn around or acknowledge their presence because I was above that. But then I heard something that made me freeze.

“How pathetic! The Alpha has already replaced her with you but she is still walking around like he belongs to her. Fucking pathetic.”

“Tania please stop, Avery is still my sister and it’s not her fault. I’m the pathetic one not her.”

It was Lizzy’s voice. She was in the picnic and I hadn’t noticed.

I slowly turned around until I came face to face with the woman that was destroying my marriage. My own sister Lizzy.

This was the first time I saw her since I caught her moaning under my husband.

“Lizzy.” I whispered.

“Sister.” She acknowledged with a sad smile.