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CHAPTER 16
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A vow of hate CHAPTER 17
We were going to a fundraiser tonight.That was all that was written on the small note that I found in my room this morning, and before I could go downstairs to find Christian and ask why he was just telling me about it at the last minute, Tina informed me that he was already gone. I ate breakfast alone with Valerie, silently cursing out Christian in my head. And by the time the afternoon rolled by, a thousand people that I didn’t know were in the house. One group was rolling suitcases in, another was bringing in racks and racks of clothes, and shoes. There was such an insane flurry of activity, and before I could blink, my butt was firmly planted in front of the vanity in my uncomfortably large dressing room. We still had five hours before the fundraiser, and when I made this fact known to the stylists and hairdressers hovering all around me, they graciously let me know that these things usually took that long. And boy, were they right!My hair was washed and blow dried, even though
A vow of hate CHAPTER 18
As we entered the grand ballroom adorned with crystal chandeliers and lavish decorations, I couldn't help but feel overwhelmed by the sheer opulence surrounding me. Even the lighting didn’t seem ordinary, it was brightly lit, but at the same time, dim. I couldn’t figure out how they even made that happen. Conversation floated all around the room just as easily as the waiters did with their trays of expensive looking champagne flutes. Men stood in groups, whispering to each other in hushed tones, each one wearing custom made suits. Women were dressed in the most expensive dresses I had ever seen, and each one had the glistening rocks laying pretty on their necks and fingers. I mentally thanked the stylist for not letting me have my way when I wanted to take off the diamond necklace. I stayed close to Christian, suddenly feeling out of place. I shouldn’t be here, I didn’t belong with all these people. And even though I was wearing a dress that was just as expensive as the others, I wor
A vow of hate CHAPTER 19
It took me about ten minutes to locate the bathroom. Once inside, I turned on the faucet and cupped some of the water and lifted it towards my face, but one look in the mirror reminded me that I had a full face of makeup that I couldn’t destroy if I didn’t want to spend the rest of the night looking like a raccoon. I sighed wearily and stared at my reflection in the mirror. “You’ve got this, Hazel, you’ve got this. Don’t let those rich snobs get to you.”It was easier said than done though. They were quick to evaluate me like a lab rat even though no one said anything to me other than a brief hello. It was amazing to me how many women asked what drink I was having and if my bloated tummy was from the spaghetti or pregnancy. And although I was never one to be self conscious about my appearance, I could feel my skin getting hot under my dress as they were examining me.They don’t matter. I whisper to myself and roll my shoulders back. Then I touch up my lipstick and exit the bathroom.I
A vow of hate CHAPTER 20
When I walked back to the table, Christian was all alone, and almost like he could sense me coming towards him, he turned his head and looked at me with an eyebrow raised. “What took you so long?”“Your father knows.” I informed him discreetly, looking around to make sure there was nobody within earshot of us.Christian tilted his head, “what do you mean by that?”“Let’s just say he and I had a little heart to heart when he cornered me by the bathroom.”A look of disgust crossed Christian’s face, and something else that I couldn’t quite make out. “What exactly did he say?”I broke down the entire conversation to Christian, from the assumptions his father made to how he offered to pay me double if I called off the marriage and got a divorce. Christian didn’t say a word till I was done talking.“There’s nothing to be worried about then.” He simply said when I finished.“What do you mean? What if he says something to someone else?”“Something like what? Hazel, this isn’t a game. It’s no
A vow of hate CHAPTER 21
“What happened?” I asked immediately I reached the front desk and spotted my mother’s nurse, not even bothering to say hello to anyone. “Is my mother okay?”The nurse steps out from behind the desk and walks over to me. “Your mother developed an infection, but I’ll let the doctor tell you the rest.”“Why? Why can’t you tell me? Is she?” My eyes widened, “is she dead?” I asked, waiting for the ball to drop and change my life forever.“No, of course not. Your mother’s fine. It’s just standard procedure. We’ve been able to stabilize her, but she might still be a bit woozy.” The nurse informed me.I let out a whoosh of air, and finally breathed for the first time since we left the fundraiser. “Can I go in to see her?” I inquired.“Yes, you can.”I was sprinting to my mother’s room before the nurse could even finish talking. I met the doctor in front of the room door.“Your mother developed an infection, and honestly, nobody saw this coming. She passed out, and that was why you were calle
A vow of hate CHAPTER 22
It was a Saturday, and I had recently started working out in Christian’s home gym, and I was just rounding up a session. I took a big chug from my water bottle and went up the stairs with my sweat soaked towel in hand. My phone rang just as I closed the door to my room behind me. It was Olivia.“Hey.” I greeted.“Are you pregnant?”“Huh? Did you just ask if I’m pregnant?”“Yes. Are you?” She inquired again.“No, Olivia, I’m not pregnant. Now what is this about?” I asked, tiredly reaching to sit down on the floor.“You don’t know,” Olivia’s voice cracks. “You really have no idea.”I’m suddenly alert. “What’s going on Liv? What are you talking about?”“There’s… there’s stories coming out about you.”“Huh?”“Yeah, about you and Christian.”My stomach dropped to my feet, and now I knew that the shaking of my knees wasn’t just from the intense workout routine I had just done. “Send them to me.”“Hazel, I think it’s better if you don’t see them.” Olivia says slowly.Shit. I ignored her and
A vow of hate CHAPTER 23
CHRISTIANI had decided to take the day after the fundraising event off, much to the surprise of everyone at the office since I barely took any time off. And I should have known that was a mistake. I had decided to disconnect from the world and just relax in the house with Valerie, and somehow, two hours passed without me checking my phone. That single act came back to bite me in the ass.‘This is what happens when you take breaks’ I thought to myself.Someone had leaked a story to gossip magazines claiming that my marriage to Hazel was staged, and immediately, I knew it was the work of my father. It wasn’t rocket science, anyone could see that he was responsible for this damage.I had to give him credit. He was thorough, making sure to include a set of fake documents showing the agreement of a contract marriage, complete with forged signatures of Hazel and I. The whole thing was stupid, we weren’t even in a contract marriage, it didn’t make any sense. It portrayed me as the exact mon
A vow of hate CHAPTER 24
CHRISTIAN“You’re handing over the company to me?” I asked in bewilderment, taking the phone off my ear for a second to cross check the number again. But everything was as it should be. I really was talking to my grandfather and not an imposter.“I am.” “But why?” I asked again, still confused. “And in the midst of all this drama too. I expected you to pull everything out from under me.”“Exactly.” Grandfather’s gruff voice responded. “I’ve been disappointed one too many times. And if your father was the least bit dependable, the company might have been his ages ago. I’m getting too old to do this for much longer. This is your last chance, you're under probation. Fix this mess and make it disappear and you'll be inaugurated as chairman at the next board meeting.” “Aren’t you going to ask if any of it is true?” I asked him.There was a slight pause before he spoke, “does it matter? The only thing that matters is that you have a wife and a daughter now, and from what I’ve seen and hea
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A vow of hate EPILOGUE
CHRISTIAN & HAZEL I chuckled as the doctor squirted the gel on Hazel’s tummy, making her squirm. Hazel always reacted to the cold. I kissed her and watched as the wand moved back and forth, and the image became clearer. “There’s your baby.” The doctor, Suzanne smiled, clicking and measuring. I held my breath as she turned on the sound, and I heard the heartbeat. The odd noise filled the room, the fast, steady sound like music to my ears. “You’re sure you want to know the sex?” “Yes!” Hazel and I exclaimed. “It’s a girl,” Suzanne announced. I laughed. “I’m surrounded. My own little harem.” Hazel’s eyes were focused on the screen. She tilted her head, looking confused. “It all looks good…” Suzanne’s voice trailed off. I frowned at the subtle change in the noise. It was faster, like an echo of itself, the strumming continuous. “Well, look who’s been hiding,” Suzanne mused and glanced over at us. She grinned and winked at me. “You did good, Christian.” She peered at the screen in
A vow of hate CHAPTER 169
HAZELI crawled into bed with Christian, snuggled into his side, and rested my head on his chest. He groaned as he shifted.“Are you all right?” I asked, worried that I had hurt him.He nodded. “Colin warned me that getting the sensation back in my legs was going to hurt. He’s fucking right.”Between rushing after Valerie, walking for everyone, moving around the house with his walker, and sitting on Valerie’s bed as he read to her for over an hour, I knew he was exhausted. But when I asked if he was ready to sleep, he said he wasn’t. I felt the same way too. Mentally, I was still wide awake. “Do you want some pain killers?”“No. As weird as it sounds, I want to feel it. I never thought I would get to this point, so aches and all, I’m going to go with it.”I laughed softly. “You’re right, Christian. You are weird.”He dragged her up his chest,causing a little gasp of surprise to escape me.“You wanna help me forget about the aches, Hazel?” he murmured in my ear, biting my lobe. “Make m
A vow of hate CHAPTER 168
The room around me buzzed with activity. Voices, people moving, talking to me, trying to get my attention. I held my breath, scared that if I even so much as breathed, I would miss something important.My focus was on one thing. The doctor examining Valerie. I had insisted, and finally Hazel relented, seeing how upset I was about her. My wife glanced up, smiling as she lifted Valerie to her shoulder. She tilted her chin, letting me know everything was okay. A fact that she was certain of, but I needed to be sure. She handed Valerie over to me and escorted the doctor out and I relaxed, pressing a kiss to my daughter’s head. She looked up, wrinkling her nose.“Hi, Daddy.” “Hey, baby girl.” She patted my hand. “Boo-boo better,” she cooed. “Good.” “Yeah, Daddy feels better.” I brushed a curl off her face. “How did you know?” She pushed on my cheek with her tiny finger. “You Daddy again. You smile.” I dropped my head, pressing kisses all over her sweet little fa
A vow of hate CHAPTER 167
I had never tried to comfort a person still caught between being a young man and a grown-ass adult. I had never reached out and been the role model.It was another lesson I was learning.Dennis was emotional. Filled with apologies. Begging for forgiveness. Once I broke through his stuttering words and barely held-back sobs, I set him straight.“What happened was not your fault. You didn’t put me in this wheelchair, Dennis. None of it is your doing. You need to stop blaming yourself.”“I can’t.”“You can. Get some help. I’ll ask Randy to take you on. He is an amazing person to help you sort things out and get your head straight.” I barked out a laugh. “If he can handle my shit, he can help you.”“But he’s here.”“Yes,” I agreed. “Which is where you need to be. You have a life waiting here for you, Dennis. A job you’re good at. Friends. Family.” I huffed out a breath. “Don’t let that day define you. Move past it.”“The guilt,” he said quietly. “It holds me hostage. That I’m walking arou
A vow of hate CHAPTER 166
I grabbed her hips, guiding her. Pushing her up and pulling her back down. She sobbed my name, her back arching as her release washed through her. I watched as she lost herself in the moment. I had forgotten how beautiful she was in her release. The way her entire frame shuddered. How she bit her lip and lowered her chin as if sinking into the feeling. The breathiness of my name falling from her lips. And how it felt when her muscles fluttered, tightened around me, taking all I had—giving me so much more.My body strained, the urge to thrust and grind against her eclipsing everything else. An orgasm hit me, obliterating everything in its path. I saw stars, the ecstasy was so great. I opened my mouth in a soundless scream, and somewhere, deep inside, I felt a flex, the pinching of muscles not used for so long now gripping, then vanishing as fast as they had engaged. A long, agonized sound escaped as my entire being surrendered. The pain, the pleasure, the sweet torture of it all.Hazel
A vow of hate CHAPTER 165
CHRISTIANThe taste and feel of my wife chased away the last lingering remnants of my dream. Hazel wasn’t walking away. She was right here, with me, in my arms.Right where she should be.I kissed her deeply, seeking out her tongue with mine, stroking hard and deep. Reclaiming her mouth. Reclaiming her. I yanked her tight to my chest, pulling off the towel she had draped around her body. I pushed down the blanket that covered me, needing to feel her. I dragged her over my lap, groaning at the feel of her weight pressing down on me. Still kissing her, I slid my hands over her silken thighs, parting them and settling her so she straddled me.She pulled back, gasping. “Is this okay?”“Fucking yes, it’s okay.” I pressed my mouth to her neck, licking up the damp, elegant column of her throat. “It’s fucking perfect.” I murmured. “You’re so perfect for me, Haze. And I’m such an idiot. Everything that has happened, it only made you stronger, but not me… I got weak.”She grabbed my face, holdi
A vow of hate CHAPTER 164
Valerie’s feet kicked in excitement as we turned down the street. I smiled at her in the rearview mirror.“Daddy waiting!” she crowed.I felt both excitement and trepidation as I pulled into the driveway. I wanted to come home so much, yet I was afraid of what was going to happen when we were alone. Would Christian continue moving forward, or would our presence once again cause him to slide backward? Once he got over the initial pleasure of seeing his child, would he again find her, and me, more of a bother? I wasn’t sure I could take it if that happened. I couldn’t watch the man I love disappear into the shell he used to be. But a small voice in my head kept telling me he wouldn’t. The gifts, the notes, the calls, and texts from him were all sent by the man I loved. He had made sure I knew how sorry he was feeling and how hard he was working to come back to us. He even opened up and expressed his worries, finally letting me know the depth of his fears. Finally letting me understand w
A vow of hate CHAPTER 163
HAZELChristian lifted his face from my neck, his eyes red, his cheeks damp. I had never witnessed him break down that way. The rare occasions when he cried, he still held himself in check, his pride unable to allow even me to fully see his pain. I grabbed the tissues Maddox had dropped beside us and wiped Christian’s face, cupping his cheeks. “Hey,” I whispered, looking up at him from where I crouched between his legs. “I guess I lost the last piece of my man card with that display,” he mumbled.“I doubt it. Maddox was openly weeping before you even finished walking, and Mia had to leave the room.” He frowned in confusion. “Why?” “They’re as proud of you as I am, Christian.” “Where are they?” “Maddox made sure you were back in your chair, and they left. I heard the car driving away, so I assumed they left to give us some privacy.” He looked down, surprised. “I have no recollection of being moved.” I softened my voice. “You were pretty emotional.”
A vow of hate CHAPTER 162
Hazel loved the spa. She sent pictures of them all enjoying the treatments, sipping champagne, even funny ones of Valerie getting a baby massage and having her toes done with the girls, holding up a glass of apple juice. They made me smile, even as my heart ached. I sent flowers to the hotel for Hazel. I added a box of her preferred chocolates. When she went back to mom and Grandpa’s, I sent a chef to make her favorite meal. A basket of bath products to indulge her love of soaking in the tub. I sent it with a stuffed bear, fluffy and cute with a card attached, reading: "Snuggle this until you’re home. I’ll take his place when you’re ready. All my love—Your Christian". One night, lying in our bed alone, I turned on some music. I shut my eyes and listened as the soothing voice of Neil Diamond played in the darkness. A song came on, and for some reason, the lyrics hit me as they never had before. “The Story of My Life” spoke of the depth of his love for the woman in his life
