CHAPTER 3

Frank Howard.

"You're right. We could have gotten married, but it's not too late to divorce your sister now. She doesn't meet my standards, and I don't like her," I said as the waiter brought our dinner, and Amelia smiled sweetly.

"What about me, Frankie? I've always admired you. Honestly, that night, I felt sad seeing that Natalie drugged you and used you as her pawn to escape from our parents' home. She's just wayward, and I always admired you, hoping we would become a couple," Amelia said, tears gathering in her eyes.

I sighed.

"Don't worry; I will end my marriage with Natalie, okay? She can move on with her life with whomever she pleases. I don't care," I told Amelia, and she smiled sweetly at me.

"Does that mean you will consider dating me now? I really do love you, Frank?" Amelia asked, looking at me with sincerity.

She was truly beautiful, and with her blue eyes shining, I couldn't bring myself to say no to her request.

I had always wanted to date her. I used to like her back then. She was tall and striking, like a model, with slender legs, a slim waist, and an ample bosom.

In those days, my father would usually send me on errands to meet Mr. Liam Jackson. From there, I would catch glimpses of Amelia and Natalie. Also, whenever our families hosted any events at the end of the year, like New Year's festivities, Christmas, or birthday celebrations, my dad would still invite the Jacksons to our home.

Now that I was married and living away from my father's house, I hardly attended these year-end celebrations. I felt ashamed to be in the same location as my wife.

I would travel out and make excuses to my dad for why I couldn't show up.

The waiter soon arrived with our meals, and feeling pressed, I stood up from the table to excuse myself.

"I'm coming. I want to use the restroom," I told Amelia as she smiled at me.

"Okay," Amelia said, while the waiter positioned our meals on the table.

I knew I wasn't supposed to leave my meal, but Amelia felt like family to me, and I trusted her.

I quickly waved away the negative feeling that had settled in the pit of my stomach as I headed to the restroom.

I stole a final glance at Amelia and saw her smiling sweetly at me as I entered the restroom.

I hurried into the men's restroom to relieve myself. There were several stalls for men to use, knowing that the restaurant could get crowded with patrons.

As I emerged from the restroom, wanting to leave—especially since I had to relieve myself quickly at home—I bumped into Michael Austin, my best friend here in the city.

Michael wore a white shirt paired with black jeans, similar to mine, and he also sported black canvas shoes.

"Frank! What brought you here, bro? Hold up, let me use the restroom quickly," Michael said as he rushed into the restroom.

I waited for him to come out.

"Frank!" Michael exclaimed when he returned, shaking my hand. "What's up? What brings you here, Mike?"

Michael smiled and replied, "I was just bored at home. You know, no wife or girlfriend, so I came here to see if I could find any pretty lady to hang out with."

Michael had a darker complexion compared to my fair skin.

"That's fine. I have to go now, as I came here with my date," I replied, wanting to leave and not wanting to mention that I was here with my wife's half-sister.

"Your date?" Michael looked taken aback as he narrowed his eyes at me.

"Yeah, can't I go on a date again?" I asked him. I noticed he frowned but quickly laughed it off and replied, "Of course, hahaha, you can go on a date, Frank. But with your wife, I guess? Who did you come here with?"

"Come on, let's go see her. She will be waiting for me," I told Michael, sensing that he wasn't happy to hear that I was on a date and not actually with my wife.

Damn it, I hadn’t gone on any date with Natalie. I hadn't taken her out or gone shopping with her. I just planned to divorce her, and while this matter was still ongoing in my mind, I hadn't discussed it with Michael, even though he was my best friend. I knew he wouldn't support me in divorcing Natalie, as he had a soft spot for her.

Michael and I were the same age. He owned several hotels here, thanks to his affluent parents. He was a billionaire, and his father was a senator.

We exited the men's restroom and returned to the private parlor to join Amelia.

As I approached the chair where Amelia sat, I noticed that the waiter had already served my meal. I quickly introduced Michael to Amelia.

"Hey bro, meet my girlfriend, Amelia Jackson. Amy, this is Michael Austin, my childhood best friend," I said, introducing Amelia to Michael as I took my seat, eager to finish my dinner and return home to my unwanted wife.

"Hi," Amelia said as she stood up from her seat and extended her right hand to Michael for a handshake.

Michael only stared at Amelia's hand and didn't accept her hand for a handshake.

"Frank, isn't she your wife's older sister? Are you seriously dating both your wife and her sister now?" Michael asked, his anger evident. This actually pissed me off, especially since he shouted loudly despite being in a private hall.

Some other patrons looked at our table in shock, despite the dim light in the room. Amelia appeared tense.

"Shut up, Michael! What has gotten into you? I am not sleeping with Natalie at home, and whatever relationship I have with Natalie and her sister is none of your business," I barked, annoyed that my friend always supported my wife over me.

He never found any fault in Natalie and often disagreed with me when I said that Natalie wasn't attractive and not my type.

"Really? I thought you came here with your wife, and here you are, actually fooling around with your wife's sister. Don't you feel any shame, Frank? If you want to cheat on Natalie, must you do it with her sister?!" Michael shouted, attracting more attention from the restaurant staff. We weren't the only ones using the large parlor, and with Michael raising his voice, he seemed to disrupt the eerie atmosphere.

"Michael, you can leave and not disturb me or lecture me on how to live my life," I told him, noticing that Amelia looked embarrassed. Michael looked at us, and as I told Amelia to sit back down, he turned around and left.

I valued my friendship with Michael, but he was getting on my nerves every time he disagreed with me about divorcing Natalie. He often told me that I was blind to see how beautiful Natalie was.

"I apologize to you on my friend's behalf. He's always like that, siding with Natalie to the point that I'm starting to wonder if he's sleeping with her behind my back," I told Amelia to ease her tense mood.