Chapter 003

Franklin Howard:

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

"What about me? I have 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 had always hoped we would become a pair," 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 do not 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 earnestly.

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

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

In those days, my father would often send me on errands to meet Mr. Liam Jackson at his mansion, and from there, I would catch glimpses of Amelia and Natalie. Whenever our families had any end-of-the-year events, like New Year festivities, Christmas, or birthday celebrations, my dad would invite the Jackson family to our home.

Now that I was married and had moved away from my father's house, where I now live with Natalie, I hardly attended these end-of-the-year celebrations, feeling ashamed to be in the same location as my wife.

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

The waiter soon arrived with our meals, and I felt the need to use the restroom, so I stood up from the table to excuse myself.

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

"Okay," she replied, just as I left the table and the waiter positioned our meals on it.

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

I quickly brushed off the negative feeling that had settled in the pit of my stomach as I left for the restroom.

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

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

As I exited the restroom, eager to leave, I unexpectedly bumped into Michael Austin, my best friend in the city.

Michael wore a white shirt with black jeans similar to mine, along with black canvas shoes.

"Frank! What brought you here, bro? Hold up, let me use the restroom quickly," Michael rushed into the restroom, while I waited for him to come out.

"Frank!" Michael and I shook hands, and I asked him, "What's up with you? What brings you here too, 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 came here with my wife's half-sister.

"Your date?" Michael looked taken aback, stopping me with narrowed eyes.

"Yeah, can't I go on a date again?" I asked him. I saw him frown, but he quickly laughed and replied, "Of course, haha, you can go on a date, Frank. But with your wife, I guess. Who did you arrive here with?"

"Come, let's go out and meet her. She will be waiting for me," I told Michael, noticing he didn’t seem happy to hear that I came here on a date and not with my wife.

Damn it, I didn’t go on any date with Natalie. I hadn’t taken her out or shopping. I just planned to divorce her, and while the matter was still ongoing in my mind, I hadn’t discussed it yet with Michael. 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 went back to the private parlor to join Amelia.

As I approached the chair where Amelia sat, I saw 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 introduced her just as I moved to take my seat, wanting to finish my dinner quickly and return home to my unwanted wife.

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

Michael stared at Amelia's hand but didn’t accept it.

"Frank, isn’t she your wife’s elder sister? Are you sleeping with both your wife and her sister now?" Michael asked, his anger evident, which actually pissed me off. He shouted loudly despite us being in a private hall.

Some other patrons looked at our table in shock, despite the dim light in the room, while 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, irritated that my friend seemed to support my wife over me.

He never found any fault in Natalie and often disagreed with me when I said that Natalie was ugly and not my type.

"Really? I thought you arrived 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 cheat on her with her sister?!" Michael shouted, drawing more attention from the staff working in the restaurant. We weren’t the only ones using the large parlor, and Michael’s raised voice disrupted the eerie atmosphere.

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

I valued my relationship with Michael, but he was getting on my nerves each time he disagreed with me about divorcing Natalie.

He often told me that I was blind to see how beautiful Natalie was.

"I apologize for my friend's behavior. He's always like that, picking on Natalie’s side. I'm beginning to wonder if he’s sleeping with her behind my back, like the cheap slut she is," I told Amelia to ease her tense mood.