Chapter 4

Nuella coughed and looked away feeling uncomfortable seeing this strange woman rubbing herself against her husband.

Kevin pushes the woman away and Nuella felt better. “What do you think you're doing?” He asked as he reached for Nuella again and pulled her closer to himself.

“What are you talking about Kevin? And who is this?” The woman finally turned angry eyes at Nuella and she shivered.

Kevin leaned down and placed a gentle kiss on Nuella's forehead. “This is my wife, Nuella Lowes. Be sure to trust her with more respect in the future or else…”

He trailed off but he didn't have to complete his sentence, the message was clear.

Nuella's cheeks turned pink. She couldn't understand why she was enjoying Kevin's public show of affection and care but she would take it over Silas's lack of concern anyday.

The woman snorted and sent Nuella a menacing glare before she stalked off angrily.

“Ignore them,” Kevin assured her as he pressed her closer to him.

Nuella felt a sense of security in his arms and basked in it.

But it was cut short when his father joined them. “What is the meaning of this disgrace Kevin? How could you bring this woman here like this? Have you forgotten the deal with the Storms? Are you trying to ruin my reputation?”

“Father, you made a deal with them, not me. Now stop harassing my wife and I and go attend to your guests.” He turned to Nuella who was frozen by his side. “Come on wifey, let's go stuff our stomachs,”

“Come back here right now!” He yelled but they kept walking or rather Kevin kept walking.

Nuella couldn't feel her legs but it seemed Kevin was pushing her along.

So this was why he had agreed to such a ridiculous request of marriage from a stranger?

He had been trying to avoid an arranged marriage for business purposes. But wouldn't it have been better if he married the woman?

She was a total stranger when compared to this woman so why would Kevin pick her instead?

She brushed off her disturbing thoughts as Kevin held a piece of cake in front of her lips.

“Eat,” the tips of her ears reddened as she took the cake with her mouth, aware of all the eyes on them.

His father, Issac Lowes was at one corner of the room glaring at them while his arranged bride was glowering at her from the other corner.

She rebuked herself to be more confident and hold her ground. She needed his help and he needed hers.

She would play her part in helping him as long as she could get her revenge on Silas.

Although now that she thought about it, he was loyal to family and respected his mother.

What would happen when he found out she was Silas's ex-wife? Would he be willing to help her?

She brushed that thought away as well and spun on her heels. “I want to check the other dishes.” She explained when Kevin sent her a questioning look.

“Go ahead. I'd be right here if you need me,” he told her as someone came to greet him.

She continued walking, pausing at the tables to get a taste of all the dishes spread out before her.

Everything she tasted was simply wonderful and she ended up filling her plate with a little of everything.

Just as she turned to head back to where Kevin was standing, she bumped into someone.

“I'm so sorry I didn't see you there,”

She froze at the sound of the voice. It belonged to the person she had been dreading to see all evening.

“What are you doing here?” He asked before she could gather her wits and she struggled to find the words. “How did you get in here? Are you stalking me now?”

“Excuse me,” she said as she tried to walk past him to get to Kevin but he blocked her path.

“I'm still talking to you so you'd stand still and listen. Are you this shameless that you came all the way to my aunt's birthday party just to ask me to take you back? Where's your pride?”

He fired question after question at her not giving her the chance to reply.

“What's going on here?” Kevin asked as he joined them. He frowned when he saw Silas holding Nuella's arm in a tight grip. “Is there a problem here?”

Nuella's eyes welled up with tears as she struggled to come up with the right words to say.

How was she supposed to explain this when she never told him about her relationship with Silas before now?

“Uncle Kevin don't worry about this, I will handle her.” Silas brushed him off as he tightened his grip on her hand.

“Let her go,” Kevin whispered in a bored tone and Nuella's heart sank. “I said…”

Silas released her and stepped back with a frown on his face. “You don't understand uncle, this woman is dangerous and she shouldn't be here. She's nothing but a gold digger. I know her very well.”

“Be careful with what comes out of your mouth next Silas Green,” Kevin warned and Nuella watched helplessly as a crowd began to gather around them.

His mother walked up to them and glanced around in confusion. “Is something wrong son?”

“I think Silas has had a little too much to drink and should be excused.” he explained skipping the part about Silas calling Nuella names.

“Silas come with me,” she said sternly but Silas shook his head stubbornly.

“No aunty. This woman,” he held up a finger in front of Nuella's face but Kevin stepped in front of them, blocking his view of her. “She's a gold digger and she probably came here to steal. Have her thrown out or you all will be sorry.”

“What are you talking about Silas? Come with me son.” Kevin's mother insisted.

“No aunty, you're not listening to me. She's my ex and I dumped her when I realized what her intentions were.”

“That's enough!” Kevin ordered and pushed Silas's chest, sending him staggering a few steps back. “Get out of here before I lose my temper.”

“Excuse me,” Nuella said as she ran out, tears blinding her vision.

She didn't know where she was going but she knew she couldn't stay there any longer.

“Yes that's right, run, you don't belong here,” Silas yelled after her as she ran off.

She didn't stop until she was far away from the hall and alone.

Perhaps this was a bad idea.

***

“What gave you the right to think you could compete with me for a man?” Nuella heard from behind her and looked up.

She had finally found the bathroom after hours of searching around the house and ending up in different rooms.

“What do you want?” she asked as she watched Kevin's arranged bride from the mirror.

The other woman chuckled and Nuella shivered from the tone of it. “What I want is simple; you away from Kevin Lowes because he's mine.”

Nuella shook her head as she finally turned to look at her. “Well unfortunately for you he chose me now if you'd excuse me…”

She started walking away but she got pulled back by her hair.

“How dare you walk out on me?”

Nuella was stronger and she managed to free her hair. “Never try this again or I might not be so civil.”

With her head held high, she walked out of the bathroom, her insides shaky and afraid.

When she reached the large room, she spotted Kevin and quickly made her way over to him.

“You were gone awhile, what happened?” he asked and Nuella's heart skipped at the worry in his tone.

“I just needed to use the bathroom,” she stopped talking as a wave of dizziness hit her.

“Are you okay?” He asked and she nodded just as she fell into his arms as everything went dark.

“Nuella!”