Chapter 2

Amelia

“Green isn’t your color. You should have worn blue,” Lachlan snapped as he approached me.

I had been waiting for him at our foyer for over twenty five minutes and he had finally arrived and had jumped right into criticizing me.

“I’m S-sorry,” I said, “I can go change.”

“There’s no time,” he hissed, “We’re already late enough as it is.” 

As if he hadn’t been the one to make us late.

“You should have employed my sister’s personal shopper like she had suggested for you. She always looks so classy while you look like a pauper.”

I held back my retort that I wasn’t sure he would be all that pleased with me dressing like a high class hooker like his sister. I didn’t think I had ever seen Nina Mallory wearing a dress that reached to mid thigh. 

“Let’s go.” He hissed, “I can’t wait for the day you’ll finally stop embarrassing me.” 

I followed him with my head down like I was headed to my own execution. It was safe to say that Lachlan’s family hated me. While his mother and sister always picked me apart and belittled me, his younger brother never missed an opportunity to corner me and try to lure me into his bed. 

While the house I lived in with Lachlan was huge, boasting six bedrooms with ensuite bathrooms, it was nothing compared to the Mallory family house. 

I could never get used to the sheer magnificence of the house. 

“Stop staring like a commoner,” Lachlan barked at me and I immediately snapped my mouth shut and affected a blank expression. 

We were led to the dining table where his family were already seated by a uniformed servant and Lachlan made his apologies for our tardiness.

“Oh, it’s alright, Lachie,” Elise, his mother said with a kind smile before her gaze moved to where I stood behind her precious son and immediately turned acidic, “We all know whose fault it was.”

“Ugh, why is she here,” his sister Nina whined, “Couldn’t she have given an excuse and stayed away.”

She was in a bright, atrocious yellow dress that looked more appropriate for a club. The neckline plunged all the way to her stomach exposing everything but her nipple. 

“I doubt our little gold digger in-law will ever miss an opportunity to rub it in our faces that she managed to weasel her way into this family,” Elise said. 

Lachlan just chuckled and went to take his seat while his greasy brother leered at me disgustingly. I had mentioned once to my husband about his brother’s advances towards me and he had accused me of being a slut.  

“Don’t get worked up over her,” another feminine voice said, “your doctor’s instructions were to avoid stress.” 

I turned to see that it was none other than Cassandra, Lachlan’s childhood friend and a daughter of one of the Mallory business associates. She was a wealthy heiress and was beloved by his mother and sister. 

The whole world had thought they would end up together but I had been the evil gold digger that had forced my father to add me as part of a contract deal all so I could get my grubby hands on Lachlan. 

And of course, my husband had taken the seat beside her, leaving me to seat beside Christopher. 

I sat down gingerly, smoothing my green dress over my legs nervously. When I looked up, it was to find Lachlan and Cassie involved in a whispered conversation, their heads bent together. 

“Don’t they make the cutest couple,” Nina sighed dreamily. 

Did they just bring me here to humiliate me? Why didn’t Lachlan just let me stay at home? That way, he could do whatever he wanted with his one true love. 

“Absolutely,” Elise agreed immediately. 

“Please mama,” Cassie waved them away with a giggle, “don’t say such things in front of her. You’ll make the poor girl cry.” 

“Cry?” Nina scoffed, “What reason does she have to cry? She has gotten all she wanted. She has her her greedy claws sunk into my brother with all his money at her disposal.” 

I stared at her in surprise. I had no access at all to Lachlan’s vast wealth. Not that I wanted it anyway. I wasn’t allowed to work and neither was I given an allowance. Whenever I needed something, I had to ask and beg my husband for it and be humiliated. 

The dress I had on was one I had had for years now. 

“Not to mention that she’s set to inherit milions if they ever get divorced,” Elise added with a scoff, “but I doubt she’ll ever go that route. She’ll want to be kept in this lifestyle of sucking my son dry for the rest of her life.” 

I pressed my mouth into a tight line to keep my bitter retort trapped in. I couldn’t afford to spit out the vitriolic words I ached to. 

The servants arrived at that moment and began to serve plates of food. 

“Should you be eating all that?” Cassie asked, staring at my plate of grilled potatoes with shock, “You can afford to lose a few pounds, Emily.” 

My name was Amelia, and I was sure she knew that. 

Lachlan just snorted, “She hardly cares about anything like that. She eats like a damned pig.” 

“That’s not true!” I retorted. 

“Get her a salad.” Lachlan ordered the servants ignoring me. 

I wasn’t even that hungry, but this final control and humiliation was the last straw, especially when Christopher looked up from his plate and eyed me lasciviously. “I think some parts of her are perfect the way they are.” Then his eyes dropped to my breasts. 

Disgust rolled through me. And right as the servant replaced my potatoes with salad, anger ignited my blood. 

Cassie winked at me and placed one hand tipped with neat manicured red nails on my husband’s chest and I was done being sane. 

I rose to my feet and flung the salad away. The audible crash and shatter caused the whole table to startle. 

“Amelia! How dare you!” Lachlan growled, anger shining in his eyes. 

Suddenly shocked by my careless display, I grabbed my purse with a terrified whimper and ran out of the house, ignoring my name being roared by my husband behind me. 

Oh God, what had I done?