Chapter four

Chapter four

Beatrice Castillo was a scary looking woman. She was blonde unlike her son, thin framed and borderline anorexic with high defined cheekbones and a permanent scowl on her face. Evangeline dreaded meeting her mother in law, she wasn’t the mean spirited woman holding onto a cliche archetype, neither was she welcoming herself.

In a frantic bid to not keep her mother-in-law waiting she slipped into a simple green blouse and dark slacks. The Castillo family took pride in their outwardly appearance which reeked of nothing but pure elegance and simplicity, she was their daughter-in-law and needed to uphold this tradition.

Her mother-in-law was at the dining hall, seated on the chair only reserved for Damien with him by her side. Evangeline nodded in silence to acknowledge her presence and sat next to her husband, she felt an increasingly amount of negative tension oozing from every part of his body but she would also love nothing more than to keep her distance from him -his mother however wouldn’t appreciate that.

“Green is a nice color on you”. Beatrice murmured as she picked up a blueberry from her plate.

Taken aback by the sudden compliment Evangeline stammered, “Th…thank you Mother-in-law”.

Damien remained silent, sitting next to Evangeline made him lose his appetite no thanks to his mother. He wanted her gone, so he could crawl back into the solitude of his own room.

“I suppose you are with child right now Evangeline”.

Hearing the question made her choke almost on her own saliva, she turned her head sharply to face her mother-in-law, “I beg your pardon??”

Beatrice frowned, “You heard me the first time girl. I suppose you are with-

“She’s not pregnant”. Damien answered the preposterous question in place of his wife.

“Ohh?”, his mother’s brow arched, “I need to know why”.

Rolling his eyes surreptitiously he folded his arms and rested against the chair, “We don’t plan on having any children right now.”

“When??”, her voice grew more stern , “It’s been four years since this marriage took place. Why have I not gotten a grandson yet?”

Evangeline held onto the hem of her blouse in a bid to conceal her nervousness, her mother-in-law gazed at her and she felt her throat run dry, “We— Damien and I are trying our best Mrs Castillo.”

“You’re not trying hard enough”, shaking her head to show her disappointment, “I conceived Damien in the first six months of my marriage to his father. He’s a healthy boy and a handsome man, surely the inter course cannot be that—

“Our sex life is no business of yours mother.” Damien interrupted and Evangeline almost let out a sigh of relief.

“It is my business if it means producing an heir to secure your position as CEO”, his mother countered and placed a hand over his, “Your father is worried Damien.”

He couldn’t care less about his father’s worries or that of his in laws. This was just a means to strengthen the contract between both families, he wasn’t a pawn in their stupid game for power neither was he ready to consummate his marriage with someone as despicable as Evelyn. The blood of her family was bound to taint his lineage.

“We will try Mrs Castillo”, Evelyn muttered in an attempt to soothe her mother-in-law’s worries, “I promise you that”.

Beatrice glared at her with a twinge of haughtiness in her eyes, “You better do. I expect you to be pregnant before the end of the year Evangeline, you weren’t married into this family just so you could play wife. Do your duty as your father’s daughter and the daughter-in-law of this family.”

Evangeline nodded with her head sunk and breakfast shortly resumed. Twenty minutes later Damien left to see his mother for and she used it as an opportunity to have a state of the beautiful strawberry jam plated in front of her all this while, she was about to grab a piece of toast when he returned.

“ You shouldn’t have made that promise to my mother.”

She fluttered her lashes in confusion, “What?”

He went mute for a moment and then spoke again, “You are not getting pregnant Evangeline, by anybody or by me. There is no heir, there is no sex and this marriage will remain as it is —seedless. I will not touch you within a ten foot pole and that’s how you keep a promise”.

He said his peace and walked out of the room leaving Evangeline heavily distraught with a fork in one hand and toast on the other. He was only doing this out of spite knowing fully well she needed to fulfil her duties as the wife of the family.

The Castillo family took their pride very seriously, an heir was needed to secure the marital contract signed by her family and his. If the marriage doesn't get consummated soon tongues would start to wag, they would say she was a barren bride which she wasn't.

“Vanessa??" She called out for the housekeeper softly.

“Yes ma'am." The housekeeper arrived in the span of a minute.

Evangeline pursed her lips momentarily as she looked up at the ceiling, she shut her eyes praying to whatever God out there to give her strength and let out a deep sigh, “Do you have any idea of my husband's schedule for today?".

Taken aback by the question, the housekeeper blinked in bewilderment, “D...do you plan on spending time with Mr Castillo today ma'am."

“No", Evangeline smiled softly, “I am going to bake him his favorite treats today."

The housekeeper was sure her madam's head was jumbled, there was also a possibility of her being hit by a rock. Evangeline walked out of the room with her toast leaving the hosuekeeper to wonder what was going on. Damien Castillo wasn't a man who liked sweets, surely her madam should know that so why decide to bake him a treat.

She shrugged as she signaled one of the maids to clear up the table, her madam was about to create a recipe...a recipe for disaster