AMELIAI turned my head a little to get a good look at the wall clock and saw it was just a quarter past eight. Good. I nodded. The gossip show would start soon, and I was amped for it. I adjusted until I was very comfortable in my seat and took yet another bite of popcorn. On the big television, an ad for a new washing machine was being aired, and then my phone pinged, signalling that it was time for the show. I grabbed the remote and quickly changed the channel. Just as I did, the familiar soundtrack of the gossip talk show came on.The words 'STRAIGHT TALK WITH MILES' popped up on the screen in bold caps. The message grew more extensive and slowly faded into the background. What appeared next on the screen was a live studio in which was seated a tall, youngish man, very much like Anton in looks. I immediately recognized him as Anton's friend in the talk show biz, the one who was going to help me dig up dirt on Noah, the one who was to talk about Noah today on his show based on a
AMELIAWith a slightly shaky hand, I pulled out a handkerchief and dabbed at my sweaty brow. I had been taking deep, steady breaths for the past few minutes, but it had done nothing to alleviate my nervousness. I didn't think any woman had been this nervous to tell the father of his child that she was pregnant. Damian was unwittingly making my nervousness a hundred times worse the longer he stayed away. What was he still doing up there anyway?I straightened and straightened the placemats on the dining table for what felt like the umpteenth time. And then I heard his approaching footsteps and immediately stood straight. "Where's the food?" Damian said cheerfully, standing just inside the door and looking around. "In a- in a minute," I said. "I wanted you to come down first. I didn't want your food to get cold."I stumbled into the kitchen and stumbled back out. My hands trembled so badly that I almost dropped a dish cover on Damian's foot."Sorry. Sorry," I apologized as I caught i
AMELIA'S POV"Yes. This is Amelia Carter speaking," I said as soon as the person on the other end picked up. "I would like to make a reservation for two tomorrow in one of your private booths." "Alright ma'am," said the woman. "Please hang on."I heard the rattle of computer keys in the background and kept my fingers crossed. I wanted my anniversary to be perfect so I couldn't afford any disappointments. The restaurant I had called was a very fancy, very exclusive one, and was usually booked weeks in advance. I breathed a sigh of relief when a moment later, she said, "We have a spot just for you."I told her the time my husband, Noah, and I would be arriving, and went through other details for the evening. The woman assured me I would be getting the VIP treatment when I told her my husband and I were coming to celebrate our second wedding anniversary. I began humming a tune as soon as I hung up. I stood up to get my computer and caught sight of my reflection in the mirror. There
AMELIA'S POVI didn't know how long I remained sitting and crying in front of the massive gates of what used to be my home. I tried to get Noah’s attention by banging on the gate several times but he wouldn’t come out. “Noah, please!” I cried out loud. “I’ll do anything to give you children. Please don’t leave me here.”But all I received was silence from him.I could hear him and Lucy laughing inside and my heart churned with the thought of them eating the meal I prepared. After an unknown length of time, I got to my feet and had walked for a few paces before I realized I had forgotten all my belongings, contained in the suitcases. I went back for them, and wheeled them as I walked. I walked for an hour before it registered that I actually had no destination. "Doesn't matter," I muttered to myself, feeling completely drained and exhausted. It felt like a huge weight had fallen on me and it was crushing me with each passing second. Some passers-by shot me curious looks, whispered
NOAH'S POVI blew on the coffee Lucy had made. She didn't always get the temperature right and It was always too hot. Picking up the remote, I turned on the television to catch the early morning news. My fingers automatically found the buttons to turn the volume up while I scrolled through my phone, checking for business emails I could have missed. "...the former Amelia Carter engaged." I froze midday in opening an email. My ears immediately perked up. What had I just heard? The former Amelia Carter engaged? The voice had come from the television and that was where I directed my entire attention immediately. The newscaster, occupying a quarter of the screen went on talking, but my confused mind could barely make out what he was saying. My gaze was riveted on the caption in bold black type at the bottom of the screen.It read, DAMIAN DONOVAN, BUSINESS MOGUL, AND NEW JERSEY'S MOST ELIGIBLE BACHELOR SET TO GET MARRIED TO THE FORMER AMELIA CARTER IN LAVISH STYLE. I gaped at the screen
AMELIA'S POV"Yes. Yes, I will need the documents tomorrow." Damian's voice came floating out of the living room and I strolled to him, and saw that he was still on the phone. Jeez!Did the man never take a break from work? Surely, his staff could hold the forte, especially after considering the fact that it was the night of his wedding and obviously his honeymoon. Even though our marriage was not real, I expected him to at least take a break. Just as I was about to leave, he ended the call so I decided to join him on the sofa. He turned towards me immediately, his brows raised. "Did you want something?" he asked. I swallowed, wondering where to start. His tone was somewhat cold. "Actually, I was hoping that we could talk... you know, get to know each other." I snuck a glance at him from under my lashes and flushed when I saw his steel grey eyes staring at me fiercely. That gaze unsettled me, had me stumbling to get the words out. "Seeing as we just got married and it's our honey
AMELIAIt almost felt like I was on a literal high as I watched Noah being thrown out of the mall. When Damian had spoken of me getting sweet revenge on Noah, I never imagined that it would feel so good.There was one thing I knew about Noah. It was that he didn't he didn't accept defeat... not that it did him much good anyway. He raved, cursed, swore and struggled with the guards. In the end, the guards had to practically bundle him out like a sack of potatoes. In the struggle, his neatly pressed shirt got rumpled, his tie got awry and he looked half demented. There were sniggers and outright laughs as most of the shoppers gathered around to watch the unfolding scene. I daresay most of them brought out their phone to take pictures and videos of him. I didn't bother to turn. I struggled not to laugh myself. It would seem very petty, especially to those who knew my history with Noah.Noah, panting like he had run a marathon, managed to turn around. His eyes, almost bulging out of his e
AMELIA POV"Amelia?" I heard Damien say my name but it felt as though he was calling me from the far end of a tunnel. The breakfast tray was heavy and my arms were trembling with the strain of holding it, but I hardly noticed. Hell! At that moment, the whole world could have crashed and burned and I still would not have noticed. All of my attention was focused on his body. Damien's lithe, naked body was every bit as I had imagined it, and I had imagined it quite often, especially on the day I thought we would have an actual wedding night. He was perfection. He was perfectly toned and muscled, just as I had expected. The smart suits and long sleeved shirts he wore all the time had not been able to disguise that fact. Standing next to the open window as he was, the early morning sunlight bathed him in a golden, warm glow. The droplets of water still clinging to his skin shone and glittered like tiny, many faceted diamonds. My eyes, of their own volition, traveled down his body, and r