Chapter 9
The night of the party had finally arrived, and the grand living room was buzzing with the low hum of conversations, the clink of glasses, and the gentle notes of music from the hidden speakers.
I moved through the room with a practiced smile, greeting the ten couples Colson and I had invited, my eyes scanning for any signs of discomfort or dissatisfaction.
Everything had to be perfect. Colson demanded it.
But perfection felt like a distant dream tonight.
Vaughn and Serena had just arrived, and even from across the room, I could see the misery etched into Vaughn’s face.
He barely masked it with a polite smile as Serena clung to his arm, her eyes darting around the room like a bird trapped in a cage.
She looked dumpy next to him and had done nothing to improve her appearance.
Her hair was still stringy and lifeless and her nails were now painted blood red.
The engagement was imminent, but anyone who cared to look could see how wrong they were for each other. Not that it mattered. Their union was more about business than love, just like my marriage to Colson.
As I greeted guests, my thoughts kept drifting back to the small key hidden in my nightstand. My efforts to find where it fit had been fruitless. I’d searched the house from top to bottom after returning from the coat drive earlier, but I came up empty.
It felt like the key was mocking me, its secrets just out of reach. And Colson, oblivious or pretending to be, was out of the house, having drinks with his cronies after a round of golf. I didn’t expect him back until late, if at all.
I was in the middle of exchanging pleasantries with Samuel Woodson and his wife when I felt a hand on my elbow. I turned to find Vaughn beside me, his expression tight, his smile strained.
“Josephine, could I borrow you for a moment?” he asked, his tone light but his eyes dark with something that made my pulse quicken.
“Of course, Vaughn,” I replied, excusing myself from the conversation. Vaughn led me through the room, his grip on my elbow firm but not painful. I glanced around, making sure no one noticed as he guided me into the butler’s pantry, a small, brightly lit space next to the kitchen.
The door clicked shut behind us, and before I could say anything, Vaughn’s body was pressed against mine, trapping me between him and the counter. His warmth radiated through the thin fabric of my dress, and the scent of whiskey on his breath was sharp and unsettling.
“What are you doing?” I whispered, trying to push him away, but his hands tightened on my waist, holding me in place.
“You’re a fool, Josephine,” he hissed, his voice low and laced with anger. “You’re falling under Colson’s spell, just like everyone else. Can’t you see what he’s doing to you?”
I stiffened, my heart pounding in my chest. “What are you talking about, Vaughn? This isn’t the time or place…” I hissed.
“It’s the perfect time,” he cut me off, his eyes burning into mine. “You think I don’t see how you’re changing? You’re becoming just like him. Cold, calculating… ruthless. It’s exactly what he wants.”
Was that really what was happening to me?
I shook my head, my mind racing. “You don’t know what you’re talking about. Colson and I… it’s complicated.”
“Complicated?” Vaughn scoffed, his lips curling into a bitter smile. “He’s manipulating you, Josephine. You think you’re in control, but you’re not. You never will be with him.”
His words struck a nerve, the truth in them stinging like a slap to the face. I had known, deep down, that Colson was slowly chipping away at my defenses, bending me to his will. But hearing it from Vaughn, seeing the desperation in his eyes, made it impossible to ignore.
“What do you want me to do, Vaughn?” I asked, my voice trembling. “Leave him? Run away? You know that’s not an option.”
Vaughn’s grip on me softened, and for a moment, I saw a flicker of something in his eyes—pity, maybe, or regret. “I’m not saying you have to run, but you need to be careful. Colson is dangerous. More dangerous than you realize.”
I swallowed hard, trying to steady my breathing. “I’m not blind, Vaughn. I know what he’s capable of.”
“Do you?” he challenged, his face inches from mine. “Because if you did, you wouldn’t be here, playing the dutiful wife, planning his parties and pretending everything is fine. When was the last time you saw your family?”
“I’ve seen them. I’m not pretending,” I said, my voice barely above a whisper. “I’m surviving.”
I lied. I hadn’t seen my parents or Logan since my wedding. The weekly lunches I had with my brother ceased. I even ignored his texts and calls from my mother.
Vaughn’s eyes searched mine, and for a moment, the tension between us shifted into something else. Something raw and unspoken. “You deserve better than this,” he said softly, his hand moving up to cup my cheek. “Better than him.”
I leaned into his touch, closing my eyes against the tears that threatened to spill over. “It’s not that simple, Vaughn.”
“I know,” he whispered, his breath warm against my skin. “But just… promise me you won’t let him destroy you.”
I opened my eyes and met his gaze, the sincerity in his words cutting through the fog of doubt and fear that had clouded my mind for so long. “I promise,” I said, my voice steady, even as my heart raced.
Vaughn leaned in, his lips brushing mine in a fleeting, tender kiss that left me breathless. I was too shocked to push him away but I didn’t kiss him back.
When he pulled back, his eyes were filled with a sadness that mirrored my own. “Be careful, Josephine,” he murmured, then turned and left the pantry, leaving me alone in the dim light, my thoughts swirling with uncertainty and the faint taste of his kiss lingering on my lips.
As I composed myself and prepared to rejoin the party, I heard a crash.
I rushed into the kitchen, my heart pounding, just in time to see Simone swaying on her feet, her face flushed with alcohol. The tray of appetizers on of the servers had been carrying lay scattered across the floor, the staff frantically trying to clean up the mess.
“Bitch,” she spat, her words slurred, her eyes narrowing as she glared at me.
I froze, the scene before me unraveling like a nightmare.
At the entrance to the kitchen, Colson stood with half our guests, their expressions a mix of dismay and disbelief.
This wasn’t just a mishap—it was a disaster.
The dinner party I had meticulously planned, every detail accounted for, was spiraling into chaos before my eyes.
And then it happened. Simone clutched the counter for support, her body lurching forward as she vomited all over it.
The rancid smell hit me before I could even react, and I gasped, instinctively covering my mouth.
The chef, who had just placed the Beef Wellington fresh from the oven on that very counter, looked on in horror as the main dish was ruined in an instant.
“Simone!” Colson’s voice thundered through the kitchen, his face a mask of fury. “Get her out of here!”
The staff moved quickly, ushering Simone out of the kitchen, while the rest scrambled to clean up the disaster she had left behind.
I could see the embarrassment in Colson’s eyes as he turned to our guests, forcing a tight smile as he led them back to the living room, trying to salvage what remained of the evening.
I took a deep breath, willing myself to stay composed.
This was my moment to step up, to fix what I could.
I pulled the chef aside, my voice calm but urgent.
“Can we salvage dinner? We still have appetizers circulating, dessert is ready in the fridge, and the side dishes are safe in the oven. But we need a main dish, something that can be served quickly.”
The chef nodded, his expression determined. “I’ll figure something out, Mrs. Ashworth. We’ll make it work.”
I thanked him and stepped back, my mind racing.
I should’ve seen this coming. Simone had always been a thorn in my side, always looking for a way to undermine me in Colson’s eyes.
But tonight, she had crossed a line. The venom in her gaze, the deliberate way she had tried to humiliate me in front of everyone—I couldn’t let it go unanswered.
As I watched the staff clean up the remnants of the ruined dish, a cold resolve settled over me. Simone thought she could sabotage me, that she could make me look weak, but she was wrong. I was done playing the polite hostess, done turning a blind eye to her petty games.
It was time I put Simone in her place. She needed to understand that I wasn’t someone she could walk over, that I wasn’t going to let her destroy everything I had worked for. The next time she tried to come after me, she wouldn’t be met with kindness or understanding.
She would be met with the full force of someone who had nothing left to lose.
Colson pressed a kiss to my cheek, his voice warm with approval. “You recovered wonderfully tonight.”
I narrowed my eyes, frustration simmering just beneath the surface. “Colson, I want her out. I can’t deal with her anymore,” I hissed, trying to keep my voice low.
He shook his head, his expression softening. “I can’t do that. Where would she go? I still control her credit cards and trust fund.”
A bitter laugh escaped me. “Are you joking? You pay her two hundred thousand dollars a year, plus bonuses. If she can’t live on that, she needs more help than we can give her.”
“She’s my daughter,” he said, as if that excused everything.
I slid onto his lap, straddling his hips, and looked him directly in the eyes. “She’s almost twenty-five, Colson. She’s not a child anymore, but you treat her like one because you feel guilty. It’s over. I can’t function with her in this house. For fuck’s sake, she almost killed me.”
His grip settled tightly on my thighs, his eyes darkening with memories. “When I buried Poppy, I stayed after everyone else walked away. I promised her I’d take care of our children.”