Chapter 14
Chapter
Fourteen
AMELIE
Dan, our new personal chef, had pulled out all the stops for breakfast. It was a feast for the eyes, with overflowing platters of colorful fruits and pastries.
The enticing aroma of coffee and warm croissants hung in the room.
Freshly squeezed orange juice sparkled in my crystal glass.
Porcelain dishes overflowed with crispy bacon, perfectly cooked sausages, fluffy scrambled eggs, golden brown waffles, and pancakes topped with generous amounts of whipped cream.
However, the sweet scent of homemade jam and syrup made my stomach turn. I rotated the silver wedding band on my index finger. It was the first gift Stefan gave me as a married couple. He took the bus for three months to save money on gas and buy me this ring.
Was it any wonder that I fell in love with him?
A new addition, the ring from Kai, was stacked on top of it. The platinum band weighed down both my hand and soul.
Things with Kai escalated last night. He got me on my back, and once more, my consent was murky at best. Nothing so traumatizing happened for me to claim he broke our prenuptial agreement, but the lines were blurry.
I wanted to end this marriage without being the villain. As selfish as it sounded, I wanted to return to my previous life, even if it cost my family endless opportunities. Surely Stefan would support my decision if I explained Kai’s dubious actions.
The things I needed to tell Stefan swirled in my mind, but he was nowhere to be found. His room was empty, and the bed hadn’t been slept in. I couldn’t find my phone, either, so I had no choice but to wait for him to turn up.
When the clock struck eight, I realized Stefan wasn’t coming.
The beautiful food on the table mocked me.
They looked like delicate works of art. We had dreamt of such extravagant buffets.
Once, when Stefan and I were in a bind, we bought a bag of bread and a stick of butter for a dollar each.
Toast with butter was all we could afford for five people’s breakfast until payday.
The kids complained about the monotony, so Stefan turned it into a game.
He pretended to pluck fresh berries out of thin air and handed them to me.
“Mm. Yum,” I had said, taking a pretend bite. I passed the imaginary fruits to Bella, who looked at me like I was crazy.
“If you don’t want it, I’m sure Jamie will,” Stefan had said.
Jamie had lunged for the imaginary fruit, snatching it from my hands. Kids only wanted things when others had them. Bella immediately jumped out of her chair, and we laughed as they fought over the fake berries.
That week, Stefan brought many things to life with his imagination. He pretended to cook pancakes and placed the fake byproducts on our plates. He cut into the pancake with a fork and fed me with such gusto that the kids insisted he feed them, too.
I stared at the lavish breakfast spread. The balance of color and sophistication on this table might be appetizing, but I couldn’t stomach a thing and wished for the days of imaginary food with my loud family.
I wasn’t even allowed to see the children without being shooed away.
When I reunited with them this morning, Mrs. Bea said she needed to review the rules of their new school before the first day of classes.
They were attending a local boarding school, living on campus during the week and coming home on weekends.
Stefan’s idea. He wanted them to have the best education money could buy, and with an education from Evercrest Academy, they could become the country’s future leaders.
Though I hated the thought of the kids staying on campus part-time, I couldn’t argue with the opportunity.
On the days they were home, Mrs. Bea was responsible for waking them, dressing them, and reviewing their homework.
She didn’t want us disrupting the routine.
“I’ve been raising high-performing children for thirty years,” she had informed me. “Trust me, I know what’s best for them.”
With nothing else to do, I waited for Stefan at breakfast. The long dining table heightened my anxiety.
It was a twelve-seater, and you had to raise your voice to hear someone sitting on the other end of the table.
A stunning nod to fine dining, but impersonal.
I preferred Kai’s breakfast nook over this formal monstrosity.
Honestly, Kai’s entire side was more welcoming than Stefan’s ostentatious wing, with its ten bedrooms and sprawling living and dining rooms. After exploring the house, I was surprised to discover that Kai’s side was smaller, making it homier.
His kitchen opened into the living room, with a breakfast nook between them.
There were five bedrooms, including a second room for the twins and Bella whenever they stayed with Kai.
It was ridiculous for us to go back and forth like a divorced family, but our lives had changed. We’d given up all we had in exchange for something different. I just wasn’t sure if it was worth it.
My eyes watered, but the noise of the front door opening had me wiping away the tears. A frantic Stefan found me at the dining table. The guilt was evident on his face.
Good. He should feel guilty for standing me up.
“Amelie—” he started, but another voice cut him off.
“You forgot your jacket.”
I glanced over Stefan’s shoulder. Matt, Marcus, and Will walked into the living room. They looked wrecked after a night of partying, but the woman in their midst looked fresh. She was pretty, with short blonde hair and an even shorter dress.
What the hell?
I thought Stefan went out for a boys’ night. Shouldn’t that exclude women? He didn’t invite me, yet a random woman had joined them on their night out.
“Hi, Amelie,” Will slurred. Was he drunk?
“Good morning,” Matt added while Marcus settled for a wave, cautiously eyeing the breakfast spread. He was the only person who seemed cognizant of the tension emanating from me.
“Morning,” I replied warily, my eyes fixed on the pretty woman.
“So, you’re the famous Amelie,” the stranger chirped. “Stefan has told me so much about you.”
I didn’t respond, inwardly fuming. Stefan better have a good explanation for staying out all night, standing me up, and walking in with a beautiful stranger, though something about her was oddly familiar. It wasn’t until she drew closer that I realized why.
No fucking way.
She extended her hand for a handshake. “It’s so nice to meet you, Amelie. I am—”
“Ruby Sarafina, I know.” I spoke without awe, my furrowed brow giving away my displeasure.
The men exchanged looks when I didn’t shake her hand.
Stefan stepped in as Ruby awkwardly lowered her hand.
“Amelie’s in shock,” he explained with an uneasy chuckle.
“It’s not every day you meet a rock star.
Amelie, you won’t believe the night we had.
Kai asked Ruby to meet me at the club to discuss a project for the magazine.
I almost had a heart attack when I saw her. ”
I was shocked, too. “I didn’t realize clubs were so well-known for work. That must be why you had to stay out all night.”
Stefan had the good sense to look guilty. “I’m sorry about missing breakfast—”
“Blame me,” Ruby interjected. “I was starving and insisted on going to a twenty-four-hour diner after the club.”
I stared at Stefan. “You already ate? Then why did you make plans with me?”
Stefan brushed the back of his head with a hand, looking ashamed.
“Don’t be angry with him. It was my fault for keeping him out all night,” Ruby added, though it seemed to give her immense pleasure to inform me that my husband was out with her all night.
Was she serious?
Marcus, who seemed the most mature of the group, noticed my irate expression and tried to placate me. He must’ve put two and two together after seeing the table full of untouched food. “Sorry, we lost track of time, Amelie. Stefan freaked out when he realized he was late to breakfast.”
Matt chuckled, turning to Stefan. “Wait? Breakfast with your wife was the big emergency?”
Stefan appeared slightly embarrassed by Matt’s comment.
“You almost got us into a car accident because you were late to meet your wife?” Will asked, stunned.
Stefan seemed further mortified by their jabs and didn’t respond. I get that missing breakfast wasn’t a big deal, but we hadn’t had a proper conversation since my remarriage to a megalomaniac. We were trying to rekindle our romance from the recent setbacks, or at least, that was my understanding.
“We were celebrating some good news and lost track of time,” Ruby added. “Don’t take it personally, love.”
“Excuse us. I’d like to have a word with my husband.” I emphasized the word my for good measure.
Ruby’s plastic smile slightly faltered. The awkwardness festered, and she and the guys were suddenly very interested in breakfast. Stefan told them to help themselves, though they had already eaten.
He grabbed my elbow and pulled me aside. “Was that necessary?” His voice was low, irritation bleeding through despite his effort to contain it. “I get that you’re mad at me, but there’s no need to take it out on Ruby. She just risked her life to drive me home.”
“I didn’t realize driving a car was a life-threatening activity. And I’m not in the wrong here, Stefan. I should be able to talk to my husband without another woman interrupting us.”
“She was just trying to be nice and smooth things over between us.”
Yeah, right.
In high school, during my pre-Stefan era, I had a friend who competed with me for my ex-boyfriend’s attention.
Once, she asked for my ex’s opinion on which dress to wear to homecoming.
I watched, gobsmacked, as she showed my boyfriend pictures of herself in provocative outfits, pretending she was only interested in his platonic opinion.
She was fishing for a compliment, which he readily gave.
After that, she never let me forget that my boyfriend found her attractive.
Chris said I looked hot in the red dress.
The subtle put-down was how some women dealt with their insecurities.
So, yes, I had Ruby’s number. Every woman on earth has had a Ruby in her life.
The woman who casually insinuated they could have your man if they wanted and made backhanded suggestions that your significant other was flirting with them.
These women often called themselves your friend, but really, they were your frenemy.
Rubys acted sugary-sweet while dressing in their statement clothes and putting on flashy makeup, hoping your partner would check them out.
And if your significant other made the mistake of paying them a compliment or defending them, they flaunted the win in your face forever.
I had never been jealous in my relationship with Stefan, nor did I pay attention to frenemies, because my husband only had eyes for me. Attention-seeking women had sought validation from him, but he always shut it down—until Ruby Sarafina.
“Smooth things over?” I repeated. “My husband was out with his childhood crush all night, and she condescendingly threw the fact in my face.”
He sighed, exasperated. “You misunderstood her intentions. Ruby isn’t that type of person.”
Seriously? I have known girls like Ruby all my life. She was transparent. How could he not see it?
Stefan insisted there would never be a third party in our marriage other than Kai. So, why was he standing up for another woman instead of me? He was already on her side after hanging out with her for a few hours.
“Did you sleep with her?” The words were out of my mouth before I could take them back.
I choked on my emotions. The entire premise of my sexual relationship with Kai was to give my family a better life.
Perhaps that meant accepting that it changed the boundaries for Stefan as well.
However, he was the one to twist my arm into this situation with promises of his undying loyalty.
So, why the hell was Ruby Sarafina here?
Stefan’s jaw dropped. “Of course not. How could you ask me that?”
“How could I not? She has always been your hall pass celebrity.”
“Come on, Amelie. That’s a joke between couples. How could you accuse me of cheating based on that?”
“How could I not after you stayed out with her all night?”
“Jesus, Amelie,” he snapped. “It was just breakfast. Why are you blowing it out of proportion? Everyone’s shocked at how much I panicked to get back to you, but you don’t seem to appreciate me or my efforts.”
It was my turn to be stunned. Appreciate him?
I married someone I disliked for Stefan’s sake. Stefan had pimped me out, and now, he was running around with another woman. Not just any woman, it was someone I could never compete with.
And he didn’t think I appreciated him? My bottom lip quivered. I felt so betrayed.
“I’m sorry.” He shut his eyes. “I’m sorry,” he repeated, opening them. “I know you married Kai because of me. It’s just… I would never betray you. How can you not trust me?”
I shook my head. “Because we’ve already crossed that boundary. Does sleeping with other people even mean anything between us?”
“Don’t say that.”
“I guess it’s only fair that you get to sleep with her after I—”
He took me in for a hug before I could finish the sentence. “Please, Amelie, stop. I don’t want to hear about what’s between you and Kai, nor do I hold it against you. But you’ve got to believe. I would never sleep with anyone else. Celebrity or not, you’re all I want.”
I closed my eyes as he said more reassuring things. The words felt hollow because the woman he idolized was standing before us. They were going to work together, too. How could that not tear me apart?
I pulled away and stared at Stefan with glassy eyes. I didn’t know what in my expression made him step back.
Confused by his whimsical mien, I followed his motions as he reached into thin air with one hand. With a gentle pull, he plucked something intangible from thin air, his fingers delicately curling around the nonexistent item.
I realized it was a flower when he brought the imaginary item to his nose and smelled it with great flair. He did a dramatic bow before handing me what I presumed was a single stem rose.
Laughter bubbled up my throat, and he cracked a smile, too. Despite the stacks of unopened designer boxes on the coffee table, this imaginary rose meant more. It was a nod to simpler times.
Stefan pulled me back into his arms, and I inhaled his deeply familiar smell.
See? We can still share a laugh.
Everything will be okay.
Everything will be okay.
Everything will be okay.