Chapter 1
Chapter 1
I was drowning
But it was fine, Neil Devon, my husband of four years had just jumped into the pool right after me, he knew I couldn’t swim so surely he must have been coming to save me.
The moment I saw him dive after Ella Stanley, my cousin, instead, that was when I stopped struggling. I realized after all that my husband would truly never love me, as I continued to sink….
Three hours earlier,
As I walked into the massive Devon mansion, I knew something was off.
Not only were the house staff staring at me and murmuring, they had pitiful looks on their faces.
My heels were starting to wobble as I made my way further into the house in my red thin strapped gown, clutching the shopping bags in my arms even tighter.
It’s okay Leah, just head into your bedroom and everything will be fine, I kept trying to assure myself.
But that was when it caught my ears.
“Does the madam know that Miss Stanley is back?” One of the staff had whispered.
I stopped in my tracks, looking over my shoulder at her as her colleague slapped her back in panic for being too loud.
I swallowed the growing lump in my throat.
The staff of the house knew that I never reacted to the gossips that flew around the mega mansion. As long as I was Mrs Devon, I was fine with it.
Of course, I must have misheard, there was no way my perfect cousin Ella Stanley was back to New Orleans. She had been gone for years. It had to be a misunderstanding
I flinched out of my thoughts at the sound of my beeping phone.
I put the screen to my face and my gaze shifted into worry as my brows pulled together.
“Where on earth are you? Do you think you’re special enough to keep everyone waiting?”
It was a text from Neil.
I was late, but it wasn’t my intention. I had been at the restaurant where Neil had asked me to meet him for our anniversary dinner. But he hadn’t shown up.
The thought of it crushed my soul, I closed my eyes tight, trying to blink away the thoughts of how my heart raced, as I slowly counted down the time, sitting alone in a massive restaurant, my husband never showing up.
“I’m on my way I texted him back.
As I made my way to my bedroom, I caught the heavy scent of Neil’s cologne coming from his bedroom, so he must have been home, the rumours had to be untrue. We had slept in separate bedrooms for the enterity of our marriage and i was forbidden anywhere near his. It hurt to say that I’d never seen what his room looked like..
I dropped the shopping bags, gifts from the office staff, on my bed, rummaged through my closet and picked out a black, shimmering, dinner gown.
1/3
Achiver wacalorady wanting to take me in the family event
could see the rewment in the faces as I showed up. The family event was hosted by mother in law, Deli Devon, and wwwss worse than her son, she hated me. It was her mal event at the family’s huge resort, and she would invite her elite
Xx
“Tus that their useless slaughter in law?” Theanl ne of the elderly guests say.
Exwalloncest a bonus in my threat, balling my fists, scanning the crowd for my husband and that was when it caught my atton Next to my six the husband, hits jet black hair up in a laun, rumbling with laughter, was none other than a brunette in a blue gown I thought I would never see, Ella.
My teet almost lost their balance, I had to grips onto a nearby chair for support.
Why was she back?
was taking foster breathis.
Ella was Neil’s true love. Four years ago, she was supposed to marry him but she had left on her wedding day to pursue her modelling career and I’d been forced to take her place.
So why was she here?
Just then, as though she felt my intense gaze on the two as they interlocked arms, her eyes landed on me, a knowing smirk spread on her lips.
She whispered something to Neil and he immediately smiled, an expression he never offered me, he nodded sweetly. I wondered if he was the same man who spoke to me in an irritated tone all the time.
He left her side to say hello to some of the guests.
In her signature catwalk, arms folded across her chest, Ella approached me, not wiping the smirk off her face.
“If it isn’t the witch who married my lover?” She said in that annoying squeaky voice I hated, I winced at the mere sound of
“What are you talking about?” I tried to conceal the trembling in my voice, “you’re the one who left.”
“Oh,” she widened her eyes, “I see that being Mrs Devon has sure given you more courage than I remember.”
“Ella 1 had no choice, you know the agreements between both families, you left him on the wedding day, I had to step in”
“Oh spare me the bullshit, I knew you had a secret crush on him all that time! You’re nothing but a whore Leah, you just hide behind that mask of a pretty face and-”
She was right, I’d wanted Neil from the moment I met him but I never made a single move. It was all coincidental.
“That’s enough! I’m not going to listen to you insult me after it all, I’m still Mrs Devon and-”
“You don’t think he loves you now just because you’re Mrs Devon?” She chuckled, mockery in her tone, “well then let’s see which one of us he comes saving first?”
I was still trying to process her words when she grabbed my wrist, pulling us both into the giant pool next to us, a loud splashing sound accompanying our fall as all heads turned our way.
2/3
21:18 Sat, 8 Mar
