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CHAPTER 16
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A vow of hate CHAPTER 17
We were going to a fundraiser tonight.That was all that was written on the small note that I found in my room this morning, and before I could go downstairs to find Christian and ask why he was just telling me about it at the last minute, Tina informed me that he was already gone. I ate breakfast alone with Valerie, silently cursing out Christian in my head. And by the time the afternoon rolled by, a thousand people that I didn’t know were in the house. One group was rolling suitcases in, another was bringing in racks and racks of clothes, and shoes. There was such an insane flurry of activity, and before I could blink, my butt was firmly planted in front of the vanity in my uncomfortably large dressing room. We still had five hours before the fundraiser, and when I made this fact known to the stylists and hairdressers hovering all around me, they graciously let me know that these things usually took that long. And boy, were they right!My hair was washed and blow dried, even though
A vow of hate CHAPTER 18
As we entered the grand ballroom adorned with crystal chandeliers and lavish decorations, I couldn't help but feel overwhelmed by the sheer opulence surrounding me. Even the lighting didn’t seem ordinary, it was brightly lit, but at the same time, dim. I couldn’t figure out how they even made that happen. Conversation floated all around the room just as easily as the waiters did with their trays of expensive looking champagne flutes. Men stood in groups, whispering to each other in hushed tones, each one wearing custom made suits. Women were dressed in the most expensive dresses I had ever seen, and each one had the glistening rocks laying pretty on their necks and fingers. I mentally thanked the stylist for not letting me have my way when I wanted to take off the diamond necklace. I stayed close to Christian, suddenly feeling out of place. I shouldn’t be here, I didn’t belong with all these people. And even though I was wearing a dress that was just as expensive as the others, I wor
A vow of hate CHAPTER 19
It took me about ten minutes to locate the bathroom. Once inside, I turned on the faucet and cupped some of the water and lifted it towards my face, but one look in the mirror reminded me that I had a full face of makeup that I couldn’t destroy if I didn’t want to spend the rest of the night looking like a raccoon. I sighed wearily and stared at my reflection in the mirror. “You’ve got this, Hazel, you’ve got this. Don’t let those rich snobs get to you.”It was easier said than done though. They were quick to evaluate me like a lab rat even though no one said anything to me other than a brief hello. It was amazing to me how many women asked what drink I was having and if my bloated tummy was from the spaghetti or pregnancy. And although I was never one to be self conscious about my appearance, I could feel my skin getting hot under my dress as they were examining me.They don’t matter. I whisper to myself and roll my shoulders back. Then I touch up my lipstick and exit the bathroom.I
A vow of hate CHAPTER 20
When I walked back to the table, Christian was all alone, and almost like he could sense me coming towards him, he turned his head and looked at me with an eyebrow raised. “What took you so long?”“Your father knows.” I informed him discreetly, looking around to make sure there was nobody within earshot of us.Christian tilted his head, “what do you mean by that?”“Let’s just say he and I had a little heart to heart when he cornered me by the bathroom.”A look of disgust crossed Christian’s face, and something else that I couldn’t quite make out. “What exactly did he say?”I broke down the entire conversation to Christian, from the assumptions his father made to how he offered to pay me double if I called off the marriage and got a divorce. Christian didn’t say a word till I was done talking.“There’s nothing to be worried about then.” He simply said when I finished.“What do you mean? What if he says something to someone else?”“Something like what? Hazel, this isn’t a game. It’s no
A vow of hate CHAPTER 21
“What happened?” I asked immediately I reached the front desk and spotted my mother’s nurse, not even bothering to say hello to anyone. “Is my mother okay?”The nurse steps out from behind the desk and walks over to me. “Your mother developed an infection, but I’ll let the doctor tell you the rest.”“Why? Why can’t you tell me? Is she?” My eyes widened, “is she dead?” I asked, waiting for the ball to drop and change my life forever.“No, of course not. Your mother’s fine. It’s just standard procedure. We’ve been able to stabilize her, but she might still be a bit woozy.” The nurse informed me.I let out a whoosh of air, and finally breathed for the first time since we left the fundraiser. “Can I go in to see her?” I inquired.“Yes, you can.”I was sprinting to my mother’s room before the nurse could even finish talking. I met the doctor in front of the room door.“Your mother developed an infection, and honestly, nobody saw this coming. She passed out, and that was why you were calle
A vow of hate CHAPTER 22
It was a Saturday, and I had recently started working out in Christian’s home gym, and I was just rounding up a session. I took a big chug from my water bottle and went up the stairs with my sweat soaked towel in hand. My phone rang just as I closed the door to my room behind me. It was Olivia.“Hey.” I greeted.“Are you pregnant?”“Huh? Did you just ask if I’m pregnant?”“Yes. Are you?” She inquired again.“No, Olivia, I’m not pregnant. Now what is this about?” I asked, tiredly reaching to sit down on the floor.“You don’t know,” Olivia’s voice cracks. “You really have no idea.”I’m suddenly alert. “What’s going on Liv? What are you talking about?”“There’s… there’s stories coming out about you.”“Huh?”“Yeah, about you and Christian.”My stomach dropped to my feet, and now I knew that the shaking of my knees wasn’t just from the intense workout routine I had just done. “Send them to me.”“Hazel, I think it’s better if you don’t see them.” Olivia says slowly.Shit. I ignored her and
A vow of hate CHAPTER 23
CHRISTIANI had decided to take the day after the fundraising event off, much to the surprise of everyone at the office since I barely took any time off. And I should have known that was a mistake. I had decided to disconnect from the world and just relax in the house with Valerie, and somehow, two hours passed without me checking my phone. That single act came back to bite me in the ass.‘This is what happens when you take breaks’ I thought to myself.Someone had leaked a story to gossip magazines claiming that my marriage to Hazel was staged, and immediately, I knew it was the work of my father. It wasn’t rocket science, anyone could see that he was responsible for this damage.I had to give him credit. He was thorough, making sure to include a set of fake documents showing the agreement of a contract marriage, complete with forged signatures of Hazel and I. The whole thing was stupid, we weren’t even in a contract marriage, it didn’t make any sense. It portrayed me as the exact mon
A vow of hate CHAPTER 24
CHRISTIAN“You’re handing over the company to me?” I asked in bewilderment, taking the phone off my ear for a second to cross check the number again. But everything was as it should be. I really was talking to my grandfather and not an imposter.“I am.” “But why?” I asked again, still confused. “And in the midst of all this drama too. I expected you to pull everything out from under me.”“Exactly.” Grandfather’s gruff voice responded. “I’ve been disappointed one too many times. And if your father was the least bit dependable, the company might have been his ages ago. I’m getting too old to do this for much longer. This is your last chance, you're under probation. Fix this mess and make it disappear and you'll be inaugurated as chairman at the next board meeting.” “Aren’t you going to ask if any of it is true?” I asked him.There was a slight pause before he spoke, “does it matter? The only thing that matters is that you have a wife and a daughter now, and from what I’ve seen and hea
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