Chapter three

Natasha’s Pov

I arrived with Sidney. His family gathered inside. Liam stood when he saw us, relief crossed his face.

“You came late” anger hidden behind his voice as he gave me a peck on my cheek.

I smiled. “Sorry I was swarmed with work”

He nodded at Sidney. His mother watched us from the table with displeasure. She hated Liam, as the mistress son, he had always been treated as the outcast. In her eyes he was an embarrassment, a stain to their family name.

Her gaze softened when she looked at me. I smiled at her.

“Welcome Natasha and Sidney” Ashley said smiling as she hugged us.

I smiled, “It’s nice seeing you” I said

“I’m sorry, I’ve been keeping her soon to be husband from you, work has been hectic” she said smiling like the devil she was. I smile before I turned and sat at the table. I was not going to give her the reaction she needed.

Dinner began. The conversation was mostly about politics, business, firms good for investment. I answered when spoken to and kept my hands folded neatly on my lap. I could feel Liam attention on me. My eyes drifting to my sister. She knew I was uncomfortable which would be a surprise to her, owing to the fact that I had thrown a tantrum to make my family let me marry Liam. I remember how I had been when we had the first meeting with his parents, how I had tried to get on their good side, laughing at their stupid jokes.

“So”

I turned to face her, Ashley, his cousin. She sat across from me, legs crossed, red lips curved in a smile, I could stab a knife in her heart.

“When are you two finally setting a date?” she asked swirling her wine.

“We’re not” I said

The table quiet, shock on their faces, even Sidney was staring at me.

His mother looked up sharply, “You’re not?”

“No” I said calmly. “We’ve decided to take some time”

His hand tightened around mine, almost like a warning.

He laughed awkwardly “That’s not….”

I cut him off gently. “We both need space, I have some issues to attend to at home, so after that is resolved we can set the date and get married” I said smiling.

“That’s a shame, he has been waiting for the date” she said smiling.

I met her gaze and smiled. “Yes. He’s very generous with his time, you would know since you are always together.”

Her smile faltered.

His father cleared his throat. “Okay, whenever the both of you are ready you can tell us the date.” His eyes held an expression, of course even though they never accepted Liam, him marrying into my family was going to help them in their business.

I stood smoothing my dress, Sidney followed.

“The dinner was lovely; we will be heading out now” I said.

I turned to my future husband. Ho looked stunned, off balance.

“Let me walk you out” he said getting up.

“No need, my sister is here” I said.

I bent down and gave him a kiss on his cheek.

As I walked away I could feel their stares on me, his parents watching me closely, Ashley staring at my back and Liam still on his sit stunned.

I let out a laugh when we got to the car, Sidney laughing with me.

“What was that?” she asked

“I am not going to marry him” I said to her.

“Thank God” she said “I never liked him” she said smiling.

“What changed your mind?” she asked.

“If I told you, you wouldn’t believe me” I said

“Try me”

“I saw the future and it was hell” I said.

I was currently in my room in our family’s home, my parents had asked to see me, apparently his parents had called and asked why the wedding had to be moved. I told my parents I needed time to be sure he is the right person for me.

I typed on my laptop, logging into his company’s cloud, I put in the password, my birthday, I scoffed, I had thought it was romantic when he used it as his password.

I started with his biggest pending contract, the one he had bragged about to me when he came to visit. I knew the man overseeing the approval, not personally but my family did.

I called him asking him if he had noticed the loopholes in the contract, if he had reviewed the document closely, acting like I was concerned.

By nightfall, the contract had been rejected. I didn’t stop there, I forwarded an internal report to an auditor who owed my brother a favor, I removed my name, letting it look like an anonymous whistleblower.

The company was in chaos the next day, my phone flooded with emails and messages and calls, most from Liam. 

I answered when he called for the tenth time.

“Why didn’t you pick my call and why didn’t you tell me you were still involved in my accounts?” he demanded, his irritation and anger barely contained.

I kept my voice calm, worried

“I’ve been dealing with the chaos and no I don’t have access to your account”

He sighed “Someone leaked something out and now the investors are pulling out, and my contract has been dismissed” 

“Did you say anything to anyone?” he asked his voice calm

“Of course not, I wouldn’t do that to you.”

He exhaled.

“Who could have done this, everything I had worked for”

I raised my brow, you worked for? or everything gave you.

After we hung up, I laid on the bed, eyes on the ceiling, 

“This is for my children” I whispered to no one.

Liam stopped calling to ask how I was and started calling, sending text messages demanding where I was, what I was doing, was I helping the company. I ignored his calls and messages.

At night my sister told me he drove past our apartment, checking if I was home, he was acting like a stalker.

“Are you scared?” Sidney asked one night

“No, I plan to face him head on” I said to her. Fear belonged to the woman who drowned.

The public had gotten whiff of what was happening, how he snapped at his workers, how the contracts he had boasted about had all been declined, he was falling, breaking apart and I was happy, incredibly happy.