Chapter Five

“Brandon.” Amara breathed as she felt her heart jump to her throat.

Brandon watched her with suspicion in his eyes, and the locked jaw showed how angry he was, “I asked you a fucking question.” He snarled.

Amara looked behind her, but Lucian’s car was still parked outside. It made her shift uncomfortably as she tried to come up with a logical explanation.

‘What is he still doing here?’ She thought.

Lucian started his engine again and drove off, leaving Amara to breathe a sigh of relief, even though it wasn’t possible for him to see what was going on inside the house.

“I went out with Selene.”

Brandon moved closer and sniffed her, making Amara step backwards, her heart boiling at the madness Brandon was showing, “What the hell is wrong with you?!” She snapped.

“I should be asking you that. Why were you drinking? What has come over you, Amara?” Brandon asked in an accusatory tone.

“You’re kidding me!” Amara scoffed as she tried to walk past him, but he pulled her back, 

“I ask you a fucking question!” He repeated coldly.

“Brandon, you cheated on me, brought in your mistress, and you haven’t slept in our bed for God knows how long. You put your hands on me today, and now you want to stand here and act like a concerned husband?” Amara half-screamed as her eyes glared at him with so much coldness that he couldn’t recognize her anymore.

“Amara,” He called to her softly as he reached over and placed his hands in hers, “I’m sorry, baby. You know I love you. I was just worried, and when I went to visit your mother, she mentioned that you were in a club. You’ve never been to one, so I was just concerned-” He didn’t finish talking when Katherine showed up.

“Oh, Amara, we were so worried about you! Brandon searched everywhere for you. Where did you go?” She asked in her fake sweet voice.

“That’s none of your business,” Amara responded in an irritated tone..

Katherine saw that as an opportunity to turn Brandon against her, especially since she had noticed him softening toward her; it made her feel like she was losing her control over him. 

“Ohh, Amara, I know you hate me, and I would hate me too. After all, I’m a homewrecker!” She began to cry. "I shouldn’t have gotten pregnant, but I couldn’t help it when Brandon told me about how you’ve been trying for years and still have no child. I thought I was doing a good deed!” Katherine began to sob.

Amara watched in stunned silence, and a part of her wanted to give her a round of applause for the excellent performance.

Brandon let go of Amara’s hands and rushed by her side quickly, “Don’t say such things, Kate. It’s not your fault.” He held her tightly as she sobbed into his shirt.

“But Amara even ran away from home! I heard from the maids that she’s never had alcohol before, so it must have been so hard for her to get so drunk and go to a club in pajamas.” Katherine pointed out in her fake soft voice.

Amara rolled her eyes, “Looking for ways to kill me, I can see.”

“What? No! I’d never do that!” Katherine turned to Brandon, whose heart clenched upon seeing her cry, 

“Amara, why can’t you just accept that she’s a good person and learn to be like her instead of being bitter all the time? Look at how much stress you’re putting her through when she’s pregnant!” Brandon snapped at Amara.

A dry laugh escaped from Amara’s throat, “Why don’t you let me feed her too? Since she’s so precious that my feelings don’t even matter anymore?”

Guilt gripped Brandon, “Amara,” He called softly.

“Ouch!” Katherine held onto her abdomen and cried in pain.

Brandon turned to look at her and searched her carefully, “Kate! Are you in pain? Should I take you to rest?”

Amara didn’t even wait to hear the whole conversation, knowing it was one of Katherine’s tricks, 

“I don’t have time for this!” Amara shook her head in disbelief and walked past them to her room.

**********

The next day, Samantha, their house maid brought Amara a box wrapped in a gift and a note attached to it. Amara had a terrible hangover and decided to sleep in since it was a weekend. She stirred as she opened her eyes slightly, “What’s that?” She asked.

“I’m not sure, ma’am. A certain rude man just brought it and insisted I give it to you myself.” Samantha narrated, clearly irritated with the encounter she had with the unknown stranger.

She placed the box on the side table and walked away, knowing Amara was still sleepy and would probably open it when she woke up. 

Shuffling and sounds of movements woke Amara. She turned to her side and found Katherine standing by her bedside with the gift from earlier in her hands. “What the hell are you doing?!”

“Just wondering how long you’ve been cheating on Brandon. Does he know about this?” Katherine mocked.

“Put the box down and get the fuck out!” Amara sat up, all the sleep from earlier vanishing from her eyes. 

A cunning smile stretched across Katherine’s face, and she grabbed the knife in an attempt to open the gift box, but Amara grabbed her hand to stop her, “You’ve crossed enough lines! Get the fuck out before I help you out!”

“What can you do to a pregnant woman?” Katherine smiled challengingly.

“You’re pregnant and not disabled. Honestly, you’re pathetic, and it’s only a matter of time before Brandon sees it too. I mean count your days, I know that baby isn’t his.” Amara responded sternly.

Katherine’s eyes flickered with fear before she quickly covered it with cold eyes, “You’re just jealous that I have given Brandon in two months what you couldn’t in ten years. You’re actually a half woman- Ah!” She creamed as Amara slapped her.

She grabbed the box and placed it on the bed, but as she was about to turn, Katherine was on the floor! She had cut her wrist slightly and was screaming at the top of her voice.

Brandon rushed forward and seeing Katherine on the floor and the blood she was covered in made him see red, he didn’t even ask what had happened, he took out his phone and called his butler, Tony, who came in a split second. “Rush Katherine to the hospital, I’ll be there shortly!”

“Yes, sir!” Tony said as he lifted Katherine, when she looked over her shoulder, she had a smiling face. 

Amara watched in horror as the entire event changed against her. Brandon didn’t take his angry eyes off her all the while. 

“Brandon,” Amara tried to explain.

“Shut the fuck up!” He growled as he moved menacingly forward and grabbed her throat. Amara coughed as she pleaded for him to release her.

“Please.” She pleaded as tears streamed down her face.

“You want to kill my child? Huh? You’re pathetic, ugly, and useless. Do you know why you’re still here? It’s because our families are united and the companies are merged. But if you think even for a second that if anything happens to Kate and my son, I’ll let you see daylight again, then you’re mistaken!” He growled as he threw her across the room and stormed out!

Amara landed on the floor with a painful thud,  her heart breaking into a thousand pieces all over again. She sobbed as she wondered when her husband had begun to feel such a way about her, “Did he ever love me? Was it the company he was interested in all along?” She asked herself.

‘Who have I wronged to go through such kind of pain?’ The thought crossed her as she reached for the box that was on the bed. She picked up the note, which read.

 [To help you soothe your hangover, drink it while it’s warm. 

-Lucian.]

A frown formed on her face as she wiped her tears and read the note again. She opened the box, and inside it was an expensive-looking lunchbox which was now messed with all the shaking it had gone through.

“He sent me soup?” A small smile stretched Amara’s face.

But it was only for a fleeting moment because she knew if Brandon found out, he would kill her for sure. This time, she was going to have a serious talk with her parents.