Chapter 6:A Stranger, A Layer

Chapter 6: A Stranger, A Layer

~STELLA~

“You don't mean it , Stella!" My best friend's face lit up, her lips pulled apart as her jaws hung in the air.

I'd called her last night, sobbing like a baby and this morning, she'd gotten to my house even before I awoke.

“You've barely been married for two weeks," She examined my skin like a mother would do to her malnourished daughter before dropping the cup of coffee in her hand.

She opened her arms, taking me in for a hug…it was what I needed most, especially at this point of my life.

“Stop.. it's only been a couple of days, I believe he will change"

I knew I didn't believe what I'd said as well. I only said it with hope that flickered like the light of a dying candle. My ribs clenched at that sentence.

What if he didn't change?

What if he continued being like this?

“PRINCESS STELLA SCOTT GETS MARRIED TO AN UNKNOWN MAN. The press has something to say about you both" Valerie read, holding her phone like a wounded pigeon. Why was I not shocked? I'd seen more than all of those. The press didn't matter to me anymore.

My life and my sister, Rebekah's had always been for the press since my parents made us live for their fake stories and articles just for fame.

“Why is your husband's face blurred out?" She asked curiously, her eyes lingering on mine but I threw my gaze elsewhere while I muttered an “I don't know"

I didn't know why but it was callous, stupid, wicked and suspicious to make it feel like I was getting married to myself while he had his own personality protected.

Was he ashamed of me? Was he hiding something from me?

Despite how cold he'd become, my skin craved his touch like oxygen. My tongue craved another warm, sweet-and-sour taste of his skin, his gentle caresses and thrust.

God, I missed the Dylan I fell in love with…the Dylan who would come to every date,as perfect as anything…a bouquet in his hand, a handwritten love letter in the other.

A..

“Stella, what are you thinking again?" Valerie's chin rested on my shoulder as she pulled me in for another tighter hug.

My eyes closed slowly, consuming every strength left inside of me.

“Let it out if it makes you feel better, you'll be okay" My chin rested on her shoulder as she patted my back softly, her other hand running through my hair.

She knew me like the back of her hand. No one understood me like Valerie—not even my own family.

"I don't deserve this, Val. Why is everyone so cruel?”I smiled as tears sprang up my eyes.

I didn't want to be weak —crying was plainly my definition of being weak.

“You can let it all out, Stel”

One sentence form Val was enough to bring out all the tears I'd stored in.

She could see through me like my skin was transparent.

“But what if he's seeing someone else, Stel?" A voice from within questioned me.

***

We'd eaten breakfast and brunch. Val was on her phone, while I'd carried myself upstairs. The house was big enough for us to move freely and she liked it even better.

I got to my husband's room, trying to unlock his door with every pin I knew but none ever seemed correct. The more I cracked my brain for possible guesses, the more annoying it became till I finally left it.

I was just a clueless young woman, looking for the tiniest hint I could get. Maybe a woman's lipstick on his shirt or something.

Since we got married, I'd never entered that room. Maybe it wasn't a big deal when we had over 16 rooms in this mansion, and I'd only entered about 4 to 6 rooms in total.

What if he really was seeing some other lady? What if he was married elsewhere?

I brought my phone out of my pocket but placed it back, almost immediately.

It was 4! 4 fucking days.

Why was I even thinking of calling him when he obviously wouldn't pick?

Why couldn't I just stick to myself and let go of all the assumptions and strong belief that he would become the better version of himself that he used to be??

I could hear Valerie shouting my name from downstairs but I ignored, my eyes still lingering on the door. If the door could talk, it'd have been suspecting me as a criminal.

She texted me,”A big surprise is here. Hurry now"

I didn't feel excited…her text didn't work a smile to my lips.

I sluggishly walked downstairs, heading to the living that seemed to stretch and change position at every step I took.

“What is it?" My eyes sparked, noticing the strange cologne that was seductively commanding. A stranger was in our house.

She'd let a stranger into the house.

"How many I help you, sir?” Heaven knows it took every ounce of strength and self-control to speak politely but the fucker’s head remained bent to the floor.

I ignored Valerie’s smile, wondering why she had a smile as wide as that on her face.

“I'm here to meet with Dylan Lindsey, let him know I'm h—” He raised his head till the point where our eyes met. At that instant, my blood became larva, destructively hot. My skin itched of frustration and irk.

“How do you know my husband's name, gentleman?" I demanded like an officer who was interrogating a drug lord. Impatience ran in my veins like blood, I didn't wait for his response before I threw another question at him.

“Are you this jobless that you have to go from door to door, pretending to be familiar with people?”

I didn't shout, neither did I yell. But I made sure every part of me conveyed exactly how I felt from within.

"First of all, hear me out.” His voice irked me terribly.

"You have no right to say a word right now. Get out or I'm calling the cops, you stalker and liar!" Thankfully, I was in a bad mood today as well. “Take your butt off my precious couch" I pulled my phone out of my pocket.

"Shut the door behind you and never return here, Mr. Player!” I shouted behind him as he exited the house.

“And why did you let him in here?" I turned to Valerie who was indisputably astonished.

“You didn't have to embarrass him like that." She defended herself but after few minutes of going back and forth on the same topic, I won.

Not much later, we went from talking boy problems like the young girls we once were, to guessing the pin locks to my husband's room.

Even though I didn't know what it was, I could feel danger lurking. I could sense it.

Maybe this was just the beginning of it all…