Chapter 4) Insecure.

The bright light that penetrated into the bedroom made me wake up from sleep. I felt much better.

Also, I was surprised because of the bright light. Was this already the next day? I can't believe that I slept for hours and ended up time traveling to the next day.

I left bed and prepared myself for work.

A few minutes passed, and I was in the living room, sitting on one of the sofas and eating the sandwich I had made.

I drank my medicine before grabbing my cell phone from the sofa I was sitting on.

I initially wanted to check the time on my cell phone. But I did not expect that I would see some entertainment news that ended up hurting my feelings and ruining the morning for me.

It was about Nathan and Valentina.

Those paparazzis must have been the ones responsible for this trending news.

Everyone was commenting that my husband and Valentina were perfect for each other and were going to make a great couple.

I smiled, hiding my pain behind my masked smile.

“They can say all they want. I never saw Nathan admit that he was her boyfriend. Maybe Nathan and Valentina knew each other personally. That was why Nathan went to the hospital to help her out. That must be it and nothing more to it”.

“The internet is full of lies. So, I must be right”. I said to myself to avoid overthinking. I just hope that I will meet Nathan at the company today.

But if I didn't see him, I would have to inform Father about what was going on.

Upon grabbing my stuff from the sofa, I went out of the mansion and to my car. I was much better, so I could drive today.

…

I was sitting in my office chair engrossed in my work.

One thing I loved about working was that I usually forget about every troubling thought and stop overthinking.

Maybe it was because I love my job very much. I love that I was a jeweler. That was one of my passions in life.

{Buzz. Buzz. Buzz}

My cell phone rang and vibrated on my desk.

I didn't want to answer the call as I was busy bringing sketches of my bracelets to life.

It was by chance that I glanced at the caller ID of the person who was calling me and my eyes widened because the person turned out to be Nathan.

I didn't know how it happened, but I tossed the unfinished bracelet on the desk and picked up my cell phone, answering the call without a hint of delay.

I was afraid that the call might end, and he wouldn't answer me if I called him back.

“Hello, Nathan. Where are you right now? I have something important I want to ask-”.

“Father wants us both to come back to the villa for dinner tonight. Make sure to be there”. His cold, deep voice said to me and didn't even let me finish talking.

“I have an important question to ask you”. I said to him, but got no response. Instead, the response I got was my phone beeping twice. And as I stared at the phone's screen, it turned out that Nathan had hung up the call on me.

This scene made me recall what I saw yesterday. How he was gentle and caring towards Valentina.

I bit my lower lips so badly that I began to taste my blood.

Then, I remembered that it was a public space. “Yes. Nathan must have behaved politely with Valentina because he did not want the paparazzi or people to catch him behaving meanly towards her. That must be it”. I said to myself and tried to make sense out of it.

“No matter what, I will be able to meet Nathan tonight. By then, he would clearly explain to me that everything that had happened between me and him that night, and everything that had happened between him and Valentina, was a prank”.

“But, why would he prank me during our wedding anniversary?”. I wondered and soon began biting my fingernails as I was nervous and insecure, because I knew deep within me that it was not a prank.

How could all that be a prank?

But no matter what, I must resolve every misunderstanding with Nathan tonight, and in the presence of the family.

Before I knew it, it was evening. My red car drove into the big villa after the gates were opened for me by the security guard stationed at the gate.

Inside the car, I took a deep breath to calm my nervousness.

Then, I patted my stomach. “I am sorry, little one. But you will have to remain a secret until I confirm my true stand in my husband's family”.

I got out of the car. Tonight, I was wearing one of my best outfits.

A cream coloured dress that was adorned with beautiful pearls.

The dress alone defined my gracefulness.

I was also wearing my best shoes. A pair of cream colored shoes. I didn't know who I had dressed up to impress tonight.

I wasn't always like this.

Maybe it was because I felt greatly insecure. That was why I wanted to bring out my confidence with the help of an outfit.

Looking at the massive yellow-painted building that had most of the rooms' lights and outside lights switched on, I could not help but admire how beautiful the place was. There was a water fountain that was even bigger than the one in Nathan's mansion. It even had its own bright yellow lights attached to it.

Anyway, I walked toward the building before me and tried to look my best while at it.

I knew my way around the villa because I had visited the villa many times before.

Before I got into the living room, I halted upon hearing voices inside the house.

Familiar voices.

“Honey, I don't understand why that girl is still married to our son. It has been two years, and she has not produced a single child. In my defense, she is a disgrace to us women!”. I heard my mother-in-law's voice. She seemed pissed off.

“You shouldn't say that. You should learn to control that mouth of yours”. I heard my father-in-law's voice. It must be my mother-in-law that he was replying to.

Someone scoffed, before I heard my mother-in-law's voice again, “That doesn't change the fact that she is a disgrace to our family, Honey. She is a barren woman and should leave my son's life at once. I hope the purpose of this dinner is to chase her away from our family and let our son marry the beautiful young and capable lady who should have been his wife in the first place”.

“That's enough, Cassandra!”. My father-in-law's voice was threatening and cold this time, even causing me, who was standing outside the door, to flinch.

But the damage has been done. My mother-in-law's words were stuck inside my head.

During the past two years, I have tried to be a very caring daughter-in-law to her.

I always made sure that her health was properly checked.

I made sure that whenever I visited the villa, I prepared some of the hardest and best foods for her. Only for her to criticize me behind her back. Was she even aware of the reason why I couldn't get pregnant on time? Wasn't it because of her son?

I entered the living room and was welcomed by Father with a warm smile on his face. He seemed to be the only one who supported me fully in this household.

I greeted him, before I turned to my mother-in-law and greeted her also.

But she scoffed at me and turned her face away from my sight.

I was about to ask father and mother if Nathan was inside the house when I saw a figure I did not get to notice quickly.

He was sitting opposite to father and was in a corner. I curiously looked at his face and recognized his intimidating face right away.

He was Michael. Nathan's older brother. But his half brother. Both of them shared the same father but different mothers.

So, my mother-in-law was Michael's stepmother.

'What is he doing here? Isn't he supposed to be abroad? When did he return? I only heard mother and father's voices and didn't hear his. So I assumed that it was only mother and father that were inside the living room. I had no idea that he was in the living room with them'. I thought to myself and stood there staring at him, until he stopped looking at the screen of his cell phone and stared at me, making me turn my gaze away from him immediately.

I felt pressured by his presence.