Chapter 2: The Mistress Moves In

~ EVANGELINE ~

I woke up and my shoulder was screaming in pain even worse than yesterday. The cold cloth had fallen off during the night and my arm was swollen and bruised.

I sat up slowly and bit my lip to keep from making noise. I was already late.

Getting dressed with one hand took forever. Every movement hurt. In the bathroom mirror I saw the bruise spreading across my shoulder. It looked like an ugly dark shade of purple.

I pulled on a long-sleeved shirt to cover it. Before I could make my way to the kitchen to make breakfast like I always do. A knock came in.

Mrs Blackwood must be here to read to me to filth about my lateness. But opening the door Jason stood there watching me carefully.

“Uhm…Good morning” I sputtered nervously.

"Veronica is moving in today," he said, immediately ignoring my greetings.

My heart stopped.

At that point Victoria waltzes in with her phone in hand smiling.

"Finally," she said. "That girl has been waiting long enough."

Jason continued to stare at me like he was waiting for a reaction from me but I was too stunned to speak.

"She'll be here this afternoon. Emma, make sure the guest room on the second floor is ready."

I felt sick to my stomach. Veronica was Jason’s mistress. The woman everyone knew he was sleeping with. The same one he paraded around at company events while I stood in corners pretending not to exist was moving into our house.

"But..." My voice came out barely a whisper.

"But what?" Jason sent me a sharp glare.

Every word I wanted to say died in my throat. What could I even say? That it was humiliating? That she had no right to be here? It all wouldn't matter anyway.

"Nothing," I said. "I'll get it ready."

"Good."

He turned away and left for work. Victoria went back to her phone like nothing happened.

I stood there trying to breathe normally. “I won't care about whatever he does because freedom would be mine soon.” I whispered silently like a mantra in my head.

"What are you standing around for?" Victoria said leaving with a satisfied smile on her face. "Go clean that room."

I spent the morning getting the second floor guest room ready. My shoulder hurt so much I wanted to cry but I didn't stop.

The doorbell rang in the afternoon.

"Emma!" Victoria called from the living room. "Get the door!"

I walked to the front door and opened it.

Veronica Mills stood on the porch with three large suitcases beside her. She had long dark hair and too much makeup and a designer purse on her arm.

"Well?" She looked me up and down. "Are you going to help with my bags or just stand there?"

I picked up one suitcase with my good hand. It was so heavy that pain shot through my injured shoulder but I didn't let go.

"Veronica! Come in, sweetheart!" Victoria appeared in the hallway with her arms open.

Veronica walked past me like I was invisible and hugged Victoria.

"Mrs. Blackwood, thank you so much for having me."

"Oh please, call me Victoria. We're practically family now."

They walked into the living room together laughing. I stood in the doorway holding Veronica's suitcase.

"Emma!" Victoria called without looking back. "Bring those bags upstairs and make us some tea."

I carried the suitcases upstairs one at a time. By the third trip my arm was shaking so bad I could barely grip the handle.

In the kitchen I made tea with one hand and carried the tray to the living room.

Veronica and Victoria sat on the couch looking at something on Veronica's phone and laughing.

"Oh Emma, you're still here." Veronica glanced up at me. "Put it on the table and you can go."

I set the tray down carefully.

"Actually," Veronica said, "I'm a little cold. Can you bring me a sweater?"

"Which one would you like?"

"I don't know. Pick one." She waved her hand like I was annoying her. "Just make it nice."

I went upstairs and found a cashmere sweater in her suitcase. When I brought it down she took it without saying thank you.

*****

The next few days were a nightmare.

Veronica treated me like I was hired help. Worse than hired help.

"Emma, bring me water."

"Emma, my room is too cold."

"Emma, I need these clothes washed by tonight."

Victoria loved it. She would sit with Veronica on the couch and they would talk about me like I wasn't standing right there.

"She's so slow," Veronica said one afternoon.

"I know," Victoria replied. "I've been trying to train her for two years but some people just don't learn."

A few days later I walked into the dining room for dinner and stopped.

Veronica was sitting in my seat. The chair next to Jason at the head of the table.

"Is something wrong?" Victoria asked from across the table.

I looked at my seat. At Veronica sitting there smiling at me.

"No," I said quietly. "Nothing's wrong."

I sat at the far end of the table instead.

Jason came in and saw Veronica in my seat. He didn't say a word. He just sat down next to her like that was where she belonged.

The next morning I went to my room to get dressed and found Veronica going through my closet.

"What are you doing?"

She pulled out my black dress. The only nice one I owned.

"This is cute. I'm borrowing it."

"That's mine."

"I know." She held it up against herself. "But Jason said I could wear whatever I want."

She walked out with my dress.

That night at dinner she wore it and Jason complimented her.

"You look beautiful," he said.

"Thank you." She touched his hand on the table.

I stared at my plate and said nothing.

A few days later I was cleaning the master bedroom. Jason's room. The room I had never slept in during our entire marriage.

I was changing the sheets when something on the nightstand caught my eye.

A ring.

I picked it up and my heart stopped. It was my wedding ring. The real one.

Not the cheap replacement Jason gave me six months ago when I "lost" the original. He said he couldn't afford to replace it. That I should have been more careful.

But here it was.

I turned it over and the inscription was still there. "Forever, J."

The door opened behind me.

Veronica walked in wearing one of my sweaters. She saw the ring in my hand.

"Oh good, you found it." She walked over and took it from my hand. "I was looking for that."

"That's my wedding ring."

"Not anymore." She slipped it onto her finger and held up her hand. "Jason gave it to me ages ago."

"He can't do that."

"He already did." She smiled at me. "Jason said I could have whatever I want. And I wanted this."

I walked straight to Jason's study and pushed the door open without knocking because even though I wanted to leave, I couldn't bear the thought of him treating what we had like it was nothing. Like I was nothing!

He was at his desk with his laptop.

"Veronica has my wedding ring," I said.

He didn't look up. "I know."

"You know?"

"I gave it to her." He closed his laptop. "Is that all?"

"Jason, that's my ring. From our wedding."

"From a wedding that doesn't mean anything." He stood up and walked around the desk. "Let me make something very clear to you, Emma. Veronica is important to me. She's important to my business connections. You are just a wife on paper. You don't contribute anything to this family. You don't make money. You don't have connections. You're completely useless."

The word was like I was being slapped across the face.

"So yes," he continued, "I gave her your ring. I'll give her whatever she wants. And you're going to stay quiet and know your place. Do you understand me?"

I stared at this man I married. This man I thought was different from my controlling family.

"Do you understand?" he repeated.

"Yes." I did understand. I used to think he was the good thing the universe gave to me after years of suffering in my real home but now I realized he was truly a wolf in sheep’s clothing! He was as evil as the family I ran from.

"Good. Now get out."

I went back to my room and sat on the bed thinking about the word "Useless".

The word kept repeating in my head over and over. If he knew who I truly was, would he dare call me useless? What a fucking prick!

My phone buzzed on the nightstand breaking me from my thoughts. I picked it up without thinking as an email notification lit up the screen.

[Subject: Evangeline - URGENT: RSVP Needed for Gala]

My stomach dropped.

I opened the email with shaking hands.

[From: James Hart, Milan Fashion Week

To: Evangeline (Private)

Dear Evangeline,

We still haven't received your RSVP confirmation for the gala on the 15th. This is urgent - we cannot proceed with the Phoenix Rising showcase without confirmation of your attendance. The press releases are ready, the invitations have been sent, and the world is waiting to finally meet you.

Please respond within 24 hours or we will be forced to make alternate arrangements.

Best regards,

James Hart]

I stared at the screen, panic rising in my throat.

The gala was in two weeks and I still hadn't figured out what to do.

When I submitted my designs months ago, I chose the music and finalized every detail. I thought I'd be ready by now and that I'd be free of this house and could step into the spotlight as Evangeline. Marty was psyched up too but now I realized we might have made the decision too early.

Because I was still trapped here. Still hiding.

If I went to that gala, my father would find me. Jason and Victoria would discover who I really was. Everything would fall apart.

But if I didn't go... would they give my showcase to someone else?

My hands trembled as I thought about Veronica going through my things. What if she'd already found my sketches?

I quickly deleted the message. Deleted it from trash. Cleared my search history. Made sure there was no trace.

I sat in the dark with my phone pressed against my chest, my heart pounding.

I was running out of time to decide between my freedom and everything I'd worked for.