Chapter 01 - Chasing after him

***Megan’s POV***

I sat at the dining table, picking at my meal, my eyes drifting to the stairs for what felt like the hundredth time, waiting for Joe.

He finally appeared, walking briskly down the stairs, his right hand man Carl takes his suitcase.

“What's my schedule?” He asked him smugly.

“Meeting with the dealers and also the Fernandez have called an urgent meeting that's to take place at the factory this evening, everyone's expected to be there.”

“The Fernandez” Joe's voice trailed off. “What's their deal?”

“Didn't say but it's important that you have to be there, your father's going to be there too.”

Joe smirked.

“I knew it, my old man's planning something mischievous, I'd be a coward to miss it, have our men ready.”

Carl nodded walking away swiftly.

Finally Joe made his way toward the table. My heart leaped as I smoothed down my gown and planted a soft smile on my lips.

“Honey,” I said faintly.

He slid into his seat without acknowledging me. I was used to his coldness by now, but it still hurt a bit.

“I didn’t hear you come in last night. How was your day yesterday?” I asked, serving his portion carefully.

He sighed, picked up a fork, and began picking at the food.

“I’m sure it was hectic, also this is the first time in a long while we'd be having breakfast together, I'm glad we could finally have dinner like this...as a family,” I added with a nervous grin.

He dropped his fork abruptly and stared at me coldly.

“Don’t you ever have a moment when you just... keep your mouth shut?” he snapped.

I panicked. “I’m really sorry. I just got a little excited being able to eat with you and I got really anxious.”

He stood up abruptly.

“Where are you going? You haven’t eaten anything yet.”

“Just hearing your voice, Megan? It made me lose my appetite,” he said, storming off. He grabbed his suit jacket from the housekeeper and slammed the door shut.

I was left alone. As usual.

I signaled to Katie, the housekeeper, to clear the table.

I couldn’t bring myself to eat anything. Damn it, I wasn’t even hungry. All I wanted was to share a peaceful meal with Joe...

But it never worked out. No matter how understanding I tried to be, no matter how many times I bent over backward, nothing ever worked.

What was I doing wrong? What more could I change? I had memorized his likes and dislikes, yet even doing the things he supposedly liked only seemed to irritate him more.

I sat there in the empty dining room, feeling like a shadow of myself.

I had no one to talk to. No family to turn to. It felt like I’d been discarded by everyone who was supposed to love me.

My adopted dad, Luca Cassano, a mafia don was influential, he and Joe's dad, Don Julian, were childhood friends and partners in crime, that's how I ended up marrying Joe.

I loved him and he despised me in return for reasons best known to him.

“Ma’am, are you okay?” Katie rushed to my side. I hadn’t realized I’d fallen off the chair. My eyes were teary, and I could barely make out her face.

“Did I do something wrong?” I asked her through sobs. “Am I not good enough?”

“You are, ma’am. You really are…”

“Then why does he hate me so much? Am I ugly? Do I stink?”

“Ma’am, please pull yourself together. You’re beautiful just the way you are. And I’m sure Mr. Joe will see it and would come to love you one day.”

“One day...” I repeated in a whisper. Then I laughed bitterly. “One day? When will that come?”

Katie patted my shoulder gently as I cried in her arms like a baby. My heart ached so deeply it felt like I was breaking from the inside out.

I wanted to hate him. God, I wanted to so badly. But how could I? I’d known Joe all my life. I had loved him since we were teenagers, even when he never looked my way.

And I still loved him.

It was like I was cursed, trapped in this one-sided relationship, suffering in silence with no one to turn to.

My family wasn’t any better. I was adopted, and they never let me forget it. I had always dreamed of a fairytale life with Joe and a house full of children, finally loved, finally happy.

But here I was, sad, abandoned, and hated. Again.

*****

I didn’t know when I dozed off, but when I woke up, I was on my queen-sized bed.

I walked into the hallway and out into the garden, letting the cool breeze soothe me.

A few minutes later, Katie found me, holding a parcel in her hands.

“From Mr. Joe,” she said.

Excitement bubbled inside me as I rushed to take it from her. I ran into the house, carefully unwrapping it. Inside was a stunning black glittering dress with a slit on one side.

My heart nearly skipped a beat.

“He got me a dress?”

Just then, my phone vibrated from the counter where it had been all day.

I rushed to grab it.

“Your phone, is it just an accessory? Doesn’t it work?” Joe’s voice barked through the speaker.

I jerked, quickly checking the notification bar only to see multiple missed calls from him.

“I’m sorry, I was a bit down and…”

“Did you get the parcel?”

“Yes, I did. It’s beautiful.”

“Good. Have it on and be ready by 8. My driver will come pick you up. Dad insists we attend a friend’s party with him.”

My heart fluttered.

“Uh, you and I?” I gasped, trying to sound calm.

“Are you coming or not?”

“Yes! Yes, I will!”

He ended the call without another word.

I looked down at the dress, gripping it tightly and twirling with joy.

A night out with Joe. Okay, maybe not a date, but we’d actually walk into the ballroom, maybe together. Like real couples.

I screamed into the dress, hugging it close.

“Thanks, Uncle Julian. Thank you!”

By 7, I was fully dressed and waiting in the sitting room. Katie had called in a makeup artist, and I looked... glowing. Or so she said.

“You look exceptionally stunning tonight,” Katie repeated for the tenth time.

“Katie, stop! With the way you’re hyping me up, I might actually start to believe it.”

“You are stunning, Mrs. Megan. Trust me.”

I held her hands, smiling. “This is all thanks to you. Thanks for standing by me through this rough patch. It means everything.”

She patted my hands gently.

“Hopefully Joe sees me in a different light tonight,” I whispered, voice trailing off.

“Your driver is here,” she said a moment later.

“Finally,” I gasped, suddenly nervous.

“You okay?” Katie asked.

“Yeah,” I shrugged it off. “See you soon.”

*****

I walked into the ballroom like a stray in borrowed luxury. Familiar faces were everywhere, but I knew well to avoided their eyes.

Even my step sisters, from my dad's third wife, Harley and Ashley, the evil twins, were there.

Miranda, my dad's favorite child who had recently come back from the states was present, she genuinely despised me the most so going over to say hi wasn't an option.

Then I saw him.

Joe, sadly we didn't get to walk in together but it was still nice to be in the same space with him.

He was completely different from how he usually was at home, surrounded by acquaintances, he was laughing, completely relaxed and happy.

“Joe, how come I never make you happy?” I whispered even though he couldn't hear me.

 Struggling to catch his attention. I panicked, unsure whether to walk up or wait.

He looked in my direction and then looked away almost immediately.

I sighed. What did I expect? He wasn’t going to change overnight.

That was it. I was going over.

I walked confidently toward him.

“Joe…”

“Joe!” A woman’s voice rang out before I could reach him.

She flew into his arms, hugging him tightly. Joe smiled, gripping her waist like they were long lost lovers.

“Miranda! It’s been ages,” he said warmly.

“Oh, Joe, I’ve missed you!”

I bit my lip, forcing a smile as I approached them. Miranda, I almost forgot she and Joe were pretty close when we were but teens.

“Honey,” I said quietly.

“Yes? Megan?” he replied flatly. My heart sank.

“Any problem?” he asked in a sweet, fake tone.

“Nothing, I just… wanted to stay with you.”

“My bad, Megan, sorry I forgot to congratulate you on your wedding with Joe, don't feel threatened by my presence okay?”

Threatened? Why would I be, Joe was mine after all.

“Ignore her.”Joe said to Miranda then turned to me. “Just go. Go have fun, alright? Leave.”

My teeth dug into my bottom lip, did he just ask me, his actual wife to leave?