CHAPTER 2

NALANI

“I’m so sorry I’m late, Amanda, I got stuck in traffic,” I confess truthfully as I step into the shopping center forty minutes later and see Daniel’s Mom frowning at me. I try to give her a hug, but the middle aged woman with thin blonde hair holds her hand out to stop me.

I don’t know if it’s because she’s angry with me, but I have an inkling that it’s because I’m dripping, forming a small puddle where I stand. It’s from running in the rain that suddenly started five minutes ago.

“It’s Mrs Price,” she corrects, and I snap my lips shut. “And save me the lies. I know you’re up to no good, not worthy enough for my son, and it’s only a matter of time before I prove it.”

I bite back the contrary remarks on the tip of my tongue.

Everyone in the Price family knows how much I love and support Daniel. They know how I put all my effort into making sure that Daniel, a traditional man to the core, put himself and his brand out in the social spotlight, and they know that it was my ideas that made his company as well known as it is today.

My support did not only burn for Daniel, but his family too. I am always there on their beck and call, but it’s never enough, is it?

My devotion to Daniel was why my modeling career started to slow down until it became nonexistent, but I didn’t care because him flourishing meant I flourished too.

Now, I don't know so much about that anymore.

Instead of reminding her about it, I say. “Mrs Price, I’m not up to anything. I got stuck in traffic, and that’s all. Look,” I gesture to my hair and clothes. “I’m drenched because I had to run the rest of the way when I saw the ride was taking too much time.”

She looks at me from my head down, scoffs, and I guess that too is not enough.

“You’ve been married to my Daniel for years now.” No, we’ve only been married a little over year, after dating for six long years, but who’s asking? “And where’s the child to show for it? You’re so obsessed with keeping this harlot figure of yours which you mistake for that of a model, and it won’t allow you to bear me a grandchild.”

Sighing deeply, I ignore the sting of her words. “Daniel and I have only been trying for a few months now. It’s not enough to think that there’s anything wrong with my body…or his,” I add, and Amanda looks like she’s a cobra about to spit venom into my eyes.

“There’s nothing wrong with my boy! You’re the one who’s a setback to this family,” she says, and I suck in a sharp breath. It takes a minute for me to tell myself that her words are not true, so they should have no effect on me, and it works after a while.

“What are you shopping for, Mrs Price?” I ask, able to keep my voice leveled and a fake smile on my face that masks the hurtful feelings in my heart.

A smile appears on her face, though I don’t think it’s directed at me.

“I need a few dresses for the introductory dinner with Keith Pierre’s company tomorrow,” she declares, and then carries on with searching through rows and rows of clothes.

I find myself smiling too as I think about the party holding at Daniel’s office tomorrow. With much effort, I was able to secure us a big partnership with an European fashion company in need of a distributor here in New York. Tomorrow, a celebratory party would mark the start of this partnership, and we are also expecting some presence from the new partners.

This will be the first time in a long time that Daniel and I will be appearing outside as a couple, so with some of my savings, I am able to secure a burnt yellow full length gown that flatters my slim frame and porcelain skin. It has a decent show of cleavage, but just the right amount.

I’m sure Daniel is going to love it, so when Mrs Price finishes with her shopping, I help her carry all the bags to her car.

There’s another cab waiting for me because Amanda wouldn’t want me to stain her seats with my still damp clothes, so I follow behind to her building which is close to Daniel’s and mine, and I help her unload everything into the house.

By the time I get home, Gwen is thankfully gone, but the smell of her perfume lingers like a thick cloud, and it chokes me the moment I step further inside the house.

I keep telling myself what Daniel told me about her, and I slowly make my way to our bedroom to look for him.

“Daniel? Where are you? I have something to show you,” I call out excitedly, quickly forgetting the reminder Gwen left of herself here.

No response.

“Daniel?”

I’m still in the hallway connecting our living room to the bedroom when I see something flash brightly on the ground, catching my attention. It looks like a golden piece of jewelry, and it is unmistakably not mine, because for one, I am a silver piece girl.

With my heart in my throat, I approach and reach for the golden bangle, and a suspicion hits me as to who it belongs to and why it is in the hallway of our home.

My mind is a tangled mess, and not over a minute later, my phone pings, and it’s a name I wish I didn’t have saved on my phone.

It’s Gwen, and I grit my teeth hard as I read the text in her voice.