Chapter 4

~ MARGARET

Shit.

Shit.

I was in big trouble.

My hands trembled as I watched Evangeline walk away, and fear sliced through my bones. I couldn't believe that that bitch had called Lisa.

Now my mother in law, who hated the life out of me, was going to come here and raise hell for me.

Damnit.

My son tugged on my dress and I looked down to stare at his tear filled eyes.

“Mummy. Is Grandma going to shout on you again?” he asked. He looked so small, so frail, and my heart ached for him.

I crouched down until I was at his level, then I gave him a watery smile.

“No, honey. No she's not. Your grandmother and I are just going to have a small talk,” I said in the most reassuring voice I could manage, and he nodded.

Few minutes later, the devil in form of my mother in law arrived.

And that statement I told my son about us having a small talk?

Turned out to be a goddamned lie.

Lisa glared at me with venom in her eyes, and it took me all of my willpower to not run away from her glare.

“If you're too stupid to train your son properly, if you're too dumb to let him know that it is disrespectful to destroy other people's properties, then I am going to have to teach you a lesson. Come with me,” she spat at me.

I had no choice than to follow her. She didn't even give me a chance to explain or even apologise.

Lisa led me to the yard.

“Kneel down,” she ordered. My jaw dropped open.

“What?!”

My mother in law held my gaze with her cold ones and repeated what she said.

“Don't play deaf with me, Margaret. Kneel the hell down. Now!” she snapped.

I did as she said, and the gravel bit into my kneels. Lisa walked around me in a circle twice before she spoke again.

“You are a terrible mother. Yes or no?” she asked.

“Yes,” I said. I dared not say no.

“You deserve to be punished for having a rude, spoilt brat. Yes or no.”

Tears stung my eyes. “Yes.”

“If your son is being destructive, whose job is it to tell him to stop and reprimand him?”

“Mine.”

She nodded. “Good. Now that you didn't warn him to stay away from my husband's painting, it is only fair that you get punished for being such a shitty mother. Yes or no?”

I swallowed past a lump in my throat. “Yes.”

She stopped before me and held my gaze. “I have better things to do than spend my time on someone like you. But you're to remain kneeling for three more hours. Is that clear?”

I nodded.

“If you stand up or leave this place before your time is up, I am going to come back. And your punishment is going to be worse then. Do you understand?”

“Yes ma'am.”

Lisa spat at her feet as she walked away, and the tears I had been holding back finally slid down my face.

And as if I wasn't humiliated enough, Evangeline came out of the house. Unable to stop myself, I started to yell at her.

“Is this what you want? To see me humiliated and treated like trash? That's it, right? That is exactly why you called her, is that not?”

Evangeline shrugged at my words.

“I don't know what you're talking about,” she responded. And the boredom in her voice made me so angry.

Anger flared deep in my stomach, and it rapidly spread across my bones, my veins.

That bitch had called Lisa internationally, and she had definitely seen me humiliated. It was only right that I paid her back in her own coin.

“Ryan. Come here,” I called out to my son. He trotted to my side, and there was a sad look on his face.

“Are you okay, mummy?” my boy asked. I smiled at him.

“Mummy is fine, love. But I need you to call Alexander for me. Call him and report Evangeline to him. Tell him to come home immediately, that I need him to help me.”

Ryan nodded instantly. He dashed back inside to grab my phone and came back outside. Evangeline had gone back inside after sneering at me.

I watched as Ryan placed the call. “Hello, Alex. Please come home and save my mummy,” my son said, and then promptly burst into tears.

“Your wife called Grandma and she told Grandma bad things about my mum. And…grandma came here to shout on my mummy. She asked her to kneel down in the yard and…your wife is laughing at us and calling us names. She said…she also said I'm a bastard.”

My jaw dropped open at the lie my son just told. He had delivered each line so beautifully, and I had ever felt so proud of him.

When the call ended, he turned to face me. Then he beamed.

“He's on his way.”

I leaned forward to kiss him on the forehead. “Thank you, honey.”

As I watched him walk back inside, I felt a thrill of satisfaction. Once Alex was back, Evangeline was going to pay for what she did.

When Alex got back, the fury on his face as he took me in made my heart flutter.

“Oh my goodness, Margaret. I am so sorry about this. So sorry,” he apologised as he helped me up.

It wasn't hard to blink at him with tears in my eyes, and he looked absolutely tortured as I made tears roll down my eyes.

“I am so sorry, Margaret. Really. I had no idea that Evangeline would stoop as low as calling my mother. Please don't be annoyed. Just…I am so sorry,” he said softly as he led me inside.

I allowed him to lead me to the living room, and when we sat down on the couch, he took my hand in his.

“Hold on. I'll make you feel better,” he whispered and went upstairs. Alexander came back with a first aid box and I watched as he gently cleaned my bruised legs.

“You know how my mother can be. I apologise on her behalf. Please don't be mad,” he repeated.

I held his hand and forced him to look into my eyes. “I am not angry at you or your mum, Alexander. You know the person I am mad at. Evangeline. What is her problem, Alex? What did I ever do to her?” I asked, making sure to keep my voice small and pained.

He sighed and ran a hand through his hair.

“I am sorry about what she did. I'll talk to her, I promise,” he stated.

I shook my head, slightly disappointed at his response. “Why bother talking to her when you can just file for a divorce? Leave that woman alone. You deserve better than that,” I stated.

Alexander looked shocked at my suggestion.

“Divorce? I can't divorce Evangeline. I'm sorry, but that's impossible,” he countered.

Anger slithered in my veins, and I had to keep my face neutral so as not to let him see how angry I was.

I was about to ask him why he wouldn't divorce that bitch when I saw her walking down the stairs. I instantly changed my tactic.

“Tell me the truth, Alex. Ever since you've been married to Evangeline, have you ever been…in love with her? Like really?” I asked.

Evangeline froze on the steps as she heard my words, and I hid my smile.

Alexander held my gaze as he responded.

“Of course not, Margaret. You know I do not love that woman. I haven't even had sex with her despite being married to her for three years,” he proclaimed.

I cocked my head to the side. “Why?” I asked.

He shrugged.

“I guess that's because I am not really attracted to her. I don't feel…anything for Evangeline.”

A smile bloomed on my face. I glanced at Evangeline, and her face had turned into a deep shade of red. Embarrassment flashed across her eyes, and I eyed her smugly.

I expected her to storm back upstairs and probably start crying, but instead, she took a deep breath, walked down the stairs and called out to Alexander.

“Alex? I'll like to go home, please. Can you drive me?” she asked.

My brows pulled into a frown.

Even though Evangeline had moved in here since she got married to Alexander, she still kept her own house.

Why would she want to go there all of a sudden?

Alex raised his eyebrows at her.

“Is anything wrong?”

She shook her head before she responded. “No. It's just that I need to pick up a few things. Ryan destroyed most of the furnitures, and well, I have some pretty good replacement back at home. I figured I could deal with that and some other personal stuff,” she explained.

Anger spiked through my veins at those words. It wasn't enough that she had embarrassed me, now she was making a dig at my son's behaviour too?

Alex nodded at her words. “I'll drive you tomorrow.”

My frown deepened. I didn't want Alexander to go back home with her.

Hell, I didn't want to leave Alex alone with this bitch.

This year's werewolves Haze was going to start soon, and if somehow, Evangeline managed to delay their stay at her house when it started, something was bound to happen between them.

Contrary to Alex's words, once the Haze started, he might not be able to resist sleeping with Evangeline.

And if they slept with each other…my toes curled with anger at the thought.

No. No. I couldn't even think about them having sex together. I had to prevent that from happening.

Alex was meant to be my man, and I have to find a way to stop him, to prevent him from having sex with Evangeline during the haze.

Which could only mean one thing.

Evangeline had to go.