Amelia POV
The massive chandelier in the dining room sparkled with cold light, its brilliance casting stark shadows across the long table where I sat, alone, poking at the untouched food on my plate. The grandeur of the Cole estate, with its towering walls and cold, gleaming floors, felt more like a gilded cage than a home. It had only been a week since I was thrust into this life as Mrs. Amelia Cole, and already I knew I’d traded one nightmare for another. The sharp clatter of heels against marble snapped me out of my thoughts. Rebecca Cole entered the room like a storm, her piercing green eyes narrowing as they landed on me. “Why is the table set like this?” she barked at one of the maids before turning her scornful gaze back to me. “Amelia, what are you doing just sitting there? Do you think you’re a queen now that you’ve married my son? What do you think you’re doing?” Her words were like knives, each one cutting a little deeper into my already fragile heart. “I… I thought the staff—” I stammered, but she cut me off with a wave of her perfectly manicured hand. “Don’t you dare make excuses,” she snapped. “You are part of this family now, and you will earn your place. Get up and make yourself useful. Help the staff clean this mess. Or do you expect us to wait on your hand and foot like some pampered princess?” I swallowed hard, my hands trembling as I pushed back my chair and stood. “I’m sorry, Mrs. Cole,” I murmured, lowering my gaze to the floor. “It’s Mrs. Rebecca to you,” she corrected sharply. “Don’t forget your place, you dirty thing.” My throat tightened, and I forced myself to nod. Every step I took toward the kitchen felt heavier than the last. I had hoped—naively, perhaps—that this marriage would offer me an escape from my mother’s constant criticism and Lisa’s petty cruelties. But now, I realized I’d simply exchanged one prison for another. I never failed to remind myself of the mistake I had made. Maybe, just maybe, I should have listened to my inner voice telling me to run but I didn’t dare to do so. By the time I reached the kitchen, my heart was pounding in my chest. The maids whispered among themselves, their glances filled with a mix of pity and disapproval. I wanted to disappear, to shrink into nothingness. Instead, I grabbed a tray of dishes and began the humiliating task of cleaning up the dining room. As I worked, the door to the dining room opened again, and this time, the air seemed to grow colder. Maxwell’s towering figure filled the doorway. His dark suit clung to his broad shoulders, and his piercing green eyes—so much like his mother’s—swept over me with a look that was equal parts annoyance and indifference. “Mother, what is this nonsense?” he demanded, his deep voice cutting through the tension like a blade. Rebecca turned to him, her expression softening into something that almost resembled affection. “Oh, Maxwell, I’m simply teaching your wife some discipline. She needs to learn how things work in this family.” Maxwell’s eyes flicked to me, and for a moment, I thought I saw something—concern, maybe?—flicker across his face. But it was gone just as quickly as it had appeared. “If she’s going to live here, she’ll follow the rules,” he said flatly, his tone devoid of emotion. “But don’t waste your time, Mother. She’s hardly worth the effort.” His words hit me like a slap, and I fought to keep the tears from spilling down my cheeks. I wanted to scream, to demand why he had married me if he despised me so much. But I couldn’t. I didn’t have the strength. Rebecca smirked, clearly pleased with her son’s response. “You’re right, Maxwell. She’s not worth much at all. But I suppose she serves her purpose.” I didn’t dare ask what that purpose was. Instead, I kept my head down and continued cleaning, the humiliation burning in my chest like a hot coal. When the dining room was spotless, I retreated to the small bedroom I had been assigned. It wasn’t the luxurious master suite I’d expected as Maxwell’s wife, but a plain, sparsely furnished room tucked away in a quiet corner of the estate. It was clear they didn’t see me as part of the family—just an inconvenience to be hidden away. I sank onto the bed, my head in my hands. The reality of my situation was suffocating. I had hoped, even prayed, that this marriage would be the start of something better. But instead, it felt like the end of everything I had ever dreamed of. As the hours dragged on, the weight of the day settled over me like a heavy blanket. I thought about my mother’s cold smile as she shoved me toward this life, about Lisa’s smug look of triumph as I packed my bags. They had gotten exactly what they wanted: financial security and a scapegoat to bear the burden of their greed. But what about me? What did I get? Just then, a soft knock at the door startled me. I wiped at my tear-streaked face and sat up. “Come in,” I called, my voice trembling. The door creaked open, and one of the younger maids, a kind girl named Rosa, stepped inside. She held a small tray with a cup of tea and a plate of biscuits. “I thought you might need this,” she said softly, her eyes filled with compassion. I managed a weak smile. “Thank you, Rosa,” I whispered, taking the tray from her. She hesitated for a moment, as if she wanted to say something, then sighed and shook her head. “You don’t deserve this,” she said finally. “Any of it. You’re too kind for people like them.” Her words brought a fresh wave of tears to my eyes, and I blinked them away. “I’ll be fine,” I said, though the words felt hollow. Rosa gave me a sad smile before leaving, and I was once again alone. I sipped the tea, letting its warmth soothe my aching heart, and stared out the small window at the dark sky. Somewhere out there, a better life awaited me. I just had to find the strength to reach for it. But for now, I was trapped, a prisoner in a gilded cage, surrounded by people who saw me as nothing more than a pawn in their games. And yet, deep down, a small part of me refused to give up hope. I had survived my mother’s cruelty. I had endured Lisa’s taunts. Surely, I could survive this, too.Ethan POVThe rain hammered against my windshield like a thousand tiny fists, the wipers struggling to keep up. I gripped the steering wheel tightly, my knuckles pale under the dim glow of the dashboard. Midnight traffic was sparse, just the occasional pair of headlights cutting through the storm. My mind was miles away, tangled in the web of bad news that had just detonated my night.The phone buzzed in the cup holder again. I shouldn’t have picked up while driving, but I did. One glance at the caller ID—and my gut twisted.“Dad?” I answered, voice tight.“Ethan.” His tone was sharp, clipped. “Where the hell are you?”“Driving back from the site. What’s wrong?”There was a pause, and then his voice dropped into that infuriatingly calm register he used when things were about to implode. “The board voted tonight. Chloe Lawson’s father pulled out his investment.”My foot pressed harder on the gas pedal. “What?”“You heard me. Forty percent of our expansion funding—gone. He wants nothing
Maxwell POVI never thought a single sentence could shatter me.But when my mother’s voice cut through the air like a blade—calm, precise, lethal—I felt something deep inside me crack.“She’s pregnant, Maxwell,” Rebecca said, leaning casually against the marble countertop as if she were discussing the weather. “And it’s not yours.”My world tilted.For a moment, I just stood there in the middle of my father’s old study, the place where deals were made and empires built, staring at her as though she had grown another head. “What did you just say?” My voice came out hoarse, like I’d swallowed sand.Rebecca’s eyes softened—not with sympathy, but with that calculated maternal concern she wore like an expensive scarf. “I didn’t want to tell you this way, darling. But I couldn’t keep watching you be made a fool of. Amelia’s been lying to you. She’s pregnant with Daniel Rhodes’ child.”The name hit me like a punch to the gut. Daniel. Of all people. The man I’d always known hovered in Amelia’
Amelia POV The house was eerily quiet, the kind of silence that pressed down on my chest and made breathing feel like a chore. I sat on the edge of the bed, knees pulled to my chest, staring blankly at the wall. My thoughts looped back to Maxwell’s face earlier—rage, betrayal, heartbreak. It replayed like a broken record, each time shattering me a little more.I pressed my palm to my belly, feeling the faint flutter beneath. It’s just you and me now, I thought bitterly, though even that thought made my throat tighten. How had everything gone so wrong, so fast?Outside, a storm had started. Rain lashed against the windows, wind howled through the trees, and thunder rumbled faintly in the distance. Fitting, I thought grimly. Nature mirrored the chaos inside me.Hours passed like minutes. I must have dozed off sitting upright, because the sudden sound of the front door slamming downstairs jolted me awake. My heart lurched. I didn’t need to guess who it was. The heavy, uneven thuds up the
Amelia POV The house was still when I finally made it upstairs. For a brief, fragile moment, I let myself believe I could breathe again. I changed into a loose T-shirt and curled up on the edge of the bed, my hands resting protectively over my stomach. Daniel’s face kept flashing in my mind—his wide eyes, his warm voice, that unexpected flicker of comfort in the middle of chaos.I had barely exhaled when the sound of footsteps thundered down the hallway.My head snapped toward the door. Before I could stand, it burst open with a violent bang, slamming against the wall.Maxwell stormed in like a storm that had been brewing for too long—jaw clenched, eyes blazing, his suit jacket unbuttoned as though he’d ripped it off mid-stride. His presence sucked the air right out of the room.“What the hell is wrong with you?!” he barked.My heart skipped. “Maxwell—”“You think this is funny?!” he cut me off, his voice cracking like a whip. “Do you have any idea what you’ve done?”I blinked rapidly
Amelia POV The world blurred for a second. My thoughts had been circling the same drain all day—Maxwell’s visit, his accusation, the way his voice cracked when he said we should be grieving together.I had gone out for some air, hoping the quiet streets would soothe the chaos inside me. But my mind wouldn’t stop. Every memory, every mistake, every almost between Maxwell and me tangled like vines, wrapping tighter around my chest until I could hardly breathe.The late afternoon sun dipped low, casting a golden glow over the quiet lane. My feet carried me toward the small corner café I used to visit back in university. It had been years since I’d walked this route. Everything felt eerily unchanged—the chipped pavement, the faint smell of baked bread from the nearby bakery, the old streetlamp that still leaned slightly to the right.But I wasn’t really seeing any of it. My mind was replaying his words.“Why are you trying to leave me now? This isn’t over, Amelia.”I didn’t notice the lig
Amelia POVThe morning light was cruel. It spilled through the curtains like shards of gold, piercing the quiet stillness of my room. I hadn’t slept. How could I? The events of last night replayed over and over in my mind like a broken record.Maxwell had stood at my door after more than a month of silence—looking tired, looking almost human again—and for a terrifying moment, my heart had wanted to run to him. But reality had clawed its way back just as quickly, whispering reminders of his signature on those divorce papers, of the coldness that had replaced his love.I drew the shawl tighter around myself as I paced the room. My bare feet made soft sounds against the carpet, but inside, my thoughts were deafening.A month. That’s how long it had been since Maxwell had avoided every attempt at contact. No calls. No visits. Not even a formal text. It was as though he’d erased me entirely the moment his pen left the paper. We had once shared a bed, whispered secrets in the dark, planned