Chapter Four

It has been a week. A week of hell. A week of humiliation. After the day at the office, I tried calling Nicolas many times but he has not answered a single call or text.

I went to his house three times and I was escorted out of the house three times by the same staff that would greet me warmly when I used to come over in the past.

My situation at my house is not any different. Natalie and Rachel have gone brusque as they learn that Ava has returned. The day I came back from the office after finding out Ava returned, the whole house was trashed.

Natalie was hysterical and Rachel was not able to stop her. But as soon as she saw me all her anger was directed at me.

“This is all because of you. If you hadn't come in my way I would have been with Nicolas and that bitch Ava would have never returned.” She shrieked as she came at me.

I tried to back away but Rachel was standing right behind me. “Where do you think you are going?” Rachel asked as she gripped my hair in a painful hold.

“Natalie, Rachel please this has nothing to do with me. I didn't do anything.” I tried to reason with them to the best of my abilities. But they were far gone.

Natalie held my jaw digging her nails into my cheeks. “You ruined my life. You are the reason Nicolas is not with me.” Natalie sneered at me with so much hatred that I had to cringe back.

“Natalie, how is any of this my fault?” but all I got in reply was a hard slap from her.

Followed by another then another until I was lying on the floor taking brutal kicks from Natalie while Rachel watched.

“Don't show me your fucking face.” She growled as she stormed away. I stayed rooted in my spot trying to understand how my life has come to this. My whole body ached from her assault it was difficult to breathe but I somehow managed to get up and made my way towards my room.

That was a week ago and every day since then I was abused by the mother-daughter duo continuously. The last was brutal. As the news of Nicolas and Ava having another date night.

I lay in my bed mulling over what has happened over the past week. Everything happened so fast that my mind was still reeling from the turn of events. When. I decided it was time to get up and get ready for the event when there was a knock on the door.

It was my father and Rachel’s anniversary. And they are having a grand party. All influential and powerful people would be coming to the party and the King family would be one of them.

“Come in.” One of the maids came in. “Yes?”

“Ms Williams, Mr William wanted you to get ready early so that you can ride with them and don't want you to be late.” She said, I nodded and told her I would be down in an hour.

When I was ready I went down to the living room but there was no one present there. I looked around for someone and found the maid who had come to my room earlier.

“Where is everyone?” I asked her, she looked hesitant but she answered.

“They already left.” I closed my eyes, I knew this was going to happen. Why did I even get my hopes up? Why do I do this to myself? Tears pooled in my eyes as the maid looked at me with sympathy.

“But they said they would leave around 7:30 it is 7:15 now and they left already,” I questioned to no one in particular.

“Mrs William wanted to go there early so she could greet the guests and she told me to tell you to find a way to get to the venue on time.”

Sighing, I called an Uber and went to the venue. By the time I reached the venue, the guests had already arrived and the party was in full swing even though it just started.

Taking a deep breath I got out of the vehicle. As soon as I got out all the cameras turned me rendering me frozen. Nausea threatened to drown me. But I felt a warm comforting hand on my back. I turned to see Rio one of my father's bodyguards.

“Come let’s go.” He led me to the red carpet where photos were being taken. “Do you want to take pictures?” he asked when I shook my head no he started leading me towards the entrance of the banquet hall.

When I walked on the carpet trying to get into the venue the media started throwing questions at me.

“Ms Williams, why are you late?”

“Ms Williams, why are you with your family?”

“Ms Williams, is it true that you don't get along well with your sister Natalie?”

Ignoring everyone I walked into the venue. Turning around I thanked him profusely. But he just shook his head and nodded at me to go inside with a smile. Taking a deep breath and sterling my shoulders I walked in.

As soon as I walked in I was transported to a world of glamour and power. Every wealthy family was present. Ladies in their elegant dresses with perfect makeup and men in their designer suits.

I looked around for someone I knew but there was no one I called friend or even acquaintance. Before everything went down I at least had Nicolas he would always keep me in his line of sight making sure I was okay.

My chest squeezes painfully at the memories. As I made my way towards the corner of the hall so I could be invisible for the rest of the night. I tried to search for Nicolas but I didn't find him or his family anywhere. Maybe they aren't coming.

I looked at my father smiling and greeting people with his wife and daughter by his side, completely forgetting that he has another daughter. Even though I was standing just a few feet away from them.

“Where is your other daughter Mr Williams?” one of my father's business associates asked. My father hesitated as he looked around when his eyes landed on me. Before he could answer Rachel interrupted him.

“Oh, she is right over there. She doesn't like socialising and she is not very fond of parties or people. We try to make her understand that it's good if she mingles with people and makes connections but she just ignores us and is in her little world always.” Rachel shook her head.

She made it seem like I'm a snob who thinks I am better than anyone. The look on the businessman and his wife shows displeasure.

“What can you expect from a girl like her? She should be grateful that you took pity on her, adopted her and gave her a wonderful life when her parents left her to die. But looks like she is an ungrateful brat.” the lady sneered in my direction.

But I was frozen in my place. What are they talking about? I'm not adopted. Peter Williams is my father. I don't have any other parents who left me to die. I looked at my father who looked like he was ashamed of my behaviour.

“What can we do? Not everyone can be gentle, kind and sophisticated like Natalie. You are so lucky to have a daughter like her, Mr and Mrs Williams.” The man said, looking at Natalie up and down. Natalie gave him a coy smile.

I wanted to retaliate and tell everyone what cunning people the whole group was. I'm not some adopted kid but Peter Williams's biological daughter but before I could I heard a commotion from the entrance and then complete silence followed.

I turned to what had caused the sight in front of me to make my breath hitch making it hard to breathe. There stood Nicolas King in all his glory. His presence alone made the banquet hall seem smaller. His presence emits power and arrogance only he can have.

But what broke my heart into a million pieces is that beside him stood Ava Brown. His first love. The person I was always insecure about even though he never talked about her.

Nicolas had his arm wrapped around her waist holding her close while they looked into each other's eyes with so much love and adoration.

How can he move on so easily when he said he loved me? He said I was the one for him and now as soon as she was back he was with her leaving me broken beyond repair.