Chapter 11: You Need Me

Paige's Point of View

"What a dick!" Becca exclaimed after I told her what had happened.

"Yeah," I replied with a sigh.

After the confrontation at the hospital, I decided to head straight to Becca's condo to vent my frustrations and find someone who would take my side.

"Don't go back to that bastard, babe! You hit the jackpot with Nathaniel. You're a Montague now! Don't settle for that cheating asshole," she added.

I swallowed hard. I couldn't keep this secret to myself any longer.

"I have something to tell you..." I began hesitantly.

"Hmm?"

"I slept with Nate."

"And? What's wrong with that? He's your husband, for God's sake! Of course, you've slept with him. And you'll sleep with him again and again in the future," she said before taking another bite of her pizza.

"No! That's not what I meant." I took a deep breath, bracing myself for her reaction. "I slept with him the night you took me to that bar. He was the guy I kissed during that stupid dare," I confessed.

There. I'd finally said it.

"What the actual fuck?!" she exclaimed, shock evident on her face.

Then, her stunned expression gradually shifted into amusement.

"Maybe it was destiny!" she declared.

"No, it was just a coincidence. I called Dom a cheater, but I'm no better than him. I cheated, too. Maybe this is my karma. I guess I just have to live with it now," I said bitterly.

I spent the next few hours drinking wine and watching movies with her, trying to unwind. Eventually, we both dozed off.

I jolted awake when my phone buzzed with an incoming text message.

It was from the hospital, informing me that my mother's bills had been fully paid and she could finally be discharged.

Wait, what?

Who paid for everything? Victoria?

I immediately got to my feet, ready to leave. Before heading out, I scribbled a quick note and left it on the table for Becca to read when she woke up. I didn't want to disturb her or ruin her sleep, so I slipped out quietly.

I went straight to the hospital to bring my mother home.

When I entered her room, the nurses were already helping her pack her belongings. I hurried to her side, ready to support her as they helped her into a wheelchair.

"Oh, Mom! I'm finally taking you home," I said, wrapping my arms around her.

"Thank God! I'm getting so bored staying here," she replied with a relieved smile.

"Please promise me you'll stay away from the foods and drinks you're not supposed to have. I don't want you to go through something like this again," I reminded her firmly.

We took a cab straight to the apartment I'd rented for her. Unfortunately, we'd been evicted from our old place because I'd fallen behind on the rent while Mom was hospitalized. Thankfully, I still had a little money left in my savings, enough to cover the down payment on a small studio apartment.

After helping her take a bath and arrange her belongings, I suddenly remembered that I hadn't returned to Nate's place yet.

He was my husband, after all, and technically, he had the right to know where I was going and what I planned to do. I also needed to ask him if I could stay with Mom for a while so someone could look after her.

"You're leaving?" Mom asked when she noticed me getting ready.

"Uh, yeah, Mom. I need to go back to Nate's place. Don't worry. I'll tell him that I'll be staying here for a while, and I'll grab some of my things, too. Okay? Here, take this." I handed her a spare phone. "Call me if you need anything, all right?"

I planted a kiss on her forehead before leaving the room.

It was already dark by the time I arrived at Nate's house. Even before I reached the door, I could hear the noise and several voices coming from inside.

A sense of unease settled over me when I realized that Nate's family was there.

I slowly opened the door, but the moment I stepped inside, the room fell silent. Everyone turned to look at me, except Nate, who was too busy eating his steak to pay me any attention.

"Oh, there she is," Morgan remarked, her disappointment unmistakable.

It was as if my mere presence had ruined their evening.

"Paige, come join us. Have you had dinner yet?" Sebastian offered politely.

I managed a faint smile.

"Thank you, but I've already had dinner with my mother. I'll just get a few things," I replied before heading toward the bedroom.

I was just about to step inside when I heard Morgan speak again.

"Why did Camilla have to get pregnant? Now you're stuck marrying someone so ill-mannered and classless!" she snapped.

She hadn't bothered to lower her voice. In fact, I was certain she'd said it loud enough for me to hear.

"Mom, please," I heard Nate say in warning.

I simply rolled my eyes and walked into the bedroom.

I grabbed some clothes and stuffed them into my bag. I couldn't wait to get out of that house. I couldn't stand being in the same place as people like them, let alone having to breathe the same air.

A few moments later, the door opened, and Nate walked in.

"You're leaving? Why?" he asked.

"I'm going to stay with my mom for a couple of days. She needs someone to look after her. She just had surgery," I explained.

"You can't leave. The trust administrator is coming in a few days, so we need to stay here and pretend we're madly in love with each other," he said bluntly.

"Can't you just call me when they arrive? My mom needs me."

"I'll hire a caregiver for her, okay? Just fucking do what I tell you. Jesus Christ!" he snapped impatiently.

Then, under his breath, he muttered, "And this is how you thank me?"

I froze.

"What did you just say?" I asked, confused.

Thank him? For what?

"Nothing. Dad is asking for you, so come out when you're ready," he replied before turning around and leaving the room.

I took one last look at myself in the mirror before stepping out of the bedroom. If I wanted to survive in this family until the contract is over, I had to learn how to keep my emotions in check.

The moment I entered the dining room, Morgan's eyes immediately landed on me.

"Ah, there you are. We were just talking about the family," she remarked, taking a sip of her wine. "More specifically, about the future of the Montague family."

I pulled out a chair, choosing to ignore the pointed look she gave me.

"Of course, you wouldn't know anything about that, would you?" she continued with a condescending smile. "After all, you're only here because of an... Unfortunate circumstance," she chuckled.

I paused, my fingers tightening around the back of the chair.

"Morgan," Sebastian warned quietly.

"What? Am I lying?" She shrugged innocently. "Let's be honest. If it weren't for Camilla's pregnancy, Nate would never have ended up marrying her. She's nothing but a pretty face."

My jaw clenched.

"Mom, that's enough," Nate interjected, his voice firm.

But Morgan wasn't finished.

"I'm simply stating the truth. The Montagues have a reputation to uphold. We have standards, traditions, and expectations. And now, we have someone who clearly doesn't belong at our table."

She glanced pointedly at my clothes before letting out a small, humorless laugh. Nate's cousins laughed quietly with her.

"No offense, Paige, but marrying into this family doesn't automatically make you one of us. A marriage certificate can't buy class, upbringing, or a proper family background."

The words stung more than I wanted to admit. I know this marriage is just on paper, but I expected at least tiniest bit of respect from them. After all, they made me part of this, even if I didn't want to in the first place.

I looked around the table, hoping someone would say something. Sebastian appeared uncomfortable, while the others suddenly seemed fascinated by their plates.

And Nate?

He remained seated beside me, his expression unreadable.

Not a single word of defense came from him.

I forced a smile, refusing to give Morgan the satisfaction of seeing me break.

"Actually, Morgan, I think you're forgetting something."

Her eyebrows shot up. "Excuse me?"

"If it weren't for me, your family's sinking business would probably be taking its last breath by now." I tilted my head, meeting her gaze without flinching. "So forgive me if I find it amusing that the very people who desperately need this marriage are the ones acting as though I'm beneath them."

The entire table fell silent.

I leaned back in my chair, crossing my arms.

"Come to think of it, I'm curious. What would happen if I told the trust administrator that this marriage was nothing but a carefully orchestrated scheme? That you people deliberately arranged everything and even made me sign a contract to ensure I played my part?"

Morgan's face paled slightly.

"Where do you think the Montagues would end up once that trust fund you've been counting on disappears? How long would your precious family name keep you afloat when the money runs dry? I wonder which street you'd end up begging on."

"How dare you!" Morgan slammed her hand against the table.

"Oh, I'm not finished."

I gave her a sweet smile.

"For the record, I never wanted to be part of your pretentious, snobbish family in the first place. I married Nate because it was part of an agreement, not because I dreamed of becoming a Montague. So stop acting as though you've done me some grand favor by allowing me to sit at your table."

No one dared to speak.

"You need me, Morgan. Your family needs me. It's not a one-way ticket," I firmly said.

Then, as if I hadn't just threatened to bring their entire world crashing down, I turned to Nate.

"The steak looks good. Pass me some?"

I held out my plate.

Nate stared at me for a moment, caught somewhere between surprise and amusement. The corner of his mouth twitched as though he were struggling to suppress a laugh.

"You're unbelievable," he muttered, placing a slice of steak on my plate.

"Thank you, darling," I replied cheerfully.

Morgan shot to her feet, her chair scraping violently against the floor.

"You ungrateful little bitch! You think you can threaten me in my own house?"

I took a bite of steak and hummed appreciatively.

"That's delicious."

"Paige!" she shrieked.

I dabbed the corner of my mouth with a napkin, then stood and picked up my bag. I'm ready to leave.

"Enjoy your dinner, everyone."

With that, I walked away, leaving Morgan fuming behind me.

I decided to just stay with my Mom for the night, and just return to Nate's house once his family already left.