Under my sister's name: the wife beneath the lie

Amelia's Pov "Don't look for trouble again." The officer said as he handed her bag to her. "Thanks," she replied sarcastically. She grabbed her bag and walked out of the station. "That b***h. Gosh, why is it so hard to save a woman from a toxic relationship?" she mumbled. "No!" she exclaimed, her shoulders slumping as the thought hit her. She had used her salary to make bail, and her boss had literally fired her as the police escorted her into the vehicle. "Amelia, Mother was right. You tend to cause a lot of problems for yourself. I should have done nothing," she complained once again as she sat on a bench by the roadside. "But it wasn't my fault. He was abusing her," she argued with the part of her mind that kept reprimanding her. Taking a deep breath, she sighed. "What do I tell Father now? Now he'll have enough proof to cement the fact that I'm a bad daughter and that he never liked me." Not like she could tell him that she had seen a man bruising his girlfriend's arm at the restaurant where she worked, gotten offended, punched him, gotten arrested, and then watched his stupid girlfriend support him. "Arghhhhhhh!" As she contemplated her options, she couldn't help but notice a man standing across the street staring at her. Angrily, she yelled, "What the hell are you looking at?" The man immediately turned his head away. She picked up her phone and dialed her father's number. "I'm already a disappointment. It wouldn't hurt to add one more reason to continue being one." After the third ring, she decided she was going to hang up. Then a voice came through. "Amelia!" She froze. Her brows furrowed as she checked the saved contact. It clearly said Father. It sounded like her father, yet the voice had called her name happily, for the first time since she could remember. "Ye... yes?" Amelia replied uncertainly. Even though she sent seventy percent of her salary home every month, her father had never sounded this excited to hear from her. Amelia and her father had always shared a strained relationship. She believed he was a deadbeat, and he hated that she challenged him. Eventually, it became impossible for them to live under the same roof, so she moved out. Still, she continued sending money home for the sake of her mother and sister, even though they all had different opinions about how the household was run and how their father treated them. "I was about to call you," her father said. Amelia was stunned. Call her? Her father never called. He only ever answered her calls on the days she sent money home, and even then, she was lucky to get more than a few words from him. "Why?" she asked curiously. "Your sister is getting married." Amelia froze. Married? "And not just to anyone," he continued. "She's marrying into the prestigious Ashford family." "The Ashford family? The same Ashfords who are always making headlines in the tabloids?" she asked. "Yes. You should come home." Amelia laughed. "So let me guess. This is your breakthrough financially?" "You fool!" His voice instantly returned to the familiar harsh tone she knew so well. Amelia sighed and nodded to herself. His old self had finally returned. "I know you can't possibly be happy for your sister. She's about to make this family proud and pull us out of the trenches." "You know what? Don't even come. I don't want you sharing your bad luck." The call ended. Amelia stared at her phone. Well, at least the money she had used to pay her bail wouldn't be an issue anymore. *** Mr. Bennet cursed as he lowered his phone. "I told you that girl was evil," he said to his wife, who sat opposite him. Diane swallowed her response. She didn't want to upset him, especially on a day when she was genuinely happy. "She's just not as mature as Ava, that's all," she said carefully. "Is she coming?" Ava asked as she entered the room. She wore a beautiful blue gown that perfectly complemented her wavy dark hair. "No," her father replied. "She's against you, and I've said this many times. I don't want her here." With that, he walked out of the room. "Mom, Dad can't be serious. Amelia is my best friend. She's my sister. She has to come." Diane patted the empty space beside her, signaling Ava to sit. "One thing I'm certain of is that Amelia loves doing the exact opposite of what your father wants. So trust me, she'll come." Diane said it with such a straight face that both women burst into laughter. "You're so right," Ava agreed. The next morning, Ava was awakened by a knock on her bedroom door. "Mom?" she called. Diane stepped inside. "The old lady of the Ashford family has invited you to breakfast with her." "Oh, really? That's nice of Grandma." Diane smiled. She still couldn't believe that her daughter could casually call such a powerful woman Grandma. "Oh, I bless the day she laid eyes on you," she said warmly. "Go on. Get ready already. A car is waiting outside." As Ava hurried to prepare, Diane couldn't help but think about how kind the old lady had been. Ever since she had seen Ava helping an elderly woman at the shelter where she volunteered, she had taken an interest in her. The old lady had begun sending gifts and spending time with Ava. Eventually, she revealed her true intention, she wanted Ava to marry her grandson. In her own words: "Ava is exactly the kind of woman my boy Ron needs." The thought comforted Diane immensely. Her sweet, innocent Ava would be well cared for. Ava wasn't like Amelia. She was kind, caring, patient, and gentle. Diane didn't want her daughter getting hurt, and she was more than certain that any man raised by Mrs. Ashford would be a perfect gentleman. At least, that's what she believed.