Dear Ex Husband, It's too late

2

Autumn woke up to the sound of footsteps in the hallways. It took a full minute for her to process why the ceilings were lower, and the lavender smell she loved was absent from the sheets.

Her design notebook was still open on the bed, and she was still wearing the red dress from last night. With a soft groan, she forced herself up and tucked the book at the bottom of the bedside.

Autumn was about to make her way to the bathroom when she heard a knock. “Mrs Grant, Madam would like to see you downstairs."

Autumn clenched her fists. “I’ll be down in a moment."

Autumn didn’t want to see Alisa after yesterday’s incident. She knew Alisa would only have spiteful words to say, but she remembered she had decided to confront Alisa before she fell asleep yesterday.

She wanted answers.

She wanted to know why Alisa thought it was best to remove her from her matrimonial bedroom. She knew there would be insults, but she didn’t care. She was done taking their mistreatment. She had taken enough in the last five years, and she would not do that anymore.

She quickly showered with her mind made up and went downstairs to the breakfast room.

Autumn’s steps slowed when she reached the breakfast room. Voices reached her ears, and she recognized her husband’s voice among them.

That made her feel better. At least, he would be there and find out what his mother had done in his absence.

However, the dim hope that had bloomed faltered when she stepped inside. It wasn’t because of him, but the scene before her.

Alisa was smiling.

And no, it was not the curve of disdain she always had when she looked at Autumn. This was a full beam.

Autumn had to blink twice to confirm that she was seeing right.

It was the first time she had ever seen Alisa with a genuine smile since she married Ethan. At one point, Autumn had started to believe the woman was incapable of smiling, but she was proven wrong today.

Alisa couldn’t wipe the smile off her face as she chatted happily with the young woman Autumn had never seen before.

The woman carried herself with the kind of effortless elegance only someone who had been born to wealth could afford. She looked like the kind of woman everyone would want to be acquainted with.

Her dark hair fell in loose waves over one shoulder, framing her small face, which made her appear like a fragile doll.

She was beautiful in a way that made Autumn take a few cautious steps back.

Lydia, Ethan’s sister, who had never had a kind word to say to Autumn, was buttering up to this young woman as well.

From a distance, they looked like a perfect family.

Autumn’s stomach churned as she watched them.

Autumn’s eyes fell on her husband. Ethan sat beside the woman, leaning forward as he stared at her with eyes that were shining with… love?

The thoughts suffocated Autumn, but she couldn’t look away because Ethan was smiling.

It wasn’t the dismissive smile he usually gave her. His face had softened, stripped of the cold mask he always wore.

Autumn had never seen him look at her like that. Not once in five years.

She must have made a sound because Alisa turned, and the smile disappeared from her face as soon as she saw Autumn.

Her face twisted into an ugly sneer. “Oh, it’s you," she said, her voice dripping with irritation. Autumn almost believed that the version of Alisa she had just seen must have been her imagination.

The woman frowned softly, then looked at Lydia with furrowed brows. “Who is this?” she asked in a careful tone.

“She is Ethan’s…” Lydia paused as though she wanted to say something unpleasant. "Wife," she finally said bitterly.

“Autumn, this is Naomi Lang. A world-renowned violinist. I’m sure you’ve never heard of her before, considering you are a low-born." The condescending tone was audible in her voice, but Autumn didn’t mind. She didn’t see it as an insult. She was never a big fan of music.

“Ethan met her again at his meeting in Portmayne yesterday. She has a show in Weston by the month’s end, so she is going to stay with us for the month," Lydia explained, her eyes shining happily.

Autumn’s eyes went to her husband, who hadn’t acknowledged her presence yet. So, while she was waiting at the restaurant for five hours, he had been reconnecting with another woman?

Now she felt pathetic about the hours she spent in that chair, foolishly waiting for him.

“It’s nice to meet you, Mrs Grant," Naomi greeted with a soft smile. She walked up to Autumn and extended her arms. “I hope you don’t mind me intruding this early."

Alisa stood up as well, her face twisting into an ugly sneer. “Intrude? You are Ethan’s first love and would have been his wife if that old man didn’t force him to marry her. If anyone is an intruder, it’s not you," she spat, her cold eyes on Autumn to make sure she got the point.

The words made Autumn freeze. No one had ever mentioned that her husband had a first love who he still clearly had feelings. It explained the soft look in his eyes. The way, even though his mother and sister were being rude to her, he had eyes only for Naomi.

Her hands trembled at her side, but she fought to keep her expression composed. She knew they were watching and waiting for her to crumple, but she wouldn’t give them that, despite their words acting like a slow poison, destroying her from the inside.

Lydia joined her mother, her gaze sweeping over Autumn with disdain. “My mother is right, Naomi. You don’t need to worry about her. She is basically lower than the maids in this house."

Naomi looked conflicted about how to act. “That’s a little bit harsh, Lydia," she said in a small voice. “What if Mrs Grant gets offended?”

“Stop calling her Mrs Grant," Lydia snapped. “That title belongs to you. You shouldn’t address anyone with it so casually. It’s only a matter of time before you claim it back." She hissed, her challenging eyes on Autumn.

Autumn smiled at Naomi. “I’m not offended, and welcome to our home, Miss Lang." Autumn walked past them and took a seat at the table.

“Look at her trying to act like the lady of this house,” Lydia sneered, then pulled Naomi back to the table, guiding her to the seat beside Ethan as though she was making a point.

Alisa and Lydia waited for any reaction from Autumn. They wanted a reason to tear into her, but she refused to give them what they wanted and started putting food on her plate.

Until she remembered why she had come down in the first place.

She placed her spoon down and turned to Alisa. “Is this why you moved my things out of my matrimonial room? Because you wanted to give my husband a mistress?”

Naomi’s face paled, and Lydia jumped up from her seat. “How dare you call Naomi a mistress?” she shrieked, pointing fingers at Autumn. “She is the heiress of the Lang family. You can never compare to her."

Autumn remained calm. “That’s exactly why you should mind your words, sister-in-law. You claim she is a respectful lady, yet your words make it seem like she came here to steal a married man from his wife."

“You…”

“Watch your words, Autumn," Ethan warned, and Autumn bit the inside of her cheek.

Since she walked into this room, this was the first time Ethan was speaking to her, and it was to defend his first love.

“You should tell Lydia that. You should have corrected her when she said Naomi was going to be your wife, or is that why you brought her here? To become your mistress?” Autumn pushed, refusing to back down.

This was the first time she was speaking for herself. She had never done so before, so the feeling was enthralling.

“You have it all wrong…” Naomi started, her face flushed with embarrassment and her fists clenched at her sides.

When she heard Ethan had married a spineless woman, she assumed it would be easy to come back and take her place, but the woman in front of her was nothing like what she had heard.

Autumn ignored the stunned looks. She had never spoken up when they tore her down before, so this came as a surprise.

Autumn pushed her food aside and stood up. “I’m afraid I won’t be able to join you for breakfast anymore. My appetite is ruined."

“You will apologize to Naomi this instant," Alisa barked, getting up as well.

Autumn met her glare head-on. “For what exactly? That Lydia said she is to be my husband’s mistress or that the heiress of a big family chose her first love’s home instead of her family’s mansion to spend the one month she has in Weston?”

Alisa stilled. She had no answer for Autumn.

“I thought so." Autumn left the dining room, keeping her back straight as she walked out.

She had done it. She had defended herself. A smile found its way to her lips.

She was halfway up the stairs when a wave of dizziness hit her. She grabbed the railings for support and waited for it to pass.

“The stress is getting to me," Autumn muttered, rubbing her palm against her forehead before continuing up the stairs.