Swapped: His Dead Wife's Revenge

Chapter 20

June’s Pov

After what happened between me and the new guy I saw, I decided to sleep more. After a few minutes I woke up and was lost in thoughts.

A soft knock on the door pulled me out of my thoughts. I sat up quickly, heart jumping. Was it Nikolai again? I wrapped a robe around myself and opened the door.

Mrs. McCoy stood there, Nikolai’s mother, smiling gently. “Good morning, Chloe. Can I come in for a moment?”

“Sure,” I said, stepping aside. I ran my fingers through my messy hair, trying to smooth it down. “Pardon my hair. I just woke up.”

She waved her hand as she stepped inside. “It is okay, dear. No need to apologize.” She sat on the edge of the bed and patted the spot beside her. “Come sit with me.”

I sat down, pulling the robe tighter around myself. My body still felt sore from the night before. Everything felt heavy.

Mrs. McCoy took my hand in hers. Her touch was warm, almost motherly. “I just wanted to thank you personally for what you did yesterday. Nikolai told me the deal with your father has been finalized. I know this marriage started as something transactional, but it means so much to our family. I appreciate your efforts.”

I managed a small smile. “Nikolai did not tell me, but I am happy it worked out. You are my new family now. I want us all to be happy and bring good things together.”

She squeezed my hand. “That is exactly what I like to hear. We will be leaving in a few days, but I wanted to speak with you before then. Have patience with my son. He can be difficult, especially while you are still recovering from the accident. Do not stress yourself too much. Just give him time.”

I nodded, though the words tasted bitter. Patience with the man who had killed my babies? The man who used my body like it belonged to him?

She continued softly. “Also, Leo — his best friend — will be staying with us for a while. His house is under renovation. I know you two were not on the best terms before he left a few years ago, but I hope things will be different now.”

Leo. The handsome man I had bumped into this morning. That explained why he had asked if we were “cool.” I filed the information away, trying not to show how lost I felt.

“I understand,” I said. “I will try my best.”

Mrs. McCoy smiled and stood up. “Good. Breakfast is ready downstairs. Join us when you are ready.”

She left the room. I sat there for a moment longer, then forced myself to move. I took a quick shower, letting the hot water run over my skin until some of the tension eased. I chose a simple sleeveless dress from the closet — nothing too fancy, but decent enough. I brushed my hair and went downstairs.

Everyone was already at the dining table. Nikolai, his parents, Betty, and Leo. Leo looked up when I entered. His eyes met mine for a second, and something warm flickered in them. Betty glanced between us with a strange expression. Nikolai did not even look at me.

I sat down quietly. Nikolai’s voice cut through the morning silence. “I see the princess of England has finally decided to grace us with her presence. They call you for breakfast and you come late.”

I kept my tone even. “I did not know coming to breakfast was compulsory. I can decide if I want to come or not.”

Nikolai’s eyes narrowed. “In this house, when they call you for breakfast, you come. Especially while my parents are here. Show some respect.”

I remembered my promise to Blue. I needed to get on his good side, even if it killed me inside. “I am sorry,” I said softly. “I just wanted to shower first. It will not happen again.”

The table stayed mostly quiet after that. Food was passed around. Conversations stayed light. Then Nikolai raised his glass. “Since everyone is here, let us toast again. Chloe’s father finalized the deal. This is a big win for both families.”

We all raised our glasses. “Cheers,” everyone murmured.

Mrs. McCoy smiled brightly. “And there will be a party tomorrow night. Mr Hayes is hosting it. It is impromptu, but with money, anything is possible. Everyone important will be there. Dress to kill, dear. We all know you are good at that.”

I nodded, forcing another smile. “I will.”

Breakfast ended without more drama. As people started to leave the table, I caught Betty’s eye. “Can I talk to you for a minute?”

She nodded. “Sure.”

We went to her room. Betty closed the door and turned to me. “How are you? You did not come back last night like you said you would.”

“I got busy with family stuff,” I said carefully. “But I need your help. Your mother said I should dress to kill for the party. After the accident, I feel like I have lost my style. Can you help me pick something?”

Betty smiled. “I would love to, but I am going out with my brother today. I can help when I get back if it is not too late.”

“That is fine,” I said. “Thank you anyway.”

I left her room feeling a little lighter. At least one small thing was handled. As I walked down the hallway, I saw Leo and Nikolai standing together, talking quietly. Leo looked up first. Our eyes met. His gaze was warm, curious, and something about it made heat rise in my cheeks.

I turned away from Leo quickly, my cheeks burning. Why did one look from him make my heart race like that? I was married — even if I hated every second of it. I had no business noticing how warm his eyes were or how his presence felt different from Nikolai’s cold anger. I started walking back toward my room, trying to push the thought away.

But then an idea hit me. I stopped, turned around, and walked back to where Nikolai and Leo were still standing in the hallway.

“Can I talk to you for a minute?” I asked Nikolai, my voice softer than I intended.

He looked at me, one eyebrow raised. “Yes, you can.”

“In private, please,” I added.

Nikolai crossed his arms. “Anything you want to say right now, you can say it in front of him. Or is it something evil you are planning?”

I shook my head quickly. “No, nothing like that. I just wanted to ask if my friend can come here to help me with something. She is a new friend I met recently. I do not think you have met her before.”

Nikolai stared at me for a long moment, like he was trying to read something in my face. Then he shrugged. “Whatever you do is not really my business. Bring her if you want.”

Relief washed over me so strongly I almost smiled. “Thank you so much.”

I nodded at Leo, who was watching the exchange with quiet interest, and hurried back to my room. The moment the door closed behind me, happiness bubbled up inside my chest. It felt strange after so many days of tears and fear. I grabbed the phone and called Blue immediately.

She picked up on the second ring. “June?”

“Blue, he said yes!” I whispered excitedly, sitting on the edge of the bed. “I asked Nikolai if you could come help me with something. He agreed. You can come for the party. We can figure out a way for you to stay longer after that. Maybe during the sleepover with Sarah and Amelia, you can join and find a reason to remain here.”

Blue laughed softly. “That is perfect. I cannot sleep over right away, that would look too suspicious. But I can come for the party and then stay a few days after. We will make it work. I am so happy right now.”

We talked for a few more minutes, making small plans. Blue promised to come the day of the party. She would help me pick a dress and we would find time to talk privately. When we ended the call, I felt lighter than I had in days. At least one good thing was happening.

I could not stay in the room any longer. I needed fresh air. I changed into something simple and walked down to the garden. The sun was warm on my skin. I found a quiet bench and sat down, pulling out the phone again. I opened Chloe’s i********: and started scrolling through her old posts.

The photos were stunning. Chloe in elegant gowns at galas, in sexy dresses at parties, smiling confidently for the camera. Her style was bold, glamorous, nothing like the simple clothes I usually chose. Men flooded her comments. She carried herself with power, shoulders back, chin high, a mean-girl edge in some of her captions. I studied the way she posed, the way she smiled, the way she spoke in the videos.

I looked around to make sure no one was nearby, then tried to mimic her. “Hi,” I said softly to myself, practicing the tone. “Hey… how are you?”

It felt ridiculous, but I kept going. I needed to learn how to be her, at least on the surface. If I wanted to survive here long enough to find a way out, I had to stop slipping up.

“What are you doing, Chloe?”