Natalie.
"Ah!" Amelia cried out like the drama queen that she was, and Franklin rushed downstairs to meet her.
"What did you do to her?" Franklin growled at me as he softly helped Amelia up.
I didn't even push Amelia with force; I only wanted to drag her out. And because she saw Franklin rushing downstairs to meet us, she faked it like she was hurt.
"Franklin, your wife—I mean, Natalie—bit me just now and pushed me away," Amelia held her arm and sobbed as she got up from the floor.
Franklin looked at me angrily and spat, "I cannot believe that you would do this to your only sister. You ain't even the legitimate daughter of Mr. Liam, and yet you cannot treat your sister right. Come, Amy—let's go out and eat and allow her to eat her food alone."
Tears welled up in my eyes as I stood watching them. The day was Saturday, and definitely Franklin didn't go to work on Saturdays and Sundays.
I sobbed, wanting to stop them, and I went outside just in time to see Franklin getting into his car after he had helped Amelia close the door like the gentleman he never was.
"Franklin, where are you going?" I asked him as it was already after 7 p.m. and getting late.
My soup was delicious, yet Franklin had accused me that my food was bitter and probably I had poisoned it.
I sobbed and watched Franklin order the security man to pull the gate open, and soon he drove out of our residence and went to God knows where with Amelia. What did I do wrongly now? I wondered as I sobbed.
I went back into the house as I couldn't follow them. Franklin had three cars, while I didn't have any. He had never even carried me in any of his cars before, not to mention opening the car door for me like a gentleman.
As I went back into the house, I looked at the dining table and at the tray of food.
I went to sit down there and eat it, as the food wouldn't go to waste. I finished up my own meal that Franklin had wanted Amelia to eat, and I went to keep Franklin's own meal in the microwave and warm it so it wouldn't get spoiled.
I kept the soup in a small pot and covered it as I left the kitchen and went back to the dining room to tidy it up.
Once I was through cleaning up the dining table, I wiped my tears away and went to lock up the door and waited for Franklin to return.
~~~
Franklin.
Being married to that local woman was the worst day of my life. I couldn't believe that she would drug me.
On the day that her father was having one of his successful deals party and invited my father and some other partners to attend the celebration at his home—that was when I first laid eyes on Natalie. She looked so innocent that I wouldn't have imagined that what was on her mind was to drug me.
While everyone was enjoying themselves in the party hall, which was the living room where the Jacksons mostly welcomed their guests, I had gone ahead following Natalie to get to know her that evening.
My parents were busy chatting with other families that attended the event, so I excused myself and followed Natalie.
I hadn't seen her before, but I knew she was also a daughter of Mr. Liam. Everyone knew the story of how Natalie came about.
Her mother was a p********e who wasn't ready to raise a child, and the rumors had it that her mother had tried to abort her, but Natalie was just stubborn and came out after nine months.
I had wanted to speak with Natalie that night, to know the kind of person she was.
She was short, with a cute round face and brown sparkling eyes.
She was more beautiful than Amelia then, and I did admire her enough to know her.
What irritated me was that Natalie had actually drugged her wine and was looking for a hookup that night, just like her mother.
She knew most of the families that had attended her father's party were rich, so I was the scapegoat, and I accepted to drink from her wine.
That was when I awoke and found myself on the bed with her. We were both náked, and I didn't know how many hours I had spent with her in the room.
It was when her family came looking for me and her that they pushed her room door open and caught us together on the bed.
"Natalie! Franklin!" My parents and hers shouted, and to cover up our shame, they concluded that Natalie and I must become married. And indeed, her sheet had stains, meaning I did it with her.
I was angry, not wanting to believe Natalie was a cheap woman. I didn't want to marry her, but my father refused and said I wouldn't sabotage his friendship with the Jacksons, and it was only right that I marry Natalie and pretend that Natalie and I had been in an affair, which wasn't the truth.
I couldn't remember how we did it, and I didn't want to sleep with Natalie after we became married. Luckily, Natalie didn't conceive after that night, and I am planning on divorcing her now as I want to move on and maybe marry her sister.
Amelia has class, and she was a graduate who speaks fluently, while Natalie was an embarrassment on her own.
When my best friend, Michael, comes to visit me, I feel embarrassed each time he sees my wife.
I cannot take Natalie to any events with me, and I am thinking of divorcing her. As a billionaire CEO of H.W. Global, I think it best I file for a divorce immediately and marry a woman who is of my standard.
If you ask me what I like about Natalie? I don't think I like anything about her, as she's no longer beautiful to me. She is only good at cooking, and I will find a replacement for that.
I drove my car ahead to a fancy restaurant, and while I hated to eat out, I just had to excuse myself away from Natalie to get to know Amelia better.
"I hope your arm isn't hurting you that much?" I asked Amelia as she claimed Natalie hurt her just when I went upstairs to change my clothes.
"No. It's okay now," Amelia smiled, and I nodded. "Okay," I smiled back as it was already getting late, and I drove my car into one of the costly restaurants around.
"We are here. Let's grab something to eat here," I told Amelia with a smile on my face, and she smiled back at me. Her face had minimal makeup, and it was something I liked about her. Not too much makeup, and yet she was beautiful.
I got out of my car and took Amelia by her hand as I escorted her into the restaurant. We went to the private section of the restaurant, where I sat down and ordered something nice for the two of us.
Amelia smiled, and her phone rang just as she settled on her chair across from me.
"Hello, Father," Amelia said while I waved over to the waiter to come serve us something nice.
"Yes, I went to see Franklin and Natalie. They're fine, Dad. Do not worry—I will be home on time, or you don't have to worry about me," Amelia said, speaking to her father as she smiled flirtatiously at me.
"Okay, Dad. Take care too." Amelia ended the call, and without me asking her, she said, "My dad wanted to know who I went out to see. You know that I do not have any boyfriend or lover."
"Oh, that's nice," I said.
As I wanted to ask Amelia what she would like to eat, her phone rang, and she answered the call. "Hey, Felix."
"Yeah, I went out to see Franklin. I will call you back, or I will be home on time," she told him and soon ended the call.
The same went for her two other brothers. They called to check up on her, but since I got married to Natalie, no one called to check on Natalie either.
"So what would you like to have for dinner?" I asked Amelia, and she blinked her long eyelashes and bit her lower pink lip.
"Anything you choose, Franklin," Amelia said, and I smiled at her.
"That's fine," I replied and chose a simple meal—a plate of chicken pepper soup—as I didn't want us to waste much time so that we could go back home.
"So tell me, Franklin—how have you been coping with my ugly sister? I knew that if Natalie hadn't set you up, you and I were supposed to have become a couple," Amelia said, and I met her blue eyes that twinkled in that night hour.