Ashes of Hourglass

Chapter one:

The day was too ordinary for the storm that was about to unravel in Amelia’s life. It was a Saturday

morning when the beautiful Amelia Carter hummed softly as she moved through the

bedroom,gathering her husband’s dirty laundry into the laundry basket. She was used to this routine

every Saturday morning since she got married to the love of her life,James Whitman. A piece of

paper dropped off from her husband suit, a folded slip of paper , smooth and expensive. Curious,

Amelia opened it.

Isha Jewelers – One diamond necklace, infinity stones. Paid in full. Gift wrapping requested.

Her breath hitched. Their anniversary had passed 4 months ago, and she hadn’t received a necklace.

In fact, she hadn’t received anything. A dull chill crept up her spine. Maybe it was a gift for her , a

surprise she wasn’t meant to find, she thought.

Her heart dropped as she read the final line:

“T o my Estée Lauder — with all my love”

Estée Lauder . The word struck her like a slap. She hated the perfume but her stepmother loved it

and it was her signature scent.

She didn’t want to believe what she saw and put the receipt back to her own handbag and left her

room to leave the house.

James saw her coming down from the stairs and said with his charming smile and soothing voice

“ where is my beautiful wife going this morning” Amelia not wanting her husband to know what

she found in his suit smiled at him and replied “ my best friend lily wants me to take her to

Caravan for a coffee date”

. James hold her close to him and gave her a forehead kiss, she makes a

grimace look while he gave her the forehead kiss. Her face became calm when he looks at her and

said “ have a nice day with lily” she smiled and walked away.

From her house to the jewelry shop was about 30mins drive, she parked her car and came down for

the car , she entered and she was welcomed by the jewelry Attendant who was standing behind the

counter and smiled beautifully and said “ Good morning ma ’ am, what would you like to buy? ”

Amelia deep into her bag and take out the receipt and gave it to the jewelry attendant,

“please can I

know who is this jewelry purchase for? Amelia asked. The attendant took the receipt to the monitor and after a few minutes she gave Amelia a response “ the jewelry was purchased under the name James Whitman for

Genevieve Carter”

Amelia was thunderstruck, as if lightning had struck her heart. She left the jewelry shop without

saying anything to the jewelry attendant. Her eyes were full with tears, she couldn’ t believe her

sweet caring husband could gift her stepmother a jewelry.

The rain had started just as dusk fell, soft and steady against the windows of her car ,Amelia still can’

t believe what she just heard. Then she saw her stepmother Genevieve’s sleek black car rolled up

the gravel path, and there she was, her stepmother , elegant as ever in a cream coat Genevieve wasn’

t supposed to be going anywhere alone without her driver , this makes Amelia suspicious about

Genevieve and she start the engine and start trailing the black car at a careful distance through the

wet London streets.

They drove for nearly twenty minutes before Genevieve’s car turned sharply and rolled to a stop in

front of the park Grand Hotel a place known for discretion, the kind of place where secrets were

meant to stay buried. Amelia’s breath caught. Why would Genevieve be here?

She followed her inside,keeping her head below the hood of coat and keeping her steps slowly

away from Genevieve so she won’t catch her . Genevieve walked pass the reception, stepping into

the elevator like a queen who belonged here. Amelia stepped into the second elevator and the

elevator chimed at the seventh floor , and Genevieve stepped out. Amelia waited a bit, then slipped

out behind her , careful to stay just far enough back. Down the corridor , Genevieve stopped at Room

714 and the door opened before she even knocked. And to Amelia’s surprise she saw her husband

James her supposed partner , the man who had sworn her forever . And there, in the soft glow of the

room’s golden light, he wrapped his arms around Genevieve as if she were his world as if Amelia

had never existed at all. Their lips met, intimate and familiar .

They went into the room and locked the door behind them.

Amelia was dumbfounded, unable to form a single word as she saw her husband and her

stepmother locking their lips together intimately. She stood frozen, hidden in the shadowed hallway,

her heart pounding loud enough to drown out the rain. In that moment, something inside her

cracked something that would never be whole again.

It wasn’t just betrayal. It was humiliation.

She went to their door and knocked on the door . A man’s voice came through “Who is there?”

James asked,

“Room service sir .

James look into Genevieve’s eyes and asked “ did you order anything?

“No! I didn’t” she answered.

James moved toward the door and opened, to his greatest surprise he saw Amelia,his wife.

“Amelia” James started.

“ Y ou filthy, lying cheater! ” she screamed, tears streaming down her face, blurring her vision.

“After everything I gave you, my love, my trust, my life, this is how you repay me?” James trying

to reach her ,but she slapped him so hard on his face.

“Don’t you dare touch me, you bastard” she spat, her voice trembling with fury and heartbreak.

“Y ou disgust me!”

Then her eyes turned on Genevieve the woman who had called her daughter , who had smiled at her

across breakfast tables and pretended to care.

“And you,

” she hissed, her voice breaking.

“My

stepmother , you came to my life, to my house to steal my father from me and now into my marriage

like a vulture like I won’t find out? Was my pain not enough for you? Was my happiness too much

to bear?”

Genevieve opened her mouth, but Amelia didn’t let her speak.

“Both of you deserve each other

you are both rotten to the core, selfish, deceitful parasites.

” T ears streamed freely now while her

voice rose with every words,stronger and louder .

James stepped in trembling with fear “ Amelia, please…. I can…. Explain…

”

“Explain what exactly?” She laughed bitterly.

“There is nothing to explain. I saw everything…

from the receipt of the jewelry you bought for her , I know every damn thing! Amelia’s chest heaved

as she took one final look at the two people who had shattered her world.

“This isn’t over ,

” she whispered, her voice low and trembling.

me…

“You’ve taken everything from me..”