Shattered Illusions

Chapter Four

Amelia's POV

I was given two months break from work and I had already spent two days off but I was bored to death. I never saw my husband since our wedding night and the servants were so uptight it were as though they would be sanctioned for speaking to me. I was all alone with my phone and movies but I couldn't dare to go to social media. I knew that there were rumors that I married Henry Caldwell for his money, Ellie told me and I wasn't ready to face it yet. Not that I will ever be ready to face it though.

My phone rang and I picked it up. Surprisingly, it was Samuel Turner, the private investigator I hired to look into my case. Maybe, today would be eventful for me, who knows?

"I have a lead on the story ma'am." That was enough to make me forget my boredom and misery. I ran all the way to my room. I stopped in front of Henry's room. Our rooms are next to each other but we never run into each other. How strange.

I contemplated on knocking but decided to go against it but the door suddenly opened.

"What?!" He barked when he saw me. I didn't know what to say. I was dumbstruck.

"Uhm…your father must have told you the reason I got married to you, well, the private investigator whom I invited to take over my brother's case and bring the culprit to light just phoned me now. He said that he has a lead on the case so I am going to meet up with him." I don't understand why I was explaining myself to him but as soon as I opened my eyes and stared into his cute brown eyes, I poured out everything within me.

He just stared at me as though he did not understand what I was saying all these while.

"Look Babara, I don't care what you do with your life or space as long as you don't bother me. I know why you agreed to marry me even the media knows and I don't care." He said and wheeled himself back into his room and shut the door right in front of me. I wanted to correct the impression he had about me. I wanted to tell him that the media were wrong about me and that my name was not Barbara. I can't believe that he doesn't even know my name and here I was thinking of making friends with him. I must be a full time fool.

I opened my door and pulled my car keys from the drawer and hurriedly made my way out of the mansion.

"You said you had a lead on who poisoned my brother and made my family go bankrupt." I said immediately we placed our orders and the waitress was gone.

"Yeah I did say so and you will be pleased to hear that I have finally found the culprit." He paused and watched my face, I nodded at me encouraging him to go in that I was ready to bear the news. My heart was filled with what I was going to do the culprit, different ways to make the culprit suffer for putting my brother's life in the line and making my family go almost bankrupt.

"Here." He placed a phone in my hand. "I hacked into the CCTV camera myself and I thought you might want to see who it is for yourself." He said maintaining a straight face.

I opened the phone and played the video. I had to play the video over again to be sure that I was not seeing things.

"Are you serious?" I asked unbelievingly and he nodded at me indicating that what I was seeing was actually what happened.

"Evelyn Grant?" I asked almost screaming and he nodded.

"How is that even possible? What would she gain by destroying my family? How did we offend her?"

" I guess people aren't always who they appear to be." He said and I grabbed my bag. I was going to give that b***h the beating of her life. Why would she ever think of double crossing my family after what our families had been through together? I have to confront her first.

"Mrs Caldwell, I will advise that you go home and rethink it over again to avoid taking rash decisions and having to live with a mistake you would clearly had avoided." He was right in a way but that doesn't mean that I wasn't going to beat Evelyn Grant to pulp for destroying my family's peace and putting the life of my brother at risk. But first, I had to go home and restrategize. At least, I know the culprit and it's a lot easier for me now.

"Samuel, thank you very much. I will send the remaining of your balance to your account. It was nice working with you." I said and stretched my hand for a handshake.

"Pleasure's mine Mrs Caldwell." He replied accepting my outstretched hand.

"Oh no, I am totally fine with Amelia." I stated truthfully. I wasn't ready to be address by that name yet. Besides, I love my first name.

"Okay Amelia, be sure to hit me up if you have any case to unravel or you can recommend me to friends and colleagues."

"Of course Samuel."

Driving back to Henry's house was harder than usual. The only thing stopping me from pulling over in front of the house of that ungrateful b***h and feeding her with earth was the call I got from my father-in-law, he was already in Henry's house and he wanted us to have dinner together. I knew that it would end in disaster because my husband made it clear to me that he hated my guts. I wonder if he would play cool in front of his father. As I parked my Bugatti Chiron, which was my wedding gift from Mr Caldwell, in my favorite spot beside the garden, I contemplated going into the house. I was glad that at least there was finally someone that I talk to but I wasn't ready to face Henry especially after being embarrassed by him few hours ago but I guess I couldn't hide forever.

"And here comes my favorite daughter-in-law." I forced a smile on my lips as my legs forced their way to the dinning table.

"I thought that was Whitney's place." Henry mummured to my hearing.

"But she is dead and Amelia is here now."

"You promised that you will never forget her and you have already replaced her with some gold digger just before her fifth death anniversary." I cleared my throat. It was weird to watch Henry and his father quarrel over I and Henry's dead wife but I realized something, Henry was still hung up on his dead wife and he wasn't ready to give her up anytime soon. Not that it mattered to be but I didn't understand why I was suddenly sad.

"Can we eat already please?" I said taking a seat beside Henry.

"That was Whitney's favorite chair. Are you trying to take over her chair too?" Henry butterred out and I apologized and sat on the one closer to Mr. Caldwell who mummured an apology to me which I nodded to. It wasn't his fault that my family made friends with the wrong person. The chef opened the plate and I breathed in the scent of the food. I was already starving. After finding out that Evelyn Grant was the witch behind my family's predicament, I lost my appetite and couldn't even taste the wine I ordered but now, the aroma of the food seemed to soothe me in a way. I thanked the chef as he dished my food for me and I was set to eat.

"You know Barbara, Whitney would never gobble down her food. She was an extremely patient woman." Henry said and I looked up to see him staring disgustingly at me. It isn't my fault that the chef was the best.

"My name is Amelia not Barbara." I said with a smile on my lips. My throat was burning and I felt the urgent need to soothe the burning sensation with water and I ended up drinking a whole glass of water at a go.

"You know, Whitney would never drink a glass of water at a go. She was a well mannered lady."

"Henry!!" Mr. Caldwell screamed.

"What? I was just telling her how she eats like a mannerless pig." I had to bit my lips hard and clench my fist in order to calm my anger. I decided that at that moment, it was best if I left the dining room there and then or I might end up pouring my anger on Henry.

"Thank you Mr. Caldwell and your amazing chef but I'm done, I have something important to do." I said with a smile and walked out of the house. I entered my car and made my way to Evelyn Grant's house. I was going to confront her first before I send her to the hospital to spend one year in.

I stopped in front of her house. "Amy! You're here, I have missed you so much…" I was tired of her fake sympathy and I decided to call her out at once.

"Oh please cut the bull s**t Evelyn Grant, I know what you did now I want to know why you did it." I said going straight to the point but the b***h decided to play dumb.

"Oh if you're talking about the money I deposited into your father's account, I just can't see you all suffer…"

"I know that you were the witch that poisoned my brother Evelyn Grant, and I just want to know why you did it." I thought that she would act dumb but she surprised me.

"Yeah and so? I was only taking what was taken away from me by your stupid family."

"I don't understand, explain."

"If your stupid father hadn't gotten that contract, I would have been a mom by now. Did he think that I was going to let him go after he made me lose my only chance of having a child to call my own while he went back to his family each day? It was just pay back time. Your family deserve everything that's coming to them and I don't regret doing it. The only thing I regret is the fact that Jason is still alive." She blabbered and my hand found their way to her face.

"I promise you Evelyn Grant that you will suffer for making my family shed tears. I will make your life a living hell. You will wish to die but death will be far from you. By the time I am done with you, you will be nothing but a living corpse." I said and made my way back to my car. I can't go to Henry's house because I may end up being a murderer. I didn't want to go to my parents house because I didn't want them to know what I am up to and I didn't want to go to Ellie's because Ellie is filled with her problems to comfort me. I needed a strong drink to calm myself.

My phone rang and Dr. Rebecca's voicemail started playing. I put it on loudspeaker.

"Hello Amelia. If you get this message please come to the hospital tomorrow. The poison isn't the cause of his mental issues. It only made it oblivious."

"What the f**k!!!"